George Soulié de Morant
Encyclopedia
George Soulié de Morant, born 1878 in Paris
, died 1955 in Paris
, French
scholar and diplomat. Soulié de Morant worked several years in the French diplomatic corps
in China
, where he served as French consul in several Chinese cities. He is mainly known for his role in introducing acupuncture
in the West and for his translations of Chinese literature.
at the age of eight, being taught the language by a Jesuit priest. Although he had originally intended to become a physician, he had to give up his plans when he father died.
At the age of twenty, Soulié de Morant was employed by a bank, which decided to send him to China in 1899. Given Soulié de Morant's command of the Chinese language, he soon joined the French diplomatic corps, for which he would work for most of the following two decades. He served as French consul
in Shanghai
and Kunming
and French Mixed Court in Shanghai.
in Beijing
. As he served as consul in several Chinese cities, he sought out teachers who could give him instruction in acupuncture.
After Soulié de Morant returned to France after several years of consular service, he was persuaded by the prominent advocate of alternative medicine, Paul Ferreyrolles (1880–1955), to put all his efforts into translating Chinese works on acupuncture. Beginning in 1929, he authored a number of articles and works on acupuncture and he became an advocate of acupuncture treatment in the French medical corps. His work l'Acuponcture chinoise, which was based on ancient texts such as Zhēnjiǔ Dàchéng (針灸大成), is still regarded as a classic work on acupuncture and has been published several editions and translations.
Soulié de Morant also published a number of works on Chinese history, Chinese literature
and Chinese art
, as well as a number of translations of Chinese literary works.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, died 1955 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
scholar and diplomat. Soulié de Morant worked several years in the French diplomatic corps
Minister of Foreign Affairs (France)
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs ), is France's foreign affairs ministry, with the headquarters located on the Quai d'Orsay in Paris close to the National Assembly of France. The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in the government of France is the cabinet minister responsible for...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, where he served as French consul in several Chinese cities. He is mainly known for his role in introducing acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that treats patients by insertion and manipulation of solid, generally thin needles in the body....
in the West and for his translations of Chinese literature.
Education and career
Soulié de Morant had the opportunity to start learning ChineseChinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
at the age of eight, being taught the language by a Jesuit priest. Although he had originally intended to become a physician, he had to give up his plans when he father died.
At the age of twenty, Soulié de Morant was employed by a bank, which decided to send him to China in 1899. Given Soulié de Morant's command of the Chinese language, he soon joined the French diplomatic corps, for which he would work for most of the following two decades. He served as French consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
and French Mixed Court in Shanghai.
Scholarly contributions
Soulié de Morant became convinced of the importance of acupuncture when he witnessed the effects of acupuncture treatment during an epidemic of choleraCholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. As he served as consul in several Chinese cities, he sought out teachers who could give him instruction in acupuncture.
After Soulié de Morant returned to France after several years of consular service, he was persuaded by the prominent advocate of alternative medicine, Paul Ferreyrolles (1880–1955), to put all his efforts into translating Chinese works on acupuncture. Beginning in 1929, he authored a number of articles and works on acupuncture and he became an advocate of acupuncture treatment in the French medical corps. His work l'Acuponcture chinoise, which was based on ancient texts such as Zhēnjiǔ Dàchéng (針灸大成), is still regarded as a classic work on acupuncture and has been published several editions and translations.
Soulié de Morant also published a number of works on Chinese history, Chinese literature
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
and Chinese art
Chinese art
Chinese art is visual art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in or is practiced in China or by Chinese artists or performers. Early so-called "stone age art" dates back to 10,000 BC, mostly consisting of simple pottery and sculptures. This early period was followed by a series of art...
, as well as a number of translations of Chinese literary works.
Works
- L'acuponcture chinoise. 2 vols. Paris: Mercure de France, 1939-1941. Published in English as Chinese acupuncture, edited by Paul Zmiewski. Brookline, MA: Paradigm Publications, 1994. ISBN 978-0912111315
- Exterritorialité et intérêts étrangers en Chine. Paris: Paul Geuthner, 1925.
- Histoire de la Chine de l’antiquité jusqu’en 1929. Paris: Payot, 1929.