This study analyzes the medical history during the Koryo(高麗) Dynasty in two parts: the development of the medical system in the Koryo Dynasty related to the social functions of medical care, and the actual circumstances of Koryo Dynasty's medical ...
This study analyzes the medical history during the Koryo(高麗) Dynasty in two parts: the development of the medical system in the Koryo Dynasty related to the social functions of medical care, and the actual circumstances of Koryo Dynasty's medical care and the meaning of Hyangyak(鄕藥, Korean medicinal stuffs) by the analysis of medical books. It especially focuses on the social and historical background of the introduction and spread of Hyangyak.
This study discusses the formation and management of the medical care system in the early Koryo Dynasty. The formation of medical care system during the Koryo Dynasty is dealt with in the reign of Gwangjong(光宗) and Seongjong(成宗). In the reign of Gwangjong, medical examination system was executed to select medical officials, and there was a medical institution called Sanguiwon(尙醫院). Also, Gwangjong installed Jewibo(濟危寶, distress institution) to make a foundation of a medical care institution. The medical care system in the reign of Seongjong was consolidated on the Confucian basis. The central medical institution was branched into Taeuigam(太醫監) and Sangyakguk(尙藥局) to organize the care system for royal family and high-ranking officials. Uihakbaksa(醫學博士) were sent to provinces, and through Ueogwanchulkwanui(外官出官儀), medicinal stuffs were distributed all over the nation. The nationwide relief system was expanded by Uichang(義倉, distress institution) and food and medicinal stuffs were distributed by Hyangnye(饗禮, government's party). These show the improvement of the medical care system. Such policies were to strengthen the control over the citizens at the time of national system consolidation.
Local medical care system of the Koryo Dynasty was also a part of national systems. In the reign of Seongjong, Uihakbaksa were sent to key points and Uisa(醫師) were posted. In the reign of Hyunjong(顯宗), Uisa replaced Uihakbaksa and Yakjeomsa(藥店史, local medical officials) were posted in the districts to form a dualistic local medical structure. Later, Munjong(文宗) showed his great interest in local medical care by posting more Uihak(醫學) to provinces and segmenting Yakjeomsa. However, since the reign of Yejong(睿宗), only Yakjeomsa existed as the basis of local medical care. If we study local medical system in consideration of national medical cares system, medical institutions of the capital, key administrational points and general counties show differences in the time of establishment and status.
In the Koryo Dynasty, public medical care institutions such as Jewibo, Dongseodaebiwon(東西大悲院, medical center for poor citizens) and Hyeminguk(惠民局, official pharmacy) were introduced. These public medical care institutions started as temporary ones. Their establishments and changes were different from those of the Choson(朝鮮) Dynasty. In terms of social functions, the public medical care of the Koryo Dynasty was the mainstay of the policy of stabilizing people. This system was executed with relief management at the time of disasters to maintain the lives of common citizens. Extending this view further, the medical care in the Koryo Dynasty combined with the relief system was used as a means of Guryo(救療, rescue and care). With the policy of promoting agriculture, it served a role of stabilizing the citizens' lives. In turn, common citizens had to support the national finances by paying heavy taxes. The idea of Siminyeoja(視民如子, considering the citizens as the children of the nation) was the explanation for the relationship between the nation and its citizens and the key to the maintenance of the control system.
It has a significant meaning in the medical history that the medical care was expanded to a large number of citizens in the Koryo Dynasty as the public medical care institutions were introduced. However, considering that medical care was first supplied to the ruling class and the medical network was installed mostly in the capital, the medical care system was operated differently according to different classes and regions. During the Koryo Dynasty, the medical care became universal, but its operation was hierarchically-oriented.
This study discusses the development of the medical care system in the Koryo Dynasty in connection with the change of government medical systems and the medical circumstances. The government medical systems include the employment of medical posts and the development of medical institutions. The records about Jeonsigwa(田柴科, land distributing system) and Nokbongje(祿俸制, salary system) show the maintenance of medical posts through the Koryo Dynasty with the structure set in the reign of Mokjong(穆宗). Through the development of Taeuigam and Sangyakguk, the constant changes of the central medical institutions as a part of the government systems are found.
On the other hand, as the medical education was expanded, medical officials were selected by the medical examination. The applying qualifications for the medical examination showed the tendency of expansion, but in the late Koryo Dynasty, local officials were not allowed to apply for the medical examination. This means that in spite of shrinking of medicine, the status system was strengthened.
In the medical circumstances, the gradual increase in the production of the medicinal stuffs was shown through the previous records and the international trades. As a tributary payment, medicinal stuffs were paid by local administrations to the central government medical office and was returned by granting or distribution. However, medicinal stuffs were also dealt in the market. With the nongovernmental deal of medicinal stuffs, private medical care was activated and the treatment became popularized.
From the reign of Munjong to Injong(仁宗), medicine of the Song(宋) Dynasty was well introduced to give much influence to medical care. It was accelerated by the abrupt increase of natural disasters and diseases in the 11th century. Thus deep interest of Koryo kings in medicine and collecting medicinal stuffs of the royal family and government officials followed. However, examining the development of the medical institutions such as Taeuigam and Sangyakguk and the contents of the medical education including the medical examination subjects and published medical books shows that the Song medicine was not fully received in the Koryo Dynasty.
The historical meaning of the development of Hyangyak was investigated based on the medical books about Hyangyak. Jejungipyobang(濟衆立效方) between the reign of Injong to Uijong(毅宗) was the compilation of existing medical books as an emergency remedy book by Kim Yeongseok(金永錫). The context of the publication implies that the book reflects the influence of the Song medicine, but the remaining remedies contain domestic medicinal stuffs. The publication of Jejungipyobang reveals that the medical art became popularized through printing.
Sinjibeouichwalyobang(新集御醫撮要方) is a government medical book compiled by Choi Jongjun(崔宗峻) with the order of Gojong(高宗). The inspection of compilation background, stylistic characteristics, direction of prescriptions, distribution of medicinal stuffs and percentage of quoted medical books, etc. make it clear that this medical book is a different kind compared with Hyangyakgugeupbang(鄕藥救急方). In other words, Sinjibeouichwalyobang is a medical book for the small number of the ruling class. It contains complex prescriptions even better than those in Chinese medical books and various kinds of Chinese medical stuffs were used. The medical theories in Sinjibeouichwalyobang show how the prescriptions and the etiology of the Song medicine influenced the Koryo medicine.
Though Hyangyakgugeupbang and Sinjibeouichwalyobang were published in the similar period, they were contrasted in many ways. Hyangyakgugeupbang dealt with common diseases with single-medicine prescriptions. It also relied on Chinese medical books, but, unlike Sinjibeouichwalyobang, the remedy contained contents for common people. Hyangyakgugeupbang considered the medical books of the Tang(唐) Dynasty using single-medicine prescriptions and common articles proper.
Hyangyakgugeupbang suggested stable operation of medicine by calling domestic medicinal stuffs in Korean names and considering them same as the Chinese medicinal stuffs. Through Hyangyakgugeupbang, ‘domestic medicinal stuffs' were recognized as 'Hyangyak' and the Chinese medicine could be used in Koryo. Hyangyakgugeupbang positively digested the Chinese medicine of the time and became the standard of the Koryo medicine. What is especially noticeable is that it considered the common everyday articles like juice of indigo plant as more effective than the Chinese medicinal stuffs. Not only replacing the Chinese medicinal stuffs with the domestic medicinal stuffs, but also it proved the effects of the domestic medicinal stuffs and showed the idea of care with Hyangyak.
Biyebaegyobang(備預百要方) faithfully followed the path of Hyangyakgugeupbang, but sublated it at the same time. The genealogy of medical books is Jejungipyobang to Hyangyakgugeupbang to Biyebaegyogang. This is the way how common medicine of the Koryo Dynasty developed. In view of the Hyangyak theory, Biyebaegyogang excelled the level of Hyangyakgugeupbang. Based on the idea of domestic medicinal stuffs being the best, the logic of Biyebaegyogang was that anything can be used as a medicine and that it is good to use the least medicine for a disease. It was the core of the Hyangyak theory during the Koryo Dynasty. The historical significance of Hyangyakgugeupbang and Biyebaegyogang is that they constructed the Hyangyak theory based on the self-consciousness of Hyangyak. Moreover, the Hyangyak theory was not just a theory. It was realized as the medical art with the prescriptions and medicinal stuffs of the Hyangyak medical books.