On June 29, 2016, Dr. Ding Jianmin, professor of Tianjin University, was invited to Research Center for Social History of Medicine (RCSHM) for academic exchanges. During his visit, Dr. Ding gave a lecture on Disease Ecology and Its Significance in Prehistoric American Indian Society for teachers and students in Room 602, Wenyuan Building, Chang’an Campus, Shaanxi Normal University. Prof. Li Hua-cheng (executive director of RCSHM), Dr. Min Fan-xiang (assistant professor of University of Nanjing), Mrs. Gao Jian-hong (editor of East China Normal University Press) as well as several students participated in the lecture.
Dr. Ding’s research interests lie in disease conditions of Indians in prehistoric North America. He points out that in the long period of prehistoric stage, Indians had less diseases and were in relatively good health. However, with the development of agricultural transformation of living patterns from the nomadic to settlement, all kinds of diseases began to increase in Indian society. Before the arrival of Columbo, the Indian society had already filled with various diseases, not as many scholars described “garden of Eden”. The disease ecology in prehistoric North American Indian society is of important influence and significance on exotic infectious diseases after the arrival of the white. The existing diseases had already weakened the indigenous peoples health status, resulting in higher morbidity and mortality of foreign infectious diseases. The disease ecology in prehistoric North American Indian society has become one of the important factors for the invasion of foreign infectious diseases after the arrival of the white.
After the lecture, teachers and students exchanged ideas on some question with Dr. Ding. Dr. Ding’s explanation won applause from the audience. As the 3rd lecture on Forum of Medical Social History, this lecture had broaden audiences’ horizon. RCSHM will conduct such activities with the support of relevant departments in the future, create a good academic atmosphere, and improve researcher’ academic ability.
