J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc.  2015 May;54(2):142-171. 10.4306/jknpa.2015.54.2.142.

Research by Psychiatrists of Chosun Chongdokbu Hospital and Keijo Imperial University in Korea during Japanese Colonial Rule

• Min SK
• Lee CH
• Lee K

• KMID: 2343895
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4306/jknpa.2015.54.2.142

Abstract

Eighty-three of 114 original articles and abstracts of research published by neuropsychiatrists of Chosun Chongdokbu Hospital (the Japanese colonial government hospital in Korea) and Keijo (Seoul) Imperial University Hospital during the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945) in journals including Shinkeigaku-zassi (Neurologia), Seishin-shinkei-gaku zassi (Psychiatria Et Neurologia Japonica), and The Journal of Chosun (Korea) Medical Association were reviewed. Most articles were on clinical research based on descriptive and biological psychiatry while only 4 articles were on dynamic psychiatry, probably because Japanese pioneers in psychiatry had introduced German psychiatry into Japan during the 1880s. The first paper was written by Dr. Shim Ho-sub. Professor Kubo of Keijo (Seoul) Imperial University published most articles, followed by Dr. Hikari, Dr. Hattori, and Dr. Sugihara. There were more articles on symptomatic psychosis and morphine addiction, followed by general paralysis, schizophrenia, neurological diseases, narcolepsy, epilepsy, and neurasthenia. The meaningful articles even for today were comparative studies between Japanese and Koreans and articles on opioid use disorder in Korea. Authors reported a markedly lower rate of psychotic inpatients in the population of Koreans compared with Japanese. Japanese researchers argued that, because of simpleness in social life in Korea and less violence or excitement in symptoms, Korean mental patients could be cared for by family or members of the community, or be treated by shamanism rather than bringing them to a public mental hospital, and poverty also prohibited hospital care. Finding of higher ratio of schizophrenia to manic-depressive psychosis among Koreans than Japanese was discussed in relation to delayed cultural development of Korea compared to Japan. In addition, traditional customs prohibiting marriage between relatives in Korea was related to low prevalence of manic-depressive psychosis, local endemic malaria was related to low prevalence of general paresis, and poor general hygiene was related to high prevalence of epilepsy. Unclear (undifferentiated) form of psychotic symptoms including hallucination and delusion was reported in more Koreans than Japanese. Also Korean patients showed a more atypical form in diagnosis. Authors added that they had found no culture-specific mental illness in Korea. However, no Korean psychiatrists were included as author in such comparative studies. Comparative studies on constitution between Koreans and Japanese mental patients and prisoners were also unique. However, no Korean psychiatrists participated in such comparative studies. In studies on morphine addiction in Koreans, Japanese researchers argued that such studies were necessary to prevent introduction of morphine-related criminal phenomena to Japan. Meanwhile, Dr. Kubo had left a notion on adaptation problems of Japanese living in the foreign country, Korea. Nevertheless he reported nothing about psychosocial aspects of mental illness in relation to political, cultural, and economic difficulties Koreans were experiencing under the colonial rule of Japan. These general trends of studies based on German biological and descriptive psychiatry and policies of colonial government to isolate "dangerous" mental patients in hospital appeared to reflect colonial or ethnopsychiatry of those days. These policy and research trends seem to have worsened stigma attached to mental disorders. Japanese tradition of psychiatric research was discontinued by return home of Japanese scholars with the end of WWII and colonial rule.

Keyword

History of Psychiatry; Chosun Chongdokbu Hospital; Keijo Imperial University Hospital; Neuropsychiatry; Korea; Japanese colonial rule

MeSH Terms

Asian Continental Ancestry Group*
Biological Psychiatry
Bipolar Disorder
Constitution and Bylaws
Criminals
Delusions
Diagnosis
Epilepsy
Ethnopsychology
Hallucinations
Hospitals, Psychiatric
Humans
Hygiene
Inpatients
Japan
Korea
Malaria
Marriage
Mental Disorders
Mentally Ill Persons
Morphine Dependence
Narcolepsy
Neurasthenia
Neuropsychiatry
Neurosyphilis
Poverty
Prevalence
Prisoners
Prisons
Psychiatry*
Psychotic Disorders
Schizophrenia
Shamanism
Violence

Reference

1. Rhi BY. [Psychiatric care and its change under the Japanese government in Korea with the special reference to the clinical activities at the Colonial Government Hospital: 'Chosun-Chong-Dok-Bu Ui-Won' (1913-1927)]. Korean J Med Hist. 1994; 3:147–169.

2. Rhi BY. Hundred Years' Psychiatry in Korea (1899-1999). Korean J Med Hist. 1999; 8:157–168.

3. Lee NM, Rhi BY. The Introduction of the Western Psychiatry into Korea (1): from the mid seventeenth century to 1911, the time of Japanese forced annexation of Korea. Korean J Med Hist. 1999; 8:233–268.

4. Chung WY. History of modern western psychiatry in Korea. From early 1920s to 1945 [dissertation]. Seoul: Seoul National University;1997.

5. Chung W, Lee NM, Rhi BY. The Introduction of Western Psychiatry into Korea (II) Psychiatric Education in Korea during the Forced Japanese Annexation of Korea (1910-1945). Korean J Med Hist. 2006; 15:157–187.

6. Kee CD. Kyongsong Imperial University Medical College. Korean J Med Hist. 1992; 1:64–82.

7. Lee MY. A History of Christian Medical Work in Korea. Seoul: Acanet;2003.

8. Yeo IS. The Establishment of SUMC (Severance Union Medical College) Psychiatry Department and the Formation of Humanistic Tradition. Korean J Med Hist. 2008; 17:57–74.

9. The department of psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine. The foundation of the Department of Psychiatry, Severance Union Medical School. Seoul: The department of psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine;2006.

10. Min SK. Professor Charles I. McLaren, MD (1) : His Life and Medical Philosophy. J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc. 2011; 50:172–186.

11. Min SK. Professor McLaren (2). His Theories of Psychiatry. J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc. 2012; 51:25–35.

12. Min SK. Faith and life achievement of Professor McLaren. Seoul: Yonsei University Press;2013.

18. Korean Neuropsyciatric Association. One hyndred years' history of psychiatry in Korea. Seoul: Korean Neuropsyciatric Association;2009.

19. The department of psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine. History of the department of psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine. Seoul: The department of psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine;2008.

20. Bhugra D, Littlewood R. Colonialism and Psychiatry. New Delhi: Oxford University Press;2001.

21. Kim OJ. Physical Anthropology Studies at Keijo Imperial University Medical School. Korean J Med Hist. 2008; 17:191–203.

145. Lee BH. Modern approach to treating mental patients in colonial Chosun. Korean J Med Hist. 2013; 22:529–578.

149. Yoon HD, Hur S, Lee YK, et al. Reading again the modern. Seoul: Yeoksa Bipyeong-sa;2006. p. 51–57.

150. McLaren CI. An hypothesis concerning the relationship between the body and the mind. Seoul: Research Department Severance Union Medical College;1928.

151. McCulloch J. Colonial Psychiatry and the African Mind. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press;1995. p. 1–8.

153. Kraepelin E. Vergleichende psychiatrie. Zbl Nervenheilk. 1904; 27:433–437.

154. Roelcke V. Biologizing social facts: an early 20th century debate on Kraepelin's concepts of culture, neurasthenia, and degeneration. Cult Med Psychiatry. 1997; 21:383–403.

155. Kirmayer LJ. Cultural psychiatry in historical perspective. In : Bhugra D, Bhui K, editors. Textbook of Cultural Psychiatry. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press;2007. p. 3–19.

156. Engstrom EJ. 'On the question of degeneration' by Emil Kraepelin (1908). Hist Psychiatry. 2007; 18(71 Pt 3):389–404.

157. Hoff P. Kraepelin and degeneration theory. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2008; 258:Suppl 2. 12–17.

161. Rhee DS. The present men and stress. Seoul: Hangansu;2012.