Acknowledgments

OVER THE PAST DECADE, while writing this book, I have benefited enormously from the help and support of many colleagues and contributors. In the early stages of the project, Elisabeth Hsu contributed her expertise on the history of medicine in early China and medical anthropology, Hilde De Weerdt contributed her knowledge of the history of middle-period China, and Marta Hanson shared comparative insights into the history of medicine in early modern China and Europe.

For the time they devoted to reading and commenting on draft chapters and related materials, I owe thanks to the following people: Robert Chard, Barend Ter Haar, Peter Ditmanson, Erica Charters, Chen Hsiu-Fen, TJ Hinrichs, Benjamin Elman, Cheng Hsiao-wen, Liu Yan, Margaret Ng, Michael Stanley Baker, Dolly Yang, Wu Hsiao-chun, Lin Hsin-yi, Chen Shaiu-yun, Chen Hao, Stephen Boyanton, Tung Yung-chang, Tsui Lik Hang, Liu Qian, Marshall Crag, Samuel Yin, and Guo Ting. I also appreciate the many valuable suggestions that two anonymous reviewers contributed.

Over the past several years, I have presented portions of the manuscript at various conferences and institutions, including but not limited to the Association for Asian Studies Annual Conference, the first and second Conferences on Middle Period China, the Conference on Tang-Song Transitions, the National Palace Museum, the National Central Library, and the Institute of History and Philology at Academia Sinica. I appreciate the many useful comments I was fortunate to receive from the hosts of and audiences at these conferences and lectures.

Since 2015, Academia Sinica has provided me with an ideal scholarly home, and I thank its members, particularly Huang Kuan-chung, Sean Hsiang-lin Lei, Chu Ping-yi, Li Shang-jen, Kevin Chang, Tai Li-chuan, Chen Wen-yi, Cheng Ya-ju, Liu Hsin-ning, Albert Wu, Li Ren-yuan, Lee Chang-yuan, Lee Hsiu-ping, and Chang Che-chia. The extraordinary mentorship and friendship that Lee Jen-der offered has helped me navigate through my early career.

While I was writing this book, I was fortunate to encounter many sharp and inspiring minds who supported me professionally and personally at various stages of this project: Charles Hartman, Shigehisa Kuriyama, Angela Ki Che Leung, Bian He, Zuo Ya, Hilary Smith, John Moffett, James Flowers, Duan Xiaolin, Yu Xinzhong, Chang Chia-feng, Chen Yuan-peng, Fang Cheng-hua, Liao Hsien-huei, Chang Wei-ling, Debby Chih-yen Huang, Hsu Kai-hsiang, Elisabeth Forster, Yegor Grebnev, Rens Krijgsman, Yuan Ai, Dongsob Ahn, Hung Kuang-chi, Wang Hsien-chun, Wu Hsin-fang, Chen Kuan-fei, Tsai Tian-i, Tu Hsuan-ying, Liu Shih-hsun, Wang Fei-hsien, Hsia Ke-chin, and many others.

Editors and staff members at the University of Washington Press (UWP), with their professional help, assured that the production and publication of this book proceeded smoothly. I especially thank Lorri Hagman, Marcella Landri, Beth Fuget, Joeth Zucco, David Schlangen, Richard Isaac (copyediting), Susan Stone (indexing), and Megan Michel Mendonça (proofreading). I also thank William Barnett, whose copyediting helped me refine the language. All remaining errors, of course, are mine.

In addition, I thank the National Central Library, the Institute of History and Philology, and the Library of Congress for granting permission to use their images in the book. Preparation and publication of this book was generously supported by grants from Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council (110-2410-H-001-004). I thank the Center for Chinese Studies in Taiwan for permission to include portions of my article “Accounts of Treating Zhang (‘miasma’) Disorders in Song-Dynasty Lingnan: Remarks on Changing Literary Forms of Writing Experience” (Hanxue yanjiu [Chinese Studies] 34, no. 3 [September 2016]: 205–54) in chapter 4.

Finally, the everlasting love and support of my parents, Chen Kuen-ning and Liang Ching-kang, and my grandmother, Yang Hsiang-mei, have sustained me over these years and bestowed on me the courage to proceed. My husband Li-kung’s words and company have provided constant encouragement. I am highly blessed to have benefited from the help of so many during my intellectual journey. I could not have written this book without it.