On the early history of syphilis in China / by George Thin.

  • Thin, George.
Date:
1868
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the early history of syphilis in China / by George Thin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The writer of this paper, having Ibeen assured hy many Chinese scholars that syphilis has been known to exist in China for very- many hundred years, availed himself of the kind offer of a learned native antiquary, to select passages from the writings of recognised genuineness and antiquity which allude to its existence. It is hoped that a very brief record of these may prove interesting to the profession at home. Leprosy has been common in China from a very early date, and there are frequent allusions to it in early writers. These are often vague enough, and distinguished by poetic names. The earliest allusions to syphilis are also couched in vague language, and have been very often interpreted as belonging to leprosy. A careful examination of the scope of the passages shows that syphilis and not leprosy is the disease in question. By the writers of the Tang dynasty, A.D. 618-906, we find the chancre denominated by a specific name, whose meaning is suffi- ciently distinctive. What is believed to be the earliest notice of the disease is in the Shi King, Book of Odes, consisting of a collection of ballads, used by the people of the various petty states of China in ancient times, selected and arranged by Confucius, to the number of 311. One of these ballads is named Fei ee, the name of a plant whose qualities form the subject of the song. The exact meaning of this ode IS differently rendered by ancient commentators, but they all agree that the leading idea is a connexion of this plant with a disease that renders sexual intercourse injurious. Han Ying of 1 en, who lived in the earlier part of the Han dynasty, B.C. 200, and who collected a version of the odes, wi-ites a commentary on this one. He says the above poem, the ' Ee is gathered,' is a ladys lament because her husband has the 'hateful malady' Another commentator, Siieh Chiin, also of the Han dynasty, writes as toUows |— The poetess complains that her husband has the hateful disease, and that the conjugal duties are not fulfilled, iiie neglect is not to be endured, and she gives vent to her anger m the poem. ^