정약용 질병시의 의학인류학적 고찰 -질병과 치료 묘사를 중심으로-

Abstract

Disease, while causing human pain and suffering, can also affect life circumstances in such a way that it becomes a special subject of literary creation. In Chinese literature, a school of thought that emphasizes the relevance of life’s hardships to poetic creation exists. Particularly, disease often prompts poets to re-examine themselves and the outside world, leading them to seek relief and solace through poetic creation. The late Joseon Dynasty poet, Jeong Yak-yong, is one such man concerned with the creation of disease-related poems. A multi-disciplined poet, Silhak(실학) scholar, and medical expert, Jeong Yak-yong had been plagued by diseases throughout his life, which provided him with a unique motivation to create disease-related poems. Therefore, this paper employs medical anthropology theory to analyze the writings of disease and healing in Jeong Yak-yong's disease-related poems. The writing of disease in Jeong Yak-yong's poems covers two aspects: the illness experienced and the emotional connotation. For the former, he illustrates the experiences of living with disease through general description, while recording various symptoms through specific description. With regard to the latter, he depicts the sorrow caused by disease, the positive mindset while confronting a disease, and empathy towards the suffering of others. While writing on healing, Jeong Yak-yong covers two aspects: the medical treatment and the extended paths of healing. He records his experiences and specific details of medical treatment, reflecting his expertise in the medical field. He also tries to relieve his pain through literary therapy, interpersonal therapy, and natural therapy, reflecting his positive attitude towards life.