A Study of The Medical Classics in the 'ˉAyurveda '
('아유르베다'(ˉAyurveda )의 의경(醫經)에 관한 연구)
- Kim, Ki-Wook;Park, Hyun-Kuk;Seo, Ji-Young
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- Journal of Korean Medical classics
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- v.20 no.4
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- pp.91-117
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- 2007
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Through a simple study of the medical classics in the '
ˉAyurveda ', we have summarized them as follows. 1) Traditional Indian medicine started in the Ganges river area at about 1500 B. C. E. and traces of medical science can be found in the "Rigveda" and "Atharvaveda". 2) The "Charaka" and "Suˊshruta (妙聞集)", ancient texts from India, are not the work of one person, but the result of the work and errors of different doctors and philosophers. Due to the lack of historical records, the time of Charaka orSuˊshruta (妙聞)s' lives are not exactly known. So the completion of the "Charaka" is estimated at 1st∼ 2nd century C. E. in northwestern India, and the "Suˊshruta " is estimated to have been completed in 3rd∼ 4th century C. E. in central India. Also, the "Charaka" contains details on internal medicine, while the "Suˊshruta " contains more details on surgery by comparison. 3) 'Vˉagbhata ', one of the revered Vriddha Trayi(triad of the ancients, 三醫聖) of the 'ˉAyurveda ', lived and worked in about the 7th century and wrote the "A\ds\dtˉanga A\ds\dtˉanga h\drdaya sa\dmhitˉa samhitˉa (八支集)" and "A\ds\dtˉanga Sangrahasamhitˉa (八心集)", where he tried to compromise and unify the "Charaka" and "Suˊshruta ". The "A\ds\dtˉanga Sangrahasamhitˉa " was translated into Tibetan and Arabic at about the 8th∼ 9th century, and if we generalize the medicinal plants recorded in each the "Charaka", "Suˊshruta " and the "A\ds\dtˉanga Sangrahasamhitˉa ", there are 240, 370, 240 types each. 4) The 'Madhava' focused on one of the subjects of Indian medicine, 'Nidˉana ' ie meaning "the cause of diseases(病因論)", and in one of the copies found by Bower in 4th century C. E. we can see that it uses prescriptions from the "BuHaLaJi(布哈拉集)", "Charaka", "Suˊshruta ". 5) According to the "Charaka", there were 8 branches of ancient medicine in India : treatment of the body(kayacikitsa), special surgery(salakya), removal of alien substances(salyapahartka), treatment of poison or mis-combined medicines(visagaravairodhikaprasamana), the study of ghosts(bhutavidya), pediatrics(kaumarabhrtya), perennial youth and long life(rasayana), and the strengthening of the essence of the body(vajikarana). 6) The 'ˉAyurveda ', which originated from ancient experience, was recorded in Sanskrit, which was a theorization of knowledge, and also was written in verses to make memorizing easy, and made medicine the exclusive possession of the Brahmin. The first annotations were 1060 for the "Charaka", 1200 for the "Suˊshruta ", 1150 for the "A\ds\dtˉanga Sangrahasamhitˉa ", and 1100 for the "Nidˉana ", The use of various mineral medicines in the "Charaka" or the use of mercury as internal medicine in the "A\ds\dtˉanga Sangrahasamhitˉa ", and the palpation of the pulse for diagnosing in the 'ˉAyurveda ' and 'XiZhang(西藏)' medicine are similar to TCM's pulse diagnostics. The coexistence with Arabian 'Unani' medicine, compromise with western medicine and the reactionism trend restored the 'ˉAyurveda ' today. 7) The "Charaka" is a book inclined to internal medicine that investigates the origin of human disease which used the dualism of the 'Samkhya', the natural philosophy of the 'Vaisesika' and the logic of the 'Nyaya' in medical theories, and its structure has 16 syllables per line, 2 lines per poem and is recorded in poetry and prose. Also, the "Charaka" can be summarized into the introduction, cause, judgement, body, sensory organs, treatment, pharmaceuticals, and end, and can be seen as a work that strongly reflects the moral code of Brahmin and Aryans. 8) In extracting bloody pus, the "Charaka" introduces a 'sharp tool' bloodletting treatment, while the "Su\scuteshruta " introduces many surgical methods such as the use of gourd dippers, horns, sucking the blood with leeches. Also the "Suˊshruta " has 19 chapters specializing in ophthalmology, and shows 76 types of eye diseases and their treatments. 9) Since anatomy did not develop in Indian medicine, the inner structure of the human body was not well known. The only exception is 'GuXiangXue(骨相學)' which developed from 'Atharvaveda' times and the "A\ds\dtˉanga Sangrahasamhitˉa ". In the "A\ds\dtˉanga Sangrahasamhitˉa "'s 'ShenTiLun(身體論)' there is a thorough listing of the development of a child from pregnancy to birth. The 'ˉAyurveda ' is not just an ancient traditional medical system but is being called alternative medicine in the west because of its ability to supplement western medicine and, as its effects are being proved scientifically it is gaining attention worldwide. We would like to say that what we have researched is just a small fragment and a limited view, and would like to correct and supplement any insufficient parts through more research of new records.