Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CONTENTS
Acknowledgement 02
Abstract 02
Background 03
Misidentification of Tibetan plant names 03
Discussion of the major sources cited 05
Remarks concerning the Glossary 06
Latin-Tibetan 09
Tibetan-Latin 46
Uterature cited 84
Acknowledge.ents
This work could not have been completed without the resources of the
Tibetan Medical Centre in Dharmsala and the help of its director at the
time, Mr. Jigme Tsarong, and of Dr. Pasang, and the others on its helpful
and friendly staff. Dr. R. E. Schultes prOVided both guidance and encour-
agement during the process of identifying samples and writing, as did Dr.
S. Y. Bu, and Dr. R. A. Howard. Thanks are also extended to the librarians
of the Harvard University Herbarium Library and the Botanical Museum Li-
brary, who were unflaggingly cheerful about helpIng me find references in
ever more obscure languages. Likewise, the resources of the Harvard Uni-
versity Herbarium itself were essential to the identification of- specimens.
Lastly, a word must be said about mistakes: I have done my utmost to
expunge errors, but those which remain are entirely mine. I will be very
.grateful to all who bring problems to my attention so that corrections may
be incorporated in the future.
The Tibetan font was generated using the Tibetan Text Processing
System, published by the Mahayana Sutra and Tantra Press of Howell, New
Jersey, U.S.A.
Abstract
Background
Misidentification of Tibetan plant names
Discussion af the major sources cited
Explanatory remarks concerning the Glossary.
Background
Though this Glossary includes only plant names; animal and mineral
medicines together form an equally large part of the Tibetan pharmacopoeia.
Thousands of substances are recorded as medicinal. How much of this enor-
mous repertoire is actually used is uncertain. But Rehmann (1811) records
that simple Buryat doctors often used 25 to 40 elements in individual com-
pounded medicines. (The Buryats are a Tibetan people whose territory is
currently in the U.S.S.R.) Since almost all Tibetan remedies are compounds
of many ingredients, this could imply that a sizable proportion of the
pharmacopoeia finds practical application, or that the same elements are
used repeatedly in different combinations .
Tibetan sources easier and, primarily, to make explicit the number of dif-
ferent identifications applied to given Tibetan names. The large amount of
indeterminates in the Tibetan ~ Latin section, all found in only one Tibet-
an herbal, hint at the vast quantity of work that remains to be done.
local plants substituted for Indian ones retain the Sanskrit name of
the Indian original;
Tibetan descriptions and drawings which are almost always 'too vague
to allow definite identification;
'different names are often given to different parts of the same plant.
than "shing". Shing means "tree" and is a common word in plant names. On
the other hand, Jigme Tsarong, formerly Director of the Tibetan Medical
centre, has pointed out that a few of the spellings included in this Glos-
sary are so incorrect that it is impossible to guess the intended Tibetan
.urd. (The entries have been retained, but are noted as questionable.)
The sources I have used vary considerably, with some based in the
classical tradition of Tibetan medicine, while others show the influence of
Tibet's neighbors. Posdneev's (1908) work is a translation of part of the
"'1c canon of Tib~tan medicine, the rGyud-bZhi (i.e. the Four Treatises).
Posdneev's samples were identified by botanists working at Russian insti-
tutes, but he makes no mention of collecting in different r~gions nor does
be specify which regions his samples came from, and he does not say which
saaples were whole plant specimens and which were simply drug samples.
Rehmann's (1811) little booklet does not list native uses for the
plants, but does describe them rather accurately. He acquired his samples
while he was in Mongolia, where he bought common medicines from lamas or
apothecaries and then identified them either personally or through bota-
nists. Mongolian medicine was largely the same as Tibetan (always except-
ing the fact of regional substitutions) since it was part of the same Bud-
dhist - lamaist tradition that Mongolia shared with Tibet. Samples in his
collection are of historical interest, as they show what was in common use
at that time and place.
that different plant parts of the same plant often have different names.
When faced with this situation he has often questioned whether a variety of
the species was indicated. Some of his definitions may point to substitu-
tions common in the areas closer to China.
Valid scientific names are written in bold italics, and names used by
authors which are now in synonymy, wheneyer I am aware of the transfer, are
placed in ordinary italics and the entry is alphabetized under the current-
ly valid name and indented two spaces. The major works used to update the
nomenclature are, in order of importance, Hara et al. (1978, 1979, 1982),
Davis (1965 - 1985), Polunin and Stainton (1984), Tutin at al. (1964 -
1980), and Dassanayake and Fosberg (1980 - 1985).
Botanical authors for those of my sources who do not cite them, that
is for Das, Hubotter and Rehmann, have been added when there could be no
doubt as to the indended name. If there is more than one possibility (as
in the case below where Cyperus pertennuls was published by two workers and
has been synonymized with two different species), then the name has been
left 8uthorless. It is also not indented, since it is not a synonym of the
preceding name. A given name appears only in the works referenced immedi-
ately after it. For example:
MEDICINAL PLANTS 7
.eans that the Tibetan name and C. rotundus appeared in both Das (1970) and
Dash (1976), but that only Das had both species listed as possible equiva-
lents of the Tibetan name.
When possible, all workers who have used a given name are cited atter
it. For example:
aeans that ba-le-ka is cited by numerous authors, but only Tsarong identi-
fies it as above. It is always good to cross-check definitions in the
Tibetan - Latin section (or vice versa), but it is especially important to
do so when there is an indication, as above, that numerous authors have
cited the name. (Space did not always permit citations of all authors who
used a name, in addition to the author whose definition is being cited. I
have- always attempted to indicate that other definitions exist by citing at
least one of the "extra" ~uthors.)
Here one sees that 9ut of all the many authors, only Gammermann and Tsarong
have definite identifications. Molvray feels that her specimen probably
belongs in the Menispermaceae, but could not determine her specimen fur-
ther. 'Jam-dPal-rDo-rJe is alone in using "ba-li-ka a likely misprint
tl
,
for ba-le-ka since the difference between the two in Tibetan is so slight.
shing tree
me-tog or mdog flower
'bras or 'bras-bu fruit
shun bark
rtsa or rtsa-wa root
dkar-po white
ser-po yellow or gold
dmar-po red
nag-po black
8 TIBETAN MEDICINE
D Das (1970)
Dh Dash (1976)
G Gammerman and Semichov (1963)
H Hubotter (1957)
J 'Jam-dPal-rDo-rJe (reissued 1971)
Me Meyer (1977)
M Molvray
P Posdneev (1908)
R Rehmann (1811)
T Tsarong (pers. comm.)
,.
O
ka
eha
~.
kha
chha
E\r
~.
ga
ja
,.
1::\. nga
nya
(1)
"
~ pa
-6. tsa
r:.q' pha
~"
(3)
tsha (4)
~" ba
1(" dza
ar rna
~ wa
(1) ng as in sing
(2) t aspirated as in nut-hook
(3) p aspirated as in uphill
(4) tsa aspirated
(5) zha as in leisure
(6) unaspirated h; vowel sound depends on accompanying vowel sign as
with all letters
(7) sha as in sharp
(8) may be any of the five vowels depending on accompanying vowel sign
LATIN - TIBETAN
----------- A -----------
....
Aconl tum sp , (G)
1::\"."
~
Acoruscalamu8 L. (6,T,Dh)
~~~
shu-dag (J,M,T,G,P,H,Dh)
~~
Adenophora polymorpha Ldb.
(H)
3i-eq sro-lo (H,J,M,P)
~.~~.~
'\t$'\:;
klu-blud-rdo-rje (H)
~~ btso~g (J,T~D,H)
All.l_ satiVID L.
........ sgog-skya (D,M,T.G,Dh)
(T,JI,P,G,Dh) "~9~
'9~~9~~ Iha-ming-khrag (P)
srub-ka (P,J,G)
~~9'
Anemone pulsatIlla L. (P)
"""""
~.~ go-yu (J,G,H)
'r-'
Artemisia capl11arisThunb. (H) ~.,~~ a-krong (H,J,M,D,T)
A. seoparia Waldst. & Kit.
(P,G) Si(~~.~.~ zangs-rtsi-ba (J,P,G)
~
~s lucldus Lind!. (H) eq.~.,~.; a-so-gan-dha (H)
----------- B -----------
'~'i
s-busa sp. (D) smyug-tshi (J,D)
l ~'I:\"~~'~ skyer-ba'i-'bras-bu
(J,G)
~~.~~ skyer-shun (M,T)
star-bus (P,H)
"':I\..~~
sdar-pu (R)
Bergenla crasslrolia,(L.)
Fritsch. (G) ,
~~.~~ li-ga-du-ra (G,M)
~,",5~
\f)
li-ga-dur (T)
so-chhas (H)
~
Bosflell1a Carterl Birdw. (G,D) a~~,~ spos-dkar (J,M,G,P,R,D)
B. serrata Roxb.
'B. thurifera Calebr. (P) .~.~ ar-skya (J,G,D)
----------- C -----------
mdzo-mo-shing (J,T)
Chrysanthe.um arcticwrt L.
Leucanthemum sibiricum
DC. (P)
Cuscuta europaea L. ( G)
,,~;~~t:i 'bri-rta-sa-'dzin (G,J,M)
~
C)nanchum forrestil Schltr. (T) dug-mo-nyung
CynanchUlll slblr1 cum R. Br . (H)
~~.~.~ (J,G,M,T,PsH)
Cynoctonum purpureU11l (Pall.)
Pobed. (G)
Cynoglossum orflclnale L.
C. divaricatum Steph. (G)
~:~ byi-tsher (J,G,T,
P,Dh)
CyperuB rotundus L.
C. pertenuis (D)
(D,Dh)
m1\Z;
9
gla-sgang (J,D,Dh,
T,H)
-------~--- D -----------
~
Daucus carota L. (H) ~.~~ shu-mo-za (H,J,D,P)
~
----------- E -----------
lug-ehhung (H)
~t\ri~
Blettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton. ~.'-f\~.Q\ 8u-kshme-la (Dh)
(M,Dh)
AlllomuJ1l cardamomum L. (H) sug-smal (H)
~"I~
~&\yltQ\ sug-smel (M)
~
Equisetum hyemale (H) Bror,,~rt'''~ ma-ma-sgog-lehags (H t T)
----------- F -----------
r~ tshos (P,M)
........ 1lIlpo""" ~
----------- G -----------
rgu-drus (J,G)
Gal1um boreale L. (G) ~~~
'6
Galium spuriwn II. (T) ~~~.~~~ zangs-rtsi-dkar-po (T)
rgu-trus (P)
Gal1um verum L. (G)
var. rutlJenl cum W. (P) ~~~
",.~~ rgu-drus (J,G)
'6~
Garcinla peduoculata Roxb. (Dh) t~~ star-ba (Dh)
~."
Gentlana detoDsa Rottb. rgya-tig (J,G)
G. barbata Froel. (G,P)
~"
tig-ta (J,G,P,M,T,D,H)
-i"~'~.q
6entlana sp. (D,J,T,G) zin-tig-dkar-po (D,J)
""~".~,,~
6entianopsls paludosa (Monro) lchags-tig-nag-po (T)
Ma. (T)
Gossypium herbaceum L.
.....- ug-chhos (P,T)
~.a;~
(P,T,Dh)
"cotton" (D) ,~.~.~ kar-pa-sa (Dh)
----------- H -----------
~
mdog-Idan (J,M)
~~".~~
Hibiscus sp , ? (M)
Hydnocarpus anthelminthica
Pierre (H)
,,\~
~.~~~
'"
..
~
nas (J,G,H)
ma-nu-khrag-chhan
(J,H)
----------- I -----------
----------- J -----------
----------- K -----------
----------- L -----------
~'~'&Ql.~
~"' ," ~
(P H)
ze-ra-nag-po,
"Illwo-
Lepisorus "altonll Ching (T) ~~r!l~ brag-spas (J, T,P ,H)
----------- M -----------
lIenYl!UJthes trl:follata
~~~ shu-dag (J,M,T,P,H,Dh)
L. (G)
----------- N ---------~-
ut-pal (Dh,Me)
~?~
Nelfl11lbo sp. (P .a) ka-ra-lja (P~H)
'''~.~
Nelumbo sp. (P) '\~.C\~~ 'ja-'bras (P)
a"~"
Nepeta japonica (H) byl-rug (B,JtG,P)
sbru-nag (H)
~~"
Notbosmyrmium Japonicum Miq. (H)
----------- 0 -----------
---------~- p -----------
Phytolacca'esculenta Van
....... .......
~~.~~~~~ dpa'-bo-dkar-po (J,P,T)
Houtt. (T)
~ "-
Pinus sylvestris L. (G,P,H)
~ar~~ sgron-shing (J,G,P,H)
~~ pho-rl1 (M)
~
Pistacia lentiscus L. (R) a~"r\"l~ spos-dkar (R,J,M,T,G,P)
Pleurogyne sp.
Lomatogoniu1I1 Spa (G)
~~"S"?~ sum-chu-tig (G,P)
~"
Polygonatum falcatum A. Gray (H) ,"oof\t;. nye-shing (HpJ,T,M~G.R)
.....-
Pr1mula far inDBa L. (G) ~~.~."- gyar-mo-thang (J)
P. sib1rica Jacq. (G)
~~~.~.S:\Z; gyer-ma-thang (G)
........
Pterosl'ermum aeerifolium (L.) ~r;~ dong-kha (D)
Willd. (D)
~
----------- Q -----------
----------- R -----------
l~98
lchum-rtsa (R,T)
~
Rhododendro.D sp. (D,H) da-lis (D)
~.~~
~.~
ba-Iu (H,M,T,Dh,P)
dar-ta (H)
~~1j
Robinia amara Lour. (P) ~.!l~ sle-tres (M,P,R,Dh)
~ 2>~
Rumex acetosa L. ( G) ~.~~."'.-f\ sho-mang-ri-sho (J)
R. acetosel1a L .(G)
~
~.cq~ sho-mang (T,G,P)
----------- S -----------
Salix sp . (G,D,H)
[cont. on next page]
8l1 "cq
Y
ma-gal (J,G)
~
Salix sp. [cont.] ~.~~ o-mbu (H)
SantalU1ll album L.
(M,T ,G,P ,H,.R,D)
~~~~~.q tsan-dan-dkar-po
(J,M,T,G,P,H,R,D)
'.Q\.~'~
tI-1a-dkar (H)
=t~:~
zar-ma (H)
~
Sesbanla grandl:tlora (L.) Poir. q~iO po-son-cha (J)
(D)
~
po-son-chha (D)
~"~".i6
....-
Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv. (T) ~"aq",,~"~~ ma-ma-sgog-Ichags (T,H)
(P)
l~~ sli-dres (R)
~
......... ~
Stellaria chamllejasme L.
(T,G,P,H) ~.~" re-lchag (J,G,P,H)
----------- T-----------
'l'lJallctrum foetldum L.
T. /linus L. (P)
~~t!1~ myang-rtsi-spras
(P,J,T,G,H)
----------- U -----------
----------- V -----------
~
Valeriana jatamlJ1Jsi Jones ac;..a~ spang-spos (J,G,P,T,H)
V. wallichl1 DC. (Dh)
~
V. offlelnalis L. (G,P) ~:a~ rgya-spos (Dh,T)
~"
rdo-dreg (Dh,T)
----------- W-----------
----------- X -----------
----------- y-----------
----------- z -----------
'shu-ti (H)
".~~~
Zingiber sp. (H) sga-gser (H)
TIBETAN LATIN
----- KA -----
~"."",.~ kan-ta-ka-ri
(J,M,T,G,Dh,Me)
Rubus sp. ? (M)
R. idaeopsis Focke (T)
R. niveus Tbunb. (Me)
Subucus sibirica Nakai. (G)
Solanum xantbocarpum Schrad. 8:
Wendl. (Dh)
~~~.~~ skyer-pa'i-me-tog
(J,G,P,H,Dh)
Berberis aristata DC. (Dh)
B. slbirica PaJI. (O,P)
i~~'1 skyer-pa'i-rtsa (Dh) Lyci am c1Jinense Mi 11. (H)
~~~~~~ kha-chhe-gur-gum
(G,H)
Crocus satlvus L. (T,G,H,Dh,D)
~9."""9i1\S\0l kha-chhe-sha-skam-ma
(Tl
~
~,,~,,~y~ mkhal-ma-zho-sha Canavalla gladlata DC. (G,P,H)
--.... (J,G,P,H,R) Fabeae (M)
~"C!\ mkhal-zho (M)
~".~"
'ga-lig (H) "Pachyma cocos" (coconut husk) (H)
rgu-thub (J,P)
~~ indet.
-
!a~ 'rgu-drus (J ,G) Gallum boreale L. (G)
G. verum L. (G)
rgya-sran
5~~
(J) cultivated legume (Kelsang)
q sga-skya
(J,T,M,G,P,H,R)
Hedychlll111 spicatum 8mith
(T,G,P)
Kaelltpt'erla galanga L. (H)
~
sga-sho (J) indet.
I.\,,~
~"~~Ql
~~
sgog-bsil (H) Tulipa edulis Baker (H)
~.~ lchum-rtsi
(J,M,G,P,H,R)
Rheum offlclnale Baill. (G,P,H)
R. pallia tum L. (G)
lchum-rtsa (T,R) R. undulatum L. (G)
~'8
It~c;CC lche-myang-tsha (J) indet.; "a mineral" (Kelsang)
----- JA -----
~9'~
nyung-kar ' (Dh) Brassica rapa L.
B. campestris L. (G,Dh)
f'.~ nyung-ma (3,G)
----- TA -----
thang-ku-skyu-ru-ra indet.
(R)
----- DA -----
~'\.~~ dan-rog (J, T, G,P, H,~) Croton tigl1U11 L. (T, G,P, H,R)
~~~~~Ilf~~
~
bdud-rtsi-gangs-sham-
pa (J)
indet.
~~~iiif~
'\:j
bdud-rtsi-Io-ma (M,T) Aconitum napellus L. (M,T)
~5~~"~~
'7
bdud-rtsi-a-ru-ra (P) Terminalia chebula Retz. (P,M,R)
----- NA ~----
~~ar'\~~~
nad....ma-'byar-ma (T) CynoglossUllt uabile Stapf &
Drumm. (Tl
snu-ha (Dh)
----- PA -----
e'~~'~ pu-shel-rtse
(J,T,M,Dh)
Redoute (H); Coelogyne sp .. (M)
DendrobiUllf lIlonlllforme (L.) Sw. (T, H)
Ir1s d1chotoma Pall.
Pardanthus di chotomus Ldb. (P)
Vetlverla z1zanoldes Nash (Dh)
~ ~
~
r.q.~C\.~~.~~
~ """ pha-bong-dgo-dgo (.) polypore fungus (J)
........
~~.~ phur-mo (J,G) Artemisla sp. (G,B)
----- BA -----
tang-gal
...........
~~~Y~YQ\~ dbang-po-Iag (P,H) Be1amcanda chinensis (L.)
Redoute (H)
~~~YQ\" dbang-Iag (J,T,G) Gymnadenia conopsea (1.) R.Br. (G)
G. crasslnervis Finet. (T)
Orchis spp. (G); "orchid" (P)
'bu-su-hang [cant.]
~S~"~ Potentllia blfurca L. (P)
~
sbru-ga
r' (H) Artemlsla sp. (H)
~i"
sbru-nag (H) NothosmyrlIlill1ll japonicum M1q. (H)
V;
----- MA -----
~~~~,~.q tsan-dan-dkar-po
(J,M,T,G,P,H,R,D)
Santalum albUIIJ L.
(M,T,G,P,H,R,D)
70 TIBETAN MEDICINE
DZA -----
ZHA
f!\~Y~,",Yt:q
e, " " zhim-thig-le (J,P) Geraniwn pratense L. (P)
----- ZA -----
'A -----
----- VA -----
....-
t1~ ~ yug-chhos (JJ indet. [but see ug-chhos]
----- RA -----
----- LA -----
-----SHA -----
~~.~~ sh1ng-.kun .
(J,M,T,G,P,H,Dh,R)
Ferula assa-foet1da L. (M,T,G,R,
Dh,H)
Narthex asafoetiqa Falc. (P)
~
shu-dag-dkar-po (J) indet.
~9~"'~"'~~
shu-dag-dman-pa (G) lIenY8.l!-thes trlfoliata L. (G)
~~l.\r~~~q
4!lr-
shu-mo-za (J,D,P,H) Daucus carota L. (H)-
~'~'i\ "a legume" (D)
----- SA -----
.
Bocq. (T)
~~.~." sum-chu-tig
(J,M,T,G,P)
Gentiana sp. ( G)
Gentiana amarella L. (G,P)
Pleurogyne sp .
LOlllatogoniulII sp. (G)
~.~~~ sr1n-shing-sna-ma'i-
'braa-bu (P,R)
POrs~hlB suspensa Vahl (H)
Spiraea media F. Schmidt (P)
~
srub-ka (J,G,P) Anemone pulsatilla L. (P)
~~.~ Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill. (G)
I~ sle-tres
(J,M,G,P,H,R,Dh)
Menispermaceae ? (M)
Robinia amara Lour. (P)
Sophora flavescens Ait. (G,R)
S. angustlfol1a Siebe a Zucco (P)
Tlnospora cordifolla Miers. (Dh)
"~~~~r,, gser-gyi-me-tog
(J,T,G,P,H,R)
HerpetosperlllUJIJ pedunculoswa
(Ser.) Baill. (Jeffrey,T)
~~~:~ gser-me (J,M,T) JIolfJordlca cochlnchinensls
Spreng. (G,P,H)
MEDICINAL PLANTS 81
----- HA -----
hong-len
Picrorhiza kurroa Royle (T,Dh)
(J,M,T,G,P,H,R,Dh) Scutellaria baJcalensis Geo'rgi
(G,P,H)
----- A -----
...~~~
.......- a-bra-gos (H)
a-'bras (J,M,P,G)
Dlospyros lotus L. (H)
........
~~.i&~ ug-chhos (P,T) Gossypi urn herbaceum L. (P, T)
LITERATURE CITED
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