Park Hoon-pyeong: Joseon Suffered from Measles

This study aims to examine the figures who spearheaded the war against measles using traditional medicine in Joseon from the 18th century through the Japanese colonial period, as well as the literature and theories they left behind. Measles epidemics occurred periodically in various countries across modern East Asia. The disease spread sequentially from China to Joseon and Japan along geographical routes, and each country developed unique theories and treatment methods according to its culture and climate. In the late Joseon period, measles diagnosis was passed down through the lineage of Im Seo-bong, Yi Heon-gil, and Jeong Yak-yong, and their works—*Imshin Jinyeokbang*, *Eulmi Sinjeon*, and *Magwa Hoetong*—constitute the three major medical texts on measles in Joseon. So, what are the characteristics of measles diagnosis in the late Joseon period? First, the practitioners were primarily of royal lineage. Next, regarding pathological theory, there is the development of the theory of roundworms (*Hwechoron*). Finally, regarding therapeutic drugs, the theory of alcohol evaluation (*Jupyeongron*) and the theory of fecal treatment (*Bunchiron*) are distinctive features. Medicine pursues better theories and treatment methods based on the experiences of past eras and the present. Examining the theories and therapeutic drugs that emerged in each period is not merely for the purpose of identifying and reconstructing historical facts. Hidden within past methods that were once utilized but have since disappeared are opportunities for innovation, and we encounter the simple truth that Korean traditional medicine must not simply replicate the past.

Korean title: 조선, 홍역을 앓다

Korean author: 박훈평

Korean publisher: 민속원

ISBN-13: 9788928511570