Chronicles of Pharmacy, Vol. 1 (of 2)

A historical survey outlines the evolution of pharmacy from prehistoric herbal remedies through Egyptian, biblical, and classical medical practices, tracing transmission via Arab scholarship to medieval and modern Europe. It balances discussion of practical techniques for preparing and compounding medicines with analyses of myths, magic, alchemical influences, and recurring dogmas and delusions. The volume profiles prominent practitioners, institutional and royal associations, and the development of pharmaceutical chemistry, including contributions that led to mineral and metallic medicines. Illustrated descriptions and chronological chapters interweave technical, cultural, and commercial aspects to show how empirical manipulation of natural substances became a systematic art and science.