의학, 상업 및 성(性) : 일제시기 보약소비와 한약의 표상화

Abstract

Since the opening of Korea’s ports, the human body has undergone redefinition as a modern subject. Whether viewed through the lens of personal well-being or the prism of a nation’s political stance on bodily health, physical well-being has acquired paramount significance. Within this framework, driven by a combination of commercial interests and nationalist sentiments, society has witnessed the emergence of a pervasive concern for their health among Koreans. Complementary medicine emerged as a perceived panacea to alleviate this societal anxiety and provide redemption for the Korean population. However, notably, complementary medicine was not limited to Korean tonics. During the Japanese colonial period, in addition to traditional Korean herbal tonics, a multitude of Western pharmaceutical tonics also existed. Furthermore, novel pharmaceutical methods, ingredients, and Western perspectives on the body, health, and medical knowledge exerted a significant influence on the production and consumption of traditional Korean tonics in Korea during this era. For instance, Korean medicine merchants incorporated Western tonic ingredients into concoctions featuring Korean medicinal ingredients, such as ginseng and deer antler, creating a fusion of Eastern and Western medicinal products. Furthermore, they reinterpreted concepts from traditional Korean medicine, such as “tonics,” “the five strains and seven impairments,” “(chronic) fatigue syndrome,” and “deficiency/insufficiency syndrome,” borrowing new medical terminology and knowledge from Western tonics’ advertising campaigns, such as “brain-centered theory,” “neurasthenia,” and “hormone theory,” for their commercial marketing. These revamped Korean tonics, which, despite often being labeled as Korean medicine, deviated/diverged from the conventional concept of “tonics” in traditional Korean medicine. Hence, they were no longer medicinal substances consumed according to individualized diagnoses and treatment plans for cases of qi and blood deficiency or weakened internal organs. Instead, they were transformed into all-purpose remedies that could be consumed by healthy individuals at any time without targeting specific diseases or bodily functions. Furthermore, the open and tumultuous sexual culture during the Japanese colonial period also contributed to the widespread use of complementary medicine/tonics. In particular, the hormone theory disseminated through Japanese advertisements in the 1920s blurred the distinction between tonics for boosting general vitality and strength in the body and potency-enhancing remedies, ultimately branding Korean tonics with a strong association with “sex.”