Tongues on fire : on the origins and transmission of a system of tongue diagnosis
This dissertation explores the origins and development of a Chinese diagnostic system based on the inspection of the tongue, and the transmission of this practice to Europe in the late 17th century. Drawing on the rich textual history of China, I will show that the tongue is cited as an indicator of illness or a portent of death in the classic texts of the Han dynasty, but these references do not amount to a system of diagnosis. I will argue that the privileging of the tongue as a diagnostic tool is a relatively recent occurrence in the history of Chinese medicine. Paying particular attention to case records kept by physicians from the Han dynasty (206 bceâ220 ce) to the Qing dynasty (1644â1911), I will show that an increasing interest in the appearance of the tongue was specifcally due to its ability to refect the presence and intensity of heat in the body. Tongue inspectionâs growing pervasiveness coincided with an emerging discourse among Chinese physicians concerning the relative usefulness of shanghan ć·ćŻ (Cold Damage) or wenbing æș"ç (Warm Disease) theories of disease progression. With the establishment of global trade routes in the 16th and 17th centuries the transmission of knowledge, objects and practices from China to Europe was facilitated. I will argue that among the various medical practices of China that fascinated European audiences, tongue diagnosis, unlike pulse diagnosis, was able to stand outside the constraints of Chinese medical theory in its transmission to Europe.
Holroyde-Downing, Nancy
Tongues on fire : on the origins and transmission of a system of tongue diagnosis. This dissertation explores the origins and development of a Chinese diagnostic system based on the inspection of the tongue, and the transmission of this practice to Europe in the late 17th century. Drawing on the rich textual history of China, I will show that the tongue is cited as an indicator of illness or a portent of death in the classic texts of the Han dynasty, but these references do not amount to a system of diagnosis. I will argue that the privileging of the tongue as a diagnostic tool is a relatively recent occurrence in the history of Chinese medicine. Paying particular attention to case records kept by physicians from the Han dynasty (206 bceâ220 ce) to the Qing dynasty (1644â1911), I will show that an increasing interest in the appearance of the tongue was specifcally due to its ability to refect the presence and intensity of heat in the body. Tongue inspectionâs growing pervasiveness coincided with an emerging discourse among Chinese physicians concerning the relative usefulness of shanghan ć·ćŻ (Cold Damage) or wenbing æș"ç (Warm Disease) theories of disease progression. With the establishment of global trade routes in the 16th and 17th centuries the transmission of knowledge, objects and practices from China to Europe was facilitated. I will argue that among the various medical practices of China that fascinated European audiences, tongue diagnosis, unlike pulse diagnosis, was able to stand outside the constraints of Chinese medical theory in its transmission to Europe.
fire origin transmission system tongue diagnosis explores origins_development chinese diagnostic system base inspection tongue transmission practice europe drawing rich textual history china show tongue cite indicator illness death classic text han_dynasty reference amount system diagnosis argue privilege tongue diagnostic tool relatively_recent occurrence history chinese medicine particular_attention case record keep physician han_dynasty bce qing dynasty show_increase interest appearance tongue due ability presence intensity heat body tongue inspection grow pervasiveness coincide emerging discourse among chinese physician concern relative usefulness cold damage warm disease theories disease progression establishment global trade_route transmission knowledge object practice china europe facilitate argue among various medical_practice china fascinate european audience tongue diagnosis unlike pulse diagnosis able stand outside constraint chinese medical theory transmission europe