Review by Choice Review
This is the first of a projected three volumes by Unschuld on medicine in China. Here he ambitiously tackles the time period from the 15th century BC to the present, discerning seven major conceptual systems. The intent of the study is to ``explore the conditions that accompanied the rise of new systems of therapy and the continued existence of old ones.'' Unschuld concludes that socioeconomic and sociopolitical factors condition concept formation in medicine: that is, change in the socioeconomic and/or sociopolitical matrix of a culture effects change in medicine. This interpretation is familiar to historians who have read the works of Michel Foucault and is often held in repugnance by physicians and historians who see modern medicine as fueled by the quest for truth and health. The book contains more than 100 pages of translated text of primary sources, notes, bibliography, list of Chinese characters (symbols), and an index. The text is occasionally plagued by excessive jargon, e.g., ``durable paradigmatic core,'' and ``soft coating.'' Most of this jargon is found in the introduction which can be read more profitably after completion of the book. Nevertheless, this is a priority acquisition for medical history collections and for academic libraries serving an East-West studies curriculum.-R.F. White, University of Kentucky
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
