The Quarantine and Investigation Systems for Smallpox in the Early Qing Dynasty.

Chia-feng Chang

The Manchus were less affected by smallpox than the Chinese in the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1643). In the early seventeenth century, the Manchus were exposed to the danger of contracting the disease as they began to have constant contact with the parts of china where smallpox was prevalent, In order to reduce the spread of the disease, they established those systems of investigation and quarantine. Previous studies have thase suggested that systems were set up after the Manchus conquered China. However, there is evidence to suggest that those systems had been created before they had even seized China. Moreover, the significance of these establishments has not been thoroughly explored. Therefore, in this paper, I set out to discuss the quarantine and investigation systems of smallpox in the early Qing Dynasty.

Chinese Studies / Hanxue Yanjiu, 1996, Vol 14, Issue 1, p135

0254-4466

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