Thousands of years of history have shown that no matter how dangerous and rampant the disease is, in the end of every battle between good and evil, human beings can avoid devastating disasters. As the saying goes, "The devil is higher than the road." ten feet". So what methods did the ancient Chinese use to prevent and control plagues before modern technology?
1. Doctors are the first to bear the brunt of the epidemic, and famous doctors have emerged in large numbers to fight the epidemic
In the fight against epidemics in China's past dynasties, doctors have always been on the front line of fighting against diseases, treating diseases and saving lives, regardless of personal safety and interests, and providing free services to the poor. Serve. Historically, doctors have had the virtue of "not being generals, but being good doctors." Many anecdotes of famous doctors are stories about the treatment of plague. The prevention and control of plague also created a generation of famous doctors and promoted the development of Chinese medicine.
Periods of great epidemics in history were also times when famous doctors emerged in large numbers. For example, Zhang Zhongjing during the Eastern Han Dynasty was famous for his treatment of "typhoid fever". The classic Chinese medicine work "Treatise on Febrile Diseases" discussed the treatment methods for various infectious diseases at different stages. Not only the prescriptions in the book are still used today, but also its flexible and changeable dialectical treatment methods. Treatment methods lay the cornerstone of clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine. Zhang Zhongjing is therefore known as the "Sage of Medicine". The Jingfang School of Japanese Kampo medicine still uses Zhang Zhongjing's original prescription to treat infectious diseases such as viral hepatitis.
The miracle doctor Hua Tuo was not only good at surgery, but there are also many records about his treatment of various infectious and parasitic diseases. Hua Tuo discovered the use of young Artemisia annua to treat epidemic "jaundice disease". Later, it was spread among the people that "Artemisia annua can cure diseases in March and be used as firewood in May and June." Modern research has isolated artemisinin from fresh Artemisia annua, which has become a new drug for the treatment of malaria.
Medical scientists such as Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty, Ye Tianshi in the Qing Dynasty, and Wu Tang (Wu Jutong) in the late Qing Dynasty all made significant contributions to the treatment of plague. The Angong Niuhuang Pills, Zhibao Dan, and Zixue Dan recommended by Wu Tang to treat late symptoms of the plague are still in clinical use and are called the three treasures for treating the plague.
2. Vaccination with attenuated virus vaccine can not cure the existing disease but treat the disease before it
Chinese medical scientists invented the variola vaccination technique as early as 980-1567 AD, which used the pox pulp and pox from the vesicles of smallpox patients. They would scab the sores or use clothes stained with smallpox pulp and rashes worn by smallpox patients to infect people who had not had smallpox. Since the "virulence" of this source of infection is weaker than that of fresh viruses, vaccinated people generally only develop mild smallpox. The vaccinated person's body will produce an immune defense response to smallpox and gain immunity against reinfection with smallpox. Thereby preventing the occurrence of severe smallpox. Variola vaccination is actually an artificial immunization method using live human viruses, or it is used to prevent severe smallpox from mild smallpox. This immunoprophylaxis method was the most effective method to prevent smallpox before the invention of cowpox vaccination. It was widely used in China and later spread westward to Europe and became popular in the United States. It saved millions of lives and promoted modern immunopreventive medicine. The birth of. Many current vaccines for infectious diseases still use live attenuated human viruses as vaccines. For example, the polio vaccine and measles vaccine that every child must receive now are live human virus vaccines. Ancient Chinese doctors put forward the disease prevention principle of "not treating the existing disease, treating the disease before it occurs" in the "Huangdi Neijing", a medical treatise over 2,000 years ago. This treatment method of "treating" the disease before it develops has been It has been proven by modern medicine to be the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases.
3. Emperors take responsibility and officials fight the epidemic free of charge
During the epidemic, many emperors in ancient times issued edicts to honestly admit their mistakes in governance and took responsibility to appease officials and common people, and ordered governments at all levels* **Fighting the epidemic together. Officially organized anti-epidemic activities have played a huge role in history. For example, Emperor Wen, Emperor Yuan and Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty, and Emperor Heng of the Eastern Han Dynasty all issued edicts of self-blame regarding the plague. The emperors of the Han Dynasty also ordered officials to reduce food, drink, and entertainment and reduce horses and mounts to rescue victims of the plague. During the Song Dynasty, when the plague broke out, the government organized doctors to provide free consultations for patients, and the drug expenses were paid by the government. Emperor Kangxi ordered vaccination to prevent smallpox in various places in 1682.
Based on the personal experience of the royal family, Kangxi said: "In the early days of the country, many people were afraid of getting pox. But when I got the prescription for vaccination, all my children and your children were fine after being vaccinated. Today, the Forty-nine Banners outside the Border and the Khalkha vassals, Everyone is vaccinated against acne; everyone who is sown will be cured. I remember that when I first inoculated, the young people thought it was strange, but I decided to do it, so how could it be an accident that the lives of tens of millions of people were saved? "This is a government use?" Examples of executive orders promoting epidemic prevention methods. Since the Han Dynasty, there have been records of officials providing free medicine to epidemic areas and patients. Later, all dynasties followed suit, and it almost became a common practice for governments and courts to fight against epidemics.
4. Establish isolation clinics to prevent the spread of diseases
Ancient Chinese doctors have long recognized the contagiousness of some plague diseases and found that isolating infectious patients is a necessary preventive measure. In 242 AD, Ge Hong, a famous doctor in the Jin Dynasty, wrote about smallpox disease in "Emergency Prescriptions": "The wounds obtained from attacking captives in Nanyang are called captive sores." "In the fourth year of Yonghui, this sore traveled from the west to the east. throughout the sea”. It is clearly shown that smallpox was brought to China by captives during wars, so smallpox was called "liberal sore" in ancient China. Due to its contagiousness, smallpox subsequently became increasingly prevalent in China. In 2 AD, there was a serious epidemic in the Qingzhou Dynasty. Emperor Ping issued an edict: "Those who suffer from the epidemic should leave their empty residences to buy medicine." It can be seen that at that time, the government arranged the residence as an isolation hospital to treat plague patients. Soldiers in the army who contracted the plague during the war needed to be isolated from healthy people to prevent infection. Archaeological findings show that in the Han Dynasty, there were "disease relocation square" facilities in China to isolate leprosy patients. During the Tang Dynasty, there was also a "Patient Center" established by the Buddhist Society to isolate leprosy patients. There were monks inside to treat patients, which was quite a modern charity institution. During the period of Wu Zetian, it was renamed "Beitian Health Center" and was managed by the government. It can be seen that ancient people began to use isolation methods very early to cut off the source of plague and prevent the spread of disease.
5． Establish epidemic prevention management and establish border quarantine
An important part of controlling the plague is to establish a complete national epidemic prevention management system and establish a border quarantine system to control international spread. The bamboo slips unearthed in Hubei Province, "Sealing Clinics", record that during the Warring States Period, there was a system for reporting infectious diseases step by step and investigating suspicious cases. During the reign of Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty, it was stipulated that all generals sent to frontier fortresses should be accompanied by medical officers responsible for epidemic prevention and health. The Yuan Dynasty established a private medical household system. Medical households are private households licensed by the government to engage in medical activities. Their household registration is managed by Taiyuan Hospital. Once a plague occurs, medical households must participate in treatment.
The Qing government also had the official position of "Zhangjing of Acne Examination", which was specialized in epidemic prevention and inspection of acne. The "Hai Lu" published in the Qing Dynasty records that "whenever a sea ship returns to the country, or when ships from various countries arrive at the country, people must be sent to check if there are any people with acne. If there are any, they will not be allowed to enter. The acne must be healed before they can enter the port. . ”
This shows that Chinese doctors had recognized that patients with acute smallpox infection were the source of the infection and established a complete smallpox quarantine system. In 1688, Russia was the first to send doctors to Peking to learn vaccination and pox detection methods: "During the Kangxi period, Russia sent people to China to study pox medicine. They moved from the Sanat Yamen to the Lifanyuan Yamen and studied in the capital."
China's vaccination technique has also spread to neighboring countries such as Japan, North Korea and India. Through international exchanges, infectious diseases have been jointly prevented and treated.
6. Pay attention to food hygiene and maintain personal cleanliness
Poor food hygiene and personal hygiene will easily lead to the infection of plague. This is the experience gained by the ancients in practice. The "Han Code" of the Qin and Han Dynasties stipulates that "officials are allowed to bathe for five days, and they must take a good rest to bathe." It is also recorded that bathing with Perrin and other herbs can prevent diseases and maintain health. It is recommended to pay attention to dietary hygiene and avoid eating spoiled vegetables and rice. The ancients also noticed that rodents and bad food can transmit diseases, and gave advice such as "rats are involved in the rice, so don't eat it", don't eat raw or cold food, don't eat raw fish, etc. People in the Ming Dynasty paid great attention to drinking water hygiene. Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica" has a special section on water, which says: "The water from wells comes from far away from the earth's veins, followed by the water from nearby rivers and lakes. The cities are close to ditches. If the mixed sewage becomes alkaline, it must be boiled. "There is a certain scientific basis for judging and grading water quality. Doctors in the Yuan Dynasty also recommended keeping the oral cavity clean, pointing out: "It is better to brush your teeth at night than to brush your teeth in the morning to avoid tooth diseases."
Many areas in China still maintain preventive and health-care habits passed down from ancient times, such as Shanghainese's winter tonic, Cantonese's traditional Chinese medicine soup, and southerners' habit of drinking calamus and realgar wine during the Dragon Boat Festival. Many of them are related to the prevention of plague.
7. Improving environmental conditions, drug prevention and disinfection
Reducing the spread of plague through the improvement of environmental sanitation has long received considerable attention. There are records of the establishment of artificial lakes and drinking pools during the Qin and Han Dynasties. It was also recognized that sick animals and livestock can transmit diseases and must not be allowed to pollute water sources. During the Qin Dynasty, it was stipulated that garbage should not be left carelessly, and "leaving ashes on the road" would be fined. At that time, there were sewer channels in the city. The pipes were mostly made of pottery and were connected section by section to discharge sewage. This device is close to modern sewer systems. In the Han Dynasty, there were special containers, spittoons and toilets for holding feces. At that time, there were public toilets in the city, called "toilets", for everyone's convenience. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the government strongly advocated planting trees to green the environment, and there were strict laws that "no tree felling is allowed to cause death or damage." In addition, during plague epidemics, ancient people also used pharmaceutical disinfection methods to prevent the infection and spread of diseases. According to bamboo slips unearthed from the Qin Dynasty, when guests from the Qin Kingdom entered the city, their carriages and harnesses had to be smoked by fire for disinfection and epidemic prevention. In the Song Dynasty, mugwort and other drugs were also used to drive away mosquitoes and prevent plague
8. Popularize medical knowledge and strengthen educational books
Popularizing disease knowledge and strengthening medical education are important links in preventing plague, and all dynasties and generations have attached great importance to it. The "Huangdi Neijing Suwen", written more than 2,000 years ago, tells a lot of common sense and methods of preventing diseases in the form of dialogue. The Taiyuan Hospital in the Tang Dynasty was equivalent to a national hospital, with disciplines such as medicine, acupuncture, and massage. In addition, there were local medical education institutions to train doctors and epidemic prevention personnel. At that time, plague prevention knowledge and simple prescriptions were also burned on stone slabs and placed in hospitals, villages and roadsides to show the public for use in emergencies. During the Southern Song Dynasty, China established the earliest government medical schools to train various doctors. All dynasties have compiled and studied previous medical and pharmaceutical books.
When the Qin Dynasty ordered the burning of books, medical books were an exception and were preserved. In the Yuan Dynasty, government agencies had dedicated personnel responsible for the compilation and publication of medical books. At the same time, they also used various publishing forms such as bookshops, academies, and private houses to engrave books. There have been many "prosperous canons" in Chinese history, and medical books are included in the canons without exception. Many famous medical books have gone through generations of reprints and annotations before they can be used today. The Chinese Medicine Encyclopedia "Yi Zong Jin Jian" records the detailed theory and method of variola vaccination. After this book was spread to Japan, it played an important role in popularizing variola prevention against smallpox.
9． Official tax exemptions and rent reductions, and financial relief in epidemic areas
The epidemic not only affects people's health and survival, but also causes huge losses to society, economy and production. Therefore, fighting the plague is more than simply preventing and treating the disease. Many dynasties in Chinese history have implemented tax exemptions and rent reductions in years of great epidemics to reduce the burden on the people and revive production and economic development. In 67 BC, Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty issued an edict after the plague: "If the country is severely affected by the disaster, no tax will be paid this year." Later, it was officially stipulated that the government would provide subsidies to families whose harvests were less than four-tenths of normal, and the central government would distribute disaster relief grain funds to the victims through local governments. In various dynasties, after a major epidemic occurred, government officials visited the affected areas to appease the people, opened warehouses to provide relief, or sent doctors to administer medicine to save the people. The "Huimin Pharmacy" run by the local government also played a very important role in the local fight against the plague.
10 Bury the dead properly, provide relief and raise orphans
Every major plague epidemic in history will kill countless people, causing the death of wives and families, and the phenomenon of "tens of thousands of households are depressed and ghosts are singing" "The tragic situation. Due to the contagiousness of the plague, corpses that are not properly placed will further spread the disease, harming families and the environment. During the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Ping issued an edict to grant burial expenses to each family according to the number of people who died from the plague. During the Tang Dynasty, great importance was attached to burying corpses during plagues. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty once sent envoys to patrol the city and found corpses that were quickly buried. During the great epidemic, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty ordered that the bodies of the deceased must be buried by their families. If there was no one to care for them, the local officials would be responsible for their placement.
Emperor Wenzong of the Tang Dynasty stipulated that orphans left by plague-stricken families under the age of twelve must be raised by relatives. The government would provide two months of food rations and the list of orphans must be reported to the government. These measures and practices not only implement humanity and protect lives, but also play a role in stabilizing people's hearts and society.
As mentioned above, ancient China used a variety of methods to comprehensively control plague. Thousands of years of anti-epidemic practice have proven that these ancient methods are effective. Even in modern societies with highly developed science and technology and information technology, the methods used to prevent modern plagues are still much the same. The recent prevention of SARS made this clear again. It should be noted that in the past century, with the continuous progress of social civilization and scientific development, humans have found more and more ways to deal with plagues, and their methods have gradually improved. As a result, the incidence and mortality of infectious diseases have dropped significantly, and humans have The quality of life and longevity are significantly improved. Now mankind can proudly say that it has truly achieved a "higher standard" in the fight against the disease. However, we must not forget that the plague’s attack on mankind has never stopped. From time to time, the plague will also drive counterattacks, and from time to time there will be scenes of "the devil is one foot taller". Humanity is destined to suffer from diseases for a long time.