Abstract

Medical historians strive to seek new topics in the field of historiography, with a commitment to exploring various social and cultural aspects of historical issues such as life, aging, illness, and death, and paying attention to various historical topics related to life and health within the historical framework. However, there is a relative lack of literature and related physiological and medical histories on the elderly in history, both domestically and internationally, compared to other fields (such as women and children). Especially in Taiwanese society, where aging is becoming an increasingly serious matter, it is important for historians to focus on contemporary concerns to help people understand the historical dimensions of discourse on human bodies and health care for the elderly. In the early 20th century, influenced by Western scientific views and the rise of nutrition science, people became highly interested in concepts related to longevity, old age, and even “rejuvenation.” Many elderly individuals shared their secrets for longevity in newspapers and magazines. These ideas, incorporating traditional health concepts with new knowledge drawn from Western physiology and nutrition science, sparked a series of discussions in the intellectual community at that time. The content was diverse and requires focused analysis. This article focuses on the discussions among the intellectual community and in public opinion on diet and elderly health issues at that time. It locates dietary recommendations for elderly health and longevity, analyzes how people understood the causal relationship between diet and longevity in daily life, and classifies and summarizes these discourses, examining their significance in the context of the time.

Keywords: elderly, health, hygiene, diet, longevity