The Discontinuity and Reconstruction of the Concept of Cholera in Modern Times – Based on An Epitome of the Reports of the Medical Officers to the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs Service, from 1871 to 1882

Abstract

Abstract In 19th century, the concept of “cholera”, which had been connected with Chinese cosmology for thousands of years, was firstly accepted by modern science through a process of conceptual discontinuity and reconstruction. As the result of adding new scientific knowledge to the old traditional connotations, the “collective” and “inevitable” nature of Cholera, once synonymous with “epidemic”, developed new characteristics and was thus accepted within the structure and parlance of modern science. This transformation is the reason why the new “Cholera” gradually separated itself from the traditional cosmology and eventually constructed a connection with modern science. The turning point which distinguished the traditional approach to the scientific one can be traced back to the imperialist modernity in 19th century. This “birth” of medical science not only changed China, but also the countries that shared the same medical philosophy, spatial orientation, national customs, and group culture through the pre-modern Chinese cultural circle. In view of the above premises, this article takes the work An Epitome of the Reports of the Medical Officers to the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs Service, from 1871 to 1882 as basic research material and Japan as an example, to explore the conceptual discontinuity and reconstruction of the concept of “Cholera” in the middle of 19th century.