The use of insects in Tibetan medicine

L’utilisation d’animaux et de leurs sous-produits a une longue histoire dans la tradition médicale tibétaine. De telles thérapies incluent aussi souvent des produits issus d'insectes dont certains seront présentés dans cet article. Après une brève introduction sur l'importance des médicaments issus des animaux et des insectes dans les traditions médicales chinoise et indienne, les systèmes utilisés par les médecins tibétains et mongols pour classifier les animaux seront discutés. L'utilisation médicinale de onze insectes sera examinée au travers de l’analyse textuelle, avec un accent particulier mis sur la description traditionnelle de l'animal et de son potentiel thérapeutique. Cet ensemble de onze insectes comprend des mouches, des fourmis, deux insectes non identifiés, des papillons, des cigales et quatre types de coléoptères, tels que les dytiques et les cantharides.The practice of using animals and their by-products has a long history in the Tibetan medical tradition. Such therapies also often include products deriving from insects, some of which will be discussed in the present paper. After a brief introduction addressing the importance of medicinal products deriving from animals and insects in the Chinese and Indian medical traditions, the systems used by Tibetan and Mongolian doctors to classify animals will be discussed. The medicinal use of eleven insects will be examined by textual analysis, with a particular focus on the traditional description of the animal and their healing potentials. This set of eleven insects includes flies, ants, two unidentified insects, butterflies, cicadas, and four kinds of beetles, such as diving beetles and blister beetles

The Substitution of Materia Medica in Tibetan Medicine: An Inquiry into Traditional Tibetan Treatises

The substitution of materia medica in Tibetan medicine was an important issue in the past, and still is today. This article offers a brief survey of references found in Tibetan written sources, and discusses the only three Tibetan treatises that deal exclusively with the subject. It explores the underlying modes of substitution, and provides insights into the criteria that are used to determine suitable substitutes. Ultimately it demonstrates that seven criteria—taste, healing potential, type, substance, name, shape, and smell—are used to determine an appropriate substitute for rare or expensive materia medica in the Tibetan medical tradition