明清时期中国人对吸烟与健康关系的认识

烟草于明初传入中国,起初人们误认为抽烟能治疗许多疾病且有利健康,但后来中国医生通过动物试验以及临床观察,发现长期吸烟有害健康。烟雾中对人体的有害物质主要是火毒、烟油,以及一种无法观察到的能够损伤人体精气的无形物质。吸烟主要影响人体的肺脏且能导致多脏器损害

Chinese recognition on relationship between smoking and health in Ming - Qing dynasties

Tobacco was introduced into China at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. At first, people thought that smoking could cure a lot of diseases, and could do good to people's health. However, Chinese doctors discovered that smoking would do great harm to people's heath through animal experiments and clinical observation. They found that the poisonous materials in smoking include virulent fire-evil, tar, and some other invisible materials harmful to spirit of the body. Doctors also discovered that smoking had a great effect on people's lungs, causing damage to multiple organs and eventually death. Hence, trading on tobacco was banned officially in the Ming dynasty. Propaganda movements against smoking during the Qing Dynasty were gradually developed among the people.