历史区域、社会过程与传统公共医疗:马来西亚槟榔屿广福宫的清代药签

Historical Society,Social Process and Traditional Public Healthcare:The Qing Dynasty Prescription Lotsof Kong Hock Keong Temple,Penang,Malaysia

中华药签文化,是祖先医药科技应付社会公共医疗的具体实践,不应受限在西方观念的学术话语解释。以槟城广福宫清朝药籖为例,各埠公庙常有商绅领袖出钱出力,邀请名医编撰各种通用药籖,目标就是要符合各地水土气候,确保病程不论处在任何环节,签方都能对初发、轻症或慢性病人发挥直接或间接疗效,由此缓解社会长期处理赠医施药的医疗负担。药籖作为地方历史和社会过程的共同产物,综合反映清代海域各埠华人经济生活、知识水平、交通联系或文化习俗等领域各种细节。广福宫药签一度“消失”,也反映出上世纪中医药面临过西风东进种种挑战。

The practice system of drawing Chinese prescription lots is a result of traditional Chinesehealthcare methodology based on the knowledge of Chinese medicine to deal with the tension of public healthcare.The interpretation of the background and concepts of such practice system should not belimited by some Westernacademic discourses.In the Kong Hock Keong temple,for example,the patrons of the historic Chinese temples serving as the local focal centre,also the business gentries of their local communities,often invited famous Chinese medical physician to formulateprescriptions of Chinese prescription lots based on the compilation of generic herbal medicine and nutritional food for the recovery of newly diagnosed,mild or chronic patients.Such system may contribute to the alleviationof long-term societal medical burden.As a common product of local history and social process,the practice system of drawing Chinese prescription lots of Kong Hock Keong during last two centuriesmay also be considered as a comprehensive reflectionofthe social economic situation,knowledge system,transportation and communication networks or cultural customs duringits historical maritime period.