한국과 몽골의 두창(痘瘡) 관련 치료전통 고찰

A Comparative Study between Mongolia and Korean Traditional Treatment in Pediatrics

An interest in pediatric disease has developed with possessing the considerable weight in the long tradition of traditional medicine and Folklore in Korea and Mongolia. The traditional medicine of Mongolia addresses pediatric disease treatment as special category enough to regard it as more difficult to cure one woman than curing ten men and as more difficult to cure one baby than ten women. Meanwhile, Korea could be confirmed to have recognized pediatrics as the separately independent division following the Goryeo period (12th year of King Munjong in Goryeo, Year in 1057) through are cord on medical book in those days. Especially, the history of pediatrics in the Joseon period that the survival rate of in fant shad been below 50% due to infectious disease was a fight with infectious disease like smallpox and majin(麻疹, measles) in a word. This therapeutic tradition was actively transmitted as folk culture accompanied by relevant ritual and custom even in the folklore as well as the national dimension such as issuing the specialized medial book focusing on a Royal family. In particular, the weight of Duchang(痘瘡, smallpox, mama, cheonyeondu/Mongolian language, Бодоо) out of pediatric diseases was considerable. Smallpox was the core disease of pediatrics in traditional medicine such as being steadily issued the specialized medical book in curing smallpox among traditional medical books. Even though smallpox was ever authorized as a disease that was perfectly eradicated in modern society, it is a disease that had retained fatal property of causing collapse in one family and one community as well as one individual’s life as the most threatening disease in the world disease history. Even in the disease history of Korea and Mongolia, there are quite historical cases that brought about individual and social impact caused by smallpox. Hence, in traditional society of Korea and Mongolia, the perception and a will to overcome epidemic called smallpox were strong and had great influence as the primitive and desperate survival aspect in comparison with any cultural motive. This aspect is being thoroughly found in the whole of myth & folklore, literature & art, and science & technology as well as politics and history of two nations. Especially in the category of folk culture that is being transmitted with being literally projected the civilian life, the smallpox has functioned as important key word. Even out of it, the image of deifying epidemic called smallpox and of trying to overcome this with a rite in the category of therapeutic folklore is shown noticeably in typical genre of folk culture in Korea and Mongolia. In this way, in the traditional medicine and Folklore of Korea and Mongolia, the intention of curing pediatric disease, especially, smallpox with high morbidity in children was strong. This therapeutic intention became a major factor of forming the cultural basis of two races in Korea and Mongolia.