The MIRACULOUS FEVER TREE.
- 作者
- 出版社 HarperCollins
- 出版时间 2003年8月
- ISBN 9780060199517
- 定价 233.10
内容简介
"Cinchonarevolutionizedtheartofmedicineasprofoundlyasgunpowderhadtheartofwar."--BernardinoRamazzini,PhysiciantotheDukeofModena,Operaomnia,medica,etphysica,1716Inthesummerof1623,tencardinalsandhundredsoftheirattendantsdiedinRomewhileelectinganewpope.TheRomanmarshfeverthatfelledthemwasthescourgeoftheMediterranean,northernEuropeandevenAmerica.Malaria,nowknownasadiseaseofthetropics,badlyweakenedtheRomanEmpire.ItkilledthousandsofBritishtroopsfightingNapoleonin1809andmanysoldiersonbothsidesoftheAmericanCivilWar.ItturnedbacktravelersexploringWestAfricainthenineteenthcenturyandbroughtthebuildingofthePanamaCanaltoastandstill.Eventoday,malariakillssomeoneeverythirtyseconds.Formorethanonethousandyears,therewasnocureforit.PopeUrbanVIII,electedduringthemalarialsummerof1623,wasdeterminedthatacureshouldbefound.HeencouragedJesuitpriestsestablishingnewmissionsinAsiaandinSouthAmericatolearneverythingtheycouldfromthepeoplestheyencountered.InPeruayoungapothecaristnamedAgostinoSalumbrinoestablishedanextensivenetworkofpharmaciesthatkepttheJesuitmissionsinSouthAmericaandEuropesuppliedwithmedicines.In1631SalumbrinodispatchedanewmiracletoRome.Thecurewasquinine,analkaloidmadeofthebitterredbarkofthecinchonatree.Europe'sProtestants,amongthemOliverCromwell,whosufferedbadlyfrommalaria,fearedthatthenewcurewasnothingbutaPopishpoison.Morethananypreviousmedicine,though,quinineforcedphysicianstochangetheirideasaboutillness.Beforelong,itwouldchangethefaceofWesternmedicine.Yethowwasitthatpriestsintheearlyseventeenthcentury?whodidnotknowwhatmalariawasorhowitwastransmitted?discoveredthatthebarkofatreethatgrewinthefoothillsoftheAndescouldcureadiseasethatoccurredonlyontheothersideoftheocean?UsingfreshresearchfromtheVaticanandtheIndianarchivesinSeville,aswellasdocumentsshediscoveredinPeru,award-winningauthorFiammettaRoccochroniclestheravagesofthedisease;thequestofthethreeEnglishmenwhosmuggledcinchonaseedsoutofSouthAmerica;thewayinwhichquinineopenedthedoortoWesternimperialadventureinAsia,Africaandbeyond;andhow,eventoday,quininegrownintheeasternCongostillsavesthelivesofsomanysufferingfrommalaria.
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