Research On Diseases In Spring And Autumn Period

Diseases affect various aspects of human life. They are not only closely related to individuals, but also have great influences on society. However, for a long time, medical research focuses on diseases alone while history study ignores social and ideological values of diseases. Since the 1990s, especially since historical scholars in Taiwan began to make researches on diseases from the perspective of social and cultural history, great importance have been attached to social and ideological values of diseases and active researches have been done. Based on the systematic overview of the diseases and prevention of them in Spring and Autumn Period, this dissertation relates diseases and their prevention to society, and makes research on them among social and cultural history study. It aims to reveal relations between diseases, social development and changes in ideological cultures to shield some lights on in-depth study on the history of diseases, society and ideology in Spring and Autumn Period.This dissertation is mainly made up of two parts. The organization of this study is as follows;Part one is mainly an introduction to the significance of the present study and literature review. Research questions, data, methodology and theoretical framework, are also presented in this part.Part two includes three chapters.Chapter One is titled as "An Overview of the Diseases in Spring and Autumn Period". It makes an overview of the diseases in Spring and Autumn Period and makes discussion on diseases prevention from such three aspects as personal health, the relations between countries and diseases prevention and Shaman skills.Chapter Two is titled as "Diseases and Society in Spring and Autumn Period". This chapter firstly discusses diseases and politics in Spring and Autumn Period such as diseases' influences on capital changes, wars and hegemony and the relations between fake diseases and political struggles. Then, the interactions between disease pensions and social stability in the struggles among governors are presented. Chapter Three is titled as "Disease Concepts and Ideological Cultures in Spring and Autumn Period". Disease concepts are greatly influenced by supernatural beliefs, the theory of Ying and Yang, and the concept of six vital substances for human life. They are also related to etiquette, music and virtue. It aims to show the idea that ideological cultures are just the continuation of destiny, supernatural beliefs and the breakthrough and emphasis of humanities and ration.