cover image Chinese Medicine and Healing: An Illustrated History

Chinese Medicine and Healing: An Illustrated History

Edited by TJ Hinrichs and Linda L. Barnes. Harvard Univ., $45 (454p) ISBN 978-0-674-04737-2

Taking a historical, sociological, and anthropological approach, this expansive survey makes a scholarly pursuit accessible, with crisply edited essays and fascinating illustrations that break down a complex medical tradition whose relevance has not diminished. From the despotic third-century B.C. emperor Qin Shi Huangdi, who helped preserve medical texts and was immortalized by the terra cotta army buried with him, to "deep surgeries" otherwise unheard of in the ancient world, the earliest illustration of acupuncture in 1023, and 16th-century smallpox vaccinations, 200 years earlier than in the West%E2%80%94Cornell history professor Hinrichs and Boston University School of Medicine scholar Barnes present a rich exploration of the evolution and impact of Chinese medicine, successfully showcasing its "possibility for endless... combinations and customized adoptions." One essayist discusses how the 1960s counterculture in California recast Chinese medicine as a "naturalistic, holistic alternative to the biomedical establishment." In the 1970s, Nevada became the first state to designate Chinese medicine as a "learned profession," and later, a New York City hospital led an initiative developed by the stepfather of Tupac Shakur to treat heroin addicts with acupuncture. Medical professionals and alternative medicine aficionados will find plenty to appreciate in this compelling study. 76 photos, 5 illus., 9 maps, 11 tables. (Jan.)