History of hospital is one of main fields of researches in medical history. Besides writing a history of an individual hospital, considerable efforts have been made to trace the origin of hospital. Those who quest for the origin of hospital are faced with an inevitable problem of defining hospital. As the different definition can lead to a different outcome, it is important to make a clear definition. In this article, the hospital was defined as an institution in which patients are housed and given medical treatments. According to the definition, the Great Basilius is regarded to have created the first hospital in 369 CE. The creation of hospital is considered to be closely related with Christian philantrophy. However, the question is raised against this explanation. As the religious philantrophy does not exclusively belong to the Christianity alone, more comprehensive and persuasive theory should be proposed to explain why the first hospital was created in the Christian World, not in the Buddhistic or other religious world. Furthermore, in spite of sharing the same Christian background, why the first hospital appeared in Byzantine Empire, not in Western Roman Empire, also should be explained. My argument is that Asclepius cult and the favorable attitude toward medicine in Greek world are responsible to the appearance of the first hospital in Byzantine Empire. The evangelic work of Jesus was heavily depended on healing activities. The healing activities of Jesus and his disciples were rivalled by Asclepius cult which had been widely spread and practiced in the Hellenistic world. The temples of Asclepius served as a model for hospital, for the temples were the institution exclusively reserved for the patients. The exclusive housing of patients alone in the temples of Asclepius is clearly contrasted with the other early forms of hospitals in which not only patients but also the poor, foreigners and pilgrims were housed altogether. Toward the healing god Asclepius, the Latin Church fathers and Greek Church fathers showed significant difference of attitudes. The Latin fathers were generally very critical on Asclepius while the Greek fathers were more favorable to the same healing god. This difference is also considered to be an important factor that can explain why the first hospital appeared in the Byzantine Empire.
Byzantium ; Christianity* ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Fathers ; Greek World ; Housing ; Humans ; Parturition* ; Roman World ; Writing

This paper strongly rejects the notion that the use of biomedical terms to represent traditional Chinese medical concepts is helpful to the internationalization of Chinese medicine. It further argues that this practice destroys the integrity and independence of Chinese medical concepts. Taking the term fēng huo yan as an example, it shows that the biomedical term "acute conjunctivitis" often suggested as the translation for this term is unsatisfactory, because (1) the clinical reference is not identical, (2) it introduces the concepts of "conjunctiva" and "inflammation" , which are not Chinese medical concepts, and (3) destroys the Chinese medical concepts "wind" and "fire" expressed in the Chinese, which reflect the way the disease is traditionally diagnosed and treated. While for English readers not familiar with Chinese medicine, "acute conjunctivitis" may be immediately intelligible, for those seeking a deep understanding of the subject, the literal translation (loan translation) "wind-fire eye" is much more helpful. This paper supports these arguments with numerous other examples.
Humans ; Language ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Terminology as Topic ; Translating ; Western World

Tuberculosis is a multi-organ disease. The incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis is declining due to improvement in public health, vaccination and the development of anti-tuberculosis medication, but extrapulmonary tuberculosis has become more common, especially in immuno-compromised individuals, AIDS patients and immigrants to western worlds. Gastrointestinal tuberculosis continues to give rise to diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. The jejunal tuberculosis is uncommon and presents a difficult diagnostic problem. Bleeding jejunal tuberculosis is a very rare source of lower gastrointestinal bleeding. We have recently experienced a case of a jejunal tuberculosis which was proven to be a source of gastrointestinal bleeding by intraoperative endoscopy and was confirmed by surgical exploration. This report summarized our experience and review of literature.
Emigrants and Immigrants ; Endoscopy* ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Public Health ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Vaccination ; Western World

Since the first case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Guinea was reported in March 2014 by World Health Organization (WHO), the outbreak has continued through the year and the total number of 19,065 patients was reported as the confirmed or suspected in the EVD-affected countries. Among the cases, 7,388 patients were reported death by 19 December. Currently, available therapeutics to treat the infected patients or vaccines to prevent people from infection is not developed yet while viral diagnostic methods were already developed and firmly established in a lot of countries as a first step for the preparedness of Ebola outbreak. Some potential therapeutic materials including ZMapp were supplied and the treated people got over the EVD. Several candidates of vaccines also were investigated their efficacy in animal models by National Institute of Health (NIH) and Department of Defense, and they are processing of clinical tests in West Africa aiming to finish the development by the 2015. Vaccine and therapeutic development is essential to stop the EVD outbreak in West Africa, also to protect the world from the risk which can be generated by potential spread of Ebola virus.
Africa, Western ; Ebolavirus ; Guinea ; Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola ; Humans ; Models, Animal ; Vaccines ; World Health Organization

BACKGROUNDS: There has been some discordance in the prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) probably due to different diagnostic criteria used by different study groups. The aims of this study was to determine the degree of agreement between different standard definitions and to test the validity of applying these different standards in epidemiological investigations of IBS among Korean population. METHODS: We recruited 1,038 patients who visited Yongdong Severance Hosipital for medical checkup and gave out the prepared questionnaires. Based on the returned questionnaires, degree of agreement between Manning, Rome I, and Rome II criteria was investigated by percent agreement and calculating kappa statics. Furthermore, clinical characteristics in different definition groups and patients of self-reported IBS were investigated and compared. RESULTS: Complete questionnaires were returned by 928 out of 1,038 subjects. The percent agreements ranged from 80.7 to 96.7 percent and kappa values ranged from 0.20 to 0.59. Best agreement occurred between Manning and Rome I criteria. Many subjects diagnosed as not having IBS by various diagnostic criteria of IBS thought themselves as having IBS. More sizable number of patients were suspected to have structural gastrointestinal diseases in IBS patients diagnosed by Manning, Rome I, and Rome II criteria compared with self-reported IBS subjects. CONCLUSIONS: It could be suspected that results of epidemiological investigations might be different according to standard definitions applied on each studies. Furthermore, some modifications of existing standard definitions of Western world would be required before applying them among Korean population.
Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome* ; Prevalence ; Western World ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent disease in the Western world. Recently, with the increase of old-aged population and the westernized diet, prostate cancer patients have increased in Korea. We have studied the prevalence of prostate cancer in Kangseo-Gu, Pusan. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From September to November 1996, a representative sample of 433 volunteers were chosen randomly and were monitored. Of these, 393 participants were older than 50 years and were not within the urological practice. Screening programs used here are international prostatic symptom score(1-PSS), digital rectal examination(DRE) and serum prostate specific antigen(PSA) with an immunoenzymatic assay(Tandem-E). The transrectal ultrasonography(TRUS) is reserved for the cases with an abnormal finding on the rectal examination or the elevated PSA value. Transrectal biopsy of prostate was recommended in the cases of PSA greater than 4ng/ml, suspicious nodules on DRE or TRUS, or when more than two of these findings were discovered. RESULTS: The detection rates and the positive predictive values for the DRE were 1.02% and 7.7%, TRUS were 1.27% and 15.2%, and PSA were 1.02% and 16.7% respectively. When the TRUS and PSA tests were combined, the positive predictive value was increased to 33.3% and when all three tests were combined, the predictive value increased further to 57.1%. However, the detection rate did not change with combinations of these tests. When the PSA cut-off value was increased from 4.0ng/ml to 10.0ng/ml, the positive predictive value increased from 11.1% to 33.3%. CONCLUSIONS: From the above examinations, 5 of the 393 samples had prostate cancer, yielding detection rate of 1.27%. The results of our community-based study suggest that there are about 4,5000 people suffering from the prostate cancer, with the prevalence of 1.27%. This value of prevalence of prostate cancer in Korean population is much lower than the western world.
Biopsy ; Busan* ; Diet ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mass Screening ; Prevalence* ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Volunteers ; Western World

This is the study of Jaedong Jejoongwon the first westernized hospital in Korea founded in 1885. To build the groundwork for study of Jejoongwon its size location building structure and medical functions were studied. At the same time the history of jejoongwon particularly that of the time when there arose a need for its moving and expansion was studied Jaedong Jejoongwon was founded in a renovated building. The building was formerly owned by Hong Young-sik who was killed while leading the Gapsinjungbyun. According to the existing block plan of Jaedong Jejoongwon when it was opened in 1885 it was located in the place which later became a park Nowadays this park is to northwest of the Constitutional Court At that time its size was about 600 p'yung As the medical school was built from end of 1885 to early 1886 Jejoongwon was expanded to north and its size was enlarged to 862 16 p'yung Jaedong Jejoongwon reflected the characteristics of western medical system When it was opened in 1885 Jejoongwon consisted of a servants' room an assistants' room the outpatient clinic the operation room (which was also used as the pharmacy) surgical wards women's wards and general wards In 1886 as the number of patients was increased and medical school was opened the function and the structure of hospital changed The most significant change was that a new medical school building was built as the nearby buildings were bought The medical school consisted of the students' dormitory a chemistry laboratory and classrooms Moreover new functions were added to already- existed hospital building a contagious ward a waiting room for outpatients an eye ward a darkroom a room for special diagnosis and treatment and a vaccination room Also from the time when it was first opened Jejoongwon needed the expansion as too many patients came in and the medical education was started Therefore in the summer of 1886 Allen positively explored ways toward the hospital's moving. At last in early 1887 Jaedong Jejoongwon moved to Kurigae on along with the development of medical education and medical treatment shows how the modern medical system was formed and developed in Korea.
English Abstract ; History of Medicine, 19th Cent. ; Hospitals/*history ; Korea ; Medicine ; *Western World/*history

In almost all countries, older adults present higher suicide rates than young people and generally, lifetime suicide risk and the wish to die are positively correlated with increase in age. In Korea, the number of the population in the elderly has been increased more rapidly than other age groups. Through analyzing the officially reported suicidal statistics, we found that the rates and number of elderly suicide in Korea have been increased since 1985, and suicide was most prevalent among 'old and old' and tended to be more prevalent among men, like western world. Some studies about the elderly suicide were reviewed. A community survey reported that 14.6% of the elderly aged 65 years and over in rural area had repeated feelings that they wanted to die during the pervious 2 weeks, and the significant associated factors with the wish to die were depressive disorder, age 85 and over, and poor economical status. But there have been a few studies about the elderly suicide, suicide attempt and death thought in Korea. The needs to understand suicide among the elderly is becoming more urgent and should generate more research. Knowledge of the conditions leading to suicide will aid clinicians and public policy makers by facilitating the effective development of intervention and prevention programs.
Adult ; Aged* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Depressive Disorder ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Public Policy ; Suicide* ; Western World

This thesis examines the academical trend of Oriental Medicine in the Japanese colonial period observed through medical books published during the Japanese colonial period. This is a period in which Western Medicine was introduced, and due to the lean-to-one-side policy by the Japanese, Western Medicine became the mainstream medical science while Oriental Medicine was pushed to the outskirts. Even after all this, the academic activity was flourishing during this period compared to any other periods. This article is divide into various chapters each with its own theme in order to understand the academic trend of Oriental Medicine during the Japanese colonial period. Focusing on the publication of medical books, this article is divided and observed according to various themes such as the study of Dong-Eui-Bo-Gam, the study of Bang-Yak-Hap-Pyeun, the study of Sang-Han-Ron, the study of Sa-sang constitutional medicine, the study of Eui-Hak-Ip-Mun, the study about Bu-Yang-Ron, On-Bo-Ron, and pediatrics, compromise between Western and Oriental Medicine, the study of experience medicine, the study of acupuncture and moxibustion, and etc.
Western World/history ; Medicine, Oriental Traditional/*history ; Japan ; Humans ; History, 20th Century ; Colonialism/*history ; Books/history

It is still not unusual to find an inapporpriate selection of presentation/discussion method not only in academic congress but also in medical school settings. The difficulty is partly reflection the cultural difference in oriental countries where peoples in Chinese letter-culture territories including Korea, Japan, and China compared to the western world, are accustomed to develop their compen tencies by reading rather than discussion or other oral presentation. In this paper I describe various methods of presentation and small groups discussion techniques in academic congress and teaching/learning process in medical school. Included are the purpose, characteristics, advantages and limitations in each major method such as symposium, panel discussion, workshop and forum required for adequate selection to meet the purpose of the meeting. Informations related to group dynamics and appropriate operational procedure for each technique are added.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China ; Education ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Schools, Medical* ; Western World