本文之目的在於檢視臺灣歷史文獻中有關疾病與死亡之記載，以期對相關的問題做個初步探討。在時間範圍上，暫以一九二〇年代為上限，因為該年代是台灣社會史上重要的一個轉變時期。以文獻中蒐集到的敘述性的資料，我們嘗試為十七世紀以來臺灣人遭受的風土性（或限發性，endemic）和流行性（或泛發性，epidemic）疾病提出一幅草圖。以一些二十世紀初期之統計資料，我們嘗試描繪疾病轉型（health transition）前臺灣人的健康情形和主要死因。我們也略微觸及在這幾百年中人們用來對付疾疫的方法，迷信（或宗教）之風俗相對於有效之醫療，強制之社會政策相對於流行病學之措施，都曾發揮過一些作用。這些方面乃至個別的疾病所隱含之社會、文化和歷史涵意，無疑都還需要進一步的研究。

This essay aims to provide a survey of historical records related to disease and mortality in Taiwan up to the decade of 1920s that marked an important period of transition in the social history of Taiwan. It is attempted to sketch the condition of human diseases before the health transition took place in Taiwan. With qualitative data gathered from various historical records, we try to describe endemic and epidemic diseases suffered by the people in Taiwan since the seventeenth century. With some statistics available in the early twentieth century, we try to understand the health conditions of the Taiwanese and trace major causes of death. We also touch upon various methods for preventing diseases, superstitious customs or effective medicine, social enforcement or epidemiological treatment, that have been adopted in Taiwan during the past few hundred years. Further studies are no doubt required for all these aspects and for details of specific diseases and their social, cultural and historical implications.

風土性疾病;流行性疾病;死亡率;疾病轉型

endemic disease; epidemic disease; mortality; health transition