『治腫指南』 硏究

Abstract

Traditional Korean medicine is now located at a crossroad internationally as well as domestically. As Chinese government is pushing forward aggressively “Traditional Chinese Medicine Project” - the project to attempt to subsume all East Asian medicines under the name of traditional Chinese medicine, it is desperately needed that traditional Korean medicine contemplate its unique identity again. ChiJongGiNam(治腫指南) - Guidance for Curing Tumors- is crucial to check and review elements of traditional Korean medicine's unique identity. Findings and results of the investigation are as follows. First, it covers surgical and internal diseases that can be cured with invasive treatments, as well as techniques of curing tumors, compared with ChiJongBiBang(治腫秘方) -Secret Techniques of Curing Tumors - written by YimEunguk(任彦國). It is a rare case in medical history. Second, at the first glance the work - composed of two volumes - seems to be abnormal, but it is derived that it is the reflection of the writer's intention after deep exploration. Volume one presents generic techniques of acupuncture and moxibustion with detailed figures. The second volume addresses treatments, cautions, and additional medications. The writer recommends referring to the volume one if graphic understanding is needed, while he explains varied aspects of symptoms. Third, the writer intended the book to be used by lay persons. With the grasp of the meanings of some signs, lay persons can understand locations of proper acupoints and directions of needling. Furthermore, he rendered the book accessible to lay persons by adopting common words rather than technical jargons and providing detailed explanation. Forth, medications are composed of easily available substances. It is viewed as the evidence that influences of the YimEunguk school were preserved among lay persons. And last, the medicine of Yim Eunguk school originated from folk remedies, but with its excellence it was adopted by central medical scholars and further transported to China and Japan by transcription. Particularly, the concept of Lujung(縷丁) -silk-liketumor- influenced Chinese medical books. This witnesses the acupunctural strength of traditional medicine in Korea and shows that medicine is the outcome of mutual influence and exchange, not of one-sided relations.