TK 36 - Detail (1).jpg [2/20] Title: Detail of Medical Instruments (I) - Thangka Thirty-Six Source: 021008_003a.jpg Caption: This photograph is an enlargement of the upper left-hand corner of the thangka pertaining to medical instruments (tk 36.) The tools in the first panel are probes used for exploring various parts of the body. Beginning with the short pair, used for exploring cranial fractures, the four below are used to explore foreign bodies of the limbs in search of pain or injury. The next five instruments to the right are: a hook-headed probe, "snake-eyed" probes (second and third), a copper trumpet-shaped probe and a pointed probe. The first four are used for diagnosing pain in the extremities, and the last is used for discovering the presence of pus during swelling. These instruments can be understood as mediators between the doctor and patient and are specialized for exploration of specific parts of the body. The instruments in the panel below are "pincers" or "forceps" in the shapes of "kite-beaked" (first two) and "crow-beaked" (second two.) Many instruments are shaped like animals or given animals faces in order to make them easier to identify and handle as well as increase their effectiveness as tools. Sources and Further Reading: Dash: pg 1-17 Dorje & Meyer: pg 239-340 Jingfeng: pg 252