"It has been attempted in the following pages to supply the want of a
work of reference, in which botanists dealing with Chinese plants
preserved in European herbariums might find some particulars regarding
the history of these collections, of which the labels affixed to the
herbarium specimens generally give only an imperfect account." Emil
Bretschneider (1833-1901) became famous among researchers for his
valuable contributions to the field of sinology. His versatile
approach - he was a physician and botanist as well as a sinologist - and
his familiarity with Chinese literature distinguished him from his
colleagues, many of whom were unable to read sources firsthand.
Combining his abilities in botany and sinology, Bretschneider comprises
an extensive history of Chinese plants and how they found their way to
Europe. From the earliest accounts by Marco Polo, to the groundbreaking
work of Carl Linnaeus, to the period of the Opium wars between England
and China, this volume covers the works of European botanists up until
1860. Bretschneider does not limit his scope to China proper, but
includes Mongolia, Tibet, Korea, and other regions, making this a
uniquely comprehensive guide to European research on Asian plants.
