• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.311-343
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• 2004

Various aspect of epidemics broke out continually from the middle of Joseon Dynasty due to the famine and drought caused by abnormal climate of the sixteenth century and the war. Thus the Dynasty performed sacrificial rites, isolated the patients and published plenty of medical books related epidemics in order to cure of the patients, and Heojun edited 『Byeokyeoksinbang』 as 'Dangdokyeok' broke out at Gwanbuk(關北) districts in 1613, Heojun explained the cause of Dangdokyeok as meteorology under the feudal conditions, and concluded Simhwa(心火) by fever toxin, Therefore he selected the method of puting out Simhwa by attack of fever toxin. In addition he presented emergency treatment that can maintain the airway by bleeding. To treat Dangdokyeok, Heojun presented lots of prescriptions so as Seungmagalgeuntang(升麻葛根湯), Cheongyeolhaedoksan(淸熱解毒散), Yeongyopaedok-san(連翹敗毒散), Bangpungtongsaongsan(防風通聖散), Jowiseunggitang(調胃升氣湯) and Hwangryeonhaedoktang(黃連解毒湯) etc. And he proposed Samdueum (三豆飮), Realgar(石雄黃) and so on to prevent infection from that. They presume from 120 to 150 years as the period of human adaptation to the first epidemics. Dangdokyeok put a large number of people to death at first, but it wasn't referred at the history any more after Byeokyeoksinbang. So we can say that the treatment of Heojun may be effective. Common cold and dyspeptic cold broke out in our country differently from 'Shanghan(傷寒)' in the China, so we had settled 'pestilence infectious epidemic disease(瘟疫)' while 'epidemic febrile disease(溫病)' of the China. Dangdokyeok of Heojun is similar to 'Scalet fever' belonging to 'virulent heat pathogen(溫毒)', 'newly epidemic febrile disease(新感溫病)'. As a cure of Dangdokyeok, the Korean medicine uses the treatment of removing fever state whereas the western medicine uses the antibiotics to kill the streptococcus. The symptoms of Dangdokyeok are remarkably similar to those of the Scarlatina, so this occupies a high position on the world history of medicine in aspects of the period and details of symptoms. These days we have the problems that the tolerance of antibiotics increases and disease of unknown cause is prevalent. It means the western medicine get to limits. So if we progress epidemiography based on Heojun's medicine, we may contribute to the world history of medicine.