Comparison of the Attitudes and Measures of Colonial Singapore and the Government of China in the 1920s-30s towards the Flowering Willow Disease

Abstract

Flowering willow disease was the generic name given to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in Ancient China, and still used by the medical professors during the early 20th century. This disease was usually considered to be related to sexual intercourse and prostitution, with a strong sense of moral criticism. In the face of STDs, which were not easily detected and controlled as “invisible diseases,” it was particularly important for the government to respond to and prevent them. Both Colonial Singapore and the government of China launched official public health manuals to prevent and control STDs in the 1920s-30s, and this paper will compare these two public reading materials, respectively named as Social Hygiene Information and Flowering Willow Disease and its Prevention, in order to analyze the attitudes and preventive measures adopted by the two governments, as well as the reasons behind it.