Abstract
The medical book Yosandangsinjipeuibangkeumnangjibo (『樂山堂新集醫方錦囊至寶』, below as Yosandang, 『樂山堂』) is housed in the Handok museum of Medicine and Pharmacy. At the end of the Yosandang, written in manuscript, contains a rhymes of herbal medicine (藥性歌). The rhymes of herbal medicine is a record of song form about herbal medicine. Song-forms were widely used because they were easy to sing and memorize. In particular, there are many records of song forms in Korean medical books, which have been used in various fields such as herbal medicines, acupuncture points, and diagnosis. Although Yosandang is not a widely known medical book, it is meaningful in that it shows a cross section of late Joseon Korean medicine. So, this paper considers rhymes of herbal medicine in Yosandang. Yosandang is a medical book of the late Joseon period written by doctor Byun Gwangwon in 1806. This book consists of 6 books and 14 volumes, 13 of which are rhymes of herbal medicine. The rhymes of herbal medicine in Yosandang is 7 words-2 phrases form for the first time in Korea. This is almost 80 years earlier than the same form of Bangyakhabpyeon (『方藥合編』). The first part of rhymes of herbal medicine in Yosandang is considered to refer to the rhymes of herbal medicine in Jejungsinpyeon (『濟衆新編』), and the last part seems to be based on the contents of Donguibogam (『東醫寶鑑』). In other words, rhymes of herbal medicine in Yosandang could be considered as the result of trying to contain herbal medicine knowledge as a new 7 words-2 phrases form based on the Jejungsinpyeon (『濟衆新編』) and Donguibogam (『東醫寶鑑』). Unlike the previous rhymes of herbal medicine made during the compilation of medical books led by the late Joseon government, the rhymes of herbal medicine in Yosandang is a new type of rhymes created based on individual efforts in the early 19th century. It has a medicine historical significance in that it can show some aspects of Korean medicine in the late Joseon period.
