Review: A History of the Medicines We Take: From Ancient Times to Present Day

A History of the Medicines We Take: From Ancient Times to Present Day by N. Anthony Armstrong
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. It contains a lot of interesting information, but it does so in a way that is difficult to absorb. It reminds me more of an academic textbook, than a book for general reading. I’m not sure I agree with the blurb that calls it “lively”.

The first section works through history, from ancient times to present day, listing the medicines we have evidence for, and in some cases their uses. Unfortunately, it is written in such a way that (to me at least) it came across as simply a list of studies and discoveries that have shown that herbs have been used historically by early man etc, followed by a list of historical figures and the books they’ve written. This is very tedious, making it difficult for any of the information to be retained.

The second section is far more interesting, describing each of the different methods of taking medicines (eg tablets, inhalations), and charts their histories from ancient to current times. With the number of references to the people (doctors and pharmacists) and publications in part one, it feels as though most of part one is surplus to requirements. I enjoyed parts of this section, though having the pictures within the text, rather than all at the end of the book, would make it far more interesting. The index and notes would be very useful for finding particular information and further reading, respectively.

In conclusion, if you have a deep interest in the topic, and don’t mind some dry sections, this book may be for you. I personally feel as though a good editor could do a lot to make it more interesting to a wider audience.

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