History of Lingnan Plague

Author: Lai Wen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: The book is titled "History of Epidemics in Lingnan," and the lower limit of the collected materials is before 1911 (inclusive of 1911). This time frame was determined for the following reasons: Since the Republic of China, modern medicine has paid close attention to the spread of infectious diseases. Therefore, the materials and research on epidemics after 1911 are relatively abundant, and professional institutions are responsible for them. At the same time, due to the advancement of modern prevention and control methods for infectious diseases and preventive mechanisms, by 2002, there had been no large-scale, deadly epidemics in the Lingnan region. Historically, severe epidemics in the Lingnan region mainly occurred before 1911, and the medical understanding of this period was dominated by traditional Chinese medicine. The epidemic data preserved from this period were largely understood and recorded from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine or folk traditions. Compared to modern epidemic research, the exploration and study of epidemic data from this period are extremely weak. Therefore, this book limits its research to before 1911. This book reviews and studies the actual occurrence and spread of epidemics in the Lingnan region (i.e., "epidemic situations") and related historical facts concerning the occurrence, spread, impact, and prevention of specific epidemics. It focuses on introducing the spatial and temporal distribution of Lingnan epidemics before 1911, as well as the related natural and social backgrounds. It particularly emphasizes the continuous spread and outbreaks of cholera and plague in the Lingnan region after their introduction during the late Qing Dynasty, as well as the measures taken by various sectors to respond to the new epidemic threats.