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 Development of Tibetan Iatrology

Yuthog Yonten Gonpo (708-835), the most outstanding Tibetan doctor in ancient Tibet, was a former imperial doctor who founded the Tibetan medical theory system. Combining the achievements of TCM and Western medicine, he compiled over 30 medical works to form a complete Tibetan iatrological system.

With the development of medicine practice, in the 15th century there emerged two schools of Tibetan iatrology -- the north and the south schools, which summarized the experience of the common diseases and concerned treatments in the northern cold area and the southern river valley areas, respectively.

After the 18th century, famous doctor Dima Danzengpingcuo extensively collected medicine samples and compiled the Jingzhu Annotation, recording more than 2,000 types of medicines in Tibet, and detailing the medicines' modality (the creation process), nature, taste, and function.

In 1916, the 13th Dalai Lama created the Medical Bureau. The bureau, still operating today, recruits students and teaches medical theory, promoting the development of Tibetan iatrology and medicine.

 Origin of Tibetan Iatrology

As early as the ancient times, in their fight with nature, people living in the Tibet Plateau became knowledgeable about some characteristics and functions of herbs and hence began to use the herbs for therapies; people also came to know some medical functions of some animals during hunting.

Records show that the earliest popular healing art in Tibet was called "local medicine." At that time, without any systematic theory, doctors treated patients in three main ways, namely bloodletting, fire treatment, and spreading-kneading (massage). In addition, some primitive and simple therapies such as ghee (butter) for stanching (stopping blood flow) and highland barley wine for trauma treatment were also used.

In the 4th century, noted Indian physicians came to Tibet to spread the knowledge of health care and to push forward the local health care.

From the 6th century, the medical profession, astronomy, calendar, and arithmetic from the hinterland came to Tibet.

Later, in the 7th century, Princess Wencheng entered Tibet with 404 prescriptions, five therapies, six medical apparatuses, and four medicine works.