Indian Antiquary Vol 60

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 213

OCTOBER, 1931)
SCRAPS OF TIBETO-BURMAN FOLKLORE
185
dwell only in the passes and on inaccessible mountain orage. My own servants referred to them as snowmen..... As an anthropologist I had been interested in the wild man disoussion, but I soon found out that the information acquired belonged by right more to the folk-lorist than to the serious soientist."
V. MEDICINE.
1. Theory. “The groundwork of their medical theory (p. 313) is based on the ancient Indian system incorporated in medieval Buddhism, but this system has been somewhat modified by ideas taken from the Chinese pharmacopoeia."
In Burma also, says E.R.E., III, 29 f., medicine, "which is Indian in origin, is not clear of necromancy. The doctor (althama) is a mere quack with empirical knowledge of leaves, barks, flowers, Beeds, roots and a few minerals. The dåtsayd is a dietest and the beindawsaya a druggist, but a doctor seldom combines both practices, and in either case is largely necromantio, professes to cure the witch-caused disease commonly believed in. The position of the moon and the stars has more to do with the medicine than the drug, and the horoscope than the diet. Oases of doath or failure to oure are attributod to error in the astrological or horoscopio information supplied."
2. Medicine. . "I was destined (p. 314) to receive medical assistance from quite another souroe. Know. ing that I was ill, Tsarong [the Commander-in-Chief) promised to send me some English medicines that he had had especially imported from India, but on arrival they turned out to be a dosen boxes of very mouldy Beecham's Pills and three pounds of Epsom salts." [Dr. MoGovern explains (p. 316) that Tibetans do not take to European medical treatment.]
8. Anatomy. " Elaborate anatomical charts (p. 313) are prepared, but in these the heart of a woman is supposed to beat in the middle of her chest and that of a man on the left. Red blood oiroulates on the right side of the body and yellow bilo on the left."
4. Curas. “The dysentery (p. 312) proved even more troublesome. At first I thought of calling in some of the lamas from the famous Medical College on the Chakpo Hill opposite the Potala Fat Lhasa), for I knew that in addition to their chants, they were in the habit of giving oertain herbs to their patients. . . . . for simple troubles many of the herbs of the witoh-dootor of primitive people are quite useful
[By the time he reached Lhasa Dr. MoGovern was suffering from inflammation of the longs with hemorrhages and dysentery. Rest brought about improvement in his physical condition very slowly, and it was proposed to call in some priests.] “ According to this plan some priests were to perform three rites on my bebalf. One was the chanting of a famous metaphysical Buddhist work oalled Praja Paramita Sutra (Shor-chin), or the Discourse on the Transcendental Wisdom. The second was the offering of food and drink to various demons, genii and guardian deities to insure their goodwill. Finally, in case these failed, and I should grow worse, the monks should perform a ceremony called chi-lu, wherein & crude image of myself, wrapped in some of my clothes, should be offered to the gods of death, with the idea that the gods would be deoeived into taking this image instead of myself."
“Two other similar cures are recommended. One was to eat some of the rilbu, or holy pills, which are prepared in somewhat different forms all over Tibet. In nearly all cases they are round blank balls, about the size of marbles, made of barley-flour and containing the relio of past saints, or even something from the body of living inoarnations. Needless to say, the Dalai Lama pills are considered partioularly efficacions in ouring ABCD, and I Was assured of & supply,"