Perception and Presentation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture by Yin Hongxu(François-Xavier d'Entrecolles):A Case Study on Variolation
TANG Yi
CHEN Zhisong
WEI Shuwen
MENG Baitong
ZHANG Zilong
Abstract：During the great collision of civilizations between the East and the West in the 17th-18th centuries,Western medicine arrived in China alongside Catholicism.As a French Jesuit missionary,Yin Hongxu voyaged across the seas,carrying with him the dual roles of medical exchange and academic evangelism,which facilitated the exchange of Chinese and western medical cultures.Among these interactions,a letter sent back to Europe by Yin Hongxu in 1726,addressed to Father Du Halde,emphasized the practice of inoculation in China,showcasing Yin Hongxu's integration and adaptation to Chinese culture on both cognitive and presentation levels.Cognitively,Yin Hongxu's mindset underwent subtle changes through adaptation and conflicts.In terms of cultural presentation,he attempted to understand and transmit traditional Chinese medicine culture,incorporating many elements of Chinese culture,characterized by rationality and gentleness.Starting from Yin Hongxu,exploring the transmission of variolation culture to the West sheds light on broader issues,helping to raise awareness of the differences between Chinese and western medical cultures.This approach expands the ways in which we view the dissemination of Chinese and western medical cultures,offering valuable insights and references for contemporary two-way interactions in Chinese and western medicine cultures.
Keywords：Yin HongxuMissionaryTraditional Chinese medicine cultureVariolationEnlightenment
Publication Date：2025-10-28
Online Publishing Date：2025-10-29(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 1776-1780 )