Abstract
The earliest application of gold as a therapeutic agent was in China, and it was widely used by physicians and surgeons. For example, pure gold was used to treat furuncles, smallpox and skin ulcers and to remove mercury from skin and flesh; some ancient bl]References noted that gold drugs can cure joint disease and disease in lungs. There were also prescriptions containing gold for curing measles and other diseases. Plant and animal medicines were used in ancient prescriptions and many of these contain gold as a trace element. Ancient China had remarkable achievements in the pharmacology of gold. The evolution of “medicinal gold” and “potable gold” also promoted the development of preparation techniques using gold foil and gold powder, and refining and separation techniques for gold and gold-silver. The scientific benefits gave a worldwide lead at that time and still have relevance in contemporary pharmacology, chemistry and metallurgy of gold.
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Institute of Precious Metals in China from 1984-1994 and is now Editor-in-Chief of ‘Precious Metals’, a journal which is published quarterly from the Institute (in Chinese). He has worked for many years with precious metal materials and was awarded the third national prize for invention (China). He has always been interested in the research, development, applications, and history of gold.
Professor Ning Yuantao is a Research Fellow at the same Institute, working on a variety of research projects related to precious metals materials. He has considerable scientific achievements and has won national prizes. His work has also been concerned with research into applications for gold and its alloys.
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Huaizhi, Z., Yuantao, N. China’s ancient gold drugs. Gold Bull 34, 24–29 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03214805
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03214805