16至19世纪琉球地区梅毒流行初步研究

A Preliminary Research on the Spread of Syphilis in Ryukyu during the 16th and 19th Centuries

梅毒是一种起源于美洲大陆的性传播疾病,它于1505年前后传播至中国大陆,1512年传播至日本。这种疾病很可能是于1505年至1512年之间由东亚海域的海商、海盗传播至琉球的。由于性产业发达、性风俗开放,梅毒在琉球传播迅速,它的流行不仅严重损害了当地人的健康,而且通过商人海盗等传至亚洲其他地域。可以说,琉球在梅毒于东亚世界的传播中发挥了中继点的作用。

Syphilis is a dangerous venereal disease which originated from the American continent. It was brought to China around the year of 1505, and then raged through Japan in 1512. Therefore, this contagious disease was probably exported to Liuqiu between 1505 and 1512 by the merchants and pirates from China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Owing to the development of the prostitution industries, and to the indifferent moral concerns about sexual activities, syphilis spread fast in Liuqiu. Not only did it harm the local inhabitants, but also it was diffused to other parts of Asia