한국의 醫學寶典인 『東醫寶鑑』에 내재한 補益藥物의 문헌적 고찰– 인체의 養生을 위한 陰陽과 血氣를 중심으로 –

Abstract

The desire for healthy living and longevity will never change regardless of people the West, the East, the present, the past and the future. The cause of human diseases is based on unbalanced Yin and Yang, and lack of energy and blood which is essential to understand oriental thoughts are based, and is generally observed in weaker builds than solid builds. It also results from other internal problems than external impacts in many cases. This study focuses on beneficial drugs described in ‘Dongui Bogam’ to implement the idea of Live Longer which every human being wants, and divides the beneficial drugs into drugs for vitalizing Yin, Yang, energy and blood. The drugs for vitalizing Yin are for treating the weak Yang of kidneys, and the drugs for vitalizing Yin are for facilitating the secretion of body fluids lost in a body. The drugs for vitalizing energy are for enhancing the capability of activity of human bodies when a patient experiences lower physiological functions and physical strength, and the drugs for vitalizing blood circulation are for forming blood to treat the symptom of insufficient blood in the liver and kidneys. In this study, exemplary 37 beneficial drugs are analyzed on the basis of the effects of medicinal herbs, and the energy and taste theory of Korean medicine, that is, Four Energies and Five Tastes. The advice is also described about caution while taking the beneficial drugs based on their properties and tastes, and the drugs that should not be taken. The drugs for vitalizing Yang included 43% of hot taste, 33% of sweet taste, and 71% of warm sensation, suggesting the main properties of hot taste, sweet taste and warm sensation. The drugs for vitalizing Yin included 55% of sweet taste, 56% of neutral property and 71% of cold property, suggesting the main properties of sweet taste, and neutral and cold properties. The drugs for vitalizing energy included 90% of sweet taste, and 50% of warm sensation or neutral properties, respectively, suggesting the main properties of sweet taste and warm sensation or neutral properties. The drugs for forming blood included 40% of sweet taste, 30% of bitter taste, 50% of neutral properties and 38% of warm sensation, suggesting the main properties of neutral sweet and bitter tastes and warm sensation. In general, the beneficial drugs had 50% of sweet taste, 45% of warm sensation and 43% of neutral properties, suggesting the warm sensation and neutral properties. The beneficial drugs were found almost not toxic, but the shell of reeve’s turtle was toxic and the peony under the blood-forming drug category was slightly toxic. As known from the result of this study, the beneficial drugs can be helpful for healthy living and longevity where taken to match the cause of disease, and improve the cause of and treat the relevant disease. If the beneficial drugs are taken on a regular basis before diseases occur in consideration of physical constitutions of patients, they can vitalize the fundamental energy, and make postnatal intestines healthy. This is the idea of ‘Preemptive Treatment’ of the Preventive Medicine, and can enhance natural healing power of human bodies by enhancing the immune system thereof and normally keeping homeostasis of a human body.