Cover Image

Strange medicine

by Farndon, John,

Format: Print Book 2017
Availability: Available at 1 Library 1 of 1 copy

Available (1)
Location Collection Call #
Northland Public Library Children's Nonfiction J 133.5 F23
Location  Northland Public Library
 
Collection  Children's Nonfiction
 
Call Number  J 133.5 F23
 
 

Summary

It's easy to take a pill when we aren't feeling well. But did you know that the art of making medicines goes back thousands of years? Early remedies weren't always so easy--or effective. Some seemed downright disgusting. Wine infused with a venomous snake was used to cure fatigue and hair loss. Snail slime soothed burns, and a mixture of ear wax and mud treated headaches. Discover more about how medicine was practiced centuries ago and how, eventually, scientists discovered some truly amazing remedies, from the magic bullet that treated syphilis to the insulin used for diabetes.

Contents
Introduction
Ancient medicine
Chinese roots
It's chemistry
Plucked owls and roast kittens
Green medicine
Willow power
Finding a magic bullet
Moldy but deadly
Natural killers
Sugar in the blood
Medicine through time
The right prescription
Glossary.
Published Reviews
Booklist Review: "What do dried seahorses, pickled scorpions, and roast kittens have in common? As once accepted antidotes to seizures, wheezing, and even jaundice, these centuries-old remedies grace the pages of this spry entry in the Sickening History of Medicine series. Though chapters are short (two pages each), Farndon covers much ground, briskly tackling the origins of pharmacy (in ancient Egypt, Greece, and China); groundbreaking guidebooks (Islamic scientist Jabir ibn Hayyan's Book of Poisons); apothecary anomalies (snail slime); and pivotal discoveries (penicillin). All the while, Dean's cartoonish illustrations, including an adorably anthropomorphic mandrake and an animal-adorned witch, bolster the book's jaunty tone. Though sometimes fragmented, bite-size blurbs of text make this read more cursory than comprehensive, the playful presentation, appended with a time line, glossary, and index, is sure to pique the interest of history-hungry youngsters.--Shemroske, Briana Copyright 2017 Booklist"
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Additional Information
Series Farndon, John. Sickening history of medicine series.
Subjects Medicine -- History -- Juvenile literature.
Medicine -- Juvenile literature.
Alternative medicine -- Juvenile literature.
Traditional medicine -- Juvenile literature.
Medicine.
Alternative medicine.
Traditional medicine.
Publisher Minneapolis, MN :2017
Contributors Dean, Venitia, 1976- illustrator.
Audience Age 8-12.
Grade 4 to 6.
Language English
Notes Includes index.
"A history of medical remedies"--Cover.
Description 32 pages : color illustrations ; 24 cm.
ISBN 9781512415599
1512415596
9781512430769
1512430765
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