踏溯台南

踏溯台南

文學院 通識教育課程

Kyrie: Pestilence and faith in the salty area

Route Introduction

 


Taiwan Black Foot Disease Medical Treatment Memorial Hall

  In the past, it was known as the “Jinhe Clinic,” and it was where Dr. Wang Jinhe practised medicine, who was known as the “father of Taiwan's black foot disease.” In the late 1950s, black foot disease was prevalent in the southwest coastal area of Taiwan, and the disease caused congestion of the patient's peripheral blood vessels, resulting in blackening, necrosis, and falling off of tissues; in severe cases, amputation. At first, the cause of the disease was unknown and the people panicked, but later scientific research found that the disease was caused by drinking groundwater from deep wells contaminated with arsenic.

   As many people suffered from black foot disease, Pastor Sun Li-lian of the Christian Mustard Seed Association collaborated with Dr. Wang Jinhe and Dr. Hsieh, Wei from Puli to set up a clinic to provide free consultation for patients with black foot disease in the Beimen area. For around 25 years, the clinic treated and operated on patients, and the clinic once admitted up to 80 patients at the same time. Later, after getting the resources from the health department of the provincial government, the black foot disease gradually decreased. In order to commemorate the suffering and glory in Taiwan's medical history, the clinic was rebuilt into the black foot disease medical treatment memorial hall.

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