Needham Research Institute Series
About the Book Series
Joseph Needham's 'Science and Civilisation' series began publication in the 1950s. At first, it was seen as a piece of brilliant but isolated pioneering. However, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, it is clear that Needham's work has succeeded in creating a vibrant new intellectual field in the West. The books in this series cover topics relating broadly to the practice of science, technology and medicine in East Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The emphasis is on traditional forms of knowledge and practice, but without excluding modern studies which connect the topics with their historical and cultural context.
Explorations in Daoism: Medicine and Alchemy in Literature
1st Edition
By Ho Peng Yoke
July 08, 2011
The Daoist canon is the definitive fifteenth century compilation of texts concerning ritual, alchemical and meditation practices within Daoist religion. Many of these texts are undated and anonymous, so dating them is essential for a clear understanding of the development of Chinese alchemy, and ...
The Evolution of Chinese Medicine: Song Dynasty, 960–1200
1st Edition
By Asaf Goldschmidt
July 01, 2011
The history of Chinese medicine hinges on three major turning points: the formation of canonical theory in the Han dynasty; the transformation of medicine via the integration of earlier medical theories and practices in the Song dynasty; and the impact of Western medicine from the nineteenth ...
Tibetan Medicine in the Contemporary World: Global Politics of Medical Knowledge and Practice
1st Edition
Edited
By Laurent Pordié
June 22, 2011
The popularity of Tibetan medicine plays a central role in the international market for alternative medicine and has been increasing and extending far beyond its original cultural area becoming a global phenomenon. This book analyses Tibetan medicine in the 21st century by considering the ...
Medieval Chinese Medicine: The Dunhuang Medical Manuscripts
1st Edition
By Christopher Cullen, Vivienne Lo
May 24, 2005
In recent decades various versions of Chinese medicine have begun to be widely practised in Western countries, and the academic study of the subject is now well established. However, there are still few scholarly monographs that describe the history of Chinese medicine and there are none at all on ...
Celestial Lancets: A History and Rationale of Acupuncture and Moxa
1st Edition
By Gwei-Djen Lu, Joseph Needham
October 25, 2002
Using modern knowledge to shed light on ancient techniques, this text examines two of the earliest therapeutic techniques of Chinese medicine: acupuncture and moxibustion. Acupuncture is the implantation of very thin needles into subcutaneous connective tissue and muscle at a great number of ...