Conflict and Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine in Chinese Literature, 1906-1946

Abstract

Western medicine was introduced into China since the first half of the 19th century. In the first thirty years of the 20th century, the confrontation between Western and Traditional Chinese medicines went to its peak, resulting in a social debate over not only the efficacy of medical practices but also the justification of new, Western ideology. Western medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and their clash were recurring motifs in literature from 1906 to 1946, and these literary works reveal the cultural and ideological impact of the introduction of Western medical science to China. This paper examines continuity and change in the representation of Western and traditional Chinese medicine in Chinese literature of 1906 to 1946, dividing this time period into three chronological stages and yielding an argument that the impact of Western medicine on Chinese society went through multiple stages, and was influenced by contemporary societal changes.