Abstract
Objectives : This paper analyze several version of Danbangshinpyon(單方新編), a simple medical book that was widely used in the private sector from late Joseon dynasty to Japanese colonial period in Korea. Since it had not only collected the treatments easy to get around but also translated the classical Chinese into Korean, Danbangshinpyon(單方新編) was popular in the environment of poor medical service for the people. Methods : We compared several types of issue having heen popular either in the form of plate printing or as manuscripts until recently. Enlarged edition of Danbangshinpyon(增補單方新編) was edited in 1913, and it had been published a total of 13 times until 1922 with 8th edition. On the other hand, it is regarded that the contents of which are again included into Shinpyonmyobang(新篇妙方) published in 1938. Results : Danbangshinpyon was edited to match the demand for medical care at the time in 1909 on the basis of previously existing Gyungheombang(經驗方) of that time. Taking advantage of the public popularity of Danbangshinpyon, Enlarged edition of Danbangshinpyon was hurriedly constructed with weak consideration of upgrading the content. Shinpyonmyobang(新篇妙方) contains the whole content of Danbangshinpyon(單方新編) in the second half of it. Surveying details in the Shinpyonmyobang, one can find that it had been edited to copytext Enlarged edition of Danbang-shinpyon rather than Danbangshinpyon(單方新編). In other words, it is presumed to have been re-edited after the publication of Enlarged edition of Danbangshinpyon.
