Jiao Qi Disease in Medieval China

Abstract

The disease, Jiao Qi, thought by modern scholars to be beriberi, was prevalent in medieval China. This article reviews the research literature, both ancient and modern, concerning the history of Jiao Qi, and evaluates the research methods used by modern scholars writing about Jiao Qi. The article emphasizes the importance of considering not only the symptoms of the disease but also its epidemiological features, including environmental aspects, and the therapeutic measures employed to treat it. The current author concludes that there are problems with the historical materials, such as inconsistency and bias, and that limitations are inherent in the approaches used to identify an ancient disease according to modern medical criteria.