The period from the late seventeenth to the early nineteenth century—the so-called long eighteenth century of English history—was a time of profound global change, marked by the expansion of intercontinental empires, long-distance trade, and human enslavement. It was also the moment when medicines, previously produced locally and in small batches, became global products. As greater numbers of British subjects struggled to survive overseas, more medicines than ever were manufactured and exported to help them. Most historical accounts, however, obscure the medicine trade’s dependence on slave labor, plantation agriculture, and colonial warfare. In Merchants of Medicines, Zachary Dorner follows the earliest industrial pharmaceuticals from their manufacture in the United Kingdom, across trade routes, and to the edges of empire, telling a story of what medicines were, what they did, and what they meant. He brings to life business, medical, and government records to evoke a vibrant early modern world of London laboratories, Caribbean estates, South Asian factories, New England timber camps, and ships at sea. In these settings, medicines were produced, distributed, and consumed in new ways to help confront challenges of distance, labor, and authority in colonial territories. Merchants of Medicines offers a new history of economic and medical development across early America, Britain, and South Asia, revealing the unsettlingly close ties among medicine, finance, warfare, and slavery that changed people’s expectations of their health and their bodies.

In the last thirty years, the big pharmaceutical companies have transformed themselves into marketing machines selling dangerous medicines as if they were Coca-Cola or Cadillacs. They pitch drugs with video games and soft cuddly toys for children; promote them in churches and subways, at NASCAR races and state fairs. They've become experts at promoting fear of disease, just so they can sell us hope. No question: drugs can save lives. But the relentless marketing that has enriched corporate executives and sent stock prices soaring has come with a dark side. Prescription pills taken as directed by physicians are estimated to kill one American every five minutes. And that figure doesn't reflect the damage done as the overmedicated take to the roads. Our Daily Meds connects the dots for the first time to show how corporate salesmanship has triumphed over science inside the biggest pharmaceutical companies and, in turn, how this promotion driven industry has taken over the practice of medicine and is changing American life. It is an ageless story of the battle between good and evil, with potentially life-changing consequences for everyone, not just the 65 percent of Americans who unscrew a prescription cap every day. An industry with the promise to help so many is now leaving a legacy of needless harm.

For decades, Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle—where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Burma intersect—has been infamous for its opium and heroin production. But then, in the 1990s, the drug gangs in the Golden Triangle began to produce methamphetamine, a synthetic drug that does not depend on any unreliable crop such as the opium poppy. In Thailand the drug has become known as yaba, “madness drug” or “madness medicine.” Unlike heroin, which is a “downer,” yaba—or speed—is an “upper” that makes those who take it hyperactive and often aggressive. It has led to murders, stabbings, and the kidnapping of innocent people. It breaks down the users mentally as well as physically. It is a real “madness drug.” But who are the merchants of this madness? This book provides the answer. It is based on extensive research, spanning several decades and including a collection of first-hand accounts of the drug trade from law enforcement officers and intelligence officials alike, as well as sources close to the drug traffickers themselves. This book will lead to a better understanding of the Golden Triangle drug trade, how it all began, and how it has grown to become a multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise.

A concise and accessible introduction to health and healing in Europe from 1500 to 1800.

Originally published in 2012, revised edition published in 2013, by Fourth Estate, Great Britain; Published in the United States in 2012, revised edition also, by Faber and Faber, Inc.

US REVIEW OF BOOKS, Michael Radon theusreview.com/reviews/The-Origin-of-Disease-by-Carolyn-Merchant-JD-and-Christopher-Merchant-MD.html#.XLBmAehKi5o Containing exciting information and thought, this book could help people find ways to improve or avoid diseases that can dramatically alter lives. This book challenges a lot of accepted thinking in Western medicine, but all truly impactful ideas have to shatter the old to move [thought] forward. [T]he authors identify a pattern of the root causes of chronic illnesses and what can be done to fight maladies that many medical professionals say just happen and have to be lived with. For many people, medical books can be a hard hurdle to jump, but this book is written in an accessible style and format, and contains information useful to the layperson, not just medical professionals. PACIFIC BOOK REVIEW. Anthony Avina pacificbookreview.com/the-origin-of-disease-the-war-within This book does a great job of creating a conversation. It is a detailed, knowledgeable and thorough book filled with fascinating theories that all readers should have the opportunity to explore themselves. This is definitely an interesting book that will fascinate patients suffering from illnesses as well as doctors seeking new answers or medical researchers alike. It is a new perspective that is interesting to see, as the authors relay the causes of various chronic illnesses. The authors command over the medical expertise is both technical and yet relayed easily enough for patients and doctors alike to understand. If you enjoy medical books, suffer from an ailment or are curious about health overall, then you’ll want to grab your copy of The Origin of Disease: The War Within, Today! www.facebook.com/carolyn.merchant/39 www.theoriginofdiseases.com

Significant study of colonial Caribbean literatures in the context of the high rates of disease and death in the region.