Talk:Mellified man

Verificiation?

Has anyone actually checked the book reference? It looks like this wiki page only appeared after the linked site was mentioned on BoingBoing. Can we really create a factual article based solely on trusting one website? Ben Morris 23:07, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

The book actually does mention it, I asked someone on an IRC channel the day the book came out who confirmed that he had seen it in the book, but the book itself does not reference it. He was unable to get the book to check (it was borrowed). I suppose someone could go check their local library for it, but I am pretty sure mine does not have the book. --TIB [[User_talk:The_Inedible_Bulk|(talk)]] 06:00, 2 August 2006 (UTC)

I have read this book, and it does indeed mention the Mellified Man. Fmalcangi 02:32, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

It is mentioned on page 221-222, and is taken from a translation of the Chinese Materia Medica, compiled in 1597 by Li Shih-Chen. This work is covered in Wikipedia as Compendium of Materia Medica. As far as I can tell, the mellified man is not mentioned in other sources so may be a Chinese medical legend. Seashunt 19:15, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

Roach even says that Li specifically points out that he's not sure whether this story is true, which (again per Roach) does not speak well for the story's credibility when compared to Li's many other difficult-to-believe remedies which he does not similarly caveat. PubliusFL 19:30, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

The BBC's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy also discusses this. Not exactly a reliable source and I can't think of any pretext for adding it to the article, but it's certainly relevant and well worth reading: [1] Hans Adler 12:59, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

Mumijo

Mumijo is listed as a 'see also'. Having read that article, I fail to see an obvious connection. Mumijo redirects to Shilajit, which is a some kind of organic mineral product. When it was added to this article a few years ago the edit summery said referred to it as "another semi-mythical honey/cadaver medicinal product", but the article implies that is real and makes no claim that is has anything to do with either cadavers or honey. Grayfell (talk) 03:59, 26 October 2012 (UTC)

Alternate translations

Besides Needham and Lu's (1974) translation of the key Bencao gangmu passage, there are two others.

木乃伊, [MUNAIYI]. HUMAN MUMMY CONFECTION. Li [Shizhen]: According to 陶九成 [Tao Jiucheng] in the 輟耕錄 [Chuogenglu], it says in Arabia there are men 70 to 80 years old who are willing to give their bodies to save others. The subject does not eat food, he only bathes and partakes of honey. After a month he only excretes honey (the urine and feces are entirely honey) and death follows. His fellow men place him in a stone coffin full of honey in which he macerates. The date is put upon the coffin giving the year and month. After a hundred years the seals are removed. A confection is formed which is used for the treatment of broken and wounded limbs. A small amount taken internally will immediately cure the complaint. It is scarce in Arabia where it is called mellified man. Mr. [Tao] has recorded it in this way but Li [Shizhen] the author of this [Bencao] does not know whether it is true so he is recording it for others to verify. (tr. Read 1932)

Li Shizhen: The book Chuogeng Lu by Tao Jiucheng: It is recorded that in the Tianfang country there was an old man 70 or 80 years old who was willing to sacrifice his body for the general public. So he stopped taking any food except for drinking honey daily. He washed himself repeatedly. After a month, his stools and urine all turned into honey. After his death, people in the country kept him in a stone coffin filled with honey. The date was inscribed on the stone coffin and it was buried in the ground. After 100 years, the body became a kind of honey-preserved thing that was used as a drug. When someone was suffering from an injury to his body, including bone fractures, a little of the "honey man" could be taken as a drug. It worked right away. Even in that country, this was something very precious. It was called "honey man". The above is quoted from Tao Jiucheng's book. It is not known whether this is true or not. So it is recorded at the end of this section for further study. (tr. Luo 2003: 4189)

"Bees make honey"

On the off-chance that it fits Wikipedia's standards, I won't remove it myself, but I must ask: is it really necessary to explain in the etymology section that honey comes from bees? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.90.200.1 (talk) 04:41, 11 July 2019 (UTC)

You're correct, thanks. Keahapana (talk) 21:02, 11 July 2019 (UTC)

Tao Zongyi and Tao Jiucheng were the same person

You can't say "Tao Zongyi (陶宗儀) and Tao Jiucheng (陶九成)." That's like saying "Babe Ruth and the Sultan of Swat."--108.16.230.212 (talk) 04:57, 26 November 2021 (UTC)

Citation #8 - Link does not work

Seems that the website linked has connection issues. Is there an alternate link available? 2600:1700:CC70:7ED0:C495:F922:8558:6253 (talk) 06:19, 22 January 2023 (UTC)