MINAMOTO, Shunsen 源春泉.

Igaku hayagatten 醫學早合点 [Introduction to Chinese Medicine].

15 full-page woodcut illus. 23; 31 folding leaves. Two vols. 8vo, orig. semi-stiff wrappers (wrappers somewhat wormed), title-slips on upper covers, new stitching. Kyoto: Akitaya Tōbei 秋田屋藤兵衛, 1778.

First edition of this very rare work on Chinese medicine, based on a series of lectures by Minamoto, who was probably a Kyoto physician. His disciples gathered their notes and published the present book, an introduction to traditional Chinese medicine (known in Japan as kanpo) and its slow transformation into autonomous Japanese medicine

The 24 types of pulse and their significance are described, and the differences of pulse in men and women are explained. Categories of materia medica are discussed, along with types of diseases; recommended blends of herbs as cures; the five organs; the six intestines; massage techniques; acupuncture; moxibustion; recommendations on how to diagnose patients; foodstuffs including grains, roots, leafy vegetables, poultry, fish, and four-legged animals; recommended diets and prohibitions; tools for accurate measurement of drug doses; women’s diseases and methods of abortion (including poisons); the 13 divisions of medicine; the seven important theories of medicine; important reference works to be studied; the Yellow Emperor; and the theories of the four great masters of Chinese medicine of the Jin-Yuan period: Liu Wansu (style name Shouzen), Zhang Congzheng (Zihe), Li Gao (Dongyuan), and Zhang Zhenheng (Danxi).

In an interesting passage, Minamoto describes how doctors have certain diagnostic strengths and weaknesses. He also refers to many classic Chinese medical works and provides an extensive medicine vocabulary.

The 15 woodcuts depict images of various parts of the body and pressure points in Chinese style, acupuncture needles, the 14 meridians, etc. One shows different techniques of folding envelopes to hold medicines safely.

Very nice set but with some minor and mostly marginal worming. Preserved in a chitsu.