Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
tinguished by their appearance. They transmitted their learning to their sons, whom they
also sent to work under great masters in Kyoto and other towns. Their skill was largely
basedonChinese medicine, whichmade great useofherbal remedies. These theyprepared
for themselves, growing the plants in gardens attached to their homes. The medicines that
they used against internal ailments were often effective, and many are still in use; they
were also skilled in the treatment of sword wounds, but the knowledge of surgery was not
veryadvanced,althoughcontactwiththemedicalofficersoftheDutchfactoryinNagasaki
brought about a gradual improvement in the knowledge of anatomy, and by the nineteenth
century the best doctors were using an advanced combination ofEastern and Western tech-
niques. In fact, in some fields, Japanese medicine went ahead of the West, and the discov-
ery in Japan of a method of general anesthesia predated that in America.
Medicine was commonly taken in the form of powders, and each person had a formula
worked out that suited his personality. Almost everyone carried with him a supply of his
particular remedies, and it was a kindness on the part of those passing by to administer to
any unfortunate stranger who had collapsed from illness or wounds some of these, which
would be found in a box carried on his girdle.
There were some forms of treatment practiced by specialists. Very often met with in
and playing their flutes for recognition. The art of the massage was highly developed, and
treatment varied from a quick tapping and kneading of the shoulders to relieve fatigue
and strain—any dutiful wife would do it for her husband or mother-in-law—to a full-scale
working-over with much pummeling and stretching. Aches and pains and even more spe-
cificillnessescouldalsobetreatedwiththemoxa;forthisapinchofvegetablepowderwas
placed on one or more specific points on the body and set alight. It was thought to be par-
ticularly effective for muscular trouble. Other practitioners used fine silver needles driven
deep into very carefully chosen places in the body (acupuncture). Both these methods of
treatment are still widely used, and investigation is being carried on to make a scientific
assessment of their efficacities.
