식민지기 醫生 제도와 정책의 운영― 『醫療關係法制例規綴』 중 의생 관련 조선총독부 공문서를 중심으로

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to clarify the implications and historical changes of the operation of Uisaeng(醫生) system and policy in the Japanese Colonial Period, and the factors through the newly identified Public Records of Government-General of the Joseon related to Uisaeng among "Uiryo-Kwankye-Beopje-Yegyu-Cheol(醫療關係法制例規綴)". As is well known, the medical and hygiene in the Japanese colonial period was the responsibility of the police. In 1911, the department of police became responsible for all health care, hygiene, and epidemic affairs, and in 1913, a series of laws for medical practitioners was promulgated. Due to the enactment of the "Public Health Rules," Uisaeng came to be included in the modern legislation but it was defined as an inferior and temporal existence to a doctor. But because of this incompleteness, many problems occurred in the early stage of public health system implementation. First, there was a problem with interpretation of the legal provisions on the Uisaeng qualifications in the administration of public health. There was also a suspicion of the apprentice trainees' ability to apply for a public health license. Eventually, in 1916, the department of police conducted Uisaeng license tests. However, the examination items were centered on western medicine, and the issue of fairness was raised. To solve this problem, the department of police forced the test questions to be standardized and the disease names of oriental medicine(漢方) to be used, but this was not abided by properly. Meanwhile, as the public health system was implemented, the interest group, the Association of Uisaeng, was created nationwide. It was not an official school, but a medical school that taught medicine in the East and the West was born. In response to agencies of Uisaeng, the department of police shifted its unilateral control-oriented public health policy. In February 1916, the department of police were granted a limited recognition, and the subject of liberal arts of public health was implemented to educate them. This is called Uisaeng Training Class(醫生敎養). However, after failing to work as expected, they published "Uibang-gangyo(醫方綱要)" In 1919, the '3・1 Movement' brought about the reform of the local system and the change of police power, and the public health policies and systems also changed dramatically. Especially, the Uisaeng license tests changes were attention. Originally, the decision to score and pass the public health exam was the responsibility of the department of police. However, in 1924, it became the charge of the department of local police. There were not a few complaints from the department of local police about this. It was because the administrative work related to public health increased and work was overloaded. However, this also increased the authority of local police forces at the same time. Through the discussion above, this study reveals that the public health policy and the operation of the system at the time were complicated and multi-layered. Imperial Japan and Uisaeng, and even the relationship between the central and local departments inside the Imperial Japan were always interrelated through the process of conflict and adjustment. In addition, it is also found that the operation of public health policies and systems were not nationally uniform but that the specificity of the region worked as a very important variable. Therefore, it is said that future public health research needs to be further studied at the view of local society.