Throughout the ages, the epidemic has been accompanied by human civilization. The ancients in our country formed a regular understanding of the epidemic situation very early. "Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic · Su Wen · The Disease Theory" said: "The strong wind will be lifted early, the rain will not fall, the humidity will not change, and the people's disease will be epidemic." "Zhou Li · Tianguan Tomb Slaughter" contains: "There are ills at all times." When the epidemic was rampant, the people suffered greatly. However, no matter how the epidemic is raging, the Chinese nation has not bowed and retreated, but has fought hard to resist the severe epidemic attacks again and again. After the epidemic, it quickly rehabilitated the fields, reproduced the population, prospered trade and revitalized the economy. In the course of thousands of years of development, the Chinese nation has overcome countless difficulties and obstacles with more and more courage and perseverance, and profound wisdom. This is inseparable from the continuous improvement of anti-epidemic measures and system construction in the past.
Codes of all dynasties have clearly defined the epidemic situation as a major event, and included the performance of anti-epidemic in the official examination course
The epidemic situation is related to the safety of the people and affects the country's tax revenue. Therefore, in the past legislation, the epidemic situation was reported as a national event, and local officials were required to report the facts. Posts in various places must not refuse and delay. Tang Ling stipulates that the official documents for reporting the epidemic situation must comply with the deadlines of “five schedules for minor incidents, ten schedules for medium incidents, and 20 schedules for major incidents”. The "Tang Law Reconciliation and Professional Law" stipulates: "Every station makes an inspection, 80 on one day, plus one on two days, and punishment for two years." The "shall not play" rule stipulates: "If military affairs, money and grains, law selection, system, criminal name, death penalty, disaster and other things should not be played, stick 80." The law also requires local officials to examine the damage caused by the epidemic in detail. Put an end to concealing and underreporting to ensure that the court accurately grasped the disaster situation. The "Daming Law · Hulu · Tianzhai" article "The Inspection of Disasters and Injured Field Grains" stipulates that local officials should investigate the field grains incurred by the disasters with due diligence. .
In order to supervise officials at all levels to fight against the epidemic, the imperial court not only sent inspections and guides such as inspectors, but also included the performance of local officials in the examination. All the evil officials who abuse the public for their own sake, abuse the people, and lazily evade will be severely punished according to the law; the virtuous officials who abide by the law, show their integrity, and save the people will be praised in time to show the merits and demerits, and the rewards and penalties are clear. The law pays special attention to the examination of Shangguan, and only those who are courageous in their duties will not dare to overlook. In the five years of Ming Jingtai (1454), during the tour of Huguang, Youdu Yushi, Li Shi, acted as a proficient confessor. He failed to treat the people's famine, and he blamed himself and was replaced by the court. This act of strict governance of the Shangguan shocked the local area, and Ji Gang was the best.
Codes of the past dynasties also contain special articles to combat rumors and stabilize people's hearts. Both the "Daming Law" and the "Qing Laws of the Qing Dynasty" have "Prohibition of Wizards' Witchcraft" and "Demon Book Demon Word" clauses, which clearly stipulate criminal sanctions for manufacturing and spreading black magic, rumours, etc. "Wenwei, Yaoshu, Yaoyan" who confuses people are punishable by death.
The government and the people work together to fight against the epidemic
In addition to the stipulations in the code, the emperor strictly ordered officials at all levels to exercise benevolence and appease the people's livelihood when the outbreak occurred. Tomorrow's first year (1457), Yingzong promulgated the "Compassionate Matters", which specifically emphasized the relief of the common people and the burial of the dead: "Where the floods and droughts hurt the places, if the hungry people lack food, you have to pay attention to the relief, and the fugitives recruit and recuperate Exempt from the three-year food gap, and there are people everywhere who die from famine and no one is buried, and the military and civilians are there, and they are buried and not exposed. "Under the strict requirements of the law and the three orders of the court, the local officials In general, they can actively fight against the epidemic, and implement a series of measures such as opening positions to help the people, treating poor doctors, establishing a tomb, and adopting orphans. In order to help the people to resume their production and life, after the epidemic, local officials mostly based on local reality, and asked the court to exempt or postpone taxation.
In the course of the fight against the epidemic, gentry villagers from all over the country also tried their best to assist. Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty said to the ministers: "It has never been an extraordinary strategy to save the wasteland, and the wealthy households can contribute to the relief, which is enough to help the officials to do nothing, and it is beneficial to Lu Yanyan." The bones and other aspects have played an important role, not only greatly improving the efficiency of epidemic prevention, but also making up for the shortage of local government's anti-epidemic forces and the lack of treatment capacity. It is precisely because of the close cooperation between the government's anti-epidemic and private self-help that the people's lives and property losses have been minimized, and the social order affected by the epidemic situation can be restored as soon as possible.
Strengthen the establishment of an epidemic prevention system, sum up experience, and prevent disease
After a long period of struggle and in-depth understanding of the epidemic, in addition to organizing forces during the outbreak of the epidemic, active response, and attention to the establishment of medical management, medical books and periodicals, storage settings, judicial trials and other systems to strengthen epidemic prevention and form a complete set of prevention and control Combined, multi-pronged approach to epidemic management.
After Qin and Han Dynasties, the Central People's Republic of China has established medical and health management institutions such as the Taichi Department, Taiyuan Bureau, Taiyuan Hospital, Shangyao Bureau, etc. In case of local epidemics, doctors were dispatched to divide and cure them. In the Western Jin Dynasty, special medical and medical management regulations "Medical Diseases Order" appeared. In the Tang Dynasty, a more specific "Medical Disease Order" was formed, regardless of the training, selection, examination, dispatch, assessment, promotion, and promotion of medical officers and doctors. Rewards, or the procurement and storage of medicines, have detailed regulations. In the Ming Dynasty, the Huimin Pharmacy Order was issued, Huimin Pharmacy was established in various prefectures and counties, and the public funds were allocated to purchase medicinal materials. Every time an outbreak occurred, all the poor and sick of the military and civilians were treated by the medical officer and given drugs; All regions have established medicine and trained doctors. In the Qing dynasty, the Ming dynasty inherited the Ming dynasty, and generally established local pharmacies, selected good doctors, dedicated to save and treat patients, and spared no effort to protect people's lives.
In order to popularize medical knowledge and improve medical standards, the state uniformly reviews, collects and publishes medical books. In the second year of Jiayou in the Northern Song Dynasty (1057), Renzong set up a correction medical book bureau, appointed specialists, gathered famous doctors, and organized medical books handed down from previous generations, "Treatise on Febrile Diseases", "A Brief Guide to the Golden Chamber", and "A Thousand Funds" Medical books are carefully checked and issued nationwide. In Jiajing, Ming Dynasty, in order to help the people resist the infestation of the epidemic, he also personally formulated and inspected the "Small Drinking Party of the Epidemic Disease" and ordered the ceremony department to print it.
In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, various prefectures and counties set up reserve warehouses and Changping warehouses in accordance with the imperial court decree to store grain and rice. In the Qing Dynasty, social warehouses and free warehouses were also established in villages and towns to further improve the system of reserve and epidemic prevention. The emperor attached great importance to the role of warehousing in disaster prevention and epidemic prevention. Ming Taizu once said: "The world has prepared Cang Lin for the apology, that is, sending people and county officials and senior citizens to give them to each other, so that the hungry people must be in touch Emperor Kangxi also said: "The way to save the wasteland is speed. If the relief is a little slow and the time is delayed, there will be more deaths and mourning. Although there is relief, there is no help. I have heard of the floods and droughts. If you are injured, you will be sent to the government to pay for the money and food, so you can do it. "
In view of the fact that criminal prisoners have been in prison for a long time and are prone to contract epidemics during the scorching heat, the Ming and Qing dynasties also implemented a system of hot trials to avoid the rampant epidemic in prison. Every year in Mengxia, officials from the Ministry of Criminal Affairs, Dali Temple, and the Procuratorate examine criminals. In the twenty-fifth year of Wanli (1597), Shenzong issued a decree: "The detainees are prone to diseases during the summer months. Every April and summer, they are checked and released according to the hot trial cases." Qiu Jun said in "University Yanyi Supplement": "The weather in Mengxia's moon began to ignite, and it will be tamed to the great heat. The terrorists are tied to those who are in prison, or the disease is caused by epidemic. Those who are less guilty will be condemned and not taken away; those who are less guilty will be taken out and not reinstated. "
For thousands of years, the Chinese nation has defeated the epidemic time and time again with rich wisdom and strong will. Today, I believe that we can once again stand the temper and test, and win the ultimate victory of this arduous struggle against epidemic.
(Author: Wang Bin Zhang Jinfan through, respectively, the Department of National Social Science Foundation of China commissioned the project "Development of innovative theoretical socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics," chief expert, China University of Political Science tenured professor; China University of Political Science PhD)