東醫寶鑑에 나타난 精神病 治療 : 精神療法事例를 中心으로 = ON THE TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDER IN THE BOOK OF KOREAN MEDICINE: "TONG UI PO KAM', WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE 5 EXAMPLES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

From the book of Korean medicine: "Tong Ui Po Kam", edited by Hou Choon and published in 1613, 5 cases of psychological treatment were derived and the discussions were held especially to the theoretical background of these therapies comparing them with the contemporary methods and theories of psychotherapy. The cases are summarized as following:
1. An woman fell in the state of fear and anxiety after she was robbed by a thief. The physician treated her successfully by strucking a box with a cudgel repeatedly while the patient was looking down the box. The physician declared: "If you see everything in usual way, you have nothing to fear."
2. An woman showed severe aggressive behaviours attacking people around her and
didn't take the food. The physician realized that her illness is not to be treated with medicines. He ordered two women to decorate themselves like an actor and then like "Sumo" wrestler. Recognizing their comic features the patient began to laugh loudly. The two women then took a delicious food in front of the patient praising the pleasant taste of food. The patient also began to taste a bit of the food and several days later she was recovered completely from her illness.
3. An woman fell in severe depression for her fiance didn't return to home from his business trip. According to physician's order her family provocated her anger. After she wailed bitterly she was allowed to take medicine. Then the patient was informed that the fiance would come back soon although this was not true. The illness remained
improved and at this moment the patient was recommended to take medicine.
4. An woman suffering from severs insomnia due to excessive broodings was treated successfully by being provocated to burst out her anger while her husband, according to the physician's order, intentionally wasted money for gambling and drunk every night.
5. One man grieving for his father who was killed by thieves suffered from severe chest pain and sense of mass in the chest. The symptoms were subsided after he was exposed to performances of a farce by shamans which led the patient to laugh.
The treatments applied to above cases are quite similar to the modern psychotherapy of behavioural. superficial expressive approach and in certain type of psychodrama. These cases were cited from several Chinese literatures on medicine published in the time between 1156 and 1608 which suggests the psychotherapy in the form of modern Western approach was actively practiced in the Middle Age of Oriental medical history. The above mentioned treatments are characterized by their action oriented practical procedures when compared with rather didactic psychotherapy of Nock Chin in Korea performed in 822.
The question was raised how the old Chinese physicians could come to the similar theraneutic measures to the Western one in spite of the entirely different system of explanation on human mind. Further investigation is necessary to determine the reliability of ancient Chines view of universe as well as human mind, the Yin Yang theory and 5 transforming system on which the principles of the Oriental medicine is largely based.