兰学是指日本在18世纪后半叶形成的通过荷兰语学习和研究西方近代学术的学问。笔者最初关心兰学中有关医学的问题是因为英语“doctor”(医生)一词原来是对有学问者的一种称号,后来才用来指医术达到一定水平的医生。有学者认为这背后有一种文化现象:在西欧从中世纪向近代社会迈进的历史阶段,能称为知识阶层的人最主要的就是医生和教会人员(后者本文不涉及)。那么日本的情况如何呢? Lanxue refers to Japan’s learning in the latter half of the eighteenth century that developed through the Dutch and studied modern Western academic knowledge. The author initially cared about the problem of medical science in Lan Xuezhong because the term “doctor” (“doctor”) was originally a title for a learned person, and was later used to refer to a doctor who achieved a certain level of medical skill. Some scholars believe that there is a cultural phenomenon behind this: In the historical stage of Western Europe from the Middle Ages to modern society, the most important person who can be called the intellectual class is the doctors and church staff (the latter does not involve this article). What about the situation in Japan?