宋代江南地区疾疫成因分析

现代医学认为流行病是由各种生物性致病原或称为病原体所引起的一组具有强烈传染性的疾病.而从传统医学角度而言,所谓流行病是指具有温热病性质的急性传染病,属温热病中具有强烈传染性、病情危重凶险并具有大流行特征的一类疾病.在古代文献中,一般称之为疲、疾疲、瘥、札、疠等.宋人也大体承袭了这一提法.通常情况下,疫病与流行病无法确切区分,因此,统称流行病为疾疫或瘟疫.宋代江南地区是流行病的多发区.这大概与江南地区水网密布,气候温湿、人口密集、人员流动频繁、经济较为活跃易于细菌病毒繁殖有关.

Analysis of the cause for epidemic diseases in Song Dynasty at the southern areas of Yangtze River

It is believed that,in modern medical science,the epidemic diseases result from a variety of biological patho- gens or pathogens.In terms of traditional medical science,however,the epidemic diseases refer to illnesses that are fever- ish,prevailing,acutely infectious and extremely dangerous.In ancient literatures,it is generally defined as epidemic ill- nesses,diseases and plagues,etc.,the people in Song Dynasty also adopted the concepts.Under general condition,how- ever,the concept of pestilence is impossible to be separated from the epidemic diseases.Thus,all epidemic diseases and plagues are called pestilence.The epidemic diseases are very prevalent at southern areas of Yangtze River in Song Dynasty according to the literatures.Probably,it is related to the dotted lakes,warm and humid climates,dense population and frequent flow of people as well as the relatively more flourishing economy and chaos caused by wars,in which germs and virus are prone to reproduce.