Pharmacy History Working Group: JJ R. Strange, PhD Candidate at University of Wisconsin-Madison – Crisis in the Garden: How War and Environmental Loss Transformed Chinese Pharmaceutical Research (1935-1955)

During the early and mid-twentieth century, global pharmaceutical research shifted away from botanical investigation to the synthetic creation of biochemical medicines. This presentation aims to reframe the shift in Chinese pharmaceutical research from botanicals to synthetic medicines as a product of changing landscapes within a research community, rather than a inevitable change in pharacueticals. In the decade leading up to Japan’s invasion of China in 1937, Chinese pharmacists enjoyed a collaborative network of researchers and access to research materials, particularly those related to traditional Chinese medicine, with a strong emphasis on plant-based components. However, in 1937, despite warnings from botanists about the importance of cultivating medicinal plants, pharmacists lost access to their research subjects, facilities, and networks. After World War II (1937-1945) and the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949), research projects on botanicals were no longer major undertakings but rather secondary endeavors. This presentation will argue war, the nature of plants, and changing expectations of scientific production shifted the priorities of pharmaceutical research in China towards synthetic biochemical drug research, despite the enthusiasm and interest in Chinese botanicals as a potential source of biochemical medicine.

How to attend:
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