9 6 



THE JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY. 



herbs, had discovered in one day no less than seventy different species of 

 poisonous plants, and at the same time others that were antidotes for the 

 poisons of the first seventy. What belonged to ancient Sin, Chin, Sinae, 

 China or Seres, or to mediaeval China, has come down in living generations 

 of many centuries, and exists with little change of form and substance 

 among the Chinese of modern times. In quite recent times some innova- 

 tions have been made by foreigners, and natives educated abroad have car- 

 ried the results of their learning to home institutions; but, for the most 

 part, the present tense may be used in describing customs which, so far as 

 known, have always existed. 



Something is known of a Chinese 1 literature, which is extensive, and is 

 believed by some to have had its beginning as early as the sixth century. 

 In the ninth century the Chinese invented printing by means of engraved 

 blocks. With these, used as stamps, fine printing was done on silk and other 

 textile material and on paper. 1 Movable type made of clay are mentioned 

 as used by the Chinese from the middle of the eleventh century. In the 

 British Museum is a Corean book printed with movable type in 1337. The 

 Coreans are said to have printed by means of copper type at the beginning 

 of the fifteenth century. 



EAELY MEDICAL WORKS AND AUTHORS. 



The name Hwang-te appears as that of a Chinese emperor (B. C. 2637), 

 who was given as the author of a treatise on medicine. There is much un- 

 certainty concerning the time of the origin of this work, and its author- 

 ship has been doubted, in the belief that it is probably a forgery of about 

 the beginning of the present era. 2 This medical work, which is entitled 

 "Nuy-kin" or "Neiszin," is still extant, and the fact that it still serves as 

 a medical guide is noticed as evidence of the unchangeableness and lack of 

 progress in medicine, as in all things pertaining to human life and affairs 

 in China. 



Before the time of Hwang-te appears the mythical character, Chin- 

 Nung, who is given as the good emperor, who invented agriculture. The 

 tradition is that he tested all the drugs upon his own person, before allowing 

 them to be used upon others, and that he succeeded in prolonging his own 

 life and the lives of his people by introducing healthful articles of food. 



Che-Hwang-te (B. C. 213), who was a powerful emperor, the builder 

 of the great Chinese wall, is noted as the burner of books. This he did in 

 opposition to the schoolmen of the nation, who opposed him in his ad- 

 ministration of the government. But the writings of Hwang-te, and per- 

 haps others, escaped destruction at this time. 



ljames Freeman Clark, in "Confucius and the Chinese." 

 ^Baas' History of Medicine. Henderson, p. 51. 



