[Textual research on the engraved editions of Nei wai yan fang mi chuan (Secret Teaching of Proved Prescriptions for Internal and External Diseases)].

Zhao Lian's book Nei wai yan fang mi chuan (Secret Teaching of Proved Prescriptions for Internal and External Diseases) was firstly engraved in the 21st year of Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty. There are altogether four different engraved editions separately collected in the Library of Academy of Medical Sciences, Library of Zhenjiang City, Library of Changchun University of TCM, and Library of Shanghai University of TCM, printed in different times with different sizes of its contents. It is better to call all these editions the engraved versions of Guangxu reign. All of them are engraved and printed after the mother edition with some blocks hollowed-out and supplemented. Hence, the title "engraved edition of Yiyou or the 11th year of Guangxu reign (1885) of the Qing dynasty" carried in The General Catalogue of Ancient Books of TCM is wrong.

Galen, father of systematic medicine. An essay on the evolution of modern medicine and cardiology.

Galen (129-217) was the ultimate authority on all medical subjects for 15 centuries. His anatomical/physiological concepts remained unchallenged until well into the 17th century. He wrote over 600 treatises, of which less than one-third exist today. The Galenic corpus is stupendous in magnitude; the index of word-entries in it contains 1300 pages. Galen's errors attracted later attention, but we should balance the merits and faults in his work because both exerted profound influences on the advancement of medicine and cardiology. Galen admonished us to embrace truth as identified by experiment, warning that everyone's writings must be corroborated by directly interrogating Nature. His experimental methods' mastery is demonstrated in his researches, spanning every specialty. In his life-sustaining schema, the venous, arterial, and nervous systems, with the liver, heart, and brain as their respective centers, were separate, each distributing through the body one of three pneumata: respectively, the natural, the vital, and the animal spirits. He saw blood carried both within the venous and arterial systems, which communicated by invisible "anastomoses," but circulation eluded him. The "divine Galen's" writings, however, contributed to Harvey's singular ability to see mechanisms completely differently than other researchers, thinkers and experimentalists. Galen was the first physician to use the pulse as a sign of illness. Some representative study areas included embryology, neurology, myology, respiration, reproductive medicine, and urology. He improved the science and use of drugs in therapeutics. Besides his astounding reputation as scientist-author and philosopher, Galen was deemed a highly ethical clinician and brilliant diagnostician.

[The first printed textbook in dentistry]. / A világ elso, nyomtatásban megjelent fogászati könyve.

The first book focused solely on dentistry was published in Germany in 1530. Former scientific publications on dentistry were collected by an unknown author. The book presents 44 pages on the main issues of dentistry divided into 13 chapters. It was made by the Guttenberg method of printing.

[The research on the edition of Daquanbencao (Complete Collection of Materia Medica)].

Zhengleibencao (Classified Materia Medica) had been formed into several kinds of edition systems during its dissemination, among which there was the edition system of Daquanbencao (Complete Collection of Materia Medica). Daquanbencao was originally carved in the Jin dynasty, thereafter it was re-carved in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties so as to form a series of editions such as the edition of Zhenyou in the second year of the Jin dynasty; the edition of the Zongwenshuyuan college in Dade renyan year of the Yuan dynasty; the WANG Qiu's carved edition of Shangyitang hall in the Ming dynasty; the carved edition of Jishanshuyuan, the Jishang mountain college in the Ming dynasty, the reprinted edition of PENG Duan-wu in the Ming dynasty, the supplementary edition of YANG Bi-da in the Qing dynasty;, and the carved edition of KE Feng-shi in the Qing dynasty. Among all the editions, Chongkanjingshizhengleidaquanbencao (Reprinted Classified Daquan Materia Medica from Historical Classics) was the representative one. As a representative of the above editions, the carved edition of WANG took the edition of the Zongwenshuyuan college of the Yuan dynasty as the original edition, but the images picture of materia medica adopted from the edition of Zhenghebencao (Materia Medica of the Zhenghe era).

Brain, mind, and body: interactions with art in renaissance Italy.

The Renaissance saw the first systematic anatomical and physiological studies of the brain and human body because scientists, for the first time in centuries, were allowed to dissect human bodies for study. Renaissance artists were frequently found at dissections and their attention to detail can be observed in their products. Scientists themselves were increasingly artistic, and they created astonishing anatomical models and illustrations that can still be studied. The cross-fertilization of art and science in the Renaissance resulted in more scientific analyses of neuroanatomy as well as more creative ways in which such analyses could be depicted. Both art and science benefited from the reciprocal ways in which the two influenced each other even as they provided new ways of explaining the mysteries of the human body and mind.

[Distinguishing the characters Bo and Tuan in Shanhan Lun (Treatise on Exopathogenic Cold Disease) and Jingui Yaolue (Synopsis of Golden Chamber)].

The vulgar form of the Chinese character Tuan is printed as "[symbol: see text]" which is quite similar to Bo in its form. In the Zhao Kaimei's version of Shanhan Lun (Treatise of Exopathogenic Cold Disease) and the version of Qianjin Yifang (A Supplement to Recipes Worth a Thousand Gold) of Dade reign of the Yuan Dynasty all set this character either in the vulgar form or in its full form of "[symbol: see test]". Whereas, in the last century, this character in all the modern printing versions and computerized version of Shanhan Lun and Jingui Yaolue are mistakenly printed either in its vulgar form or in its full form. The versions of Jingui Yaolue of Deng Zhen of the Yuan Dynasty and Zhao Kaimei all set this character as "[symbol: see text]". Obviously, it can be concluded that none of the good rare versions of Shanhan Lun and Jingui Yaolue give the right character "[symbol: see text]". The version in modern Chinese language of Shanhan Lun and Jingui Yaolue published by the People's Medical Publishing House in Aug., 2005 substitutes the full form of the character "[symbol: see text]" with its simplified form "[symbol: see text]".

[Introduction of medical works block-printed by Xiong Zong-li].

Being a famous physician of the Ming dynasty, Xiong Zong-li engaged in the writing, collation, and revision of medical works by combining his medical know-how of his family after his robust age. He published over 20 kinds of medical works and became an expert specialized in publication of medical books which were circulated domestically and abroad. He made great contributions to the development of TCM.

[Review on fragmentary volume of original block - printed edition of Nan jing ben yi (Gist of the Classic of Questioning)].

Nan jing ben yi (Gist of the Classic of Questioning) was written by Hua Shou of the Yuan dynasty. The extant first volume of the original block - printed edition, revised by Lü Fu, was collected in the Library of China Academy of Military Medical Science. There is a preface written by Jie Hong, a Director Ministry of Techndogy in 1366 at the front of this volume. The red seal in the first page showed that it had been collected by Yun Xiang, Pan Zuyin et al. It is highly possible that this volume is the only existing copy.

[Primary textual research on editions of Lei jing (Classified Canon)].

There were not a few editions of Lei jing (Classified Canon) spread now, some of which had certain relationship in their origin. The block - printed edition of the Ming dynasty in the ministry library of Japan National Cabinet Document Library may probably be the earliest edition of Lei jing. There were two major types of edition of Lei jing in circulation, that is, the editions with and without the original contents of Nei jing (Inner Canon). The Yongquan edition of Jin Changtong and edition of Tiande Hall were the source of all the block - printed editions in China, while the Japanese block - printed edition was derived from the edition with the original contents of Nei jing of the Ming dynasty.

[On an unknown edition of the Reprobación de supersticiones by the master Pedro Ciruelo]. / Sobre una edición ignota de la Reprobación de supersticiones del maestro Ciruelo.

The aim of the article is the analysis and description of one of the editions of the well-known Reprobación de supersticiones by the master Pedro Ciruelo. To be exact, it is the first edition, as we will demonstrate through the text, which was undiscovered until now. We proceed to the description of a copy kept at the library of the Diocesan Seminary of San Miguel de Orihuela. In addition to the more formal aspects, the evolution and development of the author, printer and engraver are extremely important for dating this printed work.

[Study on Shi Zhenduo's Ben cao bu (Supplemented materia medica)].

Being called "precursor of pharmacy imported from the west" by Fan Xingzhun, a famous medical historian, Ben cao bu was lost in China. It has been found outside China recently. This article deals with the author, blockprinting edition, contents of the book and makes a comparison with its texts cited in Ben cao gang mu shi yi (Supplemented Compendium of Materia Medica). It also evaluates the practical significance of this book as an early dissemination of pharmacy imported from the west.

[Circulation of Song editions of Hong shi ji yan fang (Hong's Collection of effective recipes) and Shang han yao zhi yao fang (Recipes with gist on cold pathogenic diseases)].

The first blockprinted edition, 5 - volume Hong shi ji yan fang (Hong's Collection of Effective Recipes) in the 6th year of Qiandao reign (1170) and the first blockprinted edition of Shang han yao zhi yao fang (Recipes with Gist on Cold Pathogenic Diseases) in the 7th year of Qiandao reign (1171) are collected in the National Beijing Library. Both are highly treasured by book connoisseurs of the Ming and Qing dynasties who made much textual research. The authors, edition uniqueness and circulating facts of both works are discussed here.

[Study on Wang Ruzun's hand - written copy of Dongyi Bogam (Precious mirror of oriental medicine)].

In the beginning of the 16th century, Hu Jung of the Lee dynasty of Korea collected the chief medical books written before the mid - Ming dynasty of China and some ancient Korean medical books to compile the Dongyi Bogam (Precious Mirror of Oriental Medicine). This marks the formation of a new stage in Korean medicine with unique theoretical system. After this great book was transmitted to China, the first man who tried to blockprint it was a folk doctor, Wang Ruzun. This article briefly introduces Wang's life, gives a general picture of Wang's hand - written copy in 1747, by quoting Chai Chaosheng's preface and Wang Ruzun's postscript in the book. It is firmly believed that Wang's hand - written copy is of great significance. The said copy is collected in our library.

Personal opinion on the date of first printing of Jing yue quan shu (Jingyue's Complete Book).

Generally, the date of the first printing is based on the description, "Introduction to the Complete Book", in the postscript written by his grandson Lin Riwei, saying that "in the year of Gengchen (1) brought (my draft) to eastern Guangdong to tell the Fangbo master Lu... (who) donated his salary for the printing which lasted for several months". By Fangbo, it is another name for the position of Buzhengsi (Provincial administrative commissioner). Here, it refers to Lu Chao, by then the commissioner of Guangdong. In the Chronicle of Qing Officials, it is recorded that Lu Chao was in charge of Guangdong provincial commissioner in the year 37-40 of Kangxi reign (1688-1671). Together with other reference data, I draw the conclusion that Jingyue's Complete Book should be first printed in the year 1700.

A brief history of printing of lithographic medical books in modern times.

A large number of lithographic medical books came out within about 100 years after the introduction of lithography technique from the west. There are about 1000 extant lithographic medical books among which 500 still extant as lithographic edition in our country. The development of lithographic medical book could be divided into three stages: the embryonic stage, the prosperous stage and the devlined stage. In spite of the shortcomings that the printing was not exquisite and the textual proofreading was not precise, the value of these lithographic medical books could not be underrated in preserving the medical documents, spreading the medical knowledge and promoting the confluence of TCM and western medicine.

Thomsonian medical books and the culture of dissent in Upper Canada.

Adherents to American lay healer Samuel Thomson's system of medicine have been viewed in Canada primarily as antagonists of mainstream medicine. Their publishing activities, however, reveal a wide reform impulse. As this discussion illustrates by considering publishers, printers, editors, and compilers of Thomsonian books in Upper Canada, most had links--real and temperamental--to Reform politics and to dissenting Protestant beliefs, especially Methodism. Their publications may thus be viewed as vehicles for social change in a British colony having a strong Tory alliance between church and state.