16—17世纪梅毒良药土茯苓在海外的流播

The Medicinal Usage of China Root and Its Circulation Overseas between 1520 and 1660

伴随地理大发现的深入展开,梅毒作为一种新疾病于16世纪初期传入中国沿海。因应其传入,晚明医家袭用古代医学理论以土茯苓治疗梅毒并取得良效,随后土茯苓便反向流播到印度、非洲、欧洲乃至美洲等地区。在此流播过程中,中药的传统炮制方法也为欧洲各地医师所接纳、采用,频繁载入多语种的西方医籍,为世界范围内的流行疾病治疗做出了贡献。土茯苓在16世纪中后期迅速完成了从物种到商品,再到大宗商品的属性演变。至17世纪,它不仅堪称日本市场上的药材之冠,甚至还流通于荷兰东印度公司贸易网的各个链条之中,与其他重要商品一同参与了塑造早期世界市场的历史进程。

As a newly discovered disease in the early modern era,the syphilis spread eastward and reached the coastal areas of China in the early 16 th century.In response to the invasion of syphilis,the Chinese physicians chose China Root(Tu Fuling)as the medical treatment by absorbing the ancient medical theory and achieved good results.China Root subsequently spread westward to India,Africa,Europe and even the Americas.In the process of the circulation of China Root,the processing methods of the Chinese traditional medicine were also adopted by the foreign physicians and recorded in the medical books in many foreign languages.This medicinal material and its usage made contribution to the treatment of the epidemic diseases worldwide at that time.In addition,China Root quickly transformed from species to goods,and eventually became the commodities in the middle and late 16 th century.By the 17 th century,it not only was the best-selling drug in the Japanese market,but also appeared in every chain of the trade network of the Dutch East India Company.Together with other important commodities,China Root was involved in the historical process of shaping the early world market.