No abstract available.
History, Modern 1601- ; Korea ; Smallpox ; Vaccination

The first record of small pox epidemics in Korea claims that the malignant pestilence came from China around the 4th-5th century. Records have been found indicating that this pestilence attacked Korea every few years and that the havoc it caused was beyond description. China was the first country in the orient to use Jenner's vaccine, 10 years after its invention in 1796. The effect of the vaccine had been widely recognized and it was introduced to Korea through Japan. Mr. Sok-Yong Chi, an educator who was much interested in modern medical science, with the cooperation of the public, introduced wide usage of the vaccine in December 1879. Through continued effort with vaccination by 1959 this pestilence had completely disappeared from this country. Before the introduction of vaccinations, the variolation method, which came from China was also practiced here. Its effect was not recognized by the public and the method did not became popular. In addition, a few other methods to prevent this pestilence were introduced. Methods such as inhalation of pox-liquid and insertion of scar-pills(a chinese style of intranasal inoculation) were also practiced. However, in Korea the Turkish style of cross facial skin inoculation which was introduced by Lady Mary Worthey Montage does not seem to have been practiced here. Before the practices of vaccination and variolation were introduced small pox epidemics were considered to be the "coaxing of the pox-devil". People tried to fight against small pox epidemics by setting up wooden guardian poles as a nears of divine protection at bridges at the foot of Mt. Ami. The recent edition of the Korean comprehensive bibliography of place names shows about 90 locations for Mt. Ami which suggests there were a lot of attacks of small pox epidemics all over the country in the past.
English Abstract ; History of Medicine, Modern ; Human ; Immunization/*history ; Korea ; Smallpox/*history ; Vaccination/*history

Generally it has been thought that the modern western medicine was introduced into Korea by Japanese physicians and Western missionaries. But some recent studies have revealed that in the late Choson period, Koreans and Korean government played the essential roles in the introduction of it. This paper summarized and discussed the self-reliant activities of Koreans at the time, mainly in introducing the smallpox vaccination method and establishing Jejoong-Won Hospital, the first modern hospital in Korea.
English Abstract ; History of Medicine, 19th Cent. ; Hospitals/*history ; Korea ; *Medicine ; Smallpox/*history ; Vaccination/*history ; Western World

The first Korean record on the smallpox can be found in the Hyangyak-Kukupbang compiled during the period of late Koryo dynasty. The record told on the cause, symptom, preventive and curative method of the disease but it did not touch upon its infectivity. Jeong Yak-Yong and Lee Jong-In of late 18th and early 19th centuries recognized first that the disease is infectious and it can be prevented by the vaccination method. But the vaccination against smallpox had not been carried out in public until 1880. From 1879 Chi Suk-Young began to try it privately to his relatives and neighbors. For sometime the smallpox vaccination was considered foreign and heretical by many people and some officers, so the trial of Chi and his colleagues had to go through an ordeal until the Reform of 1894. In 1895 the government first proclaimed an Ordinance on the Smallpox Vaccination in October and an Ordinance on the Training Center for Smallpox Vaccination in November. And two years later, in 1897 to bring up the vaccination doctors the government established the Training Center for Smallpox Vaccination, which was in 1899 integrated into the Medical school, the first modern and westernized medical school run by Korean government. Many of the vaccination doctors were posted at the newly established Office of Smallpox Vaccination by the government to perform their activities there until 1907.
English Abstract ; *Government ; History of Medicine, 18th Cent. ; History of Medicine, 19th Cent. ; History of Medicine, 20th Cent. ; Human ; Immunization/history ; Korea ; Public Health/*history ; Smallpox/*history ; Vaccination/*history

Smallpox was one of the most dreadful epidemic diseases in Korea until the early twentieth century. In the Chosun period, smallpox came to prevail more frequently and vigorously, and many people died of the disease. To cope with smallpox, the society of Chosun had various modes of measures, though they were not always effective, which included the government's rituals, medical men's prescriptions, and folk's recipes. Among various responses to smallpox, the recipes of folklore seem to be very interesting. While attitude toward other contagious diseases(e.g., typhoid fever, or malaria) mainly consisted of exorcism, smallpox was believed to be the passage of the smallpox deity, Sonnim(which means guest), through the body of patient for certain time span, and gods of smallpox were treated hospitably. This attitude toward smallpox was deeply rooted in Korean shamanism, and partly in the natural history of the disease. From 1876 smallpox vaccination was reintroduced and practiced. There were, however, a lot of difficulties in practice of vaccination due to distrust and prejudice. And traditional dealings with smallpox, in spite of vaccination, didn't disappear even after the Japanese compulsory occupation.
Disease Outbreaks/*history ; English Abstract ; *Folklore ; History of Medicine, 19th Cent. ; History of Medicine, Modern ; Human ; Korea ; Magic/*history ; *Religion and Medicine ; Shamanism/*history ; Smallpox/*history ; Vaccination/history