[The prevention and treatment of epidemic diseases in Weisheng Bao].

Abstract

Weisheng Bao(The Health News), as a journal of traditional Chinese medicine in the period of the Republic of China, was first published in Shanghai in December 1927. One of its most popular and distinctive topics was "to prevent and treat the epidemic diseases with traditional Chinese Medicine ". Weisheng Bao examined and discussed the diseases, such as salix, cholera, dysentery, scarlet fever, malaria, tuberculosis and plague by collecting the experiences of well-known physicians, integrating medical theories of China and the west and considering local characteristics during epidemic periods. It took diverse measures to satisfy the needs of the public, such as theory discussion, drug advertisement, medical knowledge, policy news and describing medical cases. The content of Weisheng Bao focused on etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, prescription and case studies, with special issues sometimes. The section of disease prevention involved urban construction, disinfection and sterilization, food and water sources and air cleaning. It was found that Weisheng Bao innovated based on traditional Chinese medicine, integrated Chinese medicine with western medicine, paid attention to environment and faced the public. This can provide references for the prevention and treatment of epidemic diseases today.