Circle Of Life

"Ishinpo", the oldest existing Japanese medical book, was compiled byDoctor Tanba Yasuyori of Heian period in982A.D. and presented to theemperor in984A.D. It is a medical encyclopedia copied and compiledbased on Chinese medical classics, which has an important historicalposition in both Chinese and Japanese medicine. This study aimed to have acomprehensive and decent understanding of the gynecological part ofIshinpo, and tried to depict the detailed bodily conception and medicalcharacters it represented, by combing and profiling the volume21-24ofIshinpo, which discussed the counterpart topics of modern gynecology. Theconclusion is that, the gynecological part of Ishinpo was compiledaccording to the need of aristocratic class of Japanese society, and featuredthe pragmatism of clinical medicine practices. It included topics selectivelyand rewrote moderately, exhibiting a pursuit of concise writing style, insteadof copied directly from Chinese classics. The book showed substantialconcern on the issue of male offspring through the discussion ofchildbearing and childbirth, as well as a style of gender perspective andideal bodily conception. Moreover, the prescriptions in gynecological partof Ishinpo also showed its partial essence of witchcraft and pursuit ofauspiciousness, which reveals the "Qi" and "Shu Shu" in historical Chinesebodily conception.