물질, 구조, 공간으로서 동아시아의 의학적 몸

Abstract

Challenging the dichotomous cliché “East Asian medicine is all about qi, the Western medicine all about anatomy,” this paper attempts to uncover a style of practice within the historical landscape of East Asian medicine that does not draw on cosmological paraphernalia such as yin-yang, the Five phases and qi, but rather focuses on the materiality of the human body. This style of practice can be seen in medical areas such as surgical treatment, acupuncture, trauma care, first aid, obstetrics, military medicine, forensic medicine and anatomy, as well as in some doctors’ contemplation of anatomical structures of the human body. By examining related cases, this article explores the medical body of materials, structures and spaces as it was understood, experienced, and interpreted by historical East Asian actors. In conclusion, medical activities or cognitive practices of East Asian doctors based on the body materiality are quite noteworthy and should be deserved a consideration in the broader historical context of East Asia. As such, this style of practice can be distinguished from the cosmological thinking. Inasmuch as, the term “topological body” might be employed in referring the medical body.