Introduction - Uppsala Monitoring Centre

The Dark Ages from the 5th to the 8th centuries. They formed part of
the Early Middle Ages.
5 th Century AD The Irish used foxglove for weekly bed fever 26
542– 546 AD Bubonic plague started in Egypt (Justinian's Plague) and swept the
world.
659 AD A physician named Su Jing, along with approximately 20 other of his
compatriots wrote the ‘Xin Xiu Ben Cao’ [Newly revised materia
medica] (this is the same as ‘Hsin-hsiu Pen-ts’ao’ (WG) by Su Ching
or ‘Tang Bencao’ [Tang herbal], which was the first official
pharmacopoeia in China and in the world (Wang, 1987). The
pharmacopeia describes 850 drugs. It became a standard textbook
in Japan in 787 AD.
In the seventh century the Japanese government sent physicians to
China to study Chinese medicine. In 702 AD the Japanese
government issued an Imperial Order to copy the medical
educational system of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and set up a
specialty of acupuncture and moxibustion (counter-irritation produced
by igniting a cone or cylinder of moxa 27 placed on the skin). No
apparent references to adverse effects. The Japanese developed
their own system called ‘Kanpo or Kampo Medicine’ which means
‘The Han method’ referring to the herbal system in China during the
Han Dynasty. In 753 AD a Chinese Buddhist priest, Jian Zhen,
arrived in Japan and set up a school. In 1649 a Dutchman, Caspar
Schomberger, brought western medicine to Japan.
6 th –7 th Century AD
Vagbhatta (Ayurvedic 28 physician) recommends internal use of
mercury for therapeutic ends.
777–857 AD Yuhanna Ibn Masawaih Damasqui (Mesue Major), a Nestorian 29
physician, wrote ‘Daghal al-’ain’ [Disorder of the eye]he also wrote
‘Sumum wa Tiriaq’ [Poisons and antidotes] ‘Ioanne Mesue says that
one needs to throw out the White Hellebore because it is poisonous
26 Weekly bed fever = this was probably relapsing fever caused by Spirillum obermeieri, or famine fever or
seven-day fever because of its association with destitution and periodicity of one week fever, one week
recovering and then relapsing. I have found no other reference to this use of foxglove.
27 Moxa = an Indian moss used for gout
28 Ayurevedic = a traditional Hindu system of medicine based on the idea of balance in bodily systems and
emphasizing diet, herbal treatment and yogic breathing
29 Nestorian = follower of Nestorius (c 386- c451) who became the Archbishop of Constantinople