The History of Medications for Women : Materia Medica Woman

The first work of its kind, The History of Medications for Women: Materia medica woman is a richly detailed, far-ranging illustrated history of medications for women in all the great cultures and civilizations, from ancient times to the present. Compiled by an acclaimed author of medical history literature, this is the only book that extends from the earliest uses of ergometrine, lettuce, and mummy medicine, through the history of women's medications in ancient Assyria and Egypt, and into the 16th through 20th centuries. With the main sections organized by origin and timeline, the book contains lists of medications used by women from earliest times to the present accompanied by historically-based text. The author includes botanical, chemical, pharmacalogical, and therapeutic details where appropriate, as well as extensive quotations from both contemporary and old, rare books. The text is complemented with the history of obstetrics and gynecology, along with short biographies and illustrations. Additionally, the author presents a unique fund of hard-to-find information in sections devoted to topics such as anesthesia and analgesia, antiseptics, antibiotics and chemotherapy, blood transfusion and Rhesus disease, eclampsia, family planning, menopause, and uterine stimulants. Interesting and thought-provoking, The History of Medications for Women will not only provide an enjoyable read, but will allow you to appreciate the past and look at the future with a new perspective. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Dedication Acknowledgments Section 1 1. Introduction The evolution of materia medica woman The scope of materia medica woman Research: Problems and solutions Presentation Highlights of materia medica woman Conclusion Section 2 — Origins 2. The Prescription The origin of the prescription The origin of the Rx symbol References 3. Ergot Introduction Introduction of ergot into official medicine The modern use of ergot References 4. Lettuce The lettuce plant History of lettuce Historical uses of lettuce Current use of lettuce References 5. Mummy Medicine Wolveridge’s mummy medicine Mummification Mummies as medicine A selection of mummification agents References Section 3 — Chronology 6. Assyria Introduction The archeological story The basis of the Assyrian medical system Fertility and childbirth The Assyrian herbal Materia medica in ancient Assyria References 7. Egypt Introduction The basis of the ancient Egyptian medical system The ancient healers Ancient Egyptian treatments Fertility and childbirth Female disorders Male disorders The medical papyri Examples of women’s materia medica in ancient Egypt Glossary of ancient Egyptian fertility deities References 8. Biblical Times History of the Bible Biblical medicine Botany of the Bible Obstetrics and gynecology in the Bible A selection of biblical materia medica for women References 9. Greece and Rome Introduction Mythology and Greco-Roman medicine Medicine in the early classical period Alexandria The Greco-Roman period Medications for women Examples from Soranus’ materia medica Glossary of Greco-Roman medical terms References 10. Byzantium Introduction Oribasius of Pergamum Aetius of Amida Alexander of Tralles Paul of Aegina A selection of Byzantine materia medica for women Medications for women prescribed by Aetius of Amida References 11. The Arab Influence Introduction Arabian obstetrics and gynecology Arabian materia medica Serapeon the Elder Rhazes Haly Ben Abbas Avicenna or Ibn Sina Albucasis Avenzoar Averröes Safavid medical practice Arab medicine in the early twentieth century A selection of Arabian materia medica for women Arabian drugs and their uses recorded in Francis Adams’ Paul of Aegina References 12. The Late Middle Ages Introduction John of Arderne’s De Arte Phisicali et de Cirurgia A Leech Book or Collection of Recipes Medieval Woman’s Guide to Health A selection of medieval materia medica for women References 13. The Sixteenth Century Introduction The Little Book for Women Der Schwangern Frauen und Hebammen Rosengarten The Byrth of Mankynde De Conceptu et Generatione Hominis or The Expert Midwife Walter Cary’s A Boke of the Properties of Herbes William Turner’s Herbal Turner’s A Booke of the Natures and Properties... of the Bathes Gerard’s Herball Paracelsus: A change of direction A selection of materia medica from the sixteenth century The Byrth of Mankynde materia medica References 14. The Seventeenth Century Introduction Culpeper’s Directory for Midwives Culpeper’s Pharmacopoeia Londinensis: or the London Dispensatorie Culpeper’s A Key to Galen’s Method of Physick Culpeper’s The English Physician Enlarged Nicholas Culpeper: A biography James Wolveridge’s Speculum Matricis: or The Expert Midwives Handmaid François Mauriceau and The Diseases of Women with Child A selection of seventeenth century materia medica References 15. The Eighteenth Century Introduction Obstetrics, gynecology and materia medica in the eighteenth century Fielding Ould’s A Treatise of Midwifery Fielding Ould (1710–1789): A biography Carl Linnaeus’ Materia Medica Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778): A biography William Smellie’s Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Midwifery William Smellie’s A Collection of Cases and Observations in Midwifery William Smellie’s A Collection of Preternatural Cases and Observations in Midwifery William Smellie (1697–1763): A biography A selection of eighteenth century materia medica References 16. The Nineteenth Century Introduction Samuel Bard’s A Compendium of the Theory and Practice of Midwifery Samuel Bard (1742–1821): A biography Charles Meigs’ The Philadelphia Practice of Midwifery The Pseudo-Aristotle series Charles West’s Diseases of Women Henry MacNaughton Jones and Uterine Therapeutics Sidney Ringer’s Handbook ofTherapeutics A selection of nineteenth century materia medica References 17. The Twentieth Century Introduction Obstetrics and gynecology in the early twentieth century Twentieth century advances in obstetrics and gynecology A selection of twentieth century materia medica — Individual drugs A selection of twentieth century materia medica — Drug groups A selection of twentieth century materia medica — Drugs in pregnancy Epilogue A selection of twentieth century ‘alternative medications’ References Section 4 — Special Subjects 18. Anesthesia and Analgesia and the Curse of Eve Introduction Midwifery in the pre-anesthetic days of the early 1800s Controversies — medical and moral Comparison between anesthesia and no anesthesia in labor in the nineteenth century Other inhalation agents Twilight sleep Sedatives Local and conduction analgesia Anesthesia and maternal mortality Biographies Epilogue References 19. Antiseptics, Antibiotics and Chemotherapy Introduction Childbed or puerperal fever Tuberculosis Venereal disease and its treatment Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) Antisepsis Chemotherapy Antibiotics A selection of antimicrobial agents Biographies Postscript References 20. Blood Transfusion and Rhesus Disease Introduction Mythology The early days Blood pressure Anticoagulants Methods of transfusion Blood groups Blood transfusion in obstetrics Congenital hemolytic disease — rhesus disease References 21. Eclampsia Introduction Older treatments Modern Treatments Biographies References 22. Family Planning Introduction Contraception through the ages The condom The ‘birth control’ movement Marie Stopes’ Contraception The legal ‘position’ of contraception in Britain, France and America Hormonal contraception Other forms of contraception References 23. The Menopause Introduction The menopause and life expectancy Menopause through the ages A selection of treatments to induce menstruation The twentieth century Sex organ therapy, old and new Other landmarks in hormonal therapy Hormonal therapy: benefits and risks? Medical, nonhormonal treatment The menopause in various cultures Complementary medicine Traditional Chinese medicine Conventional medicine and recent progress Epilogue References 24. Uterine Stimulants Introduction Uterine stimulants for labor Oxytocin Sparteine Quinine and the OBE Prostaglandins The induction of labor Biographies References Section 5 — Civilizations 25. The Orient Introduction China Early medical development A selection of Chinese materia medica India The Indian materia medica A selection of Indian materia medica References 26. The Americas Introduction The native North Americans European discovery of the Americas Colonial medicine The nineteenth century The twentieth century Selected American Indian medicines References Section 6 — Appendices Therapeutical Classification of Remedies Abbreviations Commonly Used in Prescriptions Sources of Illustrations Index The first work of its kind ever published, this is an incredibly richl y detailed, far-ranging illustrated history of medications for women i n all the great cultures and civilizations from ancient times to the p resent. By a co-author of OFDowd and PhillippFs internationally acclai med The History of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Parthenon Publishing, IS BN 1-85070-224-1), this is the only book that ranges from the origin o f the Rx symbol and the earliest uses of ergometrine, lettuce, and mum my medicine through the history of womenFs medications in ancient Assy ria and Egypt, in Biblical times, in Greece and Rome and Byzantium, in Arab obstetrics and gynecology, in the late Middle Ages, into the 16t h through 20th centuries. An illustrated history of medications for women in all the great cultures and civilizations from ancient times to the end of the 20th century. It ranges from the origin of the Rx symbol and the earliest uses of ergometrine, lettuce and mummy medicine to chemotherapy and family planning. At the beginning of 1994 I sat in the library of the College of Physicians, Dublin, and read Ireland's oldest text on midwifery, the Speculum Matricis, written by the Cork-based physician and accoucheur, James Wolveridge, and published in 1671.