The Life Cycle of an Ancient Chinese Medical Encyclopedia A Study of Revised Classified Materia Medica on the Basis of Darnton’s ‘Communication Circuit’

The Revised Classified Materia Medica is a revision of Chinese medical encyclopedia, Materia Medica with Evidence, compiled by Tang Shenwei in the Song dynasty (1097-1100). This book was published and reprinted many times by different publishers in history. Why this medical encyclopedia enjoyed such a great success and popularity over five hundred years, especially in the Ming dynasty? Following Darnton’s communication circuit model, this thesis investigates individual phases in the circuit to present those editions published by commercial publishers, new players with a growing influence on the publishing market, during the late Ming dynasty. Specific political, social, economic and cultural factors in the late Ming dynasty can explain the enduring success of this medical encyclopedia during that period. The highly commercialized Ming economy and the development of science and technology gave rise to a booming printing industry. And the flourishing state of the late Ming commercial...Show moreThe Revised Classified Materia Medica is a revision of Chinese medical encyclopedia, Materia Medica with Evidence, compiled by Tang Shenwei in the Song dynasty (1097-1100). This book was published and reprinted many times by different publishers in history. Why this medical encyclopedia enjoyed such a great success and popularity over five hundred years, especially in the Ming dynasty? Following Darnton’s communication circuit model, this thesis investigates individual phases in the circuit to present those editions published by commercial publishers, new players with a growing influence on the publishing market, during the late Ming dynasty. Specific political, social, economic and cultural factors in the late Ming dynasty can explain the enduring success of this medical encyclopedia during that period. The highly commercialized Ming economy and the development of science and technology gave rise to a booming printing industry. And the flourishing state of the late Ming commercial publishing industry and the popularity of regularly used self-help information books further stimulated the production and wide distribution of commercially published illustrated medical works. Besides, against the background of recurrent and persistent epidemics, and because of the long-established values of Neo-Confucian philosophy, the growing class of literati developed a habit of reading medical texts for self-treatment and caring for their family members. Revised Classified Materia Medica even found its way to some neighboring countries of China, but genuine western readers of Chinese books would not emerge until the nineteenth century.Show less

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The Life Cycle of an Ancient Chinese Medical Encyclopedia A Study of Revised Classified Materia Medica on the Basis of Darnton’s ‘Communication Circuit’