A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY OT MEDICINE IN JAPAN 231 



China was made the model of all political and social institutions in 

 Japan. All of the text books used hi medical education were books 

 X)ublished in China during the Sui and Tang dynasties. In 808, during 

 the period of the Daido era, a medical work called Daido-Ritij uho -j^ 

 fw] ^ 1^ >^ "^"^"^^ compiled in Japan. Between A.D. 859 and 876, 

 during the Jokwan period of Emperor Seiwa, another medical book 

 called Kinran-ho ^^"^ was compiled. Thtse first two books 

 compiled upon the foundation of the clinical experience of the Japanese 

 medical profession are now forever lost to us and it seems that there 

 is no hope of their coming to light. There is, however, another medical 

 book of this period which has come down to us. It is the Ishinhd § 

 iL^ >^j written by Tamba Yasuyori j^f^}^^ in A.D. 982. It consists 

 of fifty v(-)lumes, and includes besides a general introduction, chapters 

 on the art of punctures, diseases of the air passages, diseases of the 

 internal organs, diseases of the skin, diseases of the eye, ear, and teeth, 

 diseases of the limbs, tumours and eruptions, wounds, diseases of 

 children, diseases of women, hygiene, sex hygiene, food and nutrition, 

 and the science of drugs. 



Towards the end of the twelfth century, there was a political 

 change and Minamoto-no-Yoritomo became Viceroy (Seu-tai-Shogun). 

 The actual political authority was exercised at Kamakura by ofiicers 

 of the Bahuju instead of by the Imperial court in Kyoto. The aristo- 

 cratic culture of the previous period was now changed to one more 

 closely related to the life of the common jieople. There was a change 

 as well within the Buddhist religion, due to the rise of several new 

 sects. Intercourse with China greatly increased and medicine under 

 the stimulus of the new conditions made material progress. ISlot only 

 were Chinese medical books imported and translated as before, but also 

 original writings on medical subjects began to apear more frequently. 



During the 14th century, the vice-royal government Avas moved 

 from Kamakura to Kyoto and peace reigned for some tiuic, during 

 which literature, ai-t, and religi<!n prospered. Towards the end of this 

 period, however, disturbances set in again and the so-called age of wars 

 followed, ii^chools were suspended, and the pursuit of learning ceased 

 iox a time, although Buddhist monks continued to visit Cliina to study 

 Confucianism and Buddhism. The Ming dynasty (1368—1644 A.D.) then 

 reigned in China and among tlit; noted medical authorities there, were 

 such names as Li Tung-Yiian and Chu Tan-ch'i (^^jg, :^ |5* il)- 

 The writings of these authors were widely read in Japan, while Japanese 



