History of Yi Myongrae's Semi-solid Ointment (Yi Myongrae Goyak®)

Abstract

Over a hundred-year long history of Yi Myongrae s semi-solid ointment (Yi Myongrae Goyak？？) was reviewed. Yi Myongrae Goyak？？, which one would consider the first Korean traditional drug of modern times, was rooted on Seong Il-ron ( 성일론 ) ointment developed by Emil Devise (1871~1933, Korean name is Seong Il-ron), a Catholic priest of Paris Foreign Missions Society, who served over thirty-five years from 1895 at Gonseri Church, Asan, Chungcheong Nam-do. Devise s ointment made with his own special formular described in both Latin and Chinese was very helpful to many Korean suffered from pyogenic skin diseases. A teenage errand, Yi Myongrae (1890~1952) at Gonseri Church was apprenticed several years to Devise s special formular of herbal medicine and eventually open a cure-house named Yi Myongrae Goyak house at Gonseri in 1906. Since then, Yi Myongrae Goyak？？ became very popular for treating pyogenic skin disease such as furuncle, carbuncle, impetigo, ecthyma, etc and gained reputation as the cure-all (panacea) of various purulent skin disease among Korean people even in 1980 s. In 1920, Yi Myongrae Goyak house？？ was relocated at Joongrim-dong, near Yakhyun Catholic Church in Seoul. Yi Myongrae Goyak house？？ became a family business succeeding to son-in law, Lee Kwangjin (1911~1996). A short time after National Liberation from Japanese Colony, Yi Myongrae Goyak house？？ commenced Chungjeongro period, by running the Goyak house？？, Myongrae Oriental Clinic at Chungjeongro 3-ga 331 upto 1950 s, at Chungjeongro 375-5 during 1960 s-1978 and relocated at Chungjeong-ro 61-1 since 1978. These sites at a junction of three busy streets were just a few steps apart from each other. Yi Myongrae Goyak？？ has been succeeded into two lines: one was Original Yi Myongrae Goyak？？ house, Myongrae Oriental Clinic run by doctors of oriental medicine, Lee Kwangjin along with Im Jae-hyung (1944~) who is Lee s son-in law. This Myongrae Oriental Clinic closed currently is looking for a successor. The other line, Myongrae Pharmaceutical Co. at Lipjong-dong and Kwanchul-dong in Seoul operated from 1956 to 2002, by Yi Yongjae (1921~2009), a daughter of Yi Myongrae. Myongrae Pharmaceutical Co. had manufactured massively Yi Myongrae Goyak？？, and distributed its product through local pharmacy. However, the full-right on Yi Myongrae Goyak？？, owned by Myongrae Pharmaceutical Co. was transferred in a year of 2005 to Mr. Hwnag Kyu-Jang who has been a technical staff of Myongrae Pharmaceutical Co. for many years. Hwang had been in charge of production of Yi Myongrae Goyak？？ in cooperative with GP Pharmaceutical Co. Currently Mr Hwang is collaborating with JungWoo Pharmaceutical co.