著者

米田 該典

出版者

日本薬史学会

雑誌

薬史学雑誌 (ISSN:02852314)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.48, no.2, pp.108-113, 2013

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The treasures housed in the Shosoin are said to number over 10,000. They were donated to thegreat Buddha of Todaiji Temple in 756, after the death of Emperor Shomu.The objects given atthat time are noted in a document known as Kokka-Chimpo-Cho and Shuju-yakucho (Memorandum of Medicines) which lists 60 kinds of medicaments. Today, many kinds of medicines can be found in the Shosoin Treasure House.Scientific investigations of the Shosoin medicines were conducted on two occasions. From 1948 to 1952, immediately after World WarII, the first investigation was conducted by a team consisting of Yasuhiko Asahina, as the chief, and 15 other researchers. After this investigation, 38 medicines listed in the Shujuyakucho were found in the Shosoin Treasure House. At that time, chemical studies on the constituents of medicines were not very efficient due to having insufficient knowledge of the chemical principles of traditional drugs, and no techniques or equipment had been developed for chemical analysis. An additionalanalysis was conducted from 1976 to 1986, at which time some drugs were studied by Shoji Shibata, a member of the first investigation. The results were as follows : Ginseng contains total ginsenosides; licorice contains a high yield of Glycyrrhizin as the sweet agent and some flavonoid glycosides; and rhubarb contain Sennoside A and B, some anthraquinone derivatives and their glycosides.From 1994 to 1995, 50 years after the initial research, a second investigation of the Shosoin medicines was conducted. Shoji Shibata was the chief researcher, and worked with an investigation team consisting of six researchers in total. During this investigation, many kinds of plant glycosides were found in Shosoin medicines. As an interesting fact, four kinds of gelsemium alkaloids were found in Yakatsu ,which is a poisonous drug stored in the Shosoin since 756.