The Concept of Health in History: The Health Discourse of Traditional Chinese Doctors and Chinese Doctors who studied Western Medicine in Late Qing and Republic of China

The traditional Chinese term Weisheng(衛生) has been used with Yangsheng(養生), Daosheng(道生), Shesheng(攝生), and Yangxing(養性) in Chinese traditional texts. Yangsheng, which means preserving human life, was the representing discourse on health in traditional society. With the emphasis on disinfection in China by Western Power in the late nineteenth century, a novel type of health discourse was introduced into China. The health discourse mainly meant personal health at the time, and the Chinese people expressed both expectations and anxiety about the arrival of Japanese, European and American health discourse. Japanese health texts were translated and introduced into China, and the Qing court started the health administration in the early twentieth century. The increasing role of public health and the state in the health sphere shifted the health discourse in this period. The reform of Qing court's system and the enlightenment discourse played a critical role in the transition. As the new type of health discourse expanded, the traditional health discourse of Yangsheng became increasingly obsolete. The traditional Chinese doctors on the whole managed the personal health of their patients, but some took interest in and supported the state's intervention in health and health administration. It is worth noting the interest of traditional doctors in the health administration. The Western Chinese doctors separated personal health from public health, and acknowledged the need for state power to improve public health. Because they thought the traditional Chinese doctors offered no contribution to public health, they argued the abolishment of Chinese medicine. As the new type of health discourse brought the enormous responses, the contestation between Western and traditional Chinese doctors became conspicuous. The conflicts between Western and traditional Chinese medicine did not imply the suppression of Chinese medicine by Western medicine, nor a formal recognition of Chinese medicine. The Western and traditional Chinese doctors felt sympathy with the necessity and significance of health administration and national health care system despite their different perspectives on health.ope