• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.7
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• pp.737-744
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• 2005

Purpose : Infants and children with cardiovascular diseases often present with respiratory symptoms. However, missed or delayed evaluation for potential airway problem may complicate overall prognosis. The aim of this study is to determine the clinical characteristics of these patients and explore the cause of airway problem. Methods : We reviewed the medical records of 64 patients(M : F=33:31, mean age : $6.3{\pm}7.5$ months) whose airway problems were proven by computed tomography or bronchoscopy in perioperative periods at the Asan Medical Center from January 1997 to June 2004. Patients were divided into two groups based on the duration of ventilator care : ${\leq}7$ days(group 1 : 23 cases, M : F=10 : 13) and >7 days(group 2 : 41 cases, M : F=23 : 18). Results : The patients in group 2 significantly developed more post-operative respiratory symptoms than group 1(P<0.001) and had more airway problems including extrinsic obstruction, intrinsic anomaly, and combined problem than group 1 although not significantly different(P=0.082). Among underlying diseases, the most common diseases were vascular anomaly(26.2 percent) and aortic arch anomaly(26.2 percent) in group 1 and pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect(22.4 percent) in group 2. The most frequent respiratory symptoms were recurrent wheezing pre-operatively and failure of ventilator weaning post-operatively. The major types of airway anomaly were tracheomalacia and tracheal stenosis(in each case 18.2 percent). Nineteen patients with persistent airway problems underwent aortopexy or other vascular correction. Of the 19 patients, 13(68.4 percent) were improved, but 2 failed in weaning ventilator and 4 died of non-airway problems. Conclusion : Early evaluation and treatment for potential airway problems may affect natural or surgical prognosis in patients with cardiovascular diseases presenting with respiratory symptoms.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.138-155
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• 2000

Background: Factors related to waiting and staying time for patient care in emergency care center (ECC) were examined during 1 month from Apr. 1 to Apr. 30, 1997 at an ECC of Yeungnam university hospital in Taegu metropolitan city, to obtain the baseline data on the strategy of effective management of emergency patients. Method: The study subjects consisted of the 1,742 patients who visited at ECC and the data were obtained from the medical records of ECC and direct surveys. Results: The mean interval between ECC admission time and initial care time by each ECC duty residents was 83.1 minutes for male patients and 84.9 minutes for female patients, and mean ECC staying time (time interval between admission and final disposition from ECC) was 718.0 minutes in men and 670.5 minutes in women. As the results, the mean staying time in ECC was higher in older age, and especially the both of initial care time and staying time were highest in patients of medical aid, and shortest in patients of worker's accident compensation insurance. The on admission or not, previously endotracheal-intubation state of patient. The ECC staying ti initial care time was much more delayed in patients of not having previous medical records and the ECC staying time was higher in referred patients from out-patient department, in transferred patients from the other hospitals and patients having previous records, and in patients partly used the order-communicating system. The factors associated with the initial care time were the numbers of ECC patients and the existence of any true emergent patients, being cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) statusme was much more longer in patients of drug intoxication, in CPR patients, in medical department patients, in transfused patients and in patients related to 3 or more departments. And according to the numbers of duty internships, the ECC staying time for four internships was more longer than for five internships and after admission ordering was done, also-more longer in status being of no available beds. As above mentioned results, the factors for the ECC staying time were thought to be statistically significant (P<0.01) according to the patient's age and the laboratory orders and the X-ray films checked. And also the factor for the ECC staying time were thought to be statistically significant (P<0.01) according to the status being of no available beds, the laboratory orders and/or the special laboratory orders, the X-ray films checked, final disposing department, transferred to other hospital or not, home medication or not, admission or not, the grades of beds, the year grades of residents, the causes of ECC visit, the being CPR status on admission or not, the surgical operation or not, being known personells in our hospital. Conclution: Authors concluded that the relieving method of long-staying time in ECC was being establishing the legally proved apparatus which could differentiate the true emergency or non-emergency patients, and that the methods of shortening ECC staying time were doing definitely necessary laboratory orders and managing beds more flexibly to admit for ECC patients and finally this methods were thought to be a method of unloading for ECC personnels and improving the quality of care in emergency patients.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.261-268
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• 2003

Purpose: To report the results of curative treatment for patients with tonsil cancer by retrospective analysis. Materials and Methods: From Jan. 1995 till Dec. 2000, 27 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil received curative treatment at Samsung Medical Center. Therapeutic decision was made through multidisciplinary conference, and curative radiation therapy was favored when, (1) the patient's condition was not fit for general anesthesia and surgery, (2) the patient refused surgery, (3) complete resection was presumed impossible, or (4) too severe disability was expected after surgery. Surgery was the main local modality in 17 patients (S$\pm$RT group), and radiation therapy in 10 (RT$\pm$CT group). The median follow-up period was 41 months. Results: AJCC stages were I/II in four, III in two, and IV in 21 patients. The 5-year disease-free survival rate was 73.3$\%$ in all patients, 70.6$\%$ in the S$\pm$RT group, and 77.8$\%$ in the RT$\pm$CT group. Treatment failure occurred in seven patients, all with stage III/IV, and all the failures occurred within 24 months of the start of treatment. Five patients among the S$\pm$CT group developed treatment failures; 2 local, 2 regional, and 1 distant (crude rate=29.4$\%$). Two patients among the RT$\pm$CT group developed failures; 1 synchronous local and regional, and 1 distant (crude rate=20.0$\%$). The 5-year overall survival rate was 77.0$\%$ in all patients, 80.9$\%$ in the S$\pm$RT group, and 70.0$\%$ in the RT$\pm$CT group. Conclusion: We could achieve favorable results that were comparable to previously reported data with respect to both the rates of local control and of survival by applying S$\pm$RT and RT$\pm$CT. RT$\pm$CT is judged to be an alternative option that can avoid the functional disability after surgical resection.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.253-260
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• 2003

Purpose: No general consensus has been reached regarding the necessity of postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) and the optimal techniques of its application for patients with chest wall invasion (pT3cw) and node negative (NO) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We retrospectively analyzed the PT3cwN0 NSCLC patients who received PORT because of presumed inadequate resection margin on surgical findings. Materials and Methods: From Aug. 1994 till June 2000, 21 pT3cwN0 NSCLC patients received PORT at Samsung Medical Center; all of whom underwent curative on-bloc resection of the primary tumor plus the chest wall and regional lymph node dissection. PORT was typically stalled 3 to 4 weeks after operation using 6 or 10 MV X-rays from a linear accelerator. The radiation target volume was confined to the tumor bed plus the immediate adjacent tissue, and no regional lymphatics were included. The planned radiation dose was 54 Gy by conventional fractionation schedule. The survival rates were calculated and the failure patterns analyzed. Results: Overall survival, disease-free survival, loco-regional recurrence-free survival, and distant metastases-free survival rates at 5 years were 38.8$\%$, 45.5$\%$, 90.2$\%$, and 48.1$\%$, respectively. Eleven patients experienced treatment failure: six with distant metastases, three with intra-thoracic failures, and two with combined distant and intra-thoracic failures. Among the five patients with intra-thoracic failures, two had pleural seeding, two had in-field local failures, and only one had regional lymphatic failure in the mediastinum. No patients suffered from acute and late radiation side effects of RTOG grade 3 or higher. Conclusion: The strategy of adding PORT to surgery to improve the probability, not only of local control but also of survival, was justified, considering that local control was the most important component in the successful treatment of pT3cw NSCLC patients, especially when the resection margin was not adequate. The incidence and the severity of the acute and late side effects of PORT were markedly reduced, which contributed to improving the patients' qualify of life both during and after PORT, without increasing the risk of regional failures by eliminating the regional lymphatics from the radiation target volume.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.5 s.250
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• pp.349-356
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• 2005

Background: Arterial conduits using in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) have been known a great long term patency rates, and improved short and long term clinical outcomes. It has been reported that Off pump CABG has better clinical results than CABG using cardiopulmonary bypass. To evaluate the advantage of arterial conduits over venous conduits and to avoid the adverse effects of cardiopulmonary bypass, we performed total arterial Off pump CABG. Material and Method: From January 2001 to October 2004, Off pump CABG using only arterial conduits was performed on 325 patients with a mean age of $59.3\pm11.9$ years ($36\~83$). Mean ejection fraction was $55.4\pm14.0\%\;(15\~86).$ Angiography showed left main disease or triple-vessel disease in $81.9\%$ of the patients. Indications of using arterial conduits was stenosis $\ge50\%$ of left anterior descending artery, stenosis $\ge80\%$ of branches of left circumflex artery, and stenosis $\ge90\%$ of right coronary artery and its branches. Multi-slice computed tomography was performed on 194 patients to evaluate the short term patency rates. Result: A total of 928 distal anastomoses were performed and the average anastomoses per a patient were $2.86\pm0.78$. There was 1 operative mortality. Postoperative complications were mediastinitis in 6 patients ($1.8\%$), renal failure in 4 patients ($1.2\%$), perioperative myocardial infarction in 3 patients ($0.9\%$), reoperation for bleeding in 3 patients ($0.9\%$). There was no postoperative stroke. Patency rate of arterial conduits was $99.3\%$ (581/585). There were 4 stenoses or competitive flows in 2 radial arteries and 2 right internal mammary arteries. Conclusion: Total arterial Off pump CABG appears to be safe, showing a low surgical mortality and morbidity and excellent short term patency rates of arterial conduits.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.9 s.266
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• pp.692-698
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• 2006

Background: Owing to the fact that the average life span has increased and the progress in medical science has been made, the number of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) who have to take hemodialysis (HD) has been going up gradually. Accordingly, it is considered to be as a significant issue to obtain blood vessels which can be used repetitively and supply enough blood flows. Therefore, there have been various kinds of study on an inosculation rate andfactors influencing it following an arteriovenous fistula (AV fistula) and lots of studies are ongoing for the purpose of escalating the inosculation rate. The authors analyzed the effects of short-term result, age, sex, diabetes and hypertension on arteriovenous inosculations in 134 anatomical snuffbox operated subjects among the patients who have taken an AV fistula at this center. Material and Method: Based on 134 patients who underwent an AV fistula at the department of thoracic surgery of this center from July, 2000 to May, 2004, the difference in arteriovenous inosculation rate was compared and analyzed depending or age (discriminated by 65-year-old), sex and the condition of the presence or absence of diabetes and hypertension. Correlation analyses were conducted for each parameter and statistical tests were performed by using SPSS for windows Release 11.0.1, which were determined to be statistically significant if p value was below 0.05. Result: The total number of operations was 169 including 35 of re-operations. The male/female rate was 70 : 64 (52% : 48%). The average age was $56.3{\pm}12.26$ years and there were 33 (24%) old aged patients above 65-year-old; there were 103 (71%) patients with hypertension and 90 (67%) patients with diabetes. Overall arteriovenous inosculation rate was $93{\pm}2.4%,\;91{\pm}2.7%,\;89{\pm}3.0%$ at 6, 12, 24 months, respectively. The arteriovenous inosculation rate of above 65-year-old patient group was $85{\pm}4.8%,\;80{\pm}5.8%,\;80{\pm}5.8%$ and below 64-year-old patient group's was $85{\pm}4.8%,\;80{\pm}5.8%,\;80{\pm}5.8%$ at given time points, respectively, which showed higher inosculation rate in below 64-year-old patient group with a statistical significance (p=0.0034). However, no statistical significance was found between the patients with hypertension and diabetes and the patients with no complication. In addition, there was no statistical significance in inosculation rate between male and female. Conclusion: The arteriovenous inosculation ratewas higher in the treated patient below 64-year-old than in the treated patient above 65-year-old. Thus it is advantageous for increase in long-term inosculation rate to obtain hemodialysis routes at an early age. The conditions of sex and the presence or absence of diabetes and hyper- tension do not make statistically significant effect on the arteriovenous inosculation rate.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.10
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• pp.845-855
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• 2004

Background: No general consensus has been available regarding the necessity of postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) and its optimal techniques in the patients with chest wall invasion (pT3cw) and node negative (N0) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We did retrospective analyses on the pT3cwN0 NSCLC patients who received PORT because of presumed inadequate resection margin on surgical findings. And we compared them with the pT3cwN0 NSCLC patients who did not received PORT during the same period. Material and Method: From Aug. of 1994 till June of 2002, 22 pT3cwN0 NSCLC patients received PORT-PORT (＋) group- and 16 pT3cwN0 NSCLC patients had no PORT-PORT (-) group. The radiation target volume for PORT (＋) group was confined to the tumor bed plus the immediate adjacent tissue only, and no regional lymphatics were included. The prognostic factors for all patients were analyzed and survival rates, failure patterns were compared with two groups. Result: Age, tumor size, depth of chest wall invasion, postoperative mobidities were greater in PORT (-) group than PORT (＋) group. In PORT (-) group, four patients who were consulted for PORT did not receive the PORT because of self refusal (3 patients) and delay in the wound repair (1 patient). For all patients, overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), loco-regional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and distant metastases-free survival (DMFS) rates at 5 years were 35.3%, 30.3%, 80.9%, 36.3%. In univariate and multivariate analysis, only PORT significantly affect the survival. The 5 year as rates were 43.3% in the PORT (＋) group and 25.0% in PORT (-) group (p=0.03). DFS, LRFS, DMFS rates were 36.9%, 84.9%, 43.1 % in PORT (＋) group and 18.8%, 79.4%, 21.9% in PORT(-) group respectively. Three patients in PORT (-) group died of intercurrent disease without the evidence of recurrence. Few suffered from acute and late radiation side effects, all of which were RTOG grade 2 or lower. Conclusion: The strategy of adding PORT to surgery to improve the probability not only of local control but also of survival could be justified, considering that local control was the most important component in the successful treatment of pT3cw NSCLC patients, especially when the resection margin was not adequate. Authors were successful in the marked reduction of the incidence as well as the severity of the acute and late side effects of PORT, without taking too high risk of the regional failures by eliminating the regional lymphatics from the radiation target volume.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.310-322
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• 2000

Background : Phospholipase C(PLC) plays an important role in cellular signal transduction and is thought to be critical in cellular growth, differentiation and transformation of certain malignancies. Two second messengers produced from the enzymatic action of PLC are diacylglycerol (DAG) and inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate (IP3). These two second messengers are important in down stream signal activation of protein kinase C and intracellular calcium elevation. In addition, functional domains of the PLC isozymes, such as Src homology 2 (SH2) domain, Src homology 3 (SH3) domain, and pleckstrin homology (PH) domain play crucial roles in protein translocation, lipid membrane modificailon and intracellular memrane trafficking which occur during various mitogenic processes. We have previously reported the presence of PLC-${\gamma}1$, ${\gamma}2$, ${\beta}1$, ${\beta}3$, and ${\delta}1$ isozymes in normal human lung tissue and tyrosine-kinase-independent activation of phospholipase C-${\gamma}$ isozymes by tau protein and AHNAK. We had also found that the expression of AHNAK protein was markedly increased in various mstologic types of lung can∞r tissues as compared to the normallungs. However, the report concerning expression of various PLC isozymes in lung canærs and other lung diseases is lacking. Therefore, in this study we examined the expression of PLC isozymes in the paired surgical specimens taken from lung cancer patients. Methods : Surgically resected lung cancer tissue samples taken from thirty seven patients and their paired normal control lungs from the same patients, The expression of various PLC isozymes were studied. Western blot analysis of the tissue extracts for the PLC isozymes and immunohistochemistry was performed on typical samples for localization of the isozyme. Results : In 16 of 18 squamous cell carcinomas, the expression of PLC-${\gamma}1$ was increased. PLC-${\gamma}1$ was also found to be increased in all of 15 adenocarcinoma patients. In most of the non-small cell lung cancer tissues we had examined, expression of PLC-${\delta}1$ was decreased. However, the expression of PLC-${\delta}1$ was markedly increased in 3 adenocarcinomas and 3 squamous carcinomas. Although the numbers were small, in all 4 cases of small cell lung cancer tissues, the expression of PLC-${\delta}1$ was nearly absent. Conclusion : We found increased expression of PLC-${\gamma}1$ isozyme in lung cancer tissues. Results of this study, taken together with our earlier findings of AHNAK protein-a putative PLD-${\gamma}$, activator-over-expression, and the changes observed in PLC-${\delta}1$ in primary human lung cancers may provide a possible insight into the derranged calcium-inositol signaling pathways leading to the lung malignancies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.3625-3628
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• 2014

Background: To evaluate the incidence, diagnosis and management of GTN among 28 centers in Turkey. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was designed to include GTN patients attending 28 centers in the 10-year period between January 2003 and May 2013. Demographical characteristics of the patients, histopathological diagnosis, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) anatomical and prognostic scores, use of single-agent and multi-agent chemotherapy, surgical interventions and prognosis were evaluated. Results: From 2003-2013, there were 1,173,235 deliveries and 456 GTN cases at the 28 centers. The incidence was calculated to be 0.38 per 1,000 deliveries. According to the evaluated data of 364 patients, the median age at diagnosis was 31 years (range, 15-59 years). A histopathological diagnosis was present for 45.1% of the patients, and invasive mole, choriocarcinoma and PSTTs were diagnosed in 22.3% (n=81), 18.1% (n=66) and 4.7% (n=17) of the patients, respectively. Regarding final prognosis, 352 (96.7%) of the patients had remission, and 7 (1.9%) had persistence, whereas the disease was mortal for 5 (1.4%) of the patients. Conclusions: Because of the differences between countries, it is important to provide national registration systems and special clinics for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of GTN.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.91-117
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• 2007

Through a simple study of the medical classics in the '$\bar{A}yurveda$', we have summarized them as follows. 1) Traditional Indian medicine started in the Ganges river area at about 1500 B. C. E. and traces of medical science can be found in the "Rigveda" and "Atharvaveda". 2) The "Charaka" and "$Su\acute{s}hruta$(妙聞集)", ancient texts from India, are not the work of one person, but the result of the work and errors of different doctors and philosophers. Due to the lack of historical records, the time of Charaka or $Su\acute{s}hruta$(妙聞)s' lives are not exactly known. So the completion of the "Charaka" is estimated at 1st${\sim}$2nd century C. E. in northwestern India, and the "$Su\acute{s}hruta$" is estimated to have been completed in 3rd${\sim}$4th century C. E. in central India. Also, the "Charaka" contains details on internal medicine, while the "$Su\acute{s}hruta$" contains more details on surgery by comparison. 3) '$V\bar{a}gbhata$', one of the revered Vriddha Trayi(triad of the ancients, 三醫聖) of the '$\bar{A}yurveda$', lived and worked in about the 7th century and wrote the "$A\d{s}\d{t}\bar{a}nga$ $A\d{s}\d{t}\bar{a}nga$ $h\d{r}daya$ $sa\d{m}hit\bar{a}$ $samhit\bar{a}$(八支集)" and "$A\d{s}\d{t}\bar{a}nga$ Sangraha $samhit\bar{a}$(八心集)", where he tried to compromise and unify the "Charaka" and "$Su\acute{s}hruta$". The "$A\d{s}\d{t}\bar{a}nga$ Sangraha $samhit\bar{a}$" was translated into Tibetan and Arabic at about the 8th${\sim}$9th century, and if we generalize the medicinal plants recorded in each the "Charaka", "$Su\acute{s}hruta$" and the "$A\d{s}\d{t}\bar{a}nga$ Sangraha $samhit\bar{a}$", there are 240, 370, 240 types each. 4) The 'Madhava' focused on one of the subjects of Indian medicine, '$Nid\bar{a}na$' ie meaning "the cause of diseases(病因論)", and in one of the copies found by Bower in 4th century C. E. we can see that it uses prescriptions from the "BuHaLaJi(布哈拉集)", "Charaka", "$Su\acute{s}hruta$". 5) According to the "Charaka", there were 8 branches of ancient medicine in India : treatment of the body(kayacikitsa), special surgery(salakya), removal of alien substances(salyapahartka), treatment of poison or mis-combined medicines(visagaravairodhikaprasamana), the study of ghosts(bhutavidya), pediatrics(kaumarabhrtya), perennial youth and long life(rasayana), and the strengthening of the essence of the body(vajikarana). 6) The '$\bar{A}yurveda$', which originated from ancient experience, was recorded in Sanskrit, which was a theorization of knowledge, and also was written in verses to make memorizing easy, and made medicine the exclusive possession of the Brahmin. The first annotations were 1060 for the "Charaka", 1200 for the "$Su\acute{s}hruta$", 1150 for the "$A\d{s}\d{t}\bar{a}nga$ Sangraha $samhit\bar{a}$", and 1100 for the "$Nid\bar{a}na$", The use of various mineral medicines in the "Charaka" or the use of mercury as internal medicine in the "$A\d{s}\d{t}\bar{a}nga$ Sangraha $samhit\bar{a}$", and the palpation of the pulse for diagnosing in the '$\bar{A}yurveda$' and 'XiZhang(西藏)' medicine are similar to TCM's pulse diagnostics. The coexistence with Arabian 'Unani' medicine, compromise with western medicine and the reactionism trend restored the '$\bar{A}yurveda$' today. 7) The "Charaka" is a book inclined to internal medicine that investigates the origin of human disease which used the dualism of the 'Samkhya', the natural philosophy of the 'Vaisesika' and the logic of the 'Nyaya' in medical theories, and its structure has 16 syllables per line, 2 lines per poem and is recorded in poetry and prose. Also, the "Charaka" can be summarized into the introduction, cause, judgement, body, sensory organs, treatment, pharmaceuticals, and end, and can be seen as a work that strongly reflects the moral code of Brahmin and Aryans. 8) In extracting bloody pus, the "Charaka" introduces a 'sharp tool' bloodletting treatment, while the "$Su\scute{s}hruta$" introduces many surgical methods such as the use of gourd dippers, horns, sucking the blood with leeches. Also the "$Su\acute{s}hruta$" has 19 chapters specializing in ophthalmology, and shows 76 types of eye diseases and their treatments. 9) Since anatomy did not develop in Indian medicine, the inner structure of the human body was not well known. The only exception is 'GuXiangXue(骨相學)' which developed from 'Atharvaveda' times and the "$A\d{s}\d{t}\bar{a}nga$ Sangraha $samhit\bar{a}$". In the "$A\d{s}\d{t}\bar{a}nga$ Sangraha $samhit\bar{a}$"'s 'ShenTiLun(身體論)' there is a thorough listing of the development of a child from pregnancy to birth. The '$\bar{A}yurveda$' is not just an ancient traditional medical system but is being called alternative medicine in the west because of its ability to supplement western medicine and, as its effects are being proved scientifically it is gaining attention worldwide. We would like to say that what we have researched is just a small fragment and a limited view, and would like to correct and supplement any insufficient parts through more research of new records.