Infectious diseases do great harm to human beings. Under some external environmental conditions, they can spread among people and cause epidemics. When infectious diseases are prevalent, they have rapid onset, severe symptoms, a large number of people and a wide range of influences, which seriously endanger the lives and health of the broad masses of people. Infectious diseases in ancient China continued to spread, resulting in a large number of deaths. Especially in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it happened in large numbers. According to some statistics, there were 64 pandemics of infectious diseases in 276 of Ming Dynasty and 74 pandemics of infectious diseases in 266 of Qing Dynasty, showing that infectious diseases were frequent. Doctors in China have attached great importance to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Such as Huangdi Neijing, Treatise on Febrile Diseases, Etiology, Ganjinfang, Waitaimi, etc. There are records of experience in preventing and treating infectious diseases, but these records are not systematic. The first treatise on acute infectious diseases in China was Wu Youxing's Treatise on Febrile Diseases in Qing Dynasty.
Wu was born in Gusu (now Wuxian County, Jiangsu Province) in the late Ming Dynasty. Wu Youxing lives in an era when infectious diseases are prevalent. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, 164 1 year, when Wu Youxing was 49 years old, infectious diseases spread all over Shandong, Zhejiang, Henan, Hebei and other places. At this time, many doctors can't find new treatment methods, so the treatment effect is very poor. Wu Youxing witnessed some infectious disease areas at that time. There are dozens of mouths, and none of them survived. He studied medical principles assiduously, regardless of his own safety, went deep into infectious disease areas and carried out medical practice. He finally wrote "On Epidemic Fever" in Chongzhen 15 (AD 1642) through a detailed study of infectious diseases prevalent at that time and his rich treatment experience.
The book on febrile diseases put forward the name of infectious diseases at that time, and the cause of "epidemic" was "not getting its qi" Treatise on Febrile Diseases holds that diseases such as typhoid fever are caused by feeling the righteousness of heaven and earth, and "epidemic disease" is caused by feeling the plague of heaven and earth. Epidemic febrile diseases distinguish epidemic diseases from other epidemic diseases, thus making the cause of infectious diseases break through the shackles of the previous "six-qi theory" Epidemic febrile diseases first established a new argument in China that the body has poor disease resistance and is infected with rage.
"Treatise on Epidemic Febrile Diseases" points out that the transmission route of "sudden anger" is through air and contact, and through the nose and mouth. Epidemic febrile diseases also point out that hostility is specific, and only specific hostility can cause corresponding infectious diseases. The book also believes that the treatment of surgical diseases such as sores and back problems is due to miscellaneous gas infection, not to "fire". The theory of febrile diseases classifies surgical infectious diseases and infectious diseases into one category for the first time.
Epidemic febrile diseases also attach great importance to the importance of physical resistance. The book holds that "healthy qi is full, evil can't enter", and the body has strong resistance. Although there is the possibility of contact infection, it is unlikely to get sick. If "natural qi is deficient, exogenous evil takes advantage of it", the body's resistance drops and it is infected, so you can get sick.
"Epidemic Febrile Diseases" also suggests that the route of infection of infectious diseases is "sexual infection". "Natural exposure" refers to air infection, and "infection" refers to contact infection. Therefore, it is stated in the book that "the nose of the population is connected with the weather" and "between breaths, external evils take advantage of it". According to epidemic febrile diseases, the epidemic form of infectious diseases can be epidemic or sporadic.
Treatise on Febrile Diseases is very scientific in discussing the source, etiology, immunity and prevalence of infectious diseases. Especially before the emergence of bacteriology in the middle of17th century, The Treatise on Epidemic Febrile Diseases put forward that "the plague of husband's fever is a strange feeling between heaven and earth, not wind, cold, heat and humidity", and this strange feeling is called "sudden anger". This theory is very advanced. The discussion on immunity of epidemic febrile diseases in Treatise on Epidemic Febrile Diseases is really admirable. The book said: "As for the invisible qi, those who are partial to animals, such as rinderpest, sheep plague and chicken plague; Duck plague is not only a human epidemic, but also a disease. However, cattle are sick, sheep are not sick, chickens are sick, ducks are not sick, people are sick and animals are not sick. The injury varies with the qi. " This is a wonderful exhibition.
The temperature theory records many new methods to treat infectious diseases. If the book thinks that it is appropriate to use Dayuan drink at the beginning of infectious diseases, wait until the illness is deep; Yes, when the so-called "evil poison invades the stomach", they tirelessly "rush to attack urgently". These methods laid the foundation for the treatment of infectious diseases in later generations.
Treatise on Febrile Diseases has a great influence on later generations. Some famous physicians in Qing Dynasty, such as Dai Beishan, Liu, Ye, etc., all developed and created Treatise on Febrile Diseases to some extent. Physicians of past dynasties created the theory of febrile diseases in the practice of fighting infectious diseases. Treatise on febrile diseases originated in Neijing, conceived in Treatise on Febrile Diseases, originated in Jinyuan and matured in Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the development of epidemic febrile diseases, as the first monograph on the treatment of infectious diseases in China, Epidemic Febrile Diseases has made great contributions. Up to now, China has applied the principles, methods and prescriptions of epidemic febrile diseases to treat some infectious diseases, such as Japanese encephalitis, influenza, measles, scarlet fever and dysentery, and achieved high curative effect. Many of them inherited and developed the theory and experience of febrile diseases.