Korean J Med Hist.  2012 Aug;21(2):227-250.

Introduction of Western Medicine and Change of Term of 'Tuberculosis' in Korea

• Choi EK

Abstract

In this article, I figured out 'tuberculosis' as prominent example of relationship between introduction of western medicine and change of disease term. Tuberculosis is one of the examples of incomplete substitution of oriental/lay/non-scientific disease term by western/scientific disease term in colonial society. Western medicine practitioner in Korea had started to find and treat tuberculosis right after Koch's discovery of the tubercule bacillus(1882). It was 'kyulhak' that includes germ theory and the newest medical knowledge, but 'heasobyun' which means coughing disease, and 'bujockjung' which means consumptive disease were also newly introduced as lay term. There also had been traditional term 'nochae', which already recognized as similar term of phthisis, redefined as only oriental medicine term after introduction of western medicine. Despite of reception of the term 'kyulhak' in Korean society, these terms were widely used instead of 'kyulhak' during the colonial period.

Keyword

tuberculosis; introduction of western medicine; 'bujockjung'; 'heasobyun'; 'nochae'; disease term

MeSH Terms

Cough
Korea
Medicine, East Asian Traditional
Tuberculosis