Review of Japanese Traditional Medicine; Kampo
10.3937/kampomed.50.201
- VernacularTitle:東アジア伝統医学に於ける日本漢方
- Author:
Terutane YAMADA
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:Kampo Medicine
1999;50(2):201-213
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
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Abstract:
Japan has created a unique culture, based on the influence and acceptance of Chinese culture since long years ago. This can also be said of medicine.
Traditional medicine of Japan, is called “Kampo” medicine, which had been rearranged from Chinese medicine years ago suitable for the topography, climate, and race of the Japanese islands.
The rearrangement of Chinese medicine to Japanese medicine started at the latter half of the 16th century. This took place during the Ming era when medical treatment was that of the Chin-Yuan era. In Japan, Li-Chu medicine was accepted among schools in medicine, and resulted in establishing the socalled Gosei-Ho school later.
During the 18th century, there arose a movement to search for the origin of its medicine and to follow the original medical treatment. They finally attained the “Chang Han Lun” (“Shokan-Ron” in Japanese), established in the Heu-Han era in China. Many doctors read and studied that textbook and wrote their interpretation in their own books at that time. The medical treatment based on “Shokan-Ron” is called Ko-Ho school. Also the name Kampo, traditional Japanese medicine, may be implicated by the original medical treatment of the Han (Kam in Japanese) era.
The unique point of Ko-Ho school in medical treatment of Japanese kampo medicine may be the restoration of the old medical textbook “Shokan-Ron” to apply for clinical practice. The following books have left great influence up to the present time, “Ruiju-ho” written by Tohdo Yoshimasu, “Fukusho-Kiran” (1800) and “Fukusho-Kiran yoku” (1809-1853) which contain the method for abdominal examination by palpitation so-called Fukushin, written by Bunrei Inada and Shukuko Wakuda, respectively.
On the contrary, Ko-Ho school established a therapeutic method based on the readjustment of disorders mentioned in “Shokan-Ron” (Shokan namely febrile acute illness), followed by the concepts of Hyo-Ri, Kan-Netsu, and Kyo-Jitsu. Also, the school recalled Fukushin (abdominal sho), the sign of the abdominal wall, written in “Shokan-Ron” following the objective restoration. Based on its original Fukusho, other Fukushos were found and extended its original Fukusho, other Fukushos were found and extended its category to apply for other diseases. This has been handed down to the present era.
My presentation on this theme, review of Japanese traditional medicine: Kampo, will be given more concretely.
