The Three Powerful Traditions of Thinking that Constitute Homeopathy.

By means of a historical, classical philological and philosophical approach, this paper attempts to demonstrate that homeopathy is based on three powerful traditions of thinking, which can be traced back to Ancient Greece's pre-Socratic era. Actually, it seems to be constituted by what may be termed lógos-, hómoion- and iásthai-thinking: that is, thinking in terms of rationality, similarity and healing. By contrast, modern medicine tends to be aligned with just one of these traditions, at the expense of the others, this being not without risk and adverse effects. It is mainly determined by the first type of rationality that genealogically derives from, and is therefore compatible with, the logic of economics whose predominance in the health care systems of modern societies is progressively rising. Homeopathy, however, may not be sufficiently and fairly understood without taking into account the complementary forms of thinking on which it also rests, such as the principle of similarity in an all-encompassing sense, and ancient healing knowledge in the tradition of catharsis. As a corollary of being essentially constituted by the three, homeopathy may persistently be in need of a dynamic equilibrium of its three constituent bases. Attempts to approach homeopathy from only one of the indicated modes of thinking fail to grasp its essence and result in figments or caricatures of what homeopathy was originally meant to be.

[Decipherment of herb medicine Nanwuweizi and Wuweizi in Chinese ancient literature].

Nanwuweizi( Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus) and Wuweizi( Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus) have long-term history of use as common traditional Chinese medicines since the Eastern Han Dynasty( AD.25-220 year).However their information are always confused in ancient literature because they were both used as " Wuweizi". Nanwuweizi and Wuweizi are faced with problems such as confused distribution of producing areas,unclear source plants and efficacy characteristics,which limit modern resource development and application. Based on ancient literatures of materia medica,this study conducted a systematic review from several aspects,i.e. the name,distribution of producing areas,source plants,efficacy characteristics and processing of the two medicines in ancient time. This study clarified five main aspects,as following,ancient production areas and corresponding modern distribution areas; source plants used for medicinal purposes in ancient time; application period and application scope; efficacy characteristics in clinical application;processing method. This study provides a reference for evaluating the quality and for their clinical application and reasonable development of Nanwuweizi and Wuweizi.

[Variety and distribution of Anhui native medicinal materials in ancient Chinese materia medica].

Anhui is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain, its across warm temperate zone and subtropics. The mountain and water next to each other, which leads to Chinese medicine resources ranked first in East China. The utilization of traditional Chinese medicine resources in Anhui has a long history, which could date back to the publishing time of Ming Yi Bie Lu (Appendant Records of Famous Physicians). And the kinds of traditional Chinese medicine in Song Dynasty ups to 80. There are also some differences in the distribution of various geographical units in terms of the types: Jianghuai hilly region's ups to 64, 25 in Wannan mountainous area, the species in Dabie Mountains and Huaibei plain are 16 and 14 respectively. In addition, the Jianghuai hilly region's and Wannan mountainous area have a long history among of them, which have been reached a peak in the Song Dynasty. The history of native medicinal materials in Anhui recorded in different periods, though combing herbal books. And the results showed that the vast majority of varieties in ancient are the same as modern ones, which provide the historical basis for the rich bulk medicinal materials in Anhui. The distinctions in natural and social environment of different geographical units have effects on the history of the usage of Chinese medicine resources in respective regions. Thus, the variety and distribution of native medicinal materials in Anhui among the Bencao works of different period provides herbalism basis for the protection and utilization of Chinese medicine resources currently.

[Exploration on an overview of history (from Chunqiu to Ming and Qing Dynasties) and species of Chinese exotic traditional medicine].

This paper collected and analyzed literatures about starting of traditional medicine and trading of different medicine from Chunqiu Zhanguo to Ming and Qing Dynasties, in order to preliminarily explore on an overview of specie of chinese exotic traditional medicine and trade of different country in different dynasty（from Chunqiu to Ming and Qing Dynasties）, as well as the amount of exotic medicine over two thousand years. (remove repeating and doubtful species), find peculiarity of exotic medicine, sreen species that used to develop the Silk Route and establish quality standards.Finally, We get conclusions are as follows. First, primary,.prosperous and declining stages of development of exotic traditional medicine are Qin and Han, Song-Jin-Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, respectively. Second, according to literature, the stage that has the most species of exotic medicine is song dynasty,approximately have 300. Removing repeating and doubtful species, the believable species are approximate 230 to 250. Meanwhile, the unknown species are approximate 30, which may be different name of one medicine or processed goods, now these medicines are named as "doubtful species". Third, the medicinal parts of exotic medicine are different from Chinese medicine of Han nation. The number of Resin, fruits and seeds kind are more than root and rhizomes kind,mineral medicines are more than animal. Fourth, the major producing area of exotic medicine is some countries and territories related to the Silk Route in the history. Ultimately, this paper preliminarily figure out basic information of exotic medicine of different dynasty in China,that provide reference for learning study and decision of industrial development.

[Formation and evolution of commodity specification and grade of traditional Chinese medicine].

As an important reference index to evaluate the quality of Chinese medicinal materials, the commodity specification and grade of traditional Chinese medicine has an effect on the medicinal material's price, can promote "high quality and high price" of the traditional Chinese medicine, prompt market transactions more convenient and standard, and has a great significance to the development of the whole traditional Chinese medicine industry. The formation of traditional Chinese medicine specifications and grades experienced a long historical development process. In order to provide the reference for modification of the product specifications and grades standards and management of traditional Chinese medicine products, the author consulted a large number of materia medica books and related references, sorted and analyzed the historical development process. The author divided the formation and development process into four stages, including germination stage before the Southern and Northern Dynasties, development stage of Tang and Song Dynasty, mature period of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the inheritance development stage since the foundation of the People's Republic. The author believes that the clinical curative effect is the driving force to promote the development of commodity specifications and grades. In addition, the national pharmaceutical policy, international status, the level of science and technology also influence the development of commodity specifications and grades in some extents. Finally, the author provides three piece of suggestions for the modification of the product specifications and grades standards, according to the historical development rule.

HISTORICAL AND CURRENT PERSPECTIVE IN THE USE OF THYROID EXTRACTS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HYPOTHYROIDISM.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the history, refinements, implementation, physiology, and clinical outcomes achieved over the past several centuries of thyroid hormone replacement strategies. METHODS: A Medline search was initiated using the following search terms: bioidentical thyroid hormone, thyroid hormone extract, combination thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3) therapy, homeopathic thyroid hormone therapy, and thyroid hormone replacement. Pertinent articles of interest were identified by title (and where available abstract) for further review. Additional references were identified during a review of the identified literature. RESULTS: A rich history of physician intervention in thyroid dysfunction was identified dating back more than 2 millennia. Although not precisely documented, thyroid ingestion from animal sources had been used for centuries but was finally scientifically described and documented in Europe over 130 years ago. Since the reports by Bettencourt and Murray, there has been a continuous documentation of outcomes, refinement of hormone preparation production, and updating of recommendations for the most effective and safe use of these hormones for relieving the symptoms of hypothyroidism. As the thyroid extract preparations contain both levothyroxine (LT4) and liothyronine (LT3), current guidelines do not endorse their use as controlled studies do not clearly document enhanced objective outcomes compared with LT4 monotherapy. Among current issues cited, the optimum ratio of LT4 to LT3 has yet to be determined, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not appear to be monitoring the thyroid hormone ratios or content in extract preparations on the market. Taken together, these limitations are important detriments to the use of thyroid extract products. CONCLUSION: The evolution of thyroid hormone therapies has been significant over the extended period of time they have been in use to treat hypothyroidism. Although numerous websites continue to advocate the use of thyroid hormone extracts as a superior therapy for hypothyroidism, none of the most recent guidelines of major endocrine societies recommend thyroid extract use for hypothyroidism.

[Achievement of Nongzheng Quanshu in area of herbalogical textual research].

The achievement of Nongzheng Quanshu in area of herhalogical textual research was illustrated in this paper. Nongzheng Quanshu recorded the information of 159 kinds of cultivated plants and 473 kinds of wild plants. It also quoted many contents from lots of ancient agriculture hooks related in herbalogical literature. Many agriculture researchers were encouraged to have done much work in area of herhalogical textual research It also included the materia medica hook Jiuhuang Bencao and Yecaipu therein and promoted their delivery.

[Retrospect and prospect of medicinal plants cultivation in China].

There is time-honored history and culture of medicinal plant cultivation in China. In the present review, the medicinal plant cultivation history in china was summarized, its current situation and question were analyzed, and the prospects of medicinal plant cultivation research were pointed out, with the purpose of accelerating the growth of medicinal plant cultivation research.

[Status of reaching meridian research for Chinese matria medica and to raise "point-medicine" method].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the status of reaching meridian research for the Chinese Matria Medica and to raise point-medicine method. METHOD: To review and analyze the studied situation of the corresponding relationships between "materials", as the constituents in the Chinese materia medica (CMM) as reaching meridian material foundation, and "image", as the function states of the zang-fu viscera, to investigate the problems and the measures to solve it. RESULT: There are imprinting relationships among "materials", as the constituents alike metabolic pathway in the CMM as reaching meridian material foundation, and "image", as the function of the zang-fu viscera related with meridians, and "symptom", the states of them, retroacted, represented and explored by the corresponding meridianed constituents in the CMM as quantitative pharmacologic parameters,also modified by special acupuncture points, finally to establish the new method of reaching meridian according to meridian point-medicine action and also to investigate the relations between the constituents in the CMM and network targets of disease as to kill two birds with one arrow. CONCLUSION: There are imprinting relationships among "materials", "image", "symptom" versus CMM, zang-fu viscera function related with meridians, their function status respectively, which are modified by acupuncture merisian points. The point-medicine method for assuring reaching meridian is the most simple way to investigate reaching meridian for CMM, is also a important way to investigate visceral and meridianal manifestations.

[Discussion on strengthening yin of chinese herbs with bitter-flavor clinical traditional Chinese pharmacology noun terminology standardization research].

Clinical traditional Chinese pharmacology is the subject that study of basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine, property of Chinese materia medica and clinical application. The study on the standardization research of the terminology of clinical traditional Chinese pharmacology is an important premise and foundation to standardization, modernization and internationalization, informationization construction of clinical traditional Chinese pharmacology and is also the important content of the subject construction. To provide some exploring ideas for clinical traditional Chinese pharmacology noun terminology standardization, this article elaborates the concept of strengthening Yin with bitter-flavor herbs in several aspects, such as connotation and the historical origin, the clinical application in the traditional, modern clinic application, and the modern basic research and so on.

On the history of opium / Z dziejów opium.

Most likely, opium was the first narcotic substance discovered at the dawn of humankind. The history of drug addiction is immensely rich and allows for tracing the long way humankind had to travel to reach the contemporary level of consciousness with respect to narcotic substances. A retrospective view of drug addiction that takes into consideration the historical context, while extending our knowledge, also allows for a better understanding of today's problems. The report presents elements of a retrospective view of problems associated with addiction to opium, morphine and heroin over the centuries, what is a subject of scientific interest in contemporary toxicology.

Once again on the Empress Zoe: Women, dermatology, cosmetics, and materia medica (medical matter) in the ancient world.

BACKGROUND: An article published in 2012 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology discussed the historical sources presenting the Byzantine Empress Zoe Porphyrogenita as an expert in cosmetic and pharmacological remedies that could give their users a youthful appearance and a kind of eternal youth. However, it did not take into account a dermatological recipe attributed to Zoe which text transmission has preserved. AIMS: To examine some ingredients of Zoe's recipe from a historical medical point of view and contextualize the text in the tradition of ancient medical matter, physiology of aging, and gender pharmacological skills. METHODS: After contextualizing the recipe from the historical medical point of view, some of its ingredients have been analyzed in relation not only to their use in the most authoritative pharmacological and medical sources of antiquity but also to their symbolic meaning. RESULTS: The analysis of Zoe's dermatological recipe allowed to highlight: The links between cosmetics and medicine in Greek and Roman Antiquity. The reason why ancient sources dealing with medical matter attributed to certain substances and plants the power to save the human body from old age and decay. The consistency between the ingredients of Zoe's recipe and the humoral physiology by genders and by age of Hippocrates. The existence of a female tradition in pharmacological competence. CONCLUSION: Cosmetic dermatology of antiquity is the perfect point in which survival of the myth and rational pharmacology overlap.

Ancient voices on tinnitus: the pathology and treatment of tinnitus in Celsus and the Hippocratic Corpus compared and contrasted.

OBJECTIVE: The object of the paper is to analyse the treatment of tinnitus in two ancient works, Celsus De Medicina and the Greek Hippocratic Corpus. Whilst reviews of historical references to tinnitus have identified this material, this is the first detailed treatment of the subject in these authors. DESIGN: The paper considers the material relating to tinnitus and suggested treatments in the Roman medical writer Celsus (mid first century AD) in contrast with those found in the Greek Hippocratic Corpus (late fifth, early fourth century BC). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The lifestyle change, diet and pharmacological treatments suggested by Celsus are analysed and shown as likely to be effective. Celsus is shown to be remarkably modern in his understanding of the aetiology of the disease and his suggested dietary and pharmacological treatments appear to be soundly based. Celsus' pharmacological approach differs from the more theoretical stance of the Hippocratic Corpus based on humoural theory. The Hippocratric Corpus is more detailed in its descriptions of otological pathology and more concerned with a humoural explanation of the disease, but offers useful advice on diet and regimen and also provides the first detailed description of what appears to be Ménière's Syndrome.

[Current situation of toxicity classification of Chinese materia medica and its research thoughts].

Toxicity of Chinese materia medica (CMM) is an important part of Chinese herbal nature theory. In clinical application, the dosage, time limitation and compatibility of CMM is mainly determined by toxicity. At present, there is no uniform toxicity classification standard for the evaluation of Chinese herbal toxicity. Therefore, it is significant to research toxicity classification of CMM. The current situation of toxicity classification of CMM is reviewed in this paper, and proposed research thoughts are as follows: the measurement of toxicity parameters, the confirmation of poisoning target organs, the investigation on toxic mechanism by serum pharmacology and toxicokinetics, the comprehensive evaluation on toxicity based on quantitative theory.

Historical notes on immaturity. Part 1: measures of viability.

The interest in the limit of viability originated from various sources, including legal requirements, the rejection of mechnical life support, competition for resources, concerns about handicaps, and proximity to the fetus with its limited rights. Gestational age was determined from menstrual history by Hippocratic writers, who established the tenacious idea that 7-, but not 8-month infants could survive. Naegele's rule, already published by Boerhaave in 1744, was correct when applied to the last day of menstruation. Birth weight and length were not measured until the end of the 18(th) century. This remarkable disinterest resulted from superstition, grossly inaccurate measurements by the authorities Mauriceau and Smellie, and the conversion chaos of the pre-metric era. A table is provided with historic mass and length units allowing to determine birth weight and body length in the older literature. The idea of viability is a remnant of vitalism, a medical doctrine popularized in 1780 by Brown. Many short-lived statements defined its limit, but until now what was meant by viability remained nebulous.

[Herbalism and germplasm of deltaleaf goldthread rhizome].

Through textual research of herbalism about Chinese Goldthread Rhizome in different periods of ancients and some modern study, and analysis on correlativity between its name and different germplasm, it showed that the knowledge level of quality of the medicinal materials was gradually increased in its historical record of application by the society improvement and increasing of requirements and population from producing area, diversity of character to germplasm resources. The materials name of Chinese Goldthread Rhizome was from unitary to diversity and referred to the rhizomes of all plants of Coptis in China, while Deltaleaf Goldthread Rhizome took an important role in the evolution of Chinese Goldthread Rhizome. The aim of the work was to provide a reference for the correlative study of phylogeny, individual distribution, ecological environment and medical resources.

An investigation of the pharmacological applications used for the Ancient Egyptian systemic model 'ra-ib' compared with modern Traditional Chinese Medicine.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ancient Egyptian texts only offer glimpses into their conceptual understandings of the inner-body and illness manifestation. Explanations of how prescribed materia medica were believed to work are rare and obscure, often resulting in modern approximations for ancient terminology such as 'ra-ib'-an ancient Egyptian classification predominantly translated as 'stomach'-leading to misunderstandings of historical texts, and therefore their use of pharmacology. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the ra-ib and the explanatory models of illness from the Egyptian perspective, and to explore the link between these and the prescribed selection of materia medica. To then compare the conceptual mechanics of these treatment strategies with those of another non-Western tradition-namely Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)-to provide further insight into potential conceptual frameworks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a case study of a unit of Ancient Egyptian texts focusing on the ra-ib. Totalling 34 prescriptions, the first stage lexicographically analysed the texts using cognitive linguistic and translation theories to produce our new understanding. This enabled our comparison of the mechanics of materia medica usage within these texts with those found in TCM outlined by the Pharmacopoeia of the Peoples Republic of Pharmacopeia of the People's Republic of China 2015 for the relevant ingredients. RESULTS: the study demonstrated that-rather than denoting the organ 'stomach'-ra-ib instead constitutes a system running from the mouth, downward to the anus. This is best translated as 'inner thoroughfare', and changes the way in which we attempt to understand potential motivations in the selection of ingredients. By exploring common themes in the use of eleven securely translated ingredients from the Egyptian corpus and the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China-representing a modern traditional system which understands the body via a series of interconnected systems-we were able to highlight certain themes which might be 'universal' to system-based traditions; this provided new insights into the Egyptian motivations for treatment selection. CONCLUSIONS: Having gained the ancient view of the body and illness, cultural comparisons are important for providing further potential insights and clarifications of a discontinued historical healing tradition. The new understanding of the ra-ib from our study greatly changes the way in which we understand the dynamics of Egyptian ethnopharmacological source material from this period.

The "Table of mineral classification" by Oscar Nerval de Gouvêa: mineralogy and medicine in Brazil.

Oscar Nerval de Gouvêa was a scientist and teacher in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, whose work spanned engineering, medicine, the social sciences, and law. This paper presents and discusses a manuscript entitled "Table of mineral classification," which he appended to his dissertation Da receptividade mórbida , presented to the Faculty of Medicine in 1889. The foundations and features of the table provide a focus for understanding nineteenth-century mineralogy and its connections in Brazil at that time through this scientist. This text was Gouvêa's contribution to the various mineral classification systems which have emerged from different parts of the world.

The real Theriac - panacea, poisonous drug or quackery?

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Theriac is considered the most popular cure-all multi-ingredient medicine and has been used for more than two millennia. It has also been used as one of the most important anti-epidemic drugs up to the 19th c., treated as an emergency medicine in case of e.g. bubonic plague. AIM OF THE STUDY: Until now, no reliable information regarding the pharmacological effect of the treacle was available, including its possible toxic or narcotic properties. In order to change the state of knowledge in this matter we have selected the Theriac recipe that had been actually used for producing the treacle in 1630, which was confirmed by the official municipal documents of the time. METHODS: The recipe was written in Latin, with the use of pre-Linnean nomenclature and then apothecary common names, which required translation into the modern scientific language in order to get reliable pharmacological conclusions. The information from historical sources has been compiled with the pharmacological data concerning the most potent compounds, which for the first time made it possible to calculate the amounts of active compounds in the doses taken by then patients. RESULTS: Only two species included in Theriac can be harmful in humans: poppy and sea squill, but in both cases the calculated quantity of morphine and cardiac glycosides, respectively, were below toxic level. There are no indications, both from the historical and pharmacological point of view, for Theriac being toxic or narcotic in patients, when used as prescribed. CONCLUSIONS: As for now, the most probable is that the treacle owed its postulated efficacy in the main indications to the placebo effect. Still, the results should be further confirmed by reconstructing the actual Theriac and subjecting it to modern tests and analyses.