| Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by leprosy bacillus,which has been prevalent for thousands of years in Chinese and foreign history.Since the pre-Qin Dynasty,traditional medicine has been constantly exploring the etiology of leprosy,from a single "wind theory" to "insect theory ",to be punished in heaven,ancestral grave feng shui,infection,body deficiency,and so on,the interpretation is more abundant.In addition to the continuous improvement of internal and external application,drug therapy and acupuncture therapy,the concept of preventing infection and recurrence has been put forward,gradually forming a complete theoretical system of prevention and treatment in medicine.But for a long time,leprosy was regarded by the public as an incurable disease for which there was no cure.The custom of "toadstool" occurs and prevails in high epidemic areas.A woman can cure herself by inducing a man to have sex with her,transferring the disease to him.Here,women became key players in the transmission and treatment of leprosy.They can not only spread leprosy and cure themselves by "toady",but also become the redeemer of leprosy.They can cure their fiance or husband by sticking to chastity and women’s virtue.People suffering from leprosy have been ostracized and abandoned by their relatives because of the terrible external symptoms such as falling eyebrow hair,collapsing nose column,skin ulceration and numbness.With the spread of the concept of infection,it was believed that only by isolating lepers could infection and leprosy be eradicated.Therefore,in the Ming and Qing Dynasties,local governments actively built asylum for lepers outside the city to isolate patients,and were forbidden to enter the city.In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China,with the introduction of western medical concepts,Christian missionaries came to China and began to build asylum for lepers with certain therapeutic significance.During the Period of the Republic of China,with the support of the government,the Chinese Leprosy Relief Association was specially responsible for leprosy relief and established a number of leprosy hospitals in various places.Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China,large-scale investigations into leprosy and the construction of leprosy villages have been carried out,patients have been provided with relief and treatment,and the disease has been basically controlled and elimina. |
