was a Japanese physician.

Early life and education

Dōsan was born in Kyoto and initially trained to become a monk. However, in his early twenties he began studying medicine under

Tashiro Sanki was a Japanese doctor of ''kampo , often known simply as , is the study of traditional Chinese medicine in Japan following its introduction, beginning in the 7th century. It was adapted and modified to suit Japanese culture and tradition ...

. He enrolled at the Ashikaga School of Medicine, and continued his studies for 17 years.

Career

He published a medical textbook, the ''Keitekishu'', in 1571, and worked as a doctor for many daimyō of the time. He was employed by the shōgun Ashikaga Yoshiteru and treated the Emperor Ōgimachi. The daimyō Dōsan treated included

Mōri Motonari was a prominent ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) in the western Chūgoku region of Japan during the Sengoku period of the 16th century. The Mōri clan claimed descent from Ōe no Hiromoto (大江広元), an adviser to Minamoto no Yoritomo. Motonari w ...

, whom Dōsan attended in 1566 during his siege of Toda Castle. When Monotari visited him the following year, Dōsan presented him with nine rules for health, known as the ''Kyuki''. These were: * Do not be lazy or negligent * Drink, live and eat modestly * Enjoy poetry and dancing in moderation * Rule virtuously * Be mindful of war, but do not love it * Listen to all viewpoints * Note the difference between the lax and the industrious * Court wise men and eschew extravagance * Moderation in rule is reflected by moderation in the ruled That same year, he also visited Matsunaga Hisahide, where he lectured on Chinese texts on sex and the nurturing of life. Dōsan taught over 3,000 students in what became known as ''Dōsan-ryu'' or the Dōsan School. He and his heirs (both natural and adopted) were instrumental in the spread of the ''Goseihō'' school of medical thought in Japan, which stemmed from Chinese systems of medicine.

References

{{Authority control 16th-century Japanese physicians 1507 births 1594 deaths