15세기 한국의학의 小兒에 대한 인식과 의학사적 의의

Perception on Children in 15th Century Korean Medicine and Its Historical Meaning

Historically, children have inevitably been under different treatments depending on their circumstances. In noble families, overprotection rather damaged children; in general, children undergoing important stages of life were exploited as laborers and not cared for. In order to help these children grow whole and healthy, pediatrics has provided information on the right environment and medical treatments for children. In traditional Korean medicine, it is said, "the reason I put gynecology and pediatrics in the first chapters … of this book (Chapter on Pediatrics, Euibangyoochui) is to show my intention of respecting the origin", emphasizing the significance of children as the basis of a person. This is distinguished not only by philosophical implication, but also by its practical contribution to children's health. Euibangyoochui 醫方類聚 is the major book of 15th-century Korean medicine, compiled medicine until Joseon. Through Chapter on pediatrics, which collected medical theories and treatments on children, this paper studies how children had been perceived in traditional Korean medicine, and how it was followed by corresponding medical treatments.