Journey to the Southwest

Abstract

This chapter discusses microbiology in China's early twentieth century. In contrast to other narratives, the emergence of microbiology as a discipline in China during the early twentieth century did not rely on any single organization, charismatic leader, or colonial influence. Instead, multiple institutes and universities in Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, and other cities emerged as centers for research, and a small group of highly educated physicians and scientists participated in global research networks, even as they trained Chinese students and advised local health administrations. In the 1920s and 1930s, emerging fields such as immunology, virology, and bacteriology were identified with broader categories of inquiry, such as the medical sciences or microbiology. In addition to laboratory research, Chinese researchers translated new terms into Chinese and established professional organizations. Although research programs in microbiology were productive, their applications to public health were limited to specific projects in major cities. One important urban institution was the National Epidemic Prevention Bureau. After its 1919 establishment in Beijing, the bureau became a center for vaccine production and sponsored limited urban immunization campaigns. The outbreak of formal war with Japan in 1937 and the subsequent move of many researchers to the southwest disrupted the development of microbiology in China. Yet it also created opportunities for new cooperative relationships to form in the field of public health.