Visualization for Crude Drugs Inherited from Koan Ogata?s Medicine Chest

Abstract

Objective : Koan Ogata (K.Ogata : 1810-63), the director of Tekijuku, was a physician who contributed much to the medical profession in the late Edo period resulting from his knowledge of Western medicine. Osaka University inherited various items from his cultural heritage, including a medicine chest with crude drugs stored in six drawers. To make informed decisions regarding suitable preservation strategies, the entire medicine chest, the crude drugs, and the features thereof were noninvasively archived. Methods : Inspection of the medicine chest was performed in accordance with the procedures authorized by the Tekijuku Commemoration Center. We measured the chromaticity, size and weight using a spectrophotometer, digital caliper and electric balance, respectively. Morphological photographs were taken by an art photographer. Detailed structures were observed and recorded using a digital microscope. Results and Discussion : We took approximately 7,000 pictures of the chest itself and its components. There were 70 medicaments stored in the chest, with most of them packed in a paper case with the medicine name written on it. K. Ogata used medicinals (crude drugs) consisting of botanical, animal and mineral origins to treat patients. The second drawer from the top of the chest held 10 pharmaceutical pilltype preparations with different names. In the third to fifth drawers, crude drugs (cut-style : 3.5-46 g) were found in 64 of the 70 cases. Half of the medicinal materials originated from leaves, flowers and seeds, and the others were roots, rhizomes and so on. Several drugs were difficult to identify due to serious damage caused by insects. Some medicine names on the paper cases seemed to suggest European drugs such as salvia, chamomile and cascarilla. The analysis of his chest revealed that he used the most advanced medicines from Europe and China in the Edo period.