Figure 4: Treatment of Disease

(1) This illustration is based on the contents of Chapter 5 “Treatment of Diseases” in the Four Medical Classics: General Principles.

(2) This diagram is similar to the second diagram. It uses the roots, trunk, branches, and leaves of a tree to systematically introduce the dietary choices, daily living adjustments, medications, and external treatments for disease treatment.

(3) According to the History of Tibetan Medicine written by Desi Sangye Gyatso: “The root of the tree of treatment of diseases is divided into four main trunks: diet, daily life, medicine, and external treatment methods. On the diet trunk, there are six branches, including food and drinks for treating long disease, triba disease, and bacon disease; the food branch for treating long disease has ten leaves, and the drink branch has four leaves; the food branch for treating triba disease has seven leaves, the drink branch has five leaves, and the food branch for treating bacon disease has six leaves, and the drink branch has three leaves; there are a total of thirty-five leaves. On the daily life trunk, there are two leaves each for long disease, triba disease, and bacon disease, for a total of six leaves. There are fifteen branches on the medicine trunk, and the medicinal properties and flavors for treating long disease, triba disease, and bacon disease have a total of eighteen leaves, twenty-three leaves for attacking medicine, and nine leaves for driving away medicine, for a total of fifty leaves. On the external treatment method trunk, there are three branches, including external treatment methods for long disease, triba disease, and bacon disease, with seven leaves. The whole map has one root, four thousand, twenty-seven branches, and ninety-eight leaves.”

(4) According to the classic narrative of Tibetan medicine history, the lower corner of the picture shows: After Thubodruppa Yixi finished lecturing on the Four Medical Classics: General Principles, he returned to the heart of the Medicine King.