A Study on the Famine, Epidemics, and Socio-economic background in the TENMEI period

概要

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This is the second part of the study on famines, epidemics, socio-economic conditions, and combinations of these before the Meiji era. The great famine in the Tenmei period (1781-88) was discussed. The development of land, advance in commerce and alterations in agricultural policy were closely related to the disaster of famines. During the Tenmei famine, about a half a million people died in Oou district where the weather had been cold and the local government system was misguided. Although three fouth of deaths were caused by malignant influenza, death rate varied considerably from sex, age, social class, feudal clan and characteristics of area such as fishing village, farm village, city, etc. The severity of famine seemed to deter mine the severity of epidemics of diseases.