| Home | E-Submission | Sitemap | Editorial Office |  
top_img
Korean J Med Hist > Volume 2(2); 1993 > Article
Korean Journal of Medical History 1993;2(2): 122-125.
전날의 마마와 그 예방
전종휘
The History of Small Pox Prevention in Korea
Chong Hwee Chun
Inje Medical School, Pusan, Korea.
ABSTRACT
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.
Method
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.
TOOLS
PDF Links  PDF Links
Full text via DOI  Full text via DOI
Download Citation  Download Citation
Share:      
METRICS
2,676
View
84
Download
Related articles
The Early History of National Education of Western Medicine in Korea  1993 July;2(1)
The History of Urology in Korea (1910-1945)  1997 December;6(2)
A study on medical educational system in North Korea  1998 July;7(1)
One Hundred Years History of Surgery in Korea  1999 December;8(2)
A History of Medical License in Korea  2002 December;11(2)
Editorial Office
The Korean Society for the History of Medicine,
Department of Humanities and Social Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea
222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Korea (06591)
TEL: +82-2-3147-8306   FAX: +82-2-3147-8480   E-mail: medhistory@hanmail.net
About |  Browse Articles |  Current Issue |  For Authors and Reviewers |  KSHM HOME
Copyright © The Korean Society for the History of Medicine.                 Developed in M2PI