Contributions towards the Materia Medica & Natural History of China (c. 1871) - Frederick Porter Smith

Contributions towards the Materia Medica & Natural History of China

Frederick Porter Smith | First published 1871 | Historical digital facsimile (PDF)

Step inside a nineteenth-century cabinet of curiosities, where medicinal plants, mineral substances, animal lore and the traditions of Chinese materia medica meet the observations of a Victorian medical missionary.

Written by Frederick Porter Smith for medical missionaries and native medical students, this remarkable historical reference gathers names, descriptions, preparations and reported uses of natural substances encountered in China. From aromatic woods and familiar herbs to curious mineral remedies and extraordinary animal folklore, its entries offer a fascinating glimpse into the meeting of different medical traditions in 1871.

Inside this historical volume

• Alphabetically arranged entries on plants, minerals and other substances associated with Chinese materia medica
• Historical descriptions of botanical names, trade, cultivation, preparation and reported medicinal applications
• Unusual observations and beliefs that illuminate the natural history and medical thinking of the period
• A valuable primary source for students of herbal history, traditional medicine, botanical folklore and nineteenth-century cross-cultural encounters

Especially intriguing: Smith records curious claims about borax and intoxication, and describes camphor in contexts ranging from perfumery and insects to fireworks. 

Publication details

Author: Frederick Porter Smith, M.B.
Original publication: Shanghai, American Presbyterian Mission Press, 1871
Format: Downloadable historical PDF facsimile
Collection: The Ancestral Library

Important: This is a historical source, not a modern herbal medicine guide. It contains obsolete medical claims, outdated terminology and references to substances or practices that may be unsafe or toxic. Its descriptions should be understood in their nineteenth-century context and must not be used as instructions for self-treatment, ingestion or preparation.

A captivating piece of botanical and medical history, preserved for the curious reader and the modern keeper of old knowledge.