• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.144-148
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• 2013

Until the discovery of universal gravitation, a magnet had been considered to be a unique and magical stuff which exhibited an interacting force between two objects separated afar. Perhaps because of this belief, magnets were used widely as a medicinal stuff in East-Asia. In the present article, the records regarding the applications of a magnet for oriental medicine in written Korean history were surveyed. The records were categorized in terms of efficacy, prescription, and clinical case of taking-medicine. The records revealed that a magnet was used as an important component in the medicine for curing kidney filtering failure. Magnet was also prescribed to heal heart problems. Typical magnet-containing medicines included the SHINRYUKTANG, JIHWANGTANG, and INSAMBAEKHOTANG. Interestingly, it was revealed that some of the kings (Hyojong, Yungjo) in the era of Josun dynasty (1392-1910) believed the efficacy of the magnet-containing medicine and took it for curing their health problems.