Menase Dōsan

Japanese physician

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June 30, 2026

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Menase Dōsan was a Japanese physician who lived during the 16th century. He authored several medical works, including the significant 15-volume Keitekishū (1574), which served as a manual for medical practice. This work uniquely included a section on the diseases of old age, classifying and describing ailments in 51 groups. Dōsan's approach emphasized supporting the body's natural forces, suggesting that treatment methods should be adapted to the patient's condition and cooperation. His work reflects the influence of traditional Chinese medicine, which was paramount in Japan at the time, with concepts like yin and yang underpinning disease causation theories.1

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history of medicine
Japan
…medical work was published by Menase Dōsan, who also wrote at least five other works. In the most significant of these, the Keitekishū (1574; a manual of the practice of medicine), diseases—or sometimes merely symptoms—are classified and described in 51 groups; the work is unusual in that it includes a…
Read More
…medical work was published by Menase Dōsan, who also wrote at least five other works. In the most significant of these, the Keitekishū (1574; a manual of the practice of medicine), diseases—or sometimes merely symptoms—are classified and described in 51 groups; the work is unusual in that it includes a…
Read More