Scientizing the stage between health and disease

Excerpt

Did you know that there is a medical society called Japan Mibyou Association? I was previously unaware of it. Curious as to whether there are other similar medical societies, an Internet search turned up The Japanese Society of Mibyou, as well. There may be more such societies, but I did not search any further as my goal was not to do a deep dive into societies dedicated to “mibyou”. Incidentally, the dictionary says the English for “mibyou” is “presymptomatic state”. For me, I feel like the English expression is easier to understand than the Japanese, but I am currently on the fence as to whether the word “mibyou” will take hold internationally. On the Japan Mibyou Association website, it states the following with respect to the origin of the word “mibyou”: The word “mibyou” might still be an unfamiliar term in Japan. This word first appears in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, which is regarded as China’s oldest medical book, published 2000 years ago in the later Han dynasty. In this book, “mibyou” refers to a “state headed toward disease,” and it says that a person who is able to detect this state and cure it is the highest level (saint) of a medical practitioner." …