In the previous program, I once said: In China, there are no less than 500 epidemic records in the "Twenty-Five History" alone, covering all parts of the country, with the Central Plains and coastal areas being the most common. In response to the epidemic, the imperial courts of all dynasties have taken measures. It is mainly to send officials to inspect and appease, to hold officials responsible for dereliction of duty, to send doctors, give medicines, give coffins, reduce taxes, and exempt taxation. In ancient times, after the outbreak, the treatment was basically organized by the government.
Before the Ming Dynasty , most of the people were treated by government-organized folk doctors and doctors, and the medicines were free. Song Renzong in order to treat the great epidemic in the capital, he did not hesitate to distribute the precious medicinal materials left to him to the common people. In the Jin Dynasty, the system was established, and local people fell ill, and the prefectures and counties prepared medical treatment, and even the prisoners in prisons were given medicines when they were sick. From the middle of the Ming Dynasty, whenever an epidemic broke out, the emperor would dispatch a group of imperial physicians to go to the people for consultation, treatment, and delivery of medicine. Even after entering the Republic of China, medicines and coffins were also given as gifts, "doing medicine for medical treatment, and not taking a penny".
In fact, in ancient China, after the outbreak of the epidemic, the government would introduce a series of anti-epidemic measures. In addition to sending officials to patrol and appease, hold officials responsible for dereliction of duty, send doctors, donate medicines, give coffins, tax reductions, tax exemptions, etc. There are medicine according to prescriptions, pricing monuments, opening warehouses to release grain, receiving money from the treasury, making first donations from officials, organizing pharmacies, etc.
(Photo: Yin Tong)
according to the prescription. The government will compile and promulgate the easy-to-use " prescription ", which will be placed on the main road, so that everyone can understand the prevention and control of the epidemic. For example, during the Tang Xuanzong Kaiyuan period, all the prefectures had to copy Tao Hongjing's " Shennong's Materia Medica" and "Bai Yi Ji Proof Prescriptions". Soon, Tang Xuanzong "promulgated "Guangji Fang" and promulgated it to the world". In the fifth year of Tianbao (746), Emperor Xuanzong of Tang issued an imperial edict to the chiefs of counties and counties to copy the commonly used prescriptions and main points in "Guangji Fang" on wooden boards, and post them on the main roads at the entrances of each village for public announcement.
Tang Xuanzong was also afraid that there would be mistakes in the transcriptions of the states and counties, so as to avoid mistakes in medication, so he specially asked the interview envoy to send someone to proofread it. In the Song Dynasty , block printing technology was used to print and edit a large number of medical books, which were promoted to all states and counties, and the knowledge of epidemic prevention was disseminated to the common people. For example, when Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty issued the "Brief Rescue to All Prescriptions", "Order prefects and county magistrates to follow prescriptions to save people's diseases", and compare medical books to prepare medicines for epidemic relief.
Price engraved on the stele, treasury lead silver. The government engraved these medical prescriptions and the official pricing of medicinal materials on stone tablets in public places, and instructed the poor and sick to receive money from the national treasury to buy them. Publicizing official prices is also aimed at stabilizing drug prices in private pharmacies.
open warehouses to release grain or reduce taxes. It is really beyond our ability to pay taxes according to the normal year when the people are infected with the disease. Therefore, in the face of major epidemics and disasters, the ancient government would take active and effective disaster relief measures, the most common ones being to open warehouses to release grain or reduce taxes. Tang Xuanzong Dazhong years, Jianghuai epidemic, Xuanzong ordered the Huainan, Wuning Army and other towns that were ravaged by the epidemic. All exempt rents, tributes and tributes must be announced one by one on the main roads of the villages, so that the people can understand them thoroughly.
(Photo: Yin Tong)
free medicine. The Song court also implemented a policy of free distribution of medicines and built Huimin Pharmacy. During the Yuanfeng period (1078-1085), the Imperial Medical Bureau took on the task of compiling and publishing prescription books by the state. These books underwent several revisions, and finally formed " Taiping Huimin Heji Bureau Prescription " around 1107 to 1110. According to the preface of the surviving edition, the prescription was distributed to all public pharmacies in the city.
Let’s take a look at how the ancients became officials in the year of the great epidemic, and take Su Shi as an example. Song Yuanyou four years (1089), Su Shi came out to Hangzhou as a bachelor of Longtuge , and soon after he took office, he encountered "famine and epidemic". victims of the epidemic. In the spring, when it was too late, Su Shi ordered to sell the Changping rice at a reduced price to the common people. He also sent special personnel to cook porridge for the poor every day, and decocted medicine for the patients who had no money to seek medical treatmentuse. He sent special personnel with doctors to treat diseases around the city of Hangzhou, saving the lives of a large number of poor people.
Official first donation. Since the epidemic situation in Hangzhou is much more serious than other places, it is obviously not enough to rely on government power alone. Su Shi also mobilized private financial resources to support the anti-epidemic and disaster relief. He donated 50 taels of personal gold, plus 2000 taels of government grain silver he raised, and founded a hospital called "Anle Fang" to accommodate poor patients. After that, he used "animal money and food" as the operating cost of the hospital. In the three years before and after the establishment of the hospital, thousands of patients have been cured.
Su Shi encountered disasters and epidemics many times, and saw a large number of people being killed by the epidemic, so he began to study medical theory and wrote medical miscellaneous treatises and prescriptions. Later generations incorporated some of them into " Su Shen Liang Fang ". In his early years, he begged the secret recipe "Sheng Sanzi Fang" from his friends to cure the plague. Huangzhou has been plagued by epidemics for many years, and Su Shi made the prescription public. "There are countless people who are alive", which has been praised by doctors of all dynasties.
(Photo: Yin Tong)
organized a pharmacy. Su Shi is an official in office, so what do retired officials do? Qi Biaojia, a retired official in the late Ming Dynasty, organized a charity clinic and a pharmacy during several severe famines and plagues in his hometown, Shaoxing, during his eight years of retirement. In June 1636, just ten days after his son died—his son died of pox, possibly smallpox, he drafted the regulations for the Pharmacy Bureau to deal with the plague that year. He signed an agreement with 10 famous local doctors to jointly preside over the pharmacy located in an old big Buddhist temple in the city. There are two doctors on duty every day, and each doctor is required to work in rotation for six days. Between June and August, more than 10,000 lives are said to have been saved.
In the spring of 1641, after the establishment of the ward for refugees, he considered reopening the pharmacy in summer. This time, he had the financial and moral support of local officials, and the pharmacy organization became tighter. Including a prime minister, a secretary, and a pharmacist, and opened two separate reception rooms to separate male and female patients. 12 doctors replaced 10 doctors on duty in rotation, and the pharmacy was set up in another local temple. Qi Biaojia took the doctor and traveled all over the poor villages and valleys around Shaoxing City to visit the sick villagers.
Knowing the past and learning from the present, let's think about what is going on.
(This article is organized according to the video of Cao Baoyin, Chief Consultant of Beijing Guozi Law Firm [Cao Shuan · Serious Case Inventory Series])
