음식이 조선왕들의 질병과 사망에 미친 영향에 관한 연구

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study is to explore where the causes of disease and death of Chosun kings are based on precedent studies and references. Secondarily (this will be revealed through 2nd, 3rd, and 4th research theses), it aims to look at how death described in such records will be connected with eating habits and personality, grown-up background, and then-political conditions of individual Chosun kings (27 kings) and also with diseases and then lead to death. It also reilluminates then-diseases with modern medicine to reveal the causes of death, and for such efforts, many related studies including Korean medicine, physiology, and psychology as well as medical science were all mobilized and used for analysis. Primarily, the causes of disease and death of Chosun kings, which were revealed in this study through precedent studies and references are, first, that due to vulnerable medical technology in Chosun dynasty, diseases could not be prevented or treated beforehand and finally impossibility of such prevention or treatment led to death. Second, various kinds of abscess occurred for health hygiene reasons. Twelve Chosun kings, which was close to half of the total 27 kings suffered from abscess. In Chosun, they called all diseases that got an infection and had a pus as liver swelled up, regardless of any of body part, as abscess. But such diseases as arthritis, cancer, osteomyelitis, etc today were also called as abscess in Chosun and in such situations, treatments must not have been made properly. Third, there are various adult diseases due to stress – diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, and sexually transmitted disease. Chosun kings always took many good nutrients and good herbal tonic to relieve physical fatigue. Resultingly, Chosun kings constantly had sexual relations with royal concubines although they continuously suffered from abscess, obesity, and diabetes. The Annals record that they did so to carry on a family line, but in fact, it was for pleasure. And the final cause of death was poisoning. To be abdicated, to conceal guilt, or to win power, they dropped poison in foods to kill a king.