2 Analysis of a Tibetan Medical Work. [Jan. 



commentary on the present work, entitled " Baidiirya snon-po" (the 

 lapis lazuli) written hy " Sangs-rgyas rgya mts'ho" %'^ T ^c;<sj T 



£)<V' 2 >'*r<|) a regent at Lassa about the end of the 17th century. 



The Lama states that there are about forty books or works written 

 in Tibet, on medicine, besides the five volumes in the Stan-gyur collec- 

 tion, and the scattered occasional instructions on medicaments in the 

 Kah-gyur. 



The chief medical school in Tibet is at Chak-phuri (^si<V T 3g'X) 

 a monastery at or near Lassa. There are also two others, in middle 

 Tibet, of some repute, called Chang-Zvir (§c; T 3X.). 



First Part. 

 This is entitled ^ T z^Q"g^, rtsa-vahi-rgyut the root or basis of the 



(medical) tract. It is divided into six chapters. 



First Chapter. 



In this is described how Chomdandas (Shakya) transforming himself into the 

 shape of a chief physician, in a forest of medical plants, delivered his instructions, 

 in a superb palace, in the presence of gods, sages (or Rishis), and a large train 

 both of heretic and orthodox hearers. 



Second Chapter. 



He (Shakya) addressed his audience thus : — " Assembled friends ! be it known 

 to you, that every human creature who wishes to remain in health ; and 

 every man who desires to cure any disease, and to prolong life, must be in- 

 structed in the doctrine of medicine. Likewise, he that wishes for moral virtue, 

 wealth, or happiness, and desires to be delivered from the miseries ofsickuess; as 

 also, he that wishes to be honoured or respected by others, must be instructed 

 in the art of healing." Then one of the hermits or Rishis (5^*5f ^-Drang-Srong) 

 expressing his desire of promoting the well-being of others, requested his advice 

 as to the manner in which he might become instructed in the doctrine of me- 

 dicine. Then the teacher (Shakya) said: (or commanded)" He must be in- 

 structed in the four parts of the medical science, which are the 



g'ZiQ'l^ — ; zjflyjjQ- — ; SfarsEj'Er — ; and g'*f§*§H 



root or theory, explication, instruction, and lastly manual operation; farther, 

 he must be instructed in the eight branches of healing; viz. 1, the curing of the 

 whole body ; 2, of particular diseases, incident to children ; 3, to women ; 4, 

 the curing of diseases caused by evil spirits ; 5, of wounds made by a knife» 

 spear, &c. ; 6, of all sorts of venomous or poisonous infections ; 7, of the infir- 

 mities of old age ; and 8, the increasing of virility in men. These are the 

 principal divisions of the whole medical treatise. 



The number of chapters in the four parts of this medical tract, amount to 

 156. 



In the explanatory part, there are 11 places or sections, and 31 chapters ; in 

 the instructive part on cures or remedies for each specified disease, there are 

 15 circumstances and 92 chapters ;— the last part has four divisions and 27 

 chapters. 



