The Role of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Epidemic Control:An Analysis of the 1958 Epidemic Encephalitis B Outbreak in Guangdong Province
10.13359/j.cnki.gzxbtcm.2025.07.038
- VernacularTitle:抗疫中的中医药力量:以1958年广东省流行性乙型脑炎疫情为例
- Author:
Zhiyang ZHANG
1
;
Jiaqi LI
;
Jian LI
Author Information
1. 广州中医药大学基础医学院,广东 广州 510006
- Keywords:
epidemic encephalitis B;
collaborative mode of western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine;
traditional Chinese medicine;
damp-heat;
negotiated prescription;
empirical formula;
Guangdong Province;
1958
- From:
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2025;42(7):1817-1824
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
This study systematically collated and analyzed the historical records on the epidemiology,prevention,and treatment of the 1958 epidemic encephalitis B(commonly referred to as"Japanese encephalitis")outbreak in Guangdong Province,in particular analyzed the practice of intervention with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).The 1958 epidemic encephalitis B outbreak was considered as the first large-scale event of public health in Guangdong Province after the adjustment of TCM policies,characterized by extensive spread and a large number of cases.During the intervention,collaborative efforts of the practitioners of western medicine and TCM yielded significant outcomes,and were known as the"Guangdong experience",a mode of epidemic control with local characteristics that demonstrated the efficacy of TCM.The"Guangdong experience"encompassed several key strategies.Firstly,the provincial government acted swiftly,and the health authorities learned advanced protocols from regions of Shijiazhuang and Beijing and then made timely adjustments based on local conditions.Secondly,healthcare institutions at all levels called on TCM practitioners to participate in the diagnosis and treatment of Japanese encephalitis,and then established and refined a collaborative mode of western medicine and TCM,which maximized the role of TCM.Thirdly,Guangdong's TCM practitioners prioritized syndrome differentiation and treatment,took consideration of the influence of damp-heat pathogens and employed the therapeutic methods of clearing heat and resolving dampness,and eliminating turbidity with aromatic herbs.Moreover,they systematically documented the negotiated prescriptions and empirical formulas,found out the local medicinal resources,and then developed the effective treatment protocols that highlighted the advantages of TCM.The"Guangdong experience"provided a historical reference for the prevention and control of epidemic encephalitis B in the 1960s and 1970s.
