Tibetan Medicine has the earliest pictorial explanation of embryology 1200 years ago in the the Thangka of human embryonic development.
In this drawing originating from the Tibetan Medical Text Gyu-shi, the embryo development is composed of 38 weeks in 5 stages, using what was often seen in the Tibetan daily life to describe the development of the fetus.
1. Early stage (Week 1-4 or 1st month):
– Shaped like yogurt until clump.
2. Fish stage (Week 5-9 or 2nd month):
– Elongated shaped like fish, meridians form from central umbilicus spread out to torso.
3. Turtle stage (Week 10-17 or 2nd-4th month):
– Starting to grow four limbs, 9 orifices as well as 5 solid and 6 hallow organs.
– Inner and outer meridians connect
4. Boar stage (Week 18-35 or 4th-8th month):
– All organs develop similarly to the boar, muscles and fat.
– Bones and marrow, hair and skin pores form, 9 orifices are open.
5. Nearing labor stage (Week 36-38 or 9th-10th month):
– Fetus and mom can affect one another via emotion and feeling
– Head tilting down, ready to be born
Current Western understanding of the human embryology started around the 1800s, and further advancement only began around the 1950s. It’s amazing that Tibetan Medicine can be so incisive in its explanation of the embryo development 1200 years ago. Tibetan Medicine is influenced by neighboring Eastern medicines, and thus one can see elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
TCM bases its foundation in Yin Yang and 5 Elements. Ancient practitioners understood the world from the quality of Yin Yang and the stages of change in 5 Elements. From every season to its corresponding theme, to 5 Zang (solid organs) 6 Fu (hallow organs) and its representing emotions. The wisdom of TCM have been telling us how to live in harmony with the inner and outer worlds. Following the rules of the nature, directions, times of the day, seasons, how to take care, to finally reach for the harmonious state of “Oneness of the Sky and Human”.
Dating further back 1400 years ago, “Month by Month Formula for Nurturing the Fetus”, written by Dr. Xu Zhi-Cai (see picture below) is the most innovation, complete, and well kept medical text about how expecting Moms can take care of herself. He describes, by every month, of which meridians is responsible for nurturing the fetus, the emotional how-to, food intake, and other cautionary aspects for the Mom.
In previous bi-monthly posts, I have decoded the 5 Elements’ point of view from the old text, relating to the season, element, zang-fu organ, emotions, and foods. In the posts after this, we will look more closely at the original texts.
東方醫學中歷史最久遠圖解的胚胎學
大概就是1200前的西藏醫學的四部醫典
曼唐第五圖的人體胚胎發育講起 (見上圖)
38週分成五個時期, 以當時人類所常見之物來形容
1. 早期 (1-4週/1月) :
– 形如酸奶直到混合物成塊狀
2. 魚期(5-9週/2月):
– 胚胎長條似魚
– 由臍脈輪中心點展開所有脈絡至胸腹形成
3. 龜期 (10-17週/2-3月):
– 逐漸長出四肢
– 眼耳鼻口等九竅以及五臟六腑之形成
– 內外脈絡連接
4. 豬期 (18-35週/4-8月):
– 各器官逐漸發育形體類似於豬
– 肌肉脂肪, 骨骼骨髓, 頭髮汗毛形成, 九竅開通
5. 即將分娩 (36-38週/8-10月):
– 胎兒與母體互相影響, 情緒與感受
– 頭部倒轉, 準備出生
西藏的醫學受到周遭東西方醫學的薰陶
四部醫典如此精闢之中
其中也有包含傳統中醫的元素
中醫基本概念基礎在於陰陽五行
古人從陰陽之質中來理解世界之中的五行過程與轉化
從春夏秋冬的生長收藏至五臟六腑和它們代表的情志
中醫的智慧一直在告訴我們如何與內在和外在世界
應順著天的秩序, 東南西北, 時辰, 春夏秋冬, 該如何養生
和平共處達到天人合一之和諧
來自於1400年前名醫徐之才的逐月養胎法
是在中醫史裡最創新，保存最完整
針對於媽媽的孕期保養
他形容了每個妊娠月的經脈養成胎兒的狀況
包括如何飲食養生及注意事項
我之前先以五行相生概念, 簡化兩月合一
現在再來跟大家詳細各個月分的古文解說
敬請期待!
Disclaimer: All of this work is translated by me, and I do not guarantee the accuracy, please provide meaningful feedback with me if you see any edits needed. Thank you for your collaboration in this exploration!
