Pestilential Evils
Pestilential evils are the most serious contagious pathogenic factors. In traditional Chinese medical literature, they are also named "plague", "pestilential poison", "strange agents," "poisonous agents", and "perverse agents. "
Diseases caused by the pestilential evils are characterized by their sudden onset, simihr symptoms, strong infection ability and liability to spread, as Chapter 72 in Plain Questions states. "When five kinds of pestilential diseases occur, they spread from person to person regardless of age, and contain similar symptoms. " The General Treatise on the Causes and Symptoms of Diseases states. "The pestilential evils attack people and cause disease; the disease spreads from person to person, in the most extreme cases leading to he destruction of an entire family. " This quotation points out both the contagiousness of he pestilential evils, as well as the great danger inherent in diseases of this nature. The Treatise on Pestilence says. "Pestilence arises from the pestilential evils in the air ...When these evils spread, all those who meet them will be ill regardless of whether they are o1d or young, strong or weak. These evils launch their attack on the human body via the mouth and nose". This quotation clearly points out that the pestilential evils spread
through the air, and attack the human body mostly via the mouth and nose.
The diseases caused by the pestilential evils can occur either occasionally, or spread in a similar fashion to plaque, that is rapidly. Examples of this include the swollen head syndrome, pestilent dysentery, diphtheria, scarlet fever, smallpox, and cholera. There are in fact, many contagious and fulminating infectious diseases in modern conception.
The occurrence and spread of the pestilential diseases are mostly related to the following factors :
¢Ù The climatic factor: The abnormal changes of the climate such as lasting drought, extremely hot weather, and miasma.
¢Ú The environment, drink and food: The pollution of the air, water, or foodstuffs.
¢Û Delayed prevention and isolation.
¢Ü Certain social factors.
