Hunan's first scientific research institution, Provincial Institute for Schistosomiasis Control, settled in Huangshawan

Photography: AnlunHubin University serialized 51Hunan's first scientific research institution, Provincial Institute for Schistosomiasis Control, settled in HuangshawanSiye, who crossed the Jiangnan River in April 1949, stayed in Hunan for a long time. After the peaceful liberation of Yueyang, they first fought the "Baoqing Campaign" with the Kuomintang, driving out Bai Chongxi's Gui clique troops from Hunan, and later mainly cleared Xiangxi of banditry

Photography: Anlun

Hubin University serialized 51

Hunan's first scientific research institution, Provincial Institute for Schistosomiasis Control, settled in Huangshawan

Siye, who crossed the Jiangnan River in April 1949, stayed in Hunan for a long time. After the peaceful liberation of Yueyang, they first fought the "Baoqing Campaign" with the Kuomintang, driving out Bai Chongxi's Gui clique troops from Hunan, and later mainly cleared Xiangxi of banditry.

In the summer of 1949, many officers and soldiers from the four fields who were heading south inexplicably contracted a strange disease in the Dongting Lake area, such as fever, bloody stools, vomiting blood... and even two soldiers died. This has attracted high attention from all parties.

In March 1950, Xiangya Medical College dispatched epidemiological experts Chen Huxin and four other medical workers to the frontline for research. After examination, they were diagnosed with schistosomiasis. In fact, this is a very ancient disease that was discovered in the female corpse of Mawangdui over 2100 years ago. The schistosomes in the Dongting Lake area are classified according to their biological population and belong to the Japanese schistosome that is prevalent in Asia, rather than being intentionally brought in by the Japanese.

On June 1, 1950, the Rural Disease Prevention and Control Experimental Committee of Xiangya Medical College rented a house at Huangshawan Hubin Middle School in Yueyang County to establish the Yueyang Experimental Institute (renamed as the Provincial Schistosomiasis Prevention and Control Experimental Institute in December), which was the predecessor of the Hunan Provincial Schistosomiasis Prevention and Control Research Institute.

On June 19th, the Dragon Boat Race was being held at the mouth of Dongting Lake Street, with gongs and drums blaring and red flags fluttering. A cargo ship from Changsha has docked. On the dock, several young people carried ten large boxes of instruments and books from the cargo ship to another motorboat. The motorboat circled the dragon boat racing field and suddenly headed towards Huangsha Bay. The first scientific research institution established after the founding of the People's Republic of China in Hunan Province settled in two western-style buildings at the northernmost end of Huangshawan.

Early employees of the provincial schistosomiasis control center

Early employees of the provincial schistosomiasis control center

In the following short period of one and a half years, Chen Huxin led six medical workers to not only establish a schistosomiasis prevention hospital here, but also a schistosomiasis prevention and control health school, and established training classes for schistosomiasis prevention and control cadres, medical staff classes, and screening classes. It can be seen that the task of blood control was urgent at that time. These six earliest young blood control personnel were Xie Linge, Hu Peiqing, Yi Mingyi, Yu Qingdan, Zhang Jinming, and Wang Zhizhao.

The third on the right is Professor Chen Huxin

Chen Huxin (1918-1981), from Changsha. Graduated from Xiangya Medical College in 1944. In 1948, he studied in the United States and obtained a PhD in epidemiology. In 1949, he resolutely returned to his homeland. In 1950, at the age of only 32, he brought his wife and children from bustling Changsha to settle in Huangshawan, creating a pattern where both schistosomiasis prevention and research began simultaneously. In 1951, Chen Huxin and Xie Linge published their first paper in the journal "Central South Medicine" titled "Epidemic of Schistosomiasis in the Lake Area of Yueyang", setting a precedent for research on schistosomiasis control in Hunan. He later became a world-renowned expert on schistosomiasis japonica. Professor Chen Huxin's students later became the main force in parasite prevention and control in Hunan region.

Chen Huxin's footsteps covered every small island in Dongting Lake, as well as every new and old embankment, and he was familiar with every plant and tree in the lake. At that time, newspapers and broadcasts called him the "living dictionary of Dongting Lake". He regards Dongting Lake as his mother lake, and himself is the son of Dongting Lake. Chen Huxin's final words are: "After my death, scatter my ashes on Dongting Lake. I cannot live without the people of the lake area; after death, I will also be a companion for the people of the lake area.

Editor's note:

The former site of Yueyang Church School, a national key cultural relic protection unit, is located on the banks of Dongting Lake in Yueyang, Hunan, with 13 buildings that combine Chinese and Western elements. The book "Lakeside University" explains the story behind these 13 building clusters for us.

Author of this book: Xiang Jingkui, Liu Yanlin, Zhou Zhongsheng

Serialized Editor: Chengnan Flower Blooming

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