• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.289-300
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• 2020

Objectives : In this paper, We pointed out medico-historical meaning of Hyang'yak Kugŭppang (鄕藥救急方, Medical Recipes of Local Botanicals for Emergency Use), a medical book of Koryŏ Dynasty, breaking from the existing analysis view based on Hyang'yak (鄕藥), local herbs produced in Korean Peninsula. Methods : For that purpose, we analyzed the clinical characteristics of the diseases and symptoms, strategies of treatment, therapeutic tools, drug formulations, composition of herbal formulas in Hyang'yak Kugŭppang. Results : The following characteristics were confirmed in Hyang'yak Kugŭppang. First, it contained a way to cope with the diseases and symptoms that do not have to check the exterior, interior, cold, and heat. Also, it introduced basic strategies such as reducing, facilitating flow, draining downward, warming, or tonifying, etc. It mainly included herbal medicine as the therapeutic tools, and introduced formulas composed by single herb than complex recipes. It suggested external applications more than internal use, and proposed formulations in the form of decoctions or powders, etc. The herbs of formulas were used by experience without explanations of nature & taste, efficacy of each herbs. Conclusions : Hyang'yak Kugŭppang is a book of medical recipes for emergency use that has been distributed to help gentries, even if they do not have professional medical knowledge, to instantly cope with diseases and symptoms with medicines that are easy to obtain. Previous researches has analyzed the value of Hyang'yak Kugŭppang as a collection of information of hyang'yak, and used it as a historical basis of the uniqueness of Korean medicine. Since Hyang'yak Kugŭppang is not a book specialized for herbs, but rather a clinical medical book that introduces recipes for specific symptoms of diseases, if we pay attention to the clinical characteristics of Hyang'yak Kugŭppang, it will provide an opportunity to describe Koryŏ or Korean medicine in a new way.