ABSTRACT
Introduction: This work includes information on diseases and important rich experiences of medicine. However, the initial work has not been clearly stated in the versions. The reason and purpose to do our research is that the work has not been introduced to the practice. Methods: The document analysis, logical argumentation, comparative historical research and hermeneutics have been utilized in the research. Results: 1. Five years were spent to print the four original copies of the work by the help of scholars and Jesuit fathers. An original copy of the work is kept in the Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris and another original copy is in the Royal Library in Copenhagen. 2. The work illustrates anatomy, diagnosis of diseases, medicine and treatments. It is interesting that the story of the work is stated in the first topic. 3. By comparing Mongolian versions, the topic on anatomy was absent in the version of Zodovjav’s translation. Different time and different word choice of translations influenced dissimilar versions in Mongolian. Conclusion: 1. This work was written in the first two decades of the 18th century by the order of Emperor K’ang Hsi of Manchu. 2. This work is the medicine book that connects Eastern medicine to Western.3. Even though translations of word are different in the versions, the contents are alike.Key words: Manchu anatomy, mandated, Emperor K’ang Hsi, Jesuit fathers
ABSTRACT
BackgroundThe goal of this research is to clarify the synonyms of mineral-oriented medicine that were written in the “The Beautiful, Wondrous Eye-Ornament” sutra (Tib: Mdzes mtshar mig rgyan) by Jambaldorj. The text is famous for its fanciful illustrations, including mnemonic trees of Tibetan medical theory, minerals, plants and animals, surgical instruments, and charts of the body. It was written in Tibetan with quadrilingual captions - Tibetan, Mongolian, Manchu, and Chinese - accompanying the materia medica section.MethodsThe research was conducted through the method of original manuscript analysis, listing and sorting mineral oriented medicine, the comparison method and the interpretation of clarifying synonym names by the handwriting and paleographic methods. Both tools are carefully designed not only to provide a high level of accuracy, but also to provide a clean and concise justification of the inferred results.ResultsWe listed all 90 mineral-oriented medicine that were written in “The Beautiful, Wondrous Eye-Ornament” sutra. Jambaldorj divided all mineral raw materials into three groups: Gem medicine, Stone medicine and Earth medicine. The first two groups were divided into melting and un-melting; the last group was divided into artificial and to be self formed subgroups. This classification was similar to the 20th Chapter of “The Explanatory Tantra” in “Four Medical Tantras”.ConclusionThis research suggests that the clarified synonyms of mineral-oriented medicine had a relationship with the external appearance, chemical and physical characteristics, distributions, medicinal taste, capacity and the medicinal usage of minerals.