A trip to Taiwan 1： Taroko National Park

 

＜　Eternal Spring Shrine 　＞

This time, I introduce to you the most impressive natural landscape in Taiwan.

That day, when we were going into Taroko National Park, unluckily it began to rain.

However, rain and muddy stream were making beauty further conspicuous.

We traveled Taiwan for five days in early December 2011.

Taiwan is an island of 400 km from south to north, and 140 km from east to west.

It belongs to the Subtropical Zone and the Torrid Zone.

It is on the ocean 140 km away from China continent.

The central part is a band of mountains higher than 3000 m.

今回、台湾旅行で最も感動した自然景観を紹介します。

この日は、あいにく山間に入る頃から雨が降り出しました。

しかし雨と濁流がいっそう美しさを際立たせてくれました。

私は２０１１年１２月初旬の5日間、台湾を旅行しました。

台湾は、亜熱帯と熱帯に属する南北４００ｋｍ、東西１４０ｋｍの島です。

中国大陸から１４０ｋｍ離れた太平洋上にあります。

その中央部は３０００ｍを越える山脈が連なっています。

＜　Position in Taiwan   　＞

＜ A gate of the longitudinal road from east to west. A red arrow shows Taroko National Park.　"Tunnel of Nine Turns".　＞

Taroko National Park is near Hualien city of the Taiwan east seashore.

There was only a seaway until this road was made, and the development of this area had been left behind.

The road along this canyon is one of a few roads that cross Taiwan.

This highway construction was severe.

太魯閣峡谷は台湾東側の都市花蓮の近くにあります。

この道路が出来るまでは航路しかなく、この地域の発展は遅れていました。

この峡谷沿いの東西横貫道路は台湾を横断する数少ない道の一つです。

この道路建設は苛酷を究めました。

＜　Eternal Spring Shrine : construction victim is worshiped.　　＞

＜　Deep mountains and dark valleys which get dim in rain. ＞

＜　Towering cliffs. Marble rocks brighten white because of rain. A muddy flow.＞

＜　looking up a vast rock　＞

＜　A small shrine　＞

＜　 Taroko National Park is viewed from the river mouth.　＞

When we finished the sightseeing of Taroko National Park, rain stopped completely.

I took a photograph from the train that goes to Taipei from Hualien.

太魯閣峡谷の観光を終える頃には、雨はすっかり上がっていた。

花蓮から台北に向かう列車から撮影した。

History of sickness and medical art 1２ : Ancient Egypt ２

＜　a mural painting of a doctor's grave in about 2200 BC. Massage of hand and foot.　＞

This time, I write about sickness and medical art of Ancient Egypt.

今回は、古代エジプトの病気と治療について書きます。

＜　A picture of Job in the Old Testament at the 9-century in Roma. Job was suffered from a skin disease.　＞

Sickness

Although they knew about 200 kinds of sicknesses, there is no sick description in connection with entrails like lung or liver, etc.

Probably, it was beyond their understanding.

As for medical disease, clear things were only constipation, the inflammation of the rectum, cystitis, and the bloody urine by blood fluke.

However, the description about external lesion and external injury is clear.

Frequent sicknesses are bronchial asthma, erysipelas, gonorrhea, scurvy, epilepsy, polio, and parasitic disease。

Hansen’s disease and smallpox often attacked people.

It seems that the skin disease that Job was suffered from by a mischief of God was Hansen's disease.

From mummies of the past kings such as Ramses, the remains of an artery disease or an infectious disease of their face were seen.

A lot of mummies of the commoner have pneumoconiosis caused by the dust storm of the desert, and diseases due to the parasitic worm.

Arteriosclerosis was seen in 20% of adults.

病気

彼らは約２００種類の病気を認識していたが、肺や肝臓、膵臓、腎臓などの病気に関する記述はない。

彼らの理解を超えていたのだろう。

内科的疾患で明確なのは便秘、直腸の炎症、膀胱炎、住血吸虫による血尿のみである。

しかし外部の病変と外傷についての記述は明瞭である。

よく現れる病気は気管支喘息、丹毒、熱帯性肝炎、淋病、壊血病、てんかん、小児麻痺、寄生虫疾患で、しばしばハンセン病と天然痘に襲われた。

ヨブが神の悪戯で患った病気はハンセン病と推測される。

ラムセスなどの歴代王などのミイラからは動脈疾患や顔面の伝染病跡が見られる。

一般人のミイラから、砂漠の砂塵による塵肺症や寄生虫による病気の多いことが確認され、成年の２０％で動脈硬化が見られた。

Medical treatment

Prescriptions of the medical disease were 700 kinds and were categorized according to entrails.

As for surgery, treatment of fracture, extraction of calculus, operation of eyes, and removal of external tumor have been performed.

A trepanning of skull, treatment of cavity, and also making a false tooth were performed.

Surgical instruments such as many pins, scissors, and knife were pictured in the mural painting of ruins.

Steam from tar fragments, coriander, powder of carob, and opium were also used for anesthesia.

治療

内科疾患の処方は７００種あり、関係する臓器ごとに分類されていた。

外科は骨折治療、結石の摘出、目の手術、外腫瘍の除去、包皮切開が行われていた。

頭蓋骨の穿孔手術、虫歯治療、ブリッジによる義歯作りも行われた。

遺跡の壁画に数多くのピン、ハサミ、ナイフなどの外科用器具が描かれている。

麻酔にタール破片からの蒸気やコリアンダー、イナゴマメの粉末、アヘンも使用された。

＜　Horus : It has a head of falcon and is a God of the sky and the sun.

A charm of Horus's eye　＞

When rational medical arts could not cure it, people relied on magician who was always nearby.

The reason to use feces, urine, and the blood for prescription is because people thought that the demon that is the cause of the disease avoids it and runs away.

In addition, the people demanded help from Amen-Ra, Toto, Horus, Isis of Gods and gave prayer.

Getting on a charm became common, it of Horus’ eyes that protected from snake, scorpion, or crocodile were the most common.

The medical treatment was provided at the sanitarium of shrines too.

Patients were isolated in small rooms, and offered prayer.

In addition, while sleeping, they were given the grace in dreams, and were cured.

Also they took a ritual bath in the shrine.

This resembles the medical treatment of Asklepios's shrine that prospered in Greece.

Next time, I write down drugs etc. of ancient Egypt.

合理的な医術でうまく行かない場合は、常に身近にいた呪術師の出番となった。

処方に糞、尿、血を使う理由は、病原である魔物が嫌い逃げ出すと考えたからである。

また神々のアメン、トト、ホルス、イシスなどに助けを求め、祈りを捧げたりした。

護符を身に付けることも普及しており、蛇やサソリ、ワニから守ってくれるホルスの目が最も一般的だった。

神殿のサナトリウムで治療が行われてもいた。

患者は小部屋に隔離され、祈りを捧げ、眠っている間に夢の中で神の恩寵にあずかり癒され、さらに神殿のプールで沐浴も行った。

これはギリシャで隆盛を極めた治癒神アスクレピオスの神殿治療に似ている。

次回は、古代エジプトの最後で、薬剤等を記します。

Card throwing and Higgs boson

 

This year, the Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to the prophet of the "Higgs boson".

Existence of this particle was confirmed in the huge underground experiment place in the Geneva suburbs this year.

About this importance, I write down my impression.

今年、ノーベル物理学賞は「ヒッグス粒子」の提唱者に与えられました。

この粒子の存在は、今年、ジュネーブ郊外の巨大な地下実験所で確認された。

この重要性について、私の感想を記します。

＜　the detector of European Laboratory for Particle Physics(CERN), two persons at the lower left　＞

When young, I had a certain question.

When throwing a card, if we let the snap of a wrist and rotated it, it will often fly to a distance.

If it is not rotated, it will fall immediately.

This is because the inertia energy increases by the rotation and it becomes difficult to slow down to air resistance.

This is the same reason as a spinning top that was rotated becomes difficult to fall over.

However, I didn't quite get it.

The substance of our universe

Now, human beings can explain a motion of Galaxy or planets within our universe of radius of 13,700 million light-years by gravity.

However, the gravity isn't transmitted in a trice but only transmitted at the velocity of light.

This is mysterious again.

It seems that it is filled with something even if the universe is a vacuum.

若い頃、私にはある疑問がありました。

トランプカードを投げる時、手首のスナップを効かせて回転させると遠くまでよく飛びます。

回転させないと、ふらふらとすぐ落ちてしまいます。

これは回転により慣性エネルギーが増え、空気抵抗に対して減速し難くなるからです。

回転させたコマが倒れ難くなるのと同じ理由です。

しかし、釈然としませんでした。

宇宙の中身

現在、人類は半径１３７億光年（実は４００億光年）の宇宙内の銀河や星の動きを重力で説明することが出来ます。

しかし重力は、瞬時ではなく光速でしか伝わりません。

これまた厄介です。

宇宙空間は真空であっても、何かで満ちているようで、中世からこの考えはありました。

＜　Higgs boson produces inertial mass.　＞

The appearance of Higgs boson

In 1964, "Higgs boson" was propounded as what is able to give inertia mass to the material of our universe.

In order to prove it, many scholars have experimented with the particle accelerator of a round of 27 km for a few decades.

And at last it was confirmed.

What this discovery means.

When a card was rotated, Higgs boson that had stuck to it operated on it and the inertia mass was increasing.

An understanding to the universe and inertial mass took a step forward.

However, the gravity is not explained yet.

ヒッグス粒子の登場

１９６４年、宇宙の物質に質量を与えるものとして「ヒッグス粒子」が提唱されました。

それを証明する為に、多くの学者が一周２７ｋｍの粒子加速器で数十年も実験を行って来たのです。

そしてやっと確認されたのです。

この発見が意味するもの

回転させると、カードにヒッグス粒子が纏わり付き、慣性が増大していたのです。

宇宙、慣性質量への理解が一歩前進しました。

しかし重力をまだ説明することが出来ないそうです。

＜　History of the Universe　＞

When was this Higgs boson born?

The universe was born by Big Bang 13,700 million years ago from a void spot, and the particles were also born.

By the subsequent rapid expansion, Higgs boson were filled in the universe within a much shorter than 0.0000001 seconds.

And the particles came to have inertial mass except light.

In this way, the substance of the universes came to have the form and the movement, and then became stable.

What is great?

We, human beings are able to reason till a maximum space of 40 billion light years or a minimum world of much smaller than 1/100,000,000 mm, and at 13,700 million years ago.

Then we are able to prove it in the experiment.

Human beings evolved from the life that had arisen 4 billion years ago at a planet of this universe.

And we accomplished it by accumulation of the knowledge for approximately 3,000 years at most.

However it seems to be difficult to get peace and tranquility.

このヒッグス粒子は何時生まれたのか？

１３７億年前、何も無いところから宇宙がビッグバンで誕生し、粒子も誕生した。

その後の急速膨張で、０．００・・０1秒以内に、ヒッグス粒子が宇宙に満ち、光以外は質量を持つようになった。

こうして私達宇宙の物質は、形と運動を持つ安定したものとなったのです。

何が凄いのか

我々人類は、最大半径４００億光年の空間、最小1億の１０万分の１ｍｍ以下の世界、さらに１３７億年前の過去まで推論し、それを実験で証明することが出来たのです。

人類は、この宇宙の一点で、４０億年前に生じた生命から進化し、高々３千年ほどの知識の蓄積によって、これを成し遂げたのです。

その割には、平和や安寧を得ることは難しいようですが。

Go around the world of Buddha statues ２: The philosophizing statues of Miroku Bosatsu(Maitreya)

＜　Miroku Bosatsu statue in Koryu-ji(temple), woodwork, the first of the 7^th century, in Kyoto　＞

The philosophizing statues of Miroku Bosatsu(Maitreya) are a kind of the Buddha statues that are well known in Japan.

The mysterious statues show some creed of the Buddhism.

日本で良く知られた仏像に弥勒菩薩半跏思惟像があります。

この神秘的な像は、仏教の教えを示しています。

＜　“The Thinker” on “The Gates of Hell” was made by Rodin in 1902.　＞

It was worrying on the gate of the hell and grimacing.

Difference between the countenance of the philosophizing statue and it is a lot.

地獄の門にて思い悩み、苦痛に歪む顔がそこにはある。

半跏思惟像の表情とは大きな違いがある。

＜　the Miroku Bosatsu statue in Koryu-ji　＞

The right leg of the statue is set to the floor, a fingertip touches the cheek lightly and the philosophizing face smiles faintly

The Miroku Bosatsu was a Bodhisattva that was promised to become the Buddha, and was considered to be the Savior those days.

People thought it important to realize the truth like a Buddha, in order to live in pure and fortunate land.

Therefore, the posture that the Buddha or Bodhisattva was philosophizing in was important.

However, probably, the Bodhisattva under training was asked for a posture different from the completed Buddha.

Is this posture unique to Japan?

右足を床におき、指先が軽く頬に触れ、思索する顔には、微かな微笑みがある。

弥勒菩薩は、仏陀になることが約束された菩薩で、当時、救世主と考えられた。

本来、仏陀は真理を悟ることにより、人々が幸せな仏国に住むことが出来ると訴えた。

従って、悟りを得んが為に思索する姿は仏陀にも菩薩にも重要であった。

しかし修行中の菩薩には、完成した仏陀と異なる、この姿勢が求められたのだろう。

この姿は日本独自のものだろうか？

＜　This gilt bronze is a Miroku Bosatsu statue in South Korea. 　＞

Buddhism had spread in the Korean Peninsula, and many philosophizing statues of Miroku Bosatsu were made in the 5 ～ 6th century, then some part of it were brought to Japan.

朝鮮半島では仏教が普及し、５～６世紀に多くの半跏思惟像が作られ、一部が日本にもたらされた。

＜　Miroku Bosatsu statues in China ＞

Left statue:  a Cave in the Dunhuang in the first of the 5th century, Gansu.

Right statue:  the ruins of a temple in the middle of the 6th century, Shandong.

It is from the Silk Road in Central Asia that Buddhism reached China, and Buddha statues and Buddhist paintings began to be made from the middle of the 4th century in Dunhuang of a desert oasis.

In China and South Korea, the philosophizing statues of Miroku Bosatsu were also made together with many Buddha statues.

左図：　甘粛省、敦煌莫高窟、菩薩半跏像、5世紀初め。

右図：　山東省、龍華寺遺跡、6世紀中頃。

中国に仏教が伝わったのは中央アジアのシルクロードからで、4世紀中頃から砂漠のオアシス敦煌に仏像や仏画が作られ始めた。

中国と韓国では、多くの仏像に混じって半跏思惟像も作られた。

About India in the birthplace of Buddhism

Buddha played an active part in the Ganges middle region around the 5th century B.C. 

The Buddha statue has begun to be made from the end of the first century.

At the beginning, the area where the Buddha statue was made briskly was in Gandhara, Pakistan.

仏教発祥の地、インドでは・・。

お釈迦様は紀元前5世紀頃、ガンジス川中流域で活躍した。

釈迦は悟りを完成させた仏陀として崇拝され、紀元１世紀末から、仏像が作られ始めた。

当初、仏像が盛んに作られた地域が、パキスタンのガンダーラでした。

＜ the philosophizing statues of Miroku Bosatsu in Gandhara, Pakistan　＞

A:　the 2～3rd century.  B:　unclear.  C:　the 2～3rd century.

Although everything is doing the same posture, it differs from the countenance of Japan delicately.

Ａ：　２～３世紀。Ｂ：　時期不明。Ｃ：　３～４世紀。

これらの像も同じ姿勢だが、日本の像の表情とは微妙に異なっている。

Summary

Although there is a little difference in the countenance and the form of the fingertip among them, the philosophizing statues of Miroku Bosatsu have a lot in common with the dress, and the posture.

Buddhism was introduced into Japan from India via Central Asia, China, and the Korean Peninsula after 500 years.

Although the Buddhist scriptures played an important role for transmitting the creed, these Buddha statues would assure people of the divine favor more than it.

まとめ

若干、顔つきや指先に違いが見られるが、総べての半跏思惟像には服装やポーズに共通するところがあった。

仏教は５００年を経て、インドから中央アジア、中国、朝鮮半島を経由して日本に伝来した。

その教えが伝わるには経典も重要な役割も果たしたが、これら仏像は、それ以上に人々に御利益を確信させたことだろう。

History of sickness and medical art 11 : Ancient Egypt 1

＜　Surgical instrument of ancient Egypt　＞

I introduce sickness and medical art of ancient Egypt. 

数回かけて、病と医術を見ます。

＜　Imhotep ＞

He was a higher flamen, the first-ever pyramid designer, and a superior physician. He was deified behind. 

イムホテプは高級神官、史上初のピラミッド設計者、優れた内科医で、後に神格化された。

＜　Step Pyramid in Sakkara, Cairo　＞

King Djoser's Step Pyramid which he designed in the middle of the 27th century BC.　

彼が設計した紀元前２７世紀中頃のジェセル王の階段ピラミッド。

Preface

The medical art of Egypt developed highly by the religious dynasty that continued for 3000 years.

The mural painting of the sepulcher, the papyrus, and tens of thousands of mummies clarify a situation of those days.

The oldest papyrus document of medical art was of the 20th century BC.

In the order from the old thing, they were written about obstetrics and gynecology, animal medicine, surgery, the prescription collection, and the magic.

The documents had included description that will go back to 4000 years BC.

The documents had included strong things of magical factor and religious factor, but there was the thing which was not so.

Herodotus had written about Egypt of the 5^thcentury BC.

" Medicine is subdivided very much and the doctor treats only the illness of one kind, respectively. Many doctors are everywhere. There is the doctor of the eyes, the head, the belly, or the tooth, and there also is specialized doctor in case patient can't tell a wrong part. ..."

はじめに

エジプトの医術は3千年続いた王朝と強固な国家宗教によって高度に発展した。

墓室の壁画とパピルス、数万体のミイラが当時の様子を明らかにしてくれる。

医術の最古のパピルス文書は、前２０世紀のもので、古いものから産婦人科、獣医学、外科、処方集、呪法が書かれていた。

その文書には紀元前４０００年に遡る記述もある。

医術は、呪術的や宗教的な色彩の強いものもあるが、そうでないものもあった。

ヘロドトスが前５世紀のエジプトについて書いている。

「医術は非常に細分化されており、医師はそれぞれ一種類ずつの病気しか治療しない。いたるところに大勢の医師がいる。目の医師もいれば、頭の医師、歯の医師、腹の医師、どこが悪いかわからない場合の医師もいる。・・・」

Doctor

The doctor was employed by the nation.

There were the doctor belonging to the flamen, the ordinary doctor, the doctor chief, the doctor's management supervisor, the Minister of Health, and the doctor of many levels of king's palace.

The doctor was specialized highly, and was divided into the general, the ophthalmology, the digestive organ, the anus, the illness of uncertain cause, the dentistry, the medical test, and the occupational disease.

The medical care was free for campaigner and journeyer, but at times the doctor had gotten many rewards.

The doctor studied in the house of the life that attached to some shrines, and heard the experience of the aged, and learned the old documentaries of library.

The knowledge of dissection was based on livestock and the old literature, but was not based on making mummy.

In the medical examination, the doctor investigated carefully a patient's appearance, the body odor, the conscious, etc., and recorded them.

Furthermore, the doctor measured bodily temperature and heart race, and performed percussion, and observed urine,defecation, phlegm.

Finally, the doctor evaluated the possibility of medical treatment to three steps, and notified of it in writing.

医　師

医師は国家に雇われていた。

神官に属する医師、普通の医師、医師長、医師の監督官、厚生大臣、さらに王宮の医師にも階層があった。

医師は高度に専門化され、一般、眼科、消化器、肛門、原因不明の病気、歯科、医学検査、職業病に分かれた。

医療は、従軍や旅行などで無料だが、医者がたっぷり報酬を貰えることもあった。

医者はいくつかの神殿に付属した生命の家で修行し、老人の経験談を聞き、また図書館の古文書から学んだ。

解剖の知識は、ミイラ作りからではなく家畜と古文献に基づいていた。

医師は診察に当たって、患者の外見、意識、体臭などを克明に調べて記録した。

さらに体温と脈拍を測り、打診を行い、尿、排便、痰の状態を観察した。

最後に治療の可能性を三段階に評価し書面で告知した。

＜　A old papyrus document　＞

A description of bronchial asthma in the 17^thcentury BC　

紀元前１７世紀の気管支喘息の記述。

When treating according to the sacred medicine document, the doctor was not penalized even if he failed, but when acting contrary to the prescription, he was condemned to the death penalty.

There were the surgery assistant, the masseur, and the male nurse helping the doctor.

Next time, I write about treatment and drug.

医師は神聖な医術書に従って治療を行っておれば、失敗しても咎められず、もし定めに反した処方で失敗すれば死刑に処せられた。

医師を手伝う男性の看護人、外科助手、マッサージ師、俗人の臨床医がいた。

次回は、治療、薬剤について書きます。