The ''Dongui Bogam'' (; translated as "Principles and Practice of Eastern Medicine") is a Korean book compiled by the royal physician, Heo Jun and was first published in 1613 during the

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

period of

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

. The book is regarded as important in traditional Korean medicine, and is one of the classics of Oriental medicine today. In July 2009, it was added to

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

’s Memory of the World International Register. The original edition of Dongui Bogam is currently preserved by the Korean National Library.Dongui Bogam
at

Doosan Encyclopedia ''Doosan Encyclopedia'' () is a Korean-language encyclopedia published by Doosan Donga (). The encyclopedia is based on the ''Dong-A Color Encyclopedia'' (), which comprises 30 volumes and began to be published in 1982 by Dong-A Publishing (). ...

The original was written in

Hanja Hanja (; ), alternatively spelled Hancha, are Chinese characters used to write the Korean language. After characters were introduced to Korea to write Literary Chinese, they were adapted to write Korean as early as the Gojoseon period. () ...

and only part of it was transcribed in Korean for wide reading use, as only officials understood in Hanmun. It was translated to English in 2013.

Name

The title literally translates as "A Precious Mirror of Eastern Medicine". The phrase "Precious Mirror" (보감 寶鑑) is a metaphorical idiom meaning 'something which can be modeled after'. Meanwhile, the phrase "Eastern Medicine" (동의 東醫) is not the antonym to 'Western Medicine'; "Dongguk" (동국 東國), meaning "Eastern Country," was one of the

names of Korea There are various names of Korea in use today that are all derived from those of ancient Koreanic kingdoms and dynasties. The choice of name often depends on the language, whether the user is referring to either or both modern Korean countries, a ...

, which means the country to the east of China. Therefore, the title can be rendered as "An Exemplary Explanation of Korean Medicine" and is listed in UNESCO Memory of the World as "Principles and Practice of Eastern Medicine".

Background

Known as one of the classics in the history of Eastern medicine, it was published and used in many countries including China and Japan, and remains a key reference work for the study of Eastern medicine. Its categorization and ordering of symptoms and remedies under the different human organs affected, rather than the disease itself, was a revolutionary development at that time. It contains insights that in some cases did not enter the medical knowledge of Europe until the twentieth century. Work on the ''Dongui Bogam'' started in the 29th year of King Seonjo's reign (1596) by the main physicians of '' Naeuiwon'' (내의원, "royal clinic"), with the objective to create a comprehensive compilation of traditional medicine. Main physician Heo Jun led the project, but work was interrupted due to the second Japanese invasion of Korea in 1597. King Seonjo did not see the project come to fruition, but Heo Jun steadfastedly stuck to the project and finally completed the work in 1610, the 2nd year of King Gwanghaegun's reign. It "synthesized 2000 years of traditional medical knowledge" from Korea and China, and included

Taoist Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

, and

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, religion, theory of government, or way of life. Founded by Confucius ...

ideas.

The book

The ''Dongui Bogam'' consists of 25 volumes. In contrast to ''Hyangyak jipseongbang'' (향약집성방, "Compilation of Native Korean Prescriptions"), written in 1433, ''Dongui Bogam'' is more systematic. It not only refers to Korean medicinal texts, but also Chinese medicinal texts, and records illnesses practically with their respective remedies.Dongui Bogam
at Encyclopedia of Korean Culture

The book is divided into 5 chapters: ''Naegyeongpyeon'' (내경편, 内景篇, Internal Medicine), ''Oehyeongpyeon'' (외형편, 外形篇, External Medicine), ''Japbyeongpyeon'' (잡병편, 難病編, Miscellaneous Diseases), ''Tangaekpyeon'' (탕액편, 湯液編, Remedies), and ''Chimgupyeon'' (침구편, 鍼灸編,

Acupuncture Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientif ...

), respectively. *''Naegyeongpyeon'' primarily deals with physiologic functions and equivalent disorders of internal organs. The interactions of five organs -

liver The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...

lungs The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in many animals, including humans. In mammals and most other tetrapods, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart. Their function in the respiratory syste ...

kidneys In humans, the kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped blood-filtering organs that are a multilobar, multipapillary form of mammalian kidneys, usually without signs of external lobulation. They are located on the left and right in the retro ...

heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...

, and

spleen The spleen (, from Ancient Greek '' σπλήν'', splḗn) is an organ (biology), organ found in almost all vertebrates. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, it acts primarily as a blood filter. The spleen plays important roles in reg ...

- are thoroughly explained. *''Oehyeongpyeon'' explains the function of visible parts of the human body - skin, muscles, blood vessels, tendons, and bones - and the various related illnesses. *''Japbyeongpyeon'' deals with diagnosis and healing methods of various illnesses and disorders such as

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner wikt:turmoil, turmoil and includes feelings of dread over Anticipation, anticipated events. Anxiety is different from fear in that fear is defined as the emotional response ...

, over-excitement,

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

, cold,

nausea Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. It can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the throat. Over 30 d ...

edema Edema (American English), also spelled oedema (British English), and also known as fluid retention, swelling, dropsy and hydropsy, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. S ...

jaundice Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or, less frequently, greenish pigmentation of the skin and sclera due to high bilirubin levels. Jaundice in adults is typically a sign indicating the presence of underlying diseases involving ...

, carbunculosis, and others. This chapter also has a section for

pediatrics Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, Adolescence, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many o ...

and

gynecology Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences) is the area of medicine concerned with conditions affecting the Female reproductive system, female reproductive system. It is often paired with the field of obste ...

. *''Tangaekpyeon'' details methods for creating remedies and medical potions such as the collection of medicinal herbs and plants, creating and handling of medication, correct prescription and administration of medicine. All herbal medicine is categorized with explanations regarding their strength, gathering period and their common names for easy understanding. *''Chimgupyeon'' explains the acupuncture procedures for various ailments and disorders. ''Dongui Bogam'' offered not only medical facts, but also philosophical values of Eastern Asia. Heo Jun conveyed the message that maintaining the body's energies in balance leads to one's good health. The first page of the book is an anatomical map of the human body, linking human body with heaven and earth which embodies the Asian perspective of nature.

Editions

There have been several print editions of ''Dongui Bogam'' besides the original ''Naeuiwon'' edition, within Korea and abroad. The first Chinese edition was printed in 1763 with additional prints in 1796, and 1890. The Japanese edition was first printed in 1724, and then 1799.

UNESCO Memory of the World Register and controversy

In 2009, UNESCO decided to add ''Dongui Bogam'' to the cultural heritage list due to its contribution as a historical relic and it was placed on

’s Memory of the World International Register, becoming Korea's seventh cultural heritage to be thus included. However, doctors clashed over ''Dongui Bogam'' after the official listing. The Korean Medical Association (KMA) downplayed the book's importance saying that "it shouldn’t be taken as anything more than a recognition of the book's value as a historical relic. It should not be taken as an acknowledgement of traditional medicine for its superior effectiveness", saying that the book is full of

quackery Quackery, often synonymous with health fraud, is the promotion of fraudulent or Ignorance, ignorant medicine, medical practices. A quack is a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or public ...

such as how to bear a son or how to make yourself invisible. The KMA emphasized that ''Dongui Bogam'' was merely a cultural artifact and not science. The Association of Korean Oriental Medicine (AKOM) criticized the doctors of KMA for the lack of their appreciation of the influence of ''Dongui Bogam'' and history, saying it is necessary "to inherit and advance traditional medicine".Doctors Clash Over ‘Mirror of Eastern Medicine’
Korea Times, 2009-08-04.

References

External links

{{Commons category, Dongui Bogam
''Donguibogam'': Principles and Practice of Eastern Medicine
on the

Memory of the World international register
400 years of ''Dongui Bogam''
Dongui Bogam Organization
''Donguibogam, precious book of Korean medicine''
article published in the UNESCO Courier Korean non-fiction books Medical books Traditional Korean medicine Memory of the World Register 1613 books Ho Chun National Treasures of South Korea