Investigation On The Application Of Bloodletting Therapy Of Tibetan Medicine In Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

Bloodletting therapy of Tibetan medicine is an external therapy by puncturing the blood vessels to exclude the "bad" blood and qi,and is one of the important external treatment methods of Tibetan medicine.After thousands of years of inheritance and development,the bloodletting therapy of Tibetan medicine has been handed down from generation to generation.It has played an important role in maintaining the health of the Tibetan people.For bloodletting therapy,with the development of society,some differences appeared between modern clinical application and ancient records.Modern Tibetan medicine is constantly exploring the right way for the development of bloodletting therapy.This study starts with the records of bloodletting therapy in ancient books of Tibetan medicine,and then to follow the investigation of its application in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,Gansu Province.The aim is to explore the differences between ancient and modern and analyze the reasons in order to provide some suggestions for its further development.The methods of literature research and the field investigation were used in the research.In ancient books,the contents of bloodletting therapy can be divided into four parts,including tools,the scope of application,operation and the understanding of the advantages and disadvantages.Guided by this,the investigation focuses on the observation,interview and recording of relevant contents.It turns out that,at present,the development of bloodletting therapy in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is in its early stage.The public Tibetan medical hospitals and private clinics are the main organizations of applying the bloodletting therapy.In the course of bloodletting,most Tibetan doctors use modern scalpels,and fewer of them use traditional knives.The main reason is disinfecting of knives,which is one of the main difficulties faced by traditional cutting tools.There are just two kinds of"separation decoction" used in the clinic,and even some new decoction appeared,which is not seen in ancient books.The Rgyud bzhi is the main source of theory of bloodletting therapy,and the instruction of clinical practice mainly come from some well-known experts from local and Lhasa,Sichuan and other places.In the treatment,doctors believe that mkhris-pa or febrile disease is the treatment direction of bloodletting therapy,such as hypertension,gout,rheumatoid,eye disease,heart disease etc.According to the theory of bloodletting therapy in Tibetan medicine,rlung and badkan diseases are forbidden to use bloodletting therapy,and local doctors also accept and follow this principle.Through the investigation,the status of bloodletting therapy in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture was not entirely satisfactory.There are 4 problems.Firstly,local doctors have insufficient knowledge about bloodletting therapy from the ancient literature of Tibetan medicine.So some traditional theories have been lost in clinical practice.Secondly,a collision between traditional knowledge and the change of modern ideas could be seen.Thirdly,the development of bloodletting therapy is in the spontaneous stage and lacks developmental planning.Fourthly,local people's awareness for bloodletting therapy is insufficient which reflects the difficult environment for the development of the therapy.In summary,based on the analysis and research,3 preliminary suggestions are propounded.First,the connotation of bloodletting therapy should be fully explained,from both traditional viewpoint and modern studies.Second,working out a development plan and conducting regular training and seminars should be considered.Third,strengthening the popularization of Tibetan medicine and cultivating the culture of Tibetan medicine to improve local people's recognition in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture should be paid more attention to.