[Textual research on Han-Chinese formulae collected in Tubo medical manuscript unearthed in 'Bum-pa-Che Tower].

A Tibetan manuscript with title of Sman–dpyad gces–pa grub–pa kun-‘dus–pa in the Collection of Practiced MedicalQuintessence, was found in the basement of a Buddhist tower named ‘Bum–pa–che in Lhokha (Shannan), Tibet. It contains a purgative recipe of TCM with its title “Powder of Han Region” and several ingredients in Chinese transliteration. Based upon the rule of medieval Chinese system of pronunciation with reference of related texts and studies, a textual research identifies it as a kind of Maren (seed of Cannabis sativa L. ) wan in TCM. Although no identical formulae of its kind has been found in extant literature of TCM prior to the Song Dynasty(960 AD), yet its ingredients, pharmaceutical preparation and efficacy are very similar to the Modified maren wan, the variant formulae of Maren wan in Wai tai mi yao (Arcane Essentials from the Imperial Library) of the Tang Dynasty.