As part of a tour of the back streets of Shanghai (see post below!) we went to a traditional Chinese pharmacy. I think these pictures tell a fascinating story about how medicine has been practiced in China for so long. The drawers were filled with strange (and sometimes scary!) things, and each of the pharmacists worked from hand written "recipes" as they prepared the orders. 
There were also some glass cases we didn't get pictures of that had dried parts of various amphibians, insects, plants and flowers. I have heard that these remedies are actually really expensive, and there is no insurance for this kind of thing so people will save up money for family members to be able to get treatment. Each plate has a one day dose, but depending on the ailment people will purchase a week or two at a time.
There were also some glass cases we didn't get pictures of that had dried parts of various amphibians, insects, plants and flowers. I have heard that these remedies are actually really expensive, and there is no insurance for this kind of thing so people will save up money for family members to be able to get treatment. Each plate has a one day dose, but depending on the ailment people will purchase a week or two at a time. 
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