The publication of the 1683 treatise Dissertatio de Arthritide introduced the Western world to the technical details of acupuncture and moxibustion. Authored by a Dutch physician who spent significant time observing medical practices in Japan, the work provided a bridge between Eastern therapeutic techniques and European anatomical understanding during the late seventeenth century.
Academic Foundation and Early Career
Born in Deventer in 1647, Willem ten Rhijne pursued medical education at the University of Franeker. His early intellectual output focused on classical medical texts, including commentaries on Hippocrates published between 1668 and 1672. These works demonstrated an engagement with contemporary debates in physiology and chemistry, establishing a scholarly framework before he entered the service of the Dutch East India Company in 1673.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Medical Observation in Japan
In the summer of 1674, ten Rhijne arrived at the Dejima trading post in Japan. During his tenure there, he acted as a physician, treating high-ranking patients while simultaneously documenting local medical methods. His research into acupuncture, which he termed acupunctura, culminated in detailed descriptions that were later published in London. He remains notable for being among the first individuals to systematically translate these specific Asian practices for a European readership.
Ethnographic and Clinical Writing
Beyond his work in clinical medicine, ten Rhijne contributed to the descriptive science of the seventeenth century. In 1686, he produced a text detailing the customs and lives of the Khoikhoi people, then referred to as Hottentots, following his observations near the Cape of Good Hope. Additionally, he authored a significant study regarding leprosy in Asia, titled Asiatise Melaatsheid, and collaborated with botanist Jakob Breyne to document rare plant specimens collected during his travels.
Final Years in the Dutch East Indies
Following his return from Japan in the autumn of 1676, ten Rhijne settled in Batavia, where he continued his medical and botanical work. He served as a professor of medicine and anatomy in the city. His career in the region encompassed both clinical practice and the further analysis of botanical subjects, such as his observations on tea. He died in Jakarta on 1 June 1700.
Fast facts
- Born: 1647, Deventer
- Died: 1 June 1700, Jakarta
- Education: University of Franeker
- Employer: Dutch East India Company
- Primary Fields: Medicine, Botany
- Notable Works: Dissertatio de Arthritide (1683), Asiatise Melaatsheid (1687)
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of Ten Rhijne's work on acupuncture?
He provided the first detailed Western study of acupuncture and moxibustion after observing these methods in Japan.
Did Ten Rhijne contribute to fields outside of medicine?
Yes, he was also a botanist and authored ethnographic accounts of the Khoikhoi at the Cape of Good Hope.
Achievements
- Fields: medicine
