Abstract
Crude drug specimens are quite precious materials which allow us to confirm the morphology of the crude drugs of their collective era. However, because of the difficulty of preservation, such specimens have been disposed of. We wanted to show the importance of those specimens by utilizing them during our studies concerning OGATA Koan's medicinal practice.
OGATA Koan was a physician in the late Edo period. His two medicine boxes are preserved at Osaka University, and we have studied them. We have utilized the crude drug specimens stored at Osaka University in those studies. First, we used specimens for morphological comparisons. It is especially difficult to collect the standards of crude drugs which are not used in today's Japanese Kampo medicine or whose origins have changed over the years. Second, we analyzed some suits of crude drug specimens which should reflect the medicinal backgrounds of collectors. As a result of statistical analysis, we revealed and visually showed that OGATA Koan used both Western and Eastern medicines. Third, we applied them with scientific analysis.
For the establishment of novel non-destructive analysis, we focused on muonic X-ray analysis. We used one of the specimens to confirm the availability of that method before carrying it out with Koan's medicine bottle. Finally, we succeeded in analyzing Koan's bottle by that novel method, and it was the first time it had been applied to a medical inheritance.
Our study couldn't be conducted without the crude drug specimens. It is quite important for not only storing, but also sorting and comprehending the specimens to utilize them. We keep utilizing those specimens to emphasize the importance of protecting them and advancing our historical studies.
