Medical societies in modern China-China Medical Missionary Association

Abstract

In modern times, the development and exchange of scientific research were promoted greatly by establishments of scientific societies in the west. In the second half of the 17(th) century, medical societies such as the Berlin Royal Society of Medicine, the Paris Surgical Society, the Edinburgh Medical Society and the London Medical Society appeared in sequence, which promoted the progress of European medicine greatly by means of medical conferences and journals. At the end of the 19(th) century, in order to promote medical missions and education, western missionaries drew lessons from the medical society system and founded the China Medical Missionary Association (CMMA). The association was dedicated to work in four fields: terminology standardization, missionary hospitals, medical education and study on endemic disease. CMMA accelerated the development of medical missions and the spread of western medicine. As members of CMMA must be of religious orders, many scholars were not qualified to join in, which resulted in limitation of academic research and exchange. With the return of overseas students, Chinese scholars majoring in western medicine enhanced the awareness of medical knowledge. As a result, western medical societies were established one by one, including the Shanghai Medical Association, the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, the Chinese Medical Association and the Society of Chinese Medicines of the Republic of China. Established in 1915, the Chinese Medical Association had members who also belonged to the CMMA, so the Chinese Medical Association made reference to the CMMA for its organization, function, operating mechanism, journals, etc..