Heo Jun: Donguibogam and Contributions to Korean Medicine

Heo Jun, a dedicated physician, saved lives, wrote Donguibogam, and greatly contributed to Korean medicine.

### Heo Jun: The Great Korean Physician and Author of Donguibogam
* 👑  After working in the medical treatment of the ancestors for six years, in 1581, Heo Jun was nervously standing in front of the ancestors as if he were a student taking an exam, as he was tasked with writing a book called **Cheondo Bangnon Maekgyeol Jipseong**.
* 🩺  Heo Jun successfully treated the prince's smallpox, a disease that was a **death sentence** in the Joseon Dynasty, by **removing all the pus from the sore**, saving his life.
* 📖  King Seonjo entrusted Heo Jun with the task of **organizing and compiling medical theories and prescriptions into one proper form**, leading to the start of the **Donguibogam project**.
* 💡  Heo Jun's Donguibogam emphasized the importance of **preventing illness**, prescribing the **right medicine for each disease**, and classifying medicinal herbs using **names that people could easily understand**.
* 📚  Despite facing various challenges such as the Imjin War and changes in his fate, Heo Jun worked tirelessly and completed the vast Donguibogam **14 years after King Seonjo's order**.
* ☀️  Donguibogam includes practical health tips such as **not eating at night**, **not getting drunk**, and **understanding the summer well**, as well as mentioning foods like **Jehotang (a court green onion drink)** and **watermelon for summer health**.
* ⚕️  Heo Jun continued to dedicate himself to Korean medicine after completing Donguibogam, nurturing successors, researching epidemics, and writing books. He passed away in November 1615 at the age of 71, and King Gwanghae recognized his contributions by posthumously bestowing upon him the **highest rank of Jeongilpum Boguk Seungnok Daeboo**.

After entering the room, Heo Jun examined Sangui's pulse. Heo Jun, who mainly focused on administrative duties, finally got promoted and was now working on the medical treatment of the ancestors. Even though Heo Jun faced the ancestors directly and examined them, how do you think he felt? Could it be that his pounding heart did not calm down? After working in the medical treatment of the ancestors for six years, in 1581, Heo Ju was nervously standing in front of the ancestors as if he were a student taking an exam. Why was Heo Ju so nervous in front of the ancestors? It was because of this [music]. The reason was that the ancestor was looking at the book Cheondo Bangnon Maekgyeol Jipseong. What is this book? This book is divided into 29 items, including various pulse diagnosis methods such as Ojanyeokbu and pulse diagnosis according to various diseases. Teacher, why do you think Heo Ju looked a bit like a person taking an exam in front of the ancestors?

It's nice to be so anxious. Jai's book was a mission that Seonjo separately entrusted to Heo Jun. Watching Heo Jun's abilities for over six years, Seonjo believed that if it was Heo Jun, it could be done. Indeed, was Seonjo satisfied with this book? Seonjo seems very satisfied with the book because it became an essential textbook that must be read to become a royal physician and pass the civil service examination in the future. Not only as a royal physician but also as a medical practitioner, Heo Jun received recognition. However, Heo Jun's medical skills will astonish Seonjo. Seonjo's fourth son, the fourth son, the son, the son, if this severe barrier is not resolved properly, it could endanger the life of the Queen Mother. Will it really hurt? Here, the protagonist is seen quickly. This is the reality of the Joseon era.

In the past, the royal family was a disease that everyone feared. If there was a sore on a prince or others, to the extent that the sore would rot, it was a very serious situation. What treatment did Heo Jun choose? He believed that if all the pus was removed from the sore, it would suck out the blood and pus from the hole. At that time, there were no treatments, no surgeries, and no medicine, so they had to find a solution through folk remedies. So, did Heo Jun actually cure the prince's skin disease? Yes, he did. However, the disease he faced was not just a sore, but a much more serious one called smallpox. Nowadays, with antibiotics like penicillin, smallpox has almost disappeared, but in the past, including Korea, all around the world.

Diseases that accounted for 10% of all deaths, in the Joseon Dynasty, even just getting these two diseases meant a death sentence, they were such terrifying illnesses. In such a situation, this time, the prince got sick. Oh, the worries of the king must have been overwhelming. So, in the end, he must have thought it couldn't go on like this. Who would the king have called for? He called for Heo Jun, who was deeply immersed in medicine. And a few days later, Heo Jun managed to save the prince, who seemed to be on the verge of dying. How did he do it? Well, Heo Jun had medicinal herbs. With these, he saved the prince's life. Among a hundred known prescriptions, even ghosts who control lives with medicine couldn't be more reliable than this. What's this? It's a prescription written by Heo Jun. What's it for? It's for treating an axe that has entered the body, as if it came out of a pig's tail. Yongnaegoja is the blood contained in a pig's heart. When the wound is severe, the face becomes pale.

It is said that he treated the symptoms of smallpox. So, in the days when the treatment methods were passed down, he searched through all sorts of old medical books to find this treatment method. And boldly applied it to the prince's illness, saving him. So, seeing Heo Jun, who saved the prince, the king's feelings towards him were so great that he couldn't repay him even if he gave him everything. Therefore, the king bestowed a tremendous honor on Heo Jun, promoting him to the position of Chief State Councillor. Thus, Heo Jun, who believed that he could not rise through medicine alone, finally rose at the command of the king. Heo Jun, who had been flourishing as a government official thanks to the king's high regard. However, one day, Heo Jun, who was at the royal palace, hurriedly packs his belongings. What could have happened? Only one person from the civil and military officials had made it to the hospital. Why was Heo Jun so urgent from the start to the end?

He never left the side. Right, the Imjin War broke out in 192 years, right? Oh, right, it broke out. King Seonjo left him there and went, right? That's right, that's right, that's right. You're doing great. But how do you feel about Seonjo's escape route procession now? Right? Officials and civilians say only about ten followed. Why was it so sparse? If you follow the king, you become a target for the enemy. In the midst of this, Heo Jun left everything behind and accompanied Seonjo on his escape route. Heo Jun took care of Seonjo's health throughout the journey. So, after the Imjin War broke out, four years passed. One day, Seonjo called Heo Jun and said, Looking at the Chinese medicine, it seems that they have collected everything that is mediocre, so there is nothing worth seeing. I should gather many doctors and write a book. Recently, Seonjo has been interested in Chinese medicine.

When I looked through the books, various theories were in chaos, and countless prescriptions were mixed up without distinguishing right from wrong. The task was to extract only what is necessary, correct it, and organize it into one proper form. That was the beginning of Donguibogam. The king instructed Heo Jun to properly organize medical theories and prescriptions based on the experiences and insights of other doctors. He appointed Heo Jun as the head of a large-scale national project. However, there were senior doctors around Heo Jun. So, why did the king specifically appoint him as the team leader? Later, when confusion arises, if you look at Heo Jun's background, he is extremely accurate and trustworthy in human relationships and academic aspects. Considering his medical career, Heo Jun was the most suitable person. Heo Jun led the team of skilled doctors.

In a Donguibogam project with six participants, Yeoyu Seonjo gives three guidelines that should be reflected in the new construction. Let's take a look. First is life, second is promise. Seonjo emphasized the first, which is life. It is more important to prevent illness than to treat it. It can be seen as the same. The second emphasis is medicine, meaning medicine and stones. It refers to all kinds of medicinal herbs and treatments. So, it was about properly prescribing the right medicine for each disease. Now, what was the third one? In our country, many medicines are produced, but people do not really know them. Therefore, based on the names used in our country, make it easy for the people to understand by classifying which medicinal herbs to use and record the names of medicinal herbs in the names actually used by the people. Here we can see peach seeds and bamboo shoots, and then.

You can see barley, and there are also bellflowers. Now, bellflowers are called Doraji. Following the ancestors' guidance, Chinese characters are used first, followed by the name used in Joseon in Hangul. Professor, then before the Donguibogam, was there no instance written in Hangul? In the middle of medical books, there were simple booklets about preventing infectious diseases, then about pregnancy and childbirth. In those cases, some were written in Hangul in Hunminjeongeum style, but Donguibogam was the first to cover the entire Korean herbal medicine. Really, starting ambitiously with the determination to engrave such ancestral guidance in mind, the Donguibogam project began. Creating a medical book that did not exist in Joseon was truly a project fueled by enthusiasm. However, this was not a simple task from the planning stage. The key was immediately deciding what and how to do. Heo Jun and his five friends.

Every day, we unfold the scriptures, put our heads together, debate, and research. However, when we barely organized the table of contents, the team falls apart. Oh, why? Why? The quiet war reignites. The offensive of the Japanese army once again becomes the Chinese Confucianism. Only then, after three years, the war ended, but compiling the scriptures was not easy. Meanwhile, there was a change in Heo Jun's fate. After the leader of the court physicians and the highest-ranking eunuch, Yang Su, passed away, Heo Jun succeeded him as the highest-ranking eunuch. To take care of the king's health, he was sent out on a mission, keeping me incredibly busy. One day, King Seonjo summoned Heo Jun and entrusted him with something. He sent him back to school alone to study and handed over 500 volumes of scriptures that he had in his possession, entrusting him with great responsibility. Seonjo had Heo Jun at the palace.

He was told to examine the contents by giving 500 copies of the chair. It was an order to start the medical book compilation work again, even if alone. The Donguibogam compilation, which was thought to be permanently discontinued, restarts like this. Working day and night, seven years pass in just two years. Before he knew it, he was nearing his age. At that time, Heo Jun had written almost half of the Donguibogam. But then, an unexpected fate strikes Heo Jun. Ah, in February 1608, King Seonjo suddenly collapsed and eventually passed away. The next day becomes the reign of the 15th king, Gwanghaegun. So, how did Heo Jun live? Heo Jun was already dismissed and sent into exile. In fact, it was the influence of those nobles who had long viewed Heo Jun unfavorably.

Oh, the King wasn't able to save him. This is precisely the duty of a physician. You must know this. Gwanghae-gun had no intention of sending Heo Jun into exile. However, the officials were harsh, and eventually, Heo Jun was sent into exile. Taking responsibility for King Seonjo's death, Heo Jun went into exile. After a year of exile, in November 1609, Heo Jun appeared in Hanyang. When Gwanghae-gun said there are few loyal subjects, whom did he call? He called Heo. In this way, Heo Jun, who returned to the court under false charges by Gwanghae-gun, faced the King in August of the following year. After inheriting the unfinished book that the late King had ordered, I couldn't contain my emotions. The book that greatly pleased Gwanghae-gun was Heo Jun's book, Dongui Bogam, completed a whopping 14 years after King Seonjo's order.

Heo Jun was born to suffer, but he was able to fully dedicate himself to writing Donguibogam while in exile. It is unbelievable that one person completed such a vast amount of Donguibogam. What kind of content did Heo Jun include in the Donguibogam that was eventually published? Let me show you the basics of health management written in Donguibogam. The prohibition of a day is not to eat at night, the prohibition of a month is not to get drunk, and the prohibition of a year is not to travel far in winter. But these days, when you look at diet tips, it's like they say, Don't eat anything after 6 p.m. It's similar to what Heo Jun suggested. Isn't it amazing? How about Heo Jun's proposed health tips? They are not difficult at all; they seem like easy guidelines to follow.

It seems like something we need to follow. As we are approaching summer and the heat will soon be upon us, it is crucial to take care of our health during this time. In Donguibogam, it emphasizes the importance of understanding summer well among the four seasons for our health. This is significant, right? That's why we should make sure to have nourishing food in the summer, right? Therefore, there is a royal court refreshment drink from the Joseon Dynasty that was enjoyed, called Jehotang. Oh, it was a court green onion drink that quenched thirst and aided digestion. What are the main ingredients of Jehotang? It is made by drying Baekdanhyang, Chosu, and Ome roots, grinding them into powder, mixing them with honey, then boiling them in water to drink. According to the Jeongjo Silrok, on very hot days, the king used to grant Jehotang to his subjects. Besides, there are many foods mentioned in Donguibogam that we eat to protect our bodies during the summer. What do you think would be written in Donguibogam about it? I mentioned eels, right? Oh, listen.

What I just mentioned is correct. Yes, that's right. That's right. Dongui-moga. If you stay in a room with a full stomach, you can see the condition of the five organs. In other words, it protects the five organs. That's the meaning. So, let's take a look at another summer health food in the Dongui Bogam. Ta-da! In Dongui Bogam, it is written that the representative effect of watermelon is to relieve thirst and fatigue from heat, and promote urination. Therefore, our ancestors actually enjoyed cool watermelon in the summer, and that culture has been passed down to us today. It is a remarkable book that covers not only beginners interested in health but also professionals who seek deep medical knowledge. That's why it is highly regarded for promoting longevity and excellence. So, since it was introduced to the world...

How did Heo Jun live? Heo Jun continued to work tirelessly even after that. He nurtured successors at the clinic, researched epidemics that threatened the lives of the people under the name of King Gwanghae, and wrote books. He dedicated himself to Korean medicine for ten years without stopping. In November 1515, at the age of 71, Heo Jun passed away. King Gwanghae, while alive, recognized Heo Jun's contributions to the development of Korean medicine and posthumously bestowed upon him the highest rank of Jeongilpum Boguk Seungnok Daeboo. The unprecedented act of lowering the rank for a medical officer was truly remarkable.

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Heo Jun's Nervousness and Medical Success in the Joseon Era

Heo Jun felt nervous when presenting a book on pulse diagnosis to the ancestors, as it was a mission entrusted to him by Seonjo.

His book became essential for becoming a royal physician, earning recognition for his medical skills.

He successfully cured a serious skin disease, smallpox, using folk remedies in a time when there were no medical treatments available.

Heo Jun: The Life and Achievements of a Renowned Joseon Dynasty Physician

Heo Jun saved the prince's life using medicinal herbs and an unconventional treatment for smallpox, which earned him great favor with the king and a high-ranking position.

Heo Jun later abandoned his career to accompany the king during the Imjin War, taking care of his health during the four-year journey.

Seonjo, the king, expressed a desire to gather many doctors and write a book after developing an interest in Chinese medicine.

The Formation of Donguibogam Medical Book

Heo Jun was appointed by the king to organize medical theories and prescriptions due to his accuracy, trustworthiness, and medical expertise.

The Donguibogam project, led by Heo Jun and six participants, focused on three guidelines: prioritizing life, emphasizing the use of medicine, and classifying medicinal herbs for the people to understand.

The Donguibogam was the first to comprehensively cover Korean herbal medicine and was a project driven by enthusiasm and ambition.

Heo Jun's Journey in Compiling the Donguibogam

Heo Jun takes on the responsibility of compiling the Donguibogam after a change in his fate, facing various challenges and unexpected twists.

Despite being sent into exile, he eventually completes the book, impressing King Gwanghaegun.

Heo Jun wrote the Donguibogam while in exile, providing extensive content on health management and summer nourishment.

His health tips, including not eating at night and avoiding excessive drinking, are similar to modern-day advice.

The Donguibogam emphasizes the importance of understanding and nourishing the body during summer, featuring the royal court refreshment drink Jehotang and various foods for protecting the body in hot weather.

The Health Benefits of Watermelon According to Dongui Bogam

Watermelon is described in Dongui Bogam as a fruit that relieves thirst, fatigue, and promotes urination.

The book is highly respected for its promotion of longevity and medical knowledge.

Heo Jun, the author, was recognized for his contributions to Korean medicine, even receiving a high posthumous rank from King Gwanghae for his remarkable dedication.