To celebrate the 69th anniversary of Vietnamese Doctors' Day (February 27, 1955 - February 27, 2024), Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House has just released the book Western Medicine in Tonkin (1873 - 1945) by author Bui Thi Ha, introducing to readers the process of introduction of Western medicine in Tonkin (Vietnam) and shaping the Vietnamese medical field until later.
Western Medicine in Tonkin (1873 – 1945) published by Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House
Researcher Bui Thi Ha
According to researcher Bui Thi Ha: "When I did my thesis on Western Medicine in the North from 1873 to 1945, I discovered very few research works on this topic. Was it because of the lack of documents or some other reason? The more I delved into learning, the more "fascinated" I became and the topic chose me without me even realizing it. It turns out that the topic of Western medicine in Vietnam in particular is very new, very broad, and very rich from a historical perspective."
The author confided: "I chose the topic of Western medicine in the North because I was born in the North, so I have to first understand the place where I am living and contributing. When writing history, I often choose the time from the beginning of Western medicine in the North (late 19th century) to before the end of the colonial period (1945). Western medicine came to the South earlier and was more complicated, so I chose the easy to do first, the difficult to do later - studying Northern medicine first, as a basis for studying Southern medicine and the whole country. Moreover, studying medicine is not only studying the most important field of human health, but also studying one of the interesting fields of the "East-West Contact" in Vietnam in terms of culture, science , technology... from the Middle Ages to the present".
Many historical facts about Western medicine in Tonkin from 1873 - 1945
Obviously, from a scientific perspective, studying the topic of Western medicine in the North from 1873 to 1945 is of great significance in the study of the history of the North and the history of medicine in modern Vietnam. Because thanks to the book, readers will understand the process of formation and operation of Western medicine in the North from 1873 to 1945, and have a clearer and more correct understanding of the history of the North during this period. These are the issues of French colonial invasion and rule, the health, hygiene, medical conditions and the acceptance of new elements in the lives of the Vietnamese people in the North at that time.
Even when Western medicine has been present in the lives of Vietnamese people, the preference for traditional medicine is still widespread. Although acknowledging the advances of Western medicine, many indigenous people still maintain the use of traditional medicine and move towards the combination of Eastern and Western medicine. Besides traditional medicine, a method of combining Eastern and Western medicine has been born and developed in the lives of Vietnamese people since then.
Therefore, Western Medicine in Tonkin (1873 – 1945) is truly a very valuable work on the history of Western medicine, from original, valuable documents stored in French and exploited in archives in Vietnam and France - that is also the way for the documents to tell historical truth.
Kinh Thien Palace in ancient Hanoi
Charles-Édouard Hocquard
Dissection practice at Indochina Medical School
The author also wishes to sketch an overall picture of the formation and operation of Western medicine in the North during the period when medicine was closely linked to the footsteps of the French invaders in modern Vietnam. The new work shows that the birth of the new medicine in the North had a special structure, including the following parts: management agencies, medical training facilities, medical examination and treatment facilities, epidemic prevention facilities and medical research.
The practicality of the book Western Medicine in Tonkin (1873 - 1945) by author Bui Thi Ha is also the impact of the new Western medicine on the lives of people in Tonkin at that time, in both positive and negative aspects, from which it can be related to the practice of medical activities and health care in Vietnam, especially during the recent pandemic.
Author: Dr. Bui Thi Ha is currently working at the Institute of History, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. Main research directions: history of Western medicine in modern North Vietnam, history of irrigation in modern Vietnam. The author was awarded first prize in the Pham Than Duat History Prize in 2020 with his excellent doctoral thesis Western Medicine in Tonkin from 1873 to 1945 .
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