Mankind in the making

The History of Mankind

The birth of mankind.

To cite: Smith L. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 2014;40:69–70. BACKGROUND For over a century, between 1540 and 1654, one piece of medical literature, The Byrth of Mankynde, was what would now be described as a bestseller and a huge commercial success. This is hardly surprising, as its contents offered information on some of the secrets of the human body that could transform the fortunes of the...

The proper study of mankind.

The proper study of mankind.

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4 In compassion to mankind

Opium the "keystone" of empire in Asia The years between 1780 and 1842 were formative years for the opium trade. They were also the formative years of the British Empire. The opium agriculture in India changed from an informally cultivated cash crop to a centralized, systematized state-run industry. Before the Battle of Plassey, opium had probably served to provide a small buffer of cash for th...