“太医”和“御医”称谓的辨析

Discrimination on “taiyi” and “yuyi”

“太医”和“御医”是含义既有重合、又不等同的古代对于医生的两个称谓,而各自的所指也不是单一的。当今不仅古代题材的影视剧中容易将这两个称谓混淆,甚至在学术论著中对二者的误解和混用也并不鲜见。中国历史悠长,宫廷医官的设置代有变迁,情况复杂。简而言之,“御医”先前一直是御用医生的泛称,明、清两代才设有专称“御医”的职官;“太医”泛指宫廷医生,后来则也用来指称市井医生。

“taiyi”and“yuyi”are two related titles of doctors in ancient China,both of which have more than one meaning.The two terms are often confusing not only in films and teleplays on antiquity but also in academic works.The titles of medical officials varied from dynasty to dynasty in the long history of China.In brief,“yuyi”had long been a general term for doctors exclusive to monarchs,and was a special title only in the Ming and Qing Dynasty;“taiyi”was a general term for court doctors,but was misused as a flattering appellation for ordinary doctors afterwards.