Medicine in Rokugan

Medicine in Rokugan
Being a history and mythology buff amongst other things, I know pretty much what is possible with western medicine from 1100 - 1900+, but when it comes to eastern medicine, I know very little. So, how does Rokugani (Japanese) medicine differ from western medicine in say 1400-1600 (which is where I would probably place Rokugan if compared to our worlds history)? What I wonder is foremost (note, I do not consider magic into the factor, so I want to know what is possible with mundane medicine); - What can be done and not be done? - Is rokugani medicine (not counting peasant herbalism) based on herbs and traditional pseudo-supernatural beliefs when it comes to cures? or does it has a system to explain why certain substances can cure certain diseases? I suspect the former (restoring his water, fire etc.).. - How are wounds treated? with sutures or bindings? (sutures = thread used to sow closed the wounds, bindins = dressings used to press the wounds shut, sorry my english fails me here) - How much is known about infections and how to cure them? So far I have used what I know of western medicine, and the players have not really thought much about it, but I still find that it would be intressting to know more about it.

Well, acupuncture was definately used, so this page may be useful. Furthermore, medicinal herbs were used as well, so check this page. This page has a comprehensive history of the development of Chinsese medicine. And, of course, Wikipedia has an entire section on Chinese Medicine techniques. One point that is especially troublesome is the modern distinction between "Western medicine" and "Traditional Chinese medicine." A lot of pages go on and on about the differences between Chinese medicine and Western medicine, but any points that may be similar are glossed over. Case in point: If I read only those pages referenced above, I'd have no idea whether or not early doctors in China used bandages or not. (They do, of course, but it took a while to confirm.) In any case, I hope this helps clear up a few questions. Maybe someone who knows more about medicine than I can chime in as well.

Using arcane arts I've managed to coax some further references out of Google. These two pages go into more detail about Japanese medicine in times of war. Here's a whole page full of scholarly papers dealing with the history of medicine in Japan. Probably not of much use unless you're really into doing serious research, but still... This page talks about how pickled plums were used for medicinal purposes on the battlefield, which is something strange that I never knew. And here is a series of woodblock prints detailing medical practices in Japan. While none are graphic by today's standards, a few may be considered strange and unpleasant to look at. You have been warned. These pages are probably more technical than needed (has anyone ever dealt with measles in their L5R campaign?), but they could offer some needed details or inspiration. Good luck!

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