Farewell to the God of Plague: Chairman Mao’s Campaign to Deworm China

374 Pages·2016·2.908 MB·English

by  Miriam Gross

Farewell to the God of Plague
chairman mao’s campaign to
deworm china
Miriam Gross
university of california press
Farewell to the God of Plague
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Farewell to the God of Plague
chairman mao’s campaign to
deworm china
Miriam Gross
university of california press
University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university
presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing
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activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic
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University of California Press
Oakland, California
© 2016 by Th e Regents of the University of California
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gross, Miriam, 1969- author.
Farewell to the god of plague : Chairman Mao’s campaign to deworm
China / Miriam Gross.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978–0-520–28883–6 (cloth : alk. paper) ) —
isbn 978–0-520–96364–1 (e-edition)
1. Schistosomiasis—China—Prevention—History—20th century.
2. Schistosomiasis—Treatment—China—History—20th century.
3. Medical policy—China—History—20th century. 4. Medical care—
China—History—20th century. I. Title.
RA644.S3G76 2015
362.1969′6300951—dc23 2015025634
Manufactured in the United States of America
24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
In keeping with a commitment to support environmentally responsible and
sustainable printing practices, UC Press has printed this book on Natures
Natural, a fi ber that contains 30% post-consumer waste and meets the
minimum requirements of ansi/niso z39.48–1992 (r 1997) (Permanence
of Paper).
This book is dedicated to the many doctors, activists, and Party
members who fought against great odds to make the snail fever
campaign succeed.
It is also dedicated to my grandparents:
To my grandma Clara, whose wonderful stories of her child-
hood helped turn me into a historian.
To my grandpa Sam, whose clarity of vision and strategic
mind set a benchmark for wending my way through difficulty.
To my grandma Mollie, whose combination of grit and caring
showed me the best way to get through life.
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farewell to the god of plague
Mao Zedong
When reading the People’s Daily on June 30, 1958, I saw that Yujiang County
had wiped out schistosomiasis. My mind churned with so many thoughts, I
could not sleep. A gentle breeze blew warmly as the rising sun overlooked my
window. Looking afar at the southern sky, I was inspired to write.
I.
Crystal-clear water
Emerald mountains,
Gorgeous to no avail.
Even Hua Tuo,
[Th e god of medicine],
Was helpless
Before this little worm.
In thousands of villages
Overrun with weeds,
Men are wasting away, shitting.
Th ousands of homes
Are deserted.
Ghosts sing there.
Sitting here every day
We travel eighty thousand li.
Surveying from afar
I see a thousand Milky Ways.
Should the Cowherd inquire of the God of Plague,
Th e God would reply:
Th e same joys and grief
Pass away with the tides.
II.
Poplars and willows
Gust in the spring wind,
Swelling to a million.
Th e six hundred million
Of this sacred land,
All as great as the gods Shun and Yao.
At our whim,
Red rain turns into waves,
With our eff ort,
Emerald mountains turn
Into bridges.
With lustrous hoes,
We can fl atten,
Linking the Five Peaks.
With arms like iron,
We can move the earth,
Shaking the Th ree Rivers.
May I ask, God of Plague,
Where can you go?
Paper boats burn,
Candles ignite scorching the skies,
[Sending you home].
Translation by Miriam Gross and Bo Kong
contents
List of Illustrations xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 1
part i
from the eyes at the top: overview
of the campaign
1 Chairman Mao Weighs In: Th e High Politics
•
of the Campaign 15
part ii
the campaign nobody wanted:
structural and economic underpinnings
to rural resistance
2 Dodging Leadership in an Era of Decentralization:
•
Structural Problems of the 1950s 43
3 Denying Economic Responsibility While Brandishing
•
an Empty Purse 61
part iii
the three arms of the campaign:
education, prevention, and treatment
4 Building the New Scientifi c Socialist Society:
•
Educating the Masses 87