Humanitarianism from Below: Sowa Rigpa,the Traditional Pharmaceutical Industry,and Global Health

ABSTRACT

In this article I explore, for the first time, the relationship between Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan medicine) and global health, tracing “the global” in ethical discourses and pharmaceutical innovation practices of Tibetan medical practitioners. I argue that Sowa Rigpa’s engagement with the world and its global health activities outside China can be understood as a form of “humanitarianism from below,” while its industrialization in China aligns with global health in different ways. In providing new insights into recent developments of Sowa Rigpa, I aim to decenter the notion of humanitarianism and contribute to a broader understanding of global health.     

藏药“蒂达”的名称与品种考证

采用文献考证与实地调查相结合的方法,对常用藏药材"蒂达"的名称、品种分类及其基原进行了考证和整理.结果表明,"蒂达"的名称、品种和基原极为复杂混乱,是导致其缺乏和难以制定药材质量控制标准的关键制约因素.类似状况在民族药中普遍存在,反映出了对民族药进行品种整理的必要性和迫切性.由于古代文献对于药物基原的形态描述往往较为简单,多数情况下仅根据文献考证难以准确确定其基原,在进行民族药品种整理时,还应"尊古不泥古",注重古今药材品种、基原的历史变迁和现实资源、临床使用状况的调查,并积极借鉴现代化学、生物活性评价等的研究成果,既继承民族医药的特色与优势,又推动其现代化发展.     

肤纹识别白马藏人的族属

白马藏人是一支有待识别的民族。本文以肤纹作聚类分析,结果表明白马藏人与藏族的距离很大,很有可能是一支独立的民族。     

不同海拔高度健康藏汉族青年脉象图研究

本文通过对不同海拔高度藏汉族健康青青年的４００幅脉图分析后认为，健康藏汉族青年的脉象以滑、平、弦、缓为多。结古和西宁的藏汉族青年脉力图的主要生理参数中不同海拔高度上有一定差异，表现为结古青年弦脉较多，而西宁教地区滑脉较多，究其形成原因，主要与高海拔缺氧、寒冷环境有密切关系；在民族间也存在一定差异，表现为汉族弦脉多，藏族滑脉多，它们的形成与移居高原后心血管的反庆和代偿机制有关，在性别间有明星的差异。     

藏药佐太对西红花苷-1大鼠体内药动学的影响

目的 探讨藏药佐太对西红花苷-1在大鼠体内药动学特征的影响.方法 对照组(连续ig生理盐水7 d)和实验组(连续ig佐太混悬液7 d或21 d)大鼠按5 mg/kg剂量im西红花苷-1后,采用反相高效液相色谱法测定给药后大鼠血浆中西红花苷-1的质量浓度,DAS 2.0软件计算各组大鼠西红花苷-1的药动学参数.结果 实验组大鼠分别按10 mg/(kg·d)连续ig佐太7 d和21 d后,西红花苷-1的药动学特征发生明显变化,AUC、C_(max)和MRT显著大于对照组,而CL和Vd显著小于对照组,并且随着佐太用药时间的延长,西红花苷-1的AUC增大.结论 给予佐太后西红花苷-1在大鼠体内的吸收显著增多、消除显著减慢.     

高原缺氧环境对世居藏族和移居汉族胎儿生长发育的影响

目的:通过比较高原世居藏族产妇与移居汉族产妇胎盘重量、新生儿体重和胎盘系数,了解高原环境对世居藏族和移居汉族胎儿生长发育的影响。方法:收集、检测和比较生活在海拔3480m高原的世居藏族和移居汉族初产妇分娩的胎盘重量、新生儿体重及胎盘系数,并与平原汉族新生儿出生体重比较;比较移居高原汉族初产妇和经产妇分娩的胎盘重量、新生儿体重及胎盘系数。结果:移居汉族初产妇新生儿低体重出生率显著高于世居藏族(P<0.01);世居藏族初产妇胎盘重量与移居汉族初产妇无显著差别(P>0.05)、新生儿体重高于汉族,差异有显著性(P<0.01);移居汉族初产妇胎盘系数显著高于世居藏族(P<0.05)。移居汉族初产妇胎盘重量和胎盘系数显著高于移居汉族经产妇(P<0.01),二者新生儿出生体重差别无显著性(P>0.05);藏族新生儿体重与平原汉族新生儿出生体重无显著差别(P>0.05);结论:移居汉族产妇,尤其是初产妇,在高原分娩的新生儿体重低于世居藏族和平原汉族,胎盘系数显著高于世居藏族,说明高原环境影响移居汉族胎儿宫内的生长发育。因此,有必要进一步探索高原环境对移居汉族胎儿生长发育的影响机制,以利于加强移居者围产期保健,降低高原缺氧环境对移居者胎儿生长发育的不良影响。     

RWT法评价拉萨藏族儿童青少年膝部骨龄

目的：探讨拉萨藏族儿童青少年膝部骨发育规律。方法：随机选取世居拉萨、父母为藏族的7～21岁儿童青少年1 496名为研究对象,拍摄膝部X线片,以RWT法评价膝部骨龄。结果：骨龄与日历年龄高度相关；各年龄组骨龄显著小于日历年龄；骨龄存在性别差异。结论：RWT法可以预测骨龄；托萨藏族儿童青少年膝部骨龄小于日历年龄,提示该地区骨发育存在延缓的特点。     

Taban-arshan: Immunocorrector in atopic bronchial asthma

Taban-Arshan extract decreased expression of T-lymphocyte activation markers, normalized T-cell-mediated immunity, and suppressed increased activity of natural killer receptors during culturing with lymphocytes of patients with atopic bronchial asthma. Taban-Arshan extract normalized activation processes in the B-cell immunity and stimulated expression of receptors of activation-induced apoptosis. Translated fromByulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 138, No. 7, pp. 76–78, July, 2004     

西藏现代藏族人颅的颅型及其特点

测量７０个西藏现代藏族人颅４０项指标；计算指数１６项；根据指数确定颅型，额型，颌型，眶型，鼻型与腭型；进行数理统计；观察性别差异，发现男发性间各测量值差显著，     

Hemoglobin levels in Tibet: different effect of age and gender for Tibetans vs Han

Tibetans form a population which has resided on the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau for thousands of years, and are reported to have less hemoglobin than Han Chinese lowlanders who have migrated to the plateau. However, for various altitudes, detailed comparisons of hemoglobin in the two ethnic groups has not been reported. We investigated the hypothesis that the effects of altitude, age, and gender on hemoglobin concentration would differ between Han and Tibetan residents of the plateau. Hematological parameters for both genders were determined in healthy Tibetan adults (n=3,000) and children (n=332), and healthy Han Chinese adults (n=2,612) and children (n=275), aged 5–60 years living at four different altitudes (mean altitude of 2,664, 3,813, 4,525, and 5,200 m). Hemoglobin values increased with altitude for all ages in both ethnic groups and in both genders. The gain in hemoglobin with altitude had the rank order: Han males > Han females > Tibetan males and females. Even before puberty, Han children had more hemoglobin than Tibetan children. An effect of age on hemoglobin was seen at the time of puberty in men, but not in women. A positive correlation was found between hemoglobin concentration and age in adult Han males and females, but not in Tibetan males, and only at the higher altitudes, in Tibetan females. In both Tibetans and Hans, males had higher hemoglobin values than females at each altitude, but the gender differences increased with altitude in Han, whereas it either decreased or did not change in Tibetans. Examination of hemoglobin levels by histogram showed non-Gaussian distributions: Tibetan men and women had skewing to higher values, whereas Han men and women had skewing in the opposite direction. We conclude that increasing age and the effect of gender in Tibetans are associated with different hemoglobin responses to altitude than in Han, and we speculate that genetic influences may be involved.