"Tonguibogam", the encyclopaedia of Koryo medical science is the pride of our nation. It is the collection of the successes of the development of Koryo medical science upto the early 17th century.
"Tonguibogam" is one of the 3 famous classical Koryo medical books in Korea along with “Hyangyakjipsongbang” (85 volumes) and “Uibangryuchi” (365 volumes).
"Tonguibogam" was compiled by Ho Jun (1546-1645), famous medical scientist in the period of Joson feudal dynasty.
He learnt Koryo medicine in twenties, passed medical examination in 1574 and became physician at the age of 30. Afterwards, he served as royal doctor for 33 years.
In 1596, he established the editorial board in the internal department and took charge of compiling "Tonguibogam". The compilation was suspended because the members of the editorial board were scattered by the Japanese invasion in 1597 but only Ho Jun continued compilation single-handedly upto after the Imjin Fatherland War. When King Sonjo died in 1608, he was in exile by the plot of the feudal bureaucrats who were jealousy about his extraordinary wisdom and fame till the following year but even in exile he continued the compilation of "Tonguibogam". On September 22, 1610, he finished the compilation at last and had it printed with wooden blocks in November 1613.
Like this, Ho Jun completed "Tonguibogam" by analyzing the previous medical books and treat experience and collecting new medical technology and experience he gained in his clinical practices for over 10 years, keeping pride of Korea’s special Koryo medical tradition amidst difficult conditions.
"Tonguibogam" (25 volumes) consists of 5 parts.
They are contents (2 volumes), part of internal treatment (4 volumes), part of configuration (4 volumes), part of various diseases (11 volumes), part of draught medicine (3 volumes) and part of acupuncture (1 volume).
"Tonguibogam" writes dissection physiology of human body, examination, prevention and treatment methods of various diseases in a systematic way.
Unlike the previous Koryo medical books that mentioned only the cause and treatment of diseases, this book writes about human body in an anatomical way.
While dealing with large scientific contents, it writes about folk remedies in an easy way and introduced the treatment methods such as medication, acupuncture, mixibustion, etc. in a comfortable way for the treatment.
"Tonguibogam" mentions a lot of prescriptions but under each prescription there is chapter and verse to ensure scientific accuracy of the prescription.
Unlike the previous books, "Tonguibogam" has unique narrative system in which it claims to give priority to prevention to treatment, carrying its peculiarity.
Even foreign scholars praise it “Tonguibogam” takes leadership position in the Orient as one and only encyclopaedia of the Oriental medicine. Printing "Tonguibogam" in a foreign country, it gave preface in which it is written that this book supplemented all the weak points of the previous books and made everyone healthy. It should be widely introduced to share the great treasure with the people over the world.
"Tonguibogam" is a valuable Korean national cultural heritage that left remarkable trace in the development of world medicine, consolidating the tradition of Koryo medicine.
