An analysis of the interaction mechanism between the social history of medicine research and health communication from the perspective of mass communication

The mass communication model and interactive ritual chain theory,which serve as communication paradigms in the new media era,facilitate and enhance the synergy between the fields of social history of medicine and health communication.This study employs a comprehensive framework based on the five elements of the mass communication model:information source,communication subject,communication object,message content,and post-communication feedback.Additionally,it incorporates the interactive ritual chain theory to examine the evolving dynamics and developmental trajectory of research in the social history of medicine during the new media era.Conclusively,this paper acknowledges the existing interaction gaps in the interaction between health communication and the social history of medicine research while outlining the challenges for fostering collaboration and proposing strategic optimizations for effective integration.

A Brief Introduction of Yi Xue Shi (《医学史》 History of Medicine)

The book Yi Xue Shi(《医学史》History of Medicine)was written and edited by Cecilia Mettler and Fred Mettler couple,published in 1947.The book is about the literature research of systematic introduction to the history of medical development worldwide.The book provides a detailed description of the development of various medical disciplines and subjects through various documents and the authors and publication dates.Especially,Prof.Mettler has introduced the Chinese Yin and Yang(阴阳)and the five element theory(五行学说)and Shen Nung’s Materia Medica(神农本草)in this book.

"History of Medicine"-a neglected topic in medical schools in India, Nepal, and the Caribbean

History of medicine is not addressed in medical schools in India,Nepal,and the Caribbean.The history of medicine in these areas include indigenous medical systems,the western medicine introduced by the colonial powers,and the medical systems developed after independence or overthrow of feudalism.In the meantime,less attention has been paid to teaching"history of medicine".There are several advantages in teaching the history of medicine to medical students.Courses on the history of medicine can be offered both face-to-face and online.

Dissemination of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Latin America and the Caribbean: the Cases of Peru, Chile, and Cuba

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) arrived from China to Latin America and the Caribbean in the 1840s due to the massive migration of Chinese people to the region. In a few years, the press noticed the presence of Chinese herbalists practicing in different cities and countries regardless of the demographic weight of the Chinese community. The fascination with Chinese doctors implicated not only the press but also the literature, a phenomenon particularly observed in Cuba. In the first decades of the 20th century, the reactivation of Chinese immigration to the region fostered an anti-Chinese climate that materialized in more significant migratory restrictions and control of their businesses, such as what happened with Chinese herbalists. These herbalists who practiced inside and outside the Chinese community started to object to criticism and persecution by the conservative press and professional doctors. Despite this, Chinese doctors will continue to maintain their support of a significant number of ill persons. This work seeks to illuminate the historical relevance of TCM in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on the cases of Peru, Chile, and Cuba. This last country was far from China culturally and geographically, but as in many other small towns in the region, Chinese medicine presented an alternative to the treatment of illnesses.

Alanine aminotransferase predicts incident steatotic liver disease of metabolic etiology: Long life to the old biomarker!

Alanine aminotransferase(ALT)serum levels increase because of hepatocellular damage.Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD),which identifies steatotic liver disease(SLD)associated with≥2 metabolic abnormalities,has prominent sexual differences.The Metabolic Syndrome defines a cluster comprising abdominal obesity,altered glucose metabolism,dyslipidemia,and hypertension.Male sex,body mass index,glucose,lipids,ferritin,hypertension,and age independently predict ALT levels among blood donors.Over the last few decades,the reference range of ALT levels has been animatedly debated owing to attempts to update sex-specific reference ranges.With this backset,Chen et al have recently published a study which has two main findings.First,>80%of indi-viduals with MAFLD had normal ALT levels.Second,there was a linear increa-sing trend in the association between cumulative excess high-normal ALT levels and the rate of incident MAFLD.This study has biologically credible findings.However,it inaccurately considered sex differences in the MAFLD arena.Therefore,future studies on SLD owing to metabolic dysfunction should adopt locally determined and prospectively validated reference ranges of ALT and carefully consider sex differences in liver enzymes and MAFLD pathobiology.

A Concise History of Islamic Medicine: An Introduction to the Origins of Medicine in Islamic Civilization, Its Impact on the Evolution of Global Medicine, and Its Place in the Medical World Today

The practice of medicine in Muslim nations dates to the millennia before the advent of the religion of Islam. As far as the pre-Islamic period is concerned, what evidence is available indicates the medical evolution began nearly 6000 years ago in Mesopotamia, where medicine for the first time in history became a recognised profession. In ancient Egypt, it was practised by priest-physicians who demonstrated astonishing knowledge in various medical subjects. The origins of medicine in ancient Persia (Afghanistan, Iran, and parts of Central Asia) span the 6th century B.C. and to the Zoroastrian religious book of Avesta, which delved into such topics as preventive and clinical medicine. In reference to the account of medicine in the Arab peninsula, limited information exists. In terms of post-Islamic ages, the foundations of Islamic science were laid during the reign of the second Abbasid Caliph, al-Mansur, and the establishment of Baghdad as its capital in 762 A.D., when the Arabic translation movement commenced. During the next six centuries, medicine and other fields of science flourished, and prominent physicians such as the Bukht Yishu family, Razī, Majūsī, Avicenna, Jorjanī, Al-Zahrāwī, and other scientists emerged. In both the pre- and post-Islamic ages, Islamic medicine was heavily influenced by Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Persian, Indian, and, predominantly, Greek medicine. Nevertheless, the advancements and innovations in medical science and healthcare systems that were achieved during the early and medieval Islamic ages have indubitably made an invaluable contribution to the evolution of medicine throughout the world, and to the invention of numerous procedures and practices which are still widely performed today. Hence, the value of comprehending the pivotal role Islamic medicine played (and indeed still plays) in the progression of medical practice across the globe cannot be overstated.

Subjectivities of the Scientific Endeavor:Noting the Illusion of Objectivity in the History of Science and Medicine

The history of science and medicine has long been steeped in the notion that they are objective(untainted by the philosophical and ideological ebbs and flows of society)and utilitarian(doing what is best for the greater good).Because of this,scientific and medical epistemologies and praxis are often held to an esteem that is unquestioned,celebrated,and occasionally unchecked.A closer look at the history of science and medicine,however,readily reveal the extent to which the milieu of society has informed scientific and medical endeavors.As such,an understanding of how the subjectivities of scientific and medical endeavors situate within our contemporary disciplines and practices is significant to one’s ability to truly understand said disciplines.Likewise,such an evaluation will provide insight into our role in perpetuating the illusion of objectivity in these fields.With this in mind,this paper provides a philosophical and historical examination of the concept of objectivity(in contrast to subjectivity)in science and medicine.

Dialogue with Dr. Lixing Lao:from a factory electrician to an international scholar of Chinese medicine

Dr. Lixing Lao, an internationally known scholar of Chinese medicine renowned for his clinical and mechanisms research, is the Director of the Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Program at the Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Maryland （UM） School of Medicine; the Co-Chair of the Acupuncture Research Society; and the former Editor-in-Chief of the American Acupuncturist, the official journal of the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. The Baltimore Magazine has listed Dr. Lao as one of the nation＇s top acupuncture practitioners （Figure 1 ）.

The beginning of acupuncture in Washington,D.C.and Maryland:an interview with Dr.Yeh-chong Chan

Dr. Yeh-chong Chan （Y.C. Chan） is one of the earliest acupuncturists in the United States （US）. He served for seven years in the first acupuncture center in the US, which was established in Washington, D.C. in 1972. In 1979, he moved the clinic to Rockville, Maryland and continued to practice acupuncture there for over 30 years. He is a well-known licensed acupuncturist （LAc）, one of the developers of the acupuncture profession, and a scholar of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. He has treated two US Governors （In the US, the title Governor refers to the chief executive of each state or insular territory and the political and ceremonial head of the state.） and many sports stars. He is the author of books entitled Acupuncture Practice in the United States,

Dr. Ralph Coan: a hero in establishing acupuncture as a profession in the United States

1 Introduction Dr. Ralph Coan is not well known to the general public. Originally, we had wanted to interview him as he was the medical director of the first acupuncture center in the United States that opened in the early 1970s. We wanted to know more about that center＇s history. Prior to visiting Dr. Coan, we found an article written by Dr. Sherman Cohn that mentioned Dr. Coan. The article noted that Dr. Coan was the founder of the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, which is the national association of acupuncturists and Chinese medicine practitioners in the United States.

Modernization of Medical Traditions:Indian and Chinese Approaches to Health and Well‑being

The provisioning of health and well-being for every human being on the planet calls for a rethink of conventional medical practices.In both the developed as well as developing world contexts,there is a growing need to rejuvenate alternative medical systems,but they have to be modernized to have cross-cultural appeal and acceptance.This paper explores the clash between Western medicine and Indian traditional medicine in 19th century colonial India which offers a historical precedent that could hold key lessons to the spread of traditional medicine across the world.The paper argues that the British government used biomedicine as a political tool to dominate Indians and resistance from Indian practitioners of traditional systems of medicines(TSMs)was systematically put down through policy measures.However,it was the clash between the medical modalities that transformed Indian TSMs forever as systems such as Ayurveda(the science of life)and Yoga took on the challenge and modernized and continue to have global appeal.The paper compares Indian and Chinese medical systems and argues that similarities in theory and practice in two different historical contexts,19th century India and modern-day China,enable us to understand the relevance of modernization practices in our contemporary world.

Lazzaro Spallanzani: pioneer of artificial insemination, multidisciplinary research, and scientific dissemination

Lazzaro Spallanzani(1729-1799)was a father of modern biology,with peculiar traits such as a multidisciplinary approach and penchant for scientific dissemination.Spallanzani consistently contributed to modern reproductive medicine by implementing experimental methods for the first historically successful artificial insemination.Nevertheless,he participated in discoveries pertaining to blood circulation,digestion,and respiration.Widely known in Europe in the eighteenth century,his fame prolonged to the following century,not exclusively through scientific acknowledgments,but even in literature.Nowadays,the figure of Spallanzani experience a kind of neglect and it would appear essential to maintain his work in the light of the history of medicine.

Reacting to Epidemics:The Innovative Imperial Public Health System during the Late Northern Song Dynasty

Song China was a period in which China experienced a great increase in its population.Concurrently,the Song dynasty also experienced a rise in the frequency of epidemics and two major wars with the Western Xia and Liao dynasties during the 1000s and 1040s.The consequences of these changes were exacerbated by the increased geographical mobility of certain social groups such as traders and examinees attending civil service examinations.Thus,casualties of wars,epidemics,or disease,especially of people whose families were far away and could not care for them were left without care and“their corpses often lay bare along the roads.”This new social environment created a need for general relief.The Northern Song government(960-1127 CE),especially during the reign of Emperor Huizong,established an innovative public health system to address this issue.The public health system included poorhouses,public hospitals,and pauper’s cemeteries.The first were more of charity organizations,whereas the latter two promoted public health by providing medical services for the poor and burial for those that nobody cared for.In terms of rationale behind these institutions,on the one hand,they constituted an attempt to get the poor and homeless off the streets while providing them relief or burial.On the other hand,it seems that Huizong’s deep concern with medicine propelled him to design and implement a comprehensive public health system oriented to prevent contagion and outbreak of epidemics.This article depicts the background,the organization,and the functions of the system.The article also discusses the conditions and reasons that gave rise to such a unique undertaking by the Northern Song government.

Acupuncture in ancient China: How important was it really?

Although acupuncture theory is a fundamental part of the Huangdi Neijing, the clinical application of the needle therapy in ancient China was always a limited one. From early times there have been warnings that acupuncture might do harm. In books like Zhang Zhongjing＇s Shanghanlun it plays only a marginal role. Among the 400 emperors in Chinese history, acupuncture was hardly ever applied. After Xu Dachun called acupuncture a ＂lost tradition＂ in 1757, the abolition of acupuncture and moxibustion from the Imperial Medical Academy in 1822 was a radical, but consequent act. When traditional Chinese medicine was revived after 1954, the ＂New Acupuncture＂ was completely different from what it had been in ancient China. The conclusion, however, is a positive one： The best time acupuncture ever had was not the Song dynasty or Yuan dynasty, but is now - and the future of acupuncture does not lie in old scripts, but in ourselves.

Nevada: the first state that fully legalized acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the Unites States——In memory of Arthur Steinberg, Yee Kung Lok and Jim Joyce who made it happen

1 Introduction In the United States, the largest groups of acupuncture or traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） practitioners settled and still remain in California and New York, as these two states historically have the largest, most concentrated Asian populations. The TCM practitioners originally worked in a legal gray-zone, sometimes even being treated as illegal practitioners by the local governments, since TCM licensing laws did not exist until late 1973[1]. The first legal acupuncture clinic was established in Washington, D.C. in 1972[2], but Nevada was the first state that passed a full practicing law for acupuncture and TCM[3]. Under- standing the legal history of acupuncture in the U.S. will help us to see the road ahead more clearly.

The history of acupuncture anesthesia for pneumonectomy in Shanghai during the 1960s

The success of acupuncture anesthesia （AA） for pneumonectomy in Shanghai in 1960 was a key event for AA gaining practical clinical application. The effort was a close collaboration between the Shanghai First Tuberculosis Hospital and the Shanghai Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. One of the most important factors of AA success was the great financial and political support provided by the Chinese central government and Shanghai local government. In December 1965 the State Science and Technology Commission of China issued a formal document acknowledging AA as an important first-leve national achievement of the integration of Chinese and Western medicine, and a collaborative effort of the whole scientific community in China. AA was an important influential factor that helped acupuncture spread across the world.

The use of Chinese herbal drugs in Islamic medicine

This paper investigates some of the ways that Chinese medicine has been transferred to the Western world and to Islamic territories. During the Golden Age of Islam （8th to 13th century CE）, the herbal drug trade promoted significant commercial and scientific exchange between China and the Muslim world. Chinese herbal drugs have been described by medieval Muslim medical scholars such as Tabari （870 CE）, Rhazes （925 CE）, Haly Abbas （982 CE）, Avicenna （1037 CE） and Jurjani （1137 CE）. The term al-sin （the Arabic word for China） is used 46 times in Avicenna＇s Canon of Medicine in reference to herbal drugs imported from China. Cinnamon （dar sini; ＂Chinese herb＂）, wild ginger （asaron）, rhubarb （rivand-e sini）, nutmeg （basbasa）, incense tree wood （ood）, cubeb （kababe） and sandalwood （sandal） were the most frequently mentioned Chinese herbs in Islamic medical books. There are also multiple similarities between the clinical uses of these herbs in both medical systems. It appears that Chinese herbal drugs were a major component of the exchange of goods and knowledge between China and the Islamic and later to the Western world amid this era.

The legendary life of Dr.Gim Shek Ju, the founding father of the education of acupuncture and Chinese medicine in the United States

Several stories of various pioneers establishing acupuncture and Chinese medicine （ACM） practices in the United States （U.S.） have been documented. However, the establishment of schools for ACM signaled the establishment of ACM as an established profession in the U.S. One of the first persons who wanted to set-up a school for Chinese medicine in the U.S. was Dr. Tom Foo Yuen （谭富园, August 7, 1858 - July 10, 1947） during the late 1800s in Los Angeles （LA）, California. However, it was not until 1969 or 1970 that the first informal ACM school was actually established in the U.S. This school was called the Institute for Taoist Study, and was located in LA. However, this school was not registered with the local government and Dr. Gim Shek Ju was the sole teacher at that time.

Shedding light in otolaryngology: A brief history on the surgical tools of visualization and access

Visualization and access. Historically, these have been the two major factors that have limited advancement in the field of Otolaryngology. No other surgical specialty deals with anatomical challenges quite like those presented by the structures of the head and neck. Otolaryngology is a field of dark cavities, complex and miniscule structures, and awkward angles. The aim of this article is to briefly explore how Otolaryngologists have historically met these challenges, with a specific focus on technological advancements in illumination, visualization, and access. From mirrors reflecting candlelight to fiberoptic illuminated scopes, from bamboo nasal speculums to Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS), tracing the historical arc of these technologies highlights the innovative spirit that has come to define the field of Otolaryngology.

“Breast is best”—Infant-feeding, infant mortality and infant welfare in Germany during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries

Breastfeeding is considered to be the key variable for infant health. Consequently, UNICEF and the World Health Organization promote the beginning of breastfeeding within the first hour after birth and recommend to exclusively breastfeed the infant during the first six months. The origins of these modern breastfeeding campaigns can be traced back to the beginning of the twentieth century. Whereas high infant mortality rates traditionally were considered to be a matter of fate and the declining birth rates towards the end of the nineteenth century raised fears about the nation’s future and led to the emergence of an increasing infant welfare movement in imperial Germany. As low breastfeeding rates were identified as a key factor behind the high infant mortality rates, the main objective of the infant care movement was to increase breastfeeding. The paper examines how the context of infant care and infant mortality was constructed and how breastfeeding campaigns in the context of infant mortality, breastfeeding rates and socio-political changes developed during the twentieth century. Thus the paper covers the period from the beginnings of social paediatrics at the beginning of the 20th century, the breastfeeding campaigns embedded into Nazi ideology during the Third Reich, until the declining breastfeeding ratios and the “feeding on demand”-movement in the 1970s as well as the ideological differences between West and East Germany during the Cold War.