It takes the average reader 4 hours and 24 minutes to read Forgotten Disease by Hilary A Smith
Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more
Following the course of one disease over nearly two millennia, this book provides “a wonderful and highly readable history of Chinese medicine” (Isis). Around the turn of the twentieth century, disorders that Chinese physicians had been writing about for over a millennium acquired new identities in Western medicine—sudden turmoil became cholera; flowers of heaven became smallpox; and foot qi became beriberi. Historians have tended to present these new identities as revelations, overlooking evidence that challenges Western ideas about these conditions. In Forgotten Disease, Hilary A. Smith argues that, by privileging nineteenth-century sources, we misrepresent what traditional Chinese doctors were seeing and doing, therefore unfairly viewing their medicine as inferior. Drawing on a wide array of sources, ranging from early Chinese classics to modern scientific research, Smith traces the history of one representative case, foot qi, from the fourth century to the present day. She examines the shifting meanings of disease over time, showing that each transformation reflects the social, political, intellectual, and economic environment. The breathtaking scope of this story offers insights into the world of early Chinese doctors and how their ideas about health, illness, and the body were developing far before the advent of modern medicine. Smith highlights the fact that modern conceptions of these ancient diseases create the impression that the West saved the Chinese from age-old afflictions, when the reality is that many prominent diseases in China were actually brought over as a result of imperialism. She invites the reader to reimagine a history of Chinese medicine that celebrates its complexity and nuance, rather than uncritically disdaining this dynamic form of healing. “An extraordinary book, replete with rich and imaginative storytelling and insightful analyses.” —Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies
Forgotten Disease by Hilary A Smith is 262 pages long, and a total of 66,024 words.
This makes it 88% the length of the average book. It also has 81% more words than the average book.
The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 6 hours to read Forgotten Disease aloud.
Forgotten Disease is suitable for students ages 12 and up.
Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.
When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.
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