Abstract:

Western theories about human anatomy and blood circulation began to be introduced into China in the late Ming Dynasty, and the knowledge of heart anatomy was followed. The word “xinfang” in Chinese referring to the heart chambers was first seen in the Quanti Xinlun(Anatomy,1851)by the British missionary Benjamin Hobson,but at that time the word meant the four chambers of the heart. Later,the “xinfang” was transmitted to Japan,i.e.,Shinbō,and its meaning changed, which only refers to the two chambers above the heart,namely atria. The next two chambers,i.e.,ventricles,are referred to in Japanese as Shinshitsu. At the beginning of the 20th century,Shinbō and Shinshitsu in Japanese were introduced into Chinese text.

Key words: atria, ventricles, left atrium, right atrium, left ventricle, right ventricle