A complete Tibetan manuscript in 44 full page color plates
Gyu Shi (The Four Tantras) is a 12th century Tibetan medical text which is still today a cornerstone of Tibetan medicine. It expounds the theory of the three bodily humors (wind rlung, bile mkhris pa, and phlegm bad kan) and identifies their imbalances as the source of disease. The text also discusses various other topics such as anatomy, physiology, psychopathology and embryology, and details a range of diagnostic techniques and practical treatments. The present manuscript is based on these teachings and depicts a selection of therapeutic plants, animals and minerals used for the production of medicine. It is currently held by the Wellcome Library, London.