An unrivaled account of the evolution of medical knowledge and practice from ancient Egypt, India, and China to the latest technology.Sickness and health, birth and death, disease and cure: medicine and our understanding of the workings of our bodies and minds are an inextricable part of how we know who we are. In this inspiring compendium, distinguished experts from around the world explain medicine�s turning points and conceptual changes, and answer a series of key questions: How did the Plague influence the course of human history? What should complementary medicine�s role be? How did an audacious self-experiment lead to a cure for stomach ulcers and a Nobel Prize? The book is magnificently illustrated with a unique array of pictures, from beautiful Renaissance anatomical drawings to the very latest computer- generated images of viruses and photographs that reveal the hidden world within our bodies. Topics include humors & pneumas, Islamic medicine, pathological anatomy, neuron theory, bedlam & beyond, parasites & vectors, hormones, the genetic revolution, defibrillators, the endoscope, medical robots, typhus, tuberculosis, smallpox, HIV, and more. 346 full-color and 36 black-and-white illustrations