蒸花取露:西方药露知识及蒸馏技术在中国的传播

Steaming Flowers for Medicinal Dew:The Dissemination of WesternEssential Oil Knowledge and Distillation Technique in China

香料是古代“丝绸之路”上最主要的商品之一。西方的香料自汉代开始传入中国,在唐宋时期尤盛,其中有一种来自阿拉伯地区的蔷薇露,深受时人青睐,但阿拉伯通过蒸馏制取蔷薇露的方法并未在中国被全面接受。阿拉伯的蒸馏技术传入欧洲后,与本草知识结合,于16世纪产生一场以蒸馏为标志的“医药革命”。明末入华耶稣会士熊三拔以当时欧洲著作为底本,编译《药露说》(附于《泰西水法》刊行),专门对药露的功用及蒸馏技术进行了详细的介绍,不仅使欧洲药露知识在中国得以广泛传播,也使蒸花取露的技术在中国落地生根。中国士人继而以各种花草制作了名目繁多的药露,药露亦逐渐被吸纳为中药制剂的一部分。西方药露及蒸馏技术在中国的传播,反映了阿拉伯、欧洲、中国之间错综复杂的文化交流。

Spices were one of the most important commodities on the ancient“Silk Road”.Western spices had been introduced into China since the Han Dynasty,especially in the Tang and Song Dynasties,among which rose water from the Arab region was quite special and favored by the people of the time.However,the Arabian distillation technique for making rose water was not systematically accepted in China.With the introduction of the Arabian distillation technique in Europe,a“pharmaceutical revolution”combining distillation techniques and materia medica took place in Europe in the 16 th century.At the end of the Ming Dynasty,the Italian Jesuit Sabatino de Ursis(1575-1620)compiled a treatise“On Medicinal Dew”(appendix to Taixi shuifa泰西水法in 1612),which specifically introduced the functions of medicinal dew and its distillation technique.This not only spread the European knowledge of medicinal dew widely in China,but also enabled the distillation technique to take root there.Thus,Chinese literati learned to produce many kinds of medicinal dew,which were also gradually absorbed into traditional Chinese medicinal preparations.The dissemination of Western medicinal dew and its distillation technique in China reflects the complex multilateral cultural exchanges among Arabia,Europe,and China.