Study On Epidemic Disaster And Response In Henan In Ming And Qing Dynasties

Studying the history of epidemic disasters can not only have a more in-depth understanding of the operation mechanism of the ancient government,but also draw on the experience of ancient anti-epidemic activities and play a certain role in today ’s antiepidemic activities.By sorting out relevant historical materials such as ’ Ming History’,’ Ming Record ’,’ Qing Record ’,and Ming and Qing local chronicles,the epidemic data in Henan during the Ming and Qing Dynasties were statistically analyzed.In the276 years of the Ming Dynasty,the year of epidemic disaster in Henan was 72 years,with a total of 102 epidemic disasters.In the 296 years of the Qing Dynasty,the year of epidemic disaster in Henan Province was 98 years,and a total of 126 epidemic disasters occurred.The seasonal pattern of epidemic disasters in Henan is the most in spring and summer,followed by autumn,and less in winter.From the perspective of spatial dimension,the central and southern Henan in the Ming Dynasty had the highest frequency of epidemic disasters and the greatest impact of epidemic disasters;in the Qing Dynasty,the central and western Henan became the main epidemic areas.The occurrence of epidemic disasters in Henan during the Ming and Qing Dynasties was the result of a variety of complex factors.On the one hand,the occurrence of epidemics is closely related to natural disasters such as floods,droughts,and locusts;on the other hand,it is also inseparable from social factors such as war and famine.The direct consequence of the epidemic is the death of a large number of people,which will also lead to subsequent reactions,such as land abandonment,economic depression and so on.During the epidemic,people ’s psychology will also be alienated,social ethics and morality will disappear,and phenomena such as ’ human cannibalism ’ are common.In the face of frequent epidemics,the government in the Ming and Qing Dynasties provided disaster relief by allocating grain and opening porridge factories,and set up charitable medical institutions such as Huimin Pharmaceutical Bureau and Pujiyuan.The people also played an important role in the anti-epidemic process,such as donating money and food,helping to converge bones,and supporting anti-epidemic activities in these ways.The social customs in the Ming and Qing Dynasties,such as drinking raw water and believing in ghosts and gods,easily lead to the spread and aggravation of epidemic disasters.In some ways,the social atmosphere at that time also played a positive role.Many people devote themselves to medical research out of the idea of filial piety,save their families infected with the plague,and promote the progress and development of traditional medicine.During the Ming and Qing Dynasties,there were also omissions in the measures taken by Henan local governments to deal with epidemic disasters.Especially in the middle and late Ming and Qing Dynasties,due to financial constraints,official corruption and other reasons,the storage system,medical institutions and other increasingly waste,it is difficult to play a normal role,there have been problems such as slow government response and weak pertinence of measures.