| The theory of visceral manifestation plays an important role in thetheoretical system of TCM. The theory of “kidney storing essence” is one ofthe important contents of the visceral manifestation theory. The theory of“kidney storing essence” originated from Huang Di Nei Jing, and was affectedby the theory of five-element, yin and yang,essence-qi. It expounds thefunction and pathology of the kidney to guide the diagnosis, therapy andprognosis of diseases. Then the theory of “kidney storing essence” wasdeveloping based on the effort of medical specialists in past ages. There areplenty of concepts relate to the theory of “kidney storing essence”. Within-depth research of “kidney storing essence” in the medical history, thedefinition of the theory showed some changes in different historical periods.Therefore, the in-depth study of the concept of “kidney storing essence” hasgreat significance to the inheritance and innovation of this theory, and toimprove the basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine.Purpose： By using the Knowledge Management Platform of “kidney storingessence”, analysis and the inductive method, this paper textual research the9core concepts of “kidney storing essence”by terms phylogeny, ancientphilosophy and the connotation of TCM, and to study the inheritance, developmentand innovation of the related notions. It purpose to definite the framework ofthese concepts, and expresses the connotation of the concepts in scientific,for enriching and improving the basic visceral manifestation theory of “kidney storing essence”.Material and method： Picking out186words related to the kidney in fourstandards: Traditional Chinese Medicine Thesaurus(Beijing Science andTechnology Press.1987);Basic Theory Nomenclature of Traditional ChineseMedicine (GB/T20348.1-2006);Chinese Terms of Traditional Chinese Medicine andPharmacy(Science Press,2005);Criteria of diagnosis and therapeutic effect ofdiseases and syndromes in traditional Chinese medicine （ZY／T001.1-94）.Thenselecting9core concepts in the theory of “kidney storing essence”:essence,kidney storing the essence,,kidney essence, kidney qi, kidney yin, kidney yang,vital gate, tiangui, and congenital origin. According to the time sequence,theancient TCM books has been divided into four parts, before the East Han Dynasty,the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, and the Ming andQing Dynasties. By using the Knowledge Management Platform, analysis and theinductive methods, we arranged these conceptions above respectively. Then wefound out the literal meaning, the philosophical meaning, the medical meaning,the source of the theory, and the scientific connotation expression of thesecore concepts by using hermeneutics.Results：1The kidney viscera-state basic theory which established with the uniqueconception system. The system is divided into three levels: the“tao”, the“xiang” and “organs”.The tao of the kidney manifestation theory is the basiclaw which centres on the theory of essence-qi, yin-yang and the five elements.The xiang is the manifestation of the kidney function, and organs are theconstituents and orifices of the body.The tao of the kidney manifestation theory is basic law that in the foundationof the theory of essence-qi, yin-yang and the five elements: The kidney is thetaiyin of the yin, it governing water and the water related to winter in thefour seasons, the kan in the eight trigrams, gui in the Chinese era and the sixof the number. So the manifestation of the kidney viscera-state theory is the physiological functions of the kidney, such as storing essence, governingwater,and controlling the reception of qi; The tao and xiang embodies in thebody is the organs of the kidney.The organs of the kidneys system include thekidney as the zang, bladder as the fu, ears, the external genitals and the anus,the waist, the bones, the hair, and the saliva.2The source of the core concepts of “kidney storing essence”.The philosophical foundation of the basic visceral manifestation theory of“kidney storing essence” is the theory of essence-qi.It argues that theessence-qi is the source of the universe. The theory of TCM considers that theessence-qi is the congenital origin of the body. The theory of “water-earth”in pre-Qin Dynasty considered that the water is the congenital origin of theuniverse, which made great efforts to the basic visceral manifestation theoryof “kidney storing essence”.The source of the concepts and theories almost came from Huangdi Neijingand Nanjing. Essence,“kidney storing essence”, kidney essence, kidney qi,vital-gate and tiangui have been found in Huangdi Neijing, and the kidney yinand yang appeared individually in Chapter15and Chapter26in the Huangdi NeijingTaisu in Tang Dynasties subsequently. The “congenital origin”appeared in theChapter1in Yizong Bidu for the first time, which wrote by Li Zhongzi in MingDynasties. The theory of these terms mainly came from Huangdi Neijing, and thetheory of vital gate was almost from Nanjing.3The history evolution and the connotation of core concepts in the theory of“kidney storing essence”:3.1EssenceThe concept of essence in TCM is different from the theory of “kidney-qi”,it focus on the human body, and the essence of human is the primitive materialfor constituting and maintaining the body life.The concept of essence in traditional Chinese medicine is first recordedin ten questions which unearthed in Ma Wangdui, and the Huangdi Neijing madethe foundation of the theory. In Jin and Tang Dynasty, physicians argued that the essence is the essence-qi and it has close relation to the blood and thebody fluid. The essence was called essence-qi. And doctors described the homogenyof the acquired essence, clear fluid and blood; Then, Zhu Danxi believed thatthe essence is often insufficient and founded“the schools for nourishing yin”.In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Zhao Xianke argued that the essence was bornbehind the qi when the life began, and some doctors considered that the essencecan be divided into yin and yang.The essence is the basic material constituting a human body which inheritedfrom both parents, and nourishing from the essential substances of food and drink.It is stored in kidney which acquiring the essences form the five zang-visceraand six fu-viscera and arising the reproductive essence. The essence promotesthe maturity of the reproductive function; it is the basis for the origin oflife and the material to maintain the life activity.3.2Kidney storing essence“Kidney storing essence” recorded in Huangdi Neijing, the kidney storesthe essence of the body. Nanjing recorded that the vital gate is the right kidneyand stores the essence. In Sui Dynasty, Yang Shangshan argued that the left kidneystores the zhi and the vital gate stores the essence.In Song Jin Dynasty, LiuWansu argued that the left kidney belongs to water and stores the essence. Andin the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Jingyue argued that the essence is stored in vitalgate which controls the kidney both in the left and right.“Kidney storing essence” is the function of storing and adjusting theessence. Firstly, the kidney stores essence, including the congenital essence,the acquired essence, the essence which is stored in the other four organs andthe reproductive essence. On the other hand, the kidney releases the essencewhich storing inside. The kidney essence is distributed to the zang and fu, thebody and the orifices. And it promoting the functions of the whole system andsupplement the other organs, in addition, adjusts the balance of the body bothinside and outside, which called “storage of the essence for urgency”.3.3Kidney-essence Kidney essence firstly recorded in Su Wen. YangShangshan in Sui Dynastyconsidered that the kidney essence storing the bones. Wangbing considered thatthe kidney essence and kidney qi are interdependent in Tang Dynasty. In Song,Jin and Yuan Dynasties, doctors thought that kidney controlling primordial qi,and Liu Wansu argued that the primordial qi transforms from the congenitalessence, it is the origin of the body. Zhang Jingyue in Ming Dynasty argued thatthe kidney essence is the primordial essence, the kidney and vital gate storinggenuine yin, they consists of the primordial and primordial essence, as the waterand fire of the kidney.Kidney essence is the essence storing in the kidney, which originating fromcongenital essence, nourishing from acquired essence and the essence from fivezang and six fu.It is the material basis for growth, development and thereproduction function of governing the bones, transforming to the blood,manifesting the hair, and various physiological activities of mental facultiesand physical strength.3.4Kidney-qiThe word of kidney qi is recorded in Chapter1in the Suwen for the fristtime. Nanjing argued that the yuan qi storing in the vital gate, and recordedthe theory of “stirring qi of the kidney region. Yang Shangshan in Sui Dynastythought that the stirring qi of the kidney region could be called the qi of vitalgate. In Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, doctors argued that the kidney governingprimordial qi. In Song Dynasty, Chen Wuze thought that the stirring qi of thekidney region is dampness-heat in lower jiao. In Song and Jin Dynasty, Liu Wangsuargued that the primordial qi is not yin and yang, transforming from thecongenital essence. In Ming Dynasty, Zhang Jingyue thought that the kidney andvital gate storing genuine essence, consists of primordial essence andprimordial qi, which belong to the water and fire of kidney; SunYikui arguedthat the vital gate is the stirring qi of the kidney. Huang Yuanyu in Qing Dynastyargued that the root of body is called zu qi.The kidney qi is transformed from the kidney essence, and has close connection with the primordial qi. Not only the kidney essence-qi promoting thephysiologic function of the kidney system, but also exciting and warming thefive Zang-Organs and six Fu-Organs, and adjusting the internal and externalenvironment of the body. It adjusting and consolidating the essence, qi, blood,fluid, Chong and Conception Channels, and adjust the urine and feces.3.5Kidney-yangThe concepts of kidney-yang appeared in Chapter26in Huangdi Neijing Taisu,which means the yang qi of the kidney. Kidney-yang has been considered as theleft kidney which was called the ren in the Tang Dynasties. Then it was calledthe fire in the vital gate respectively in the Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties.Subsequently, in Ming and Qing Dynasties, the kidney-yang became the elementsof the water and the fire, and then defined the principles later, and last along time until today.Kidney-yang is also called yuan yang or zhen yang which represents thewarming and promoting of the materials and functions of the kidney. It warmingand promoting the physiological function of zang and fu, which is the root ofthe yang qi of zang and fu.3.6Kidney-yinThe concepts of kidney-yin recorded in the Chapter15in Huangdi Neijingtaisu.Kidney-yin has been considered as the right kidney which was called the vitalgate in the Tang Dynasties. Then it has been turned into the water in the leftkidney in the Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties. Subsequently, in the Ming and QingDynasties, ZhangJingyue and Zhao Xianke argued that the vital gate belongs tothe kidneys and the kidney-yin is the water of vital gate.Kidney-yin is also called yuan yin or zhen yin, it represent the moisteningand nourishing of the kidney functions. It moistening and nourishing thephysiological function of zang and fu, which is the root of the yin qi of zangand fu.3.7Vital gateThe term of “vital gate” appeared in Chapter5Genjie in lingshu, the theory of“right kidney is the vital gate” came from Nanjing. In Jin, Sui and TangDynasties, doctors succeeded the theory of “right kidney is the vital gate”and Sun Simiao considered the left kidney is ren and vital gate is gui. In Song,Jin, and Yuan Dynasties, doctors argued that the kidney is water and the vitalgate is the fire. In Ming and Qing Dynasties, the vital gate was considered asthe TaiJi of the body, and controlling the kidneys, Sun Yikui in Ming Dynastyargued that the vital gate is the stirring qi of the kidney. The vital gate isalso called eyes or the uterus and essence chamber and so on.The connotation of the vital gate consists of two aspects. The generalizedis the gate of the life, and closely relates to the kidney. It adjusts thefunctions of zang and fu, and consists of the water and the fire. The specialmeaning of the vital gate is called eyes or the uterus and essence chamber, andso on.3.8TianguiThe concept of tiangui appeared first in Chapter1in Suwen, it was called“tianshui” in zhenjiujiayijing. In Sui Dynasty, Yang Shangshan argued thatthe tiangui is the essence-qi, and Wangbing in Tang Dynasty explained the tianguiis genuine qi falls down. And some doctors thought that the tiangui is thereproductive essence and the blood. In Song Jin and Yuan Dynasties, doctorsinherited the genuine qi falls down and tiangui is the essence-qi. In Ming Dynasty,Mashi, Zhang Jingyue argued that tiangui is the yin essence or the genuine yin,and Wuqian in Qing Dynasty argued that tiangui is the stirring qi of the kidney.It was also called Tianyi Zhishui or Yueshui.Tiangui is the ssence substances, which is associated with the kidneyessences, presenting the changes from adolescence to the phase of decline, andregulating the procreative function of the body.3.9The congenital originThe term of “congenital origin”is fristly recorded in Chapter1inYizongBidu which originate from the philosophical theory of Tianyi Shengshuiand the theory of “kidney governing water”. In Song Dynasty, ShengjiZonglu recorded that the kidney is the congenital origin. And Zhao Xianke argued thatvital gate is the Tai Ji of the body which between the kidneys, governing thecongenital water and fire. In Ming Dynasty, Li Zongzi argued that the kidneyis the congenital zang. He Mengyao in the Qing Dynasty called the congenitalis the water and fire of the kidneys.First, the kidney belongs to the water in five elements, and the water isthe source of the life.Second, since the kidney essence comes from parents andis the primary substance for constituting human body and conceiving new life,TCM regards the kidney as “the congenital origin”.Conclusion：1The kidney viscera-state theory was established with the unique conceptionsystem. The system is divided into three levels: the“tao”, the“xiang” and“organs”.The tao of the kidney manifestation theory including: the kidney is thetaiyin of the yin, governing water, and the water related to winter in the fourseasons, the kan in the eight trigrams, ren and gui in the Chinese era.Themanifestation of the kidney viscera-state theory is the physiological functionsof the kidney, such as storing essence, dominating growth, development andreproduction, governing water, and controlling the reception of qi. The organsof the kidney system including the kidneys as the zang, the bladders as the fu,the ears, the external genitals and the anus, the waist, the bones, the hair,and the saliva.2Defined the history evolution of core concepts: essence, kidney storing essence,kidney-essence, kidney-qi, kidney-yin, kidney-yang, vital gate, tiangui, andthe congenital origin.There are certain characteristics of the core concepts in theory of “kidneystoring essence”. It can be seen that most of the core concepts came from HuangdiNeijing in Pre-Qin to Han Dynasties, and the characteristics of the Sui and TangDynasties showed that it inherited the theories from the past dynasties. And it expanded the theory in the Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties especially theinnovation to the nature of water and fire belong to the kidney and vital gate.With the devolopment of theory of the vital gate, kidney-yin and kidney-yang,it has been greatly improved in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the theory ofvital gate established in this time. The vital gate is the Tai Ji of the body,and the origin of the life. It was making new points and thoughts to the sourceof the life, and to directing in practice.3Defined the connotation of core concepts: essence, kidney storing essence,kidney-essence, kidney-qi, kidney-yin, kidney-yang, vital gate, tiangui, andthe congenital origin, providing the theoretical basis for the specificationand normalization of these concepts. |
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