From Folk Doctor To Famous Doctor:A Study On The Fame Factors Of Folk Doctors In Ming And Qing Dynasties

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties,folk doctors and folk medicine flourished.The number of folk doctors continued to increase,and the ranks of folk doctors were mixed.They are mainly engaged in rural and local medical work,and most of the patients are local people,grass-roots local officials,and gentry groups.Although they are grassroots figures,folk doctors play an important role in the daily life of the people.There are many famous doctors in the Ming and Qing Dynasties,and they occupy a large share of the famous doctors in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.Many medical monographs are from folk doctors.The factors that made folk doctors famous in the Ming and Qing Dynasties were not single,and were closely related to the medical environment,Confucian medical concepts,social environment,personal origin,and geographical scope.In the Ming and Qing Dynasties,local medical resources were scarce,and the official medicine’s attitude toward local "inaction" gave enough growth space to local folk doctors,which became a powerful supplement for medical officials in a false situation,and took on local medical treatment.At the same time,the introduction of medicine in the Ming and Qing Dynasties was more convenient.The developed printing industry,the introductory medical books circulating on the market,and the prosperous folk medical education provided opportunities for the growth of folk doctors.On the one hand,it is convenient for folk medicine to learn medicine,and on the other hand,the publishing and engraving industry is prosperous.Possessing a medical book that has been handed down from generation to generation is one of the indispensable conditions for the formation of a famous doctor’s identity.Respecting the concept of Confucian medicine changed the view of career choice in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.Those who did not reach the official position turned to medicine.Many folk doctors entered medicine from Confucianism,and their medical literacy was generally improved.The trend of making friends was prevalent,and social mobility was a major feature of the social changes in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.Mountain people traveled and made money everywhere became the norm.Some folk doctors traveled the world out of the desire to make a living or to study abroad,and traveled all over the world.In the time of making friends,to promote personal growth,they make friends with famous people during their travels,improve their medical skills,break the geographical restrictions of medical practice,and increase their reputation.At the same time,due to the increase in population mobility and the population growth in the Ming and Qing Dynasties,frequent outbreaks of epidemics occurred.Folk doctors have continuously accumulated practical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of febrile diseases,smallpox,pox and other epidemic diseases,and have become experts in the treatment of epidemic diseases and become famous doctors.In addition,the popularity of civilian medicine is closely related to individual factors.The personal medical skills are exquisite,the medical ethics are noble,and the people’s medicine is famous in the village.Born in a world medical family or taught by famous teachers,these two types of folk doctors are mostly famous doctors,mastering family knowledge and passing on the essence of masters,especially Xin’an and Wuzhong are the most prosperous.At the same time,on the road to fame of folk doctors in the Ming and Qing Dynasties,the boost of external forces is very important.Their contacts with grass-roots gentry and local officials formed a social circle centered on civilian doctors.Folk doctors were left in the collections of gentlemen’s essays and poems.Officials wrote and published prefaces for folk doctors,making folk doctors break the boundaries of time and space and become not only famous doctors in the world,but also famous doctors in the world.The famous doctors Wan Mi Zhai and Miao Xiyong became famous as the typical cases of the Ming and Qing folk doctors.From their personal experiences,we can see the key factors for the Ming and Qing doctors to become famous.Although Wan was born in a medical family,his grandfather and father were only famous in the countryside of Luotian,and there was still a gap between them being famous doctors.When Wan Mi Zhai passed the sixtieth year,it was supported by local officials at all levels,published a book and wrote a preface,and was named "Medical Saint" in later generations.Miao practiced medicine,and he was more chivalrous.He practiced medicine all his life and made friends.In the first ten years of his medical practice,he did not have a medical name.Later,he took up secret techniques in his contacts and established a circle of contacts.He was able to leave his mark in many collections of literati and elegant scholars,and his medical books were published,becoming a generation of "famous doctors" and "chivalrous doctors".As far as the overall analysis of the fame factors of folk doctors is concerned,the fame of folk doctors has obvious regional differences,differences of origin and inevitability of the times.Due to the uneven development of medicine in different places,it has different effects on the fame of doctors.There are many doctors in Wuzhong,many Confucian doctors in Xin’an,and many local doctors in Lingnan.Compared with other places,it is more difficult for famous doctors in Hubei to become famous,and they need to rely on external forces.support.There are also different stratifications among folk doctors due to their origins.Some are from the famous medical system of aristocratic families,and some are from wealthy families.Compared with ordinary doctors,these two types of folk doctors are more convenient to become famous.But in general,compared with previous dynasties such as the Tang and Song Dynasties,it was easier for folk doctors in the Ming and Qing Dynasties to become famous and their status increased.