Asian Medical Industries

This book develops the concept of Asian Medical Industries as a novel perspective on traditional Asian medicines. Complementing and updating existing work in this field the book provides a critical and comparative analytic framework for understanding Chinese Medicine Ayurveda Sowa Rigpa and Japanese Kampo in the 21st century. No longer subaltern health resources or conservative systems of traditional knowledge these medicines have become an integral part of modern Asia as innovative lucrative industries. Ten original case studies employ insights from anthropology history geography pharmaceutical sciences botany and economics to trace the transformation of Asian medical traditions into rapidly growing and dynamic pharmaceutical industries. Collectively these contributions identify this as a major phenomenon impacting Asian and global healthcare economics cultural politics and environments. The book suggests that we can learn more about Asian medicines today by approaching them as industries rather than as cultural or epistemic systems. Asian Medical Industries is a highly original resource for students and scholars across a range of academic fields such as anthropology history and Asian studies as well as medical practitioners health sector actors and policymakers. . Language: English