Shanghai National Pharmaceutical Research (1927-1949)

This article investigated the industry and group of Shanghai's traditional Chinese medicine during the period of Nanjing national Government according to related archives of Shanghai City Archives, Shanghai historical data of local chronicles and some newspapers and periodicals of the Republic of China, explored the stress and transformation of traditional industry under the impact of emerging industry in the period of Republic of China through comparative studies about traditional Chinese medicine industry and Western medicine industry, analyzed the development track, business model, trade network and geographical relationship of industry groups about traditional Chinese medicine industry, and discussed effects of these factors in the development of traditional Chinese medicine industry and Shanghai's economy. This article especially detailed analyzed the sustainable development conditions and causes of traditional Chinese medicine industry which as a traditional industry suffered the violent impact of emerging industry such as western medicine industry, and confirmed these causes including special historical background in which drugs in great demand and medicine industry was profitable at wartime, including traditional Chinese medicine industry which timely transformed, and took various new sales strategies and business patterns, including the guild of traditional Chinese medicine industry on this industry of full maintenance and support, and including employers who surrendered part of the profits in order to get relatively stable and harmonious labour-management relations within the industry. Through the research of traditional Chinese medicine industry and its group, this article on one hand could fill the gap of current traditional Chinese medicine industry which was lack of research, on the other hand also had an remedy defects effect on the history research of Shanghai's economy and society during the period of Nanjing National Government.