| Qi is the key concept of ancient Chinese philosophy.In early time,Qi had diverse meanings,including the divination signal written on bones or tortoise shells,the hot gas made by stewing organs of animals in sacrifice,smoke,wind,fog in woods,vapor of cooking rice,breath,etc.The semantic connotation of Qi went through the evolution from concretization to metaphysic.Until being used in Lao-Zhuang philosophy,the intangible and indefinite feature made Qi was regarded as the origin of the whole world.Thus use of Qi was unique as well as flexible in ancient Chinese literature,yet the essential characteristic of Qi was concentrated.This phenomenon appeared in ancient Chinese medical literature as well.Qi was thekey concept throughout the whole Chinese medical theory hitherto.Acupuncture is the most operational and practical treatment method in Chinese medicine.Expressions and meanings of Qi in ancient acupuncture literature varied in several dimensions,for instance,phenomenon versus idea,concrete versus abstract,etc.The function of Qi in acupuncture theory is significant.●Topic Selection BasisWith a thorough review to current research,one may find that there was plenty of research on Qi as a concept in ancient Chinese thoughts,on the concept Qi in Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon,and on the problems relevant to Qi in clinical acupuncture and experimental research of acupuncture.However,the research focused on using of Qi in ancient acupuncture classics was rare.The understanding and developing of the concept Qi in ancient classics will have great influences on the theory building and clinical practice of acupuncture.This significance is where this research is established.Tracing back to ancient literature and classics,the problem of Qi in acupuncture theory is raised.●Research PurposePurpose of this research mainly includes three aspects.Firstly,to interpret and analyze all the characters Qi of acupuncture theory according to contexts in medical literature on bamboo slips and silks,in Inner Canon,and in Nanjing.Secondly,the research aims at giving more precise definitions to single-syllable Qi and its relevant words in classical acupuncture theory.Thirdly,the research has the purpose of presenting Qi of acupuncture theory visually and systematically.And to solve several unsettled problems in order to deepen theoretical connotation of Qi in acupuncture.●Research SignificanceThe theoretical significance of this research lays in the improvement of the system of Qi in acupuncture theory.It will be a complement to the theory of both acupuncture and Chinese philosophy.The practical significance of this research is a move forward to clarification of a key concept in acupuncture which will contribute to interpretation of ancient literature and clinical and experimental research in future.●Innovative PointsThis study mainly has following three innovative points.Firstly,this study attempts to interpret concept Qi one by one and analyze its thoughts in classical acupuncture theory.The author analyzes every single character Qi in acupuncture texts in classics from a microscopic view.The function of Qi in theory and operation of acupuncture can be manifested.Secondly,the research method combines quantitative research and qualitative research.It is the first time that research on Qi in ancient acupuncture literature uses multi-disciplinary methods including philology,hermeneutics,context,linguistics.Different from relevant research in the past,this study is not limited to use methods of philology,but comprehensively synthesizes modern western hermeneutics and linguistics theory to analyze traditional concepts and thoughts from multi-dimensions.Thirdly,this study analyzes Qi concept in acupuncture theory systematically and constructs a Qi conceptual system.Here the using of conceptual system is not restricted to current acupuncture theoretical system,but to build up a schema of Qi logically based on the feature and connotation of itself.●Research MaterialsOn the base of the definition of "classical acupuncture theory",the main research materials are Yellow Emperor ’s Inner Canon and Nanjing.As the basic research materials,the ancient medical literature recorded on bamboo slips and silks are covered as well,including the Zu-bi Shiyi-Mai Jiujing,Ynyang Shiyi-Mai Jiujing(Vol.A),Maifa,Yinyang Mai Sihou found in Mawangdui,the Maishu and Yinshu found in Zhangjiashan.Meanwhile,the important works of collectors and annotating scholars to Inner Canon and Nanjing in later ages are referenced as well,including HUANG Fumi,YANG Shangshan,WANG Bing,MA Shi,WU Kun,ZHANG Jiebin,ZHANG Zhicong,HUA Shou,WANG Jiusi,GUO Aichun,etc.●Research MethodsThe methodology used in this research is a mix of quantitative and qualitative research.Quantitative research methods are used to calculate the amount,frequency,and proportion of characters Qi.On the base of the data brought by statistical research,qualitative methods are used to assist the text analysis,deduce logical relations,build up theoretical system.Main qualitative methods used in this research include philological analysis and thoughts,hermeneutical idea,contextual text research methods,and cognitive linguistical theory.a)PhilologyMethods of philology are mainly used in selecting and filtering ancient literature,including selecting literature on bamboo slips and silks,deciding versions of Inner Canon and Nanjing,and verifying ancient literature and its historical background.On the base of this work,more reliable research materials can be defined.b)HermeneuticsHermeneutics is the standpoint of this research.Here the theory of hermeneutics used by the author is the one of Hans-Georg Gadamer.Referring to interpretation materials to Qi in Inner Canon and Nanjing both in ancient and modern time,as one of dialogists,from the view decided by research purpose,the author gives own understanding to Qi of acupuncture.c)ContextThoughts of context play an important role in this research.Reasoning the connotation of characters Qi in scriptures,especially the single-syllable ones,largely depends on every context.d)Cognitive linguisticsCognitive linguistical method,namely schema theory here,is applied to describe the relation of concept Qi and body with schema of container and route.This can reflect the prospect of Qi thoughts of ancient people vividly.Research on ancient medical literature by using multidisciplinary theories and methods,can contribute to systematization of materials and conversion of modes of thinking.Meanwhile,with the conscious of thinking from the perspective of ancient people,one can avoid being restricted in modern thinking mode.●Research ContentsThe research is mainly built up in four sections.Firstly,analyzing texts about Qi of acupuncture theory recorded in medical literature on bamboo slips and silks before Inner Canon.Secondly,both micro-exploration and macro-exploration are conducted towards the concept Qi in Inner Canon and Nanjing.Thirdly,on the base of analysis to scriptures,the concept Qi is extracted,described and interpreted separately.Finally,starting from solving several problems,the schema of Qi is described and theory of Qi of acupuncture is discussed profoundly.a)Qi in acupuncture literature recorded on bamboo slips and silksResearch on Qi of acupuncture theory in medical literature recorded on bamboo slips and silks has three steps.Firstly,the development of acupuncture from these records to Inner Canon is introduced briefly.Besides,the reason of analysis on these records is discussed on the base of diversities.Secondly,key scriptures on bamboo slips and silks are systemized,including Zu-bi Shiyi-Mai Jiujing,Yinyang Shiyi-Mai Jiujing(Vol A),Maifa,Yinyang Mai Sihou found in Mawangdui,the Maishu and Yinshu found in Zhangjiashan.The scriptures relevant to acupuncture are filtered.And Qi appears 34 times in these scriptures.Finally,the connotation of Qi is deeply analyzed by discussing three topics,including Qi representing objects and ideas,the yin-yang Qi in body,and the relation of Qi and meridians.In this part,the frame of Qi connotations is built up.b)Qi in classical acupuncture literatureAnalysis on all the characters Qi in classical acupuncture theory is the key foundation of this research.Here,"classical acupuncture theory" mainly refers to contents recorded in Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon and Nanjing.Since these scriptures have great influences and fundamental significance to acupuncture theory in later time.For the need of research,here the author raises a concept of "scripture block".Namely,in ancient literature,a piece of scripture that includes the character or word or sentence as research objects,and has a concentrated discussion topic as well as a integrated context.The scripture block is used as the research unit in this dissertation.By systematizing 509 scripture blocks in Lingshu and Suwen,every concept Qi and their functions are discussed from microscopic view.A profound understanding to Qi thoughts of acupuncture in Inner Canon is formed.In analysis to Lingshu,the interpretations made by HUANG Fumi,YANG Shangshan,MA Shi,WU Kun,ZHANG Jiebin,ZHANG Zhicong are referred.And analysis to Suwen refers to the interpretations made by YANG Shangshan,WANG Bing,MA Shi,WU Kun,ZHANG Jiebin,ZHANG Zhicong.On the base of the analysis to scriptures,according to the data calculated from acupuncture thoughts,acupoints,meridians(pulse),figure,needling instruments,needling methods,the characteristics of Qi of acupuncture in Lingshu and Suwen are manifested.In addition,the function of Qi in acupuncture idea,acupoints and meridians,figure,needling is explored.Similarly,42 characters Qi are analyzed from microscopic view in Nanjing.The interpretations made by HUA Shou,WANG Jiusi,GUO Aichun are referred.The characteristics of Qi theory of acupuncture in Nanjing are described.c)Concept Qi in classical acupuncture theoryFrom grammatical view,characters Qi were applied in scriptures in two ways.One is applied as a single-syllable word.The other is used as a disyllable or polysyllable word combining with other characters.On the one hand,the author selects all the single-syllable word Qi,and summarizes 12 different connotations in diverse contexts,namely,the substitute to other content in context,the inside situation in body,the function,the Qi of meridian or pulse,nature and feature,the opposite to blood,the reason and pathogenesis of disease,the Qi of whole body,the feeling of gas,the reaction to needling,the air in nature,the flatus.On the other hand,the structures of 192 disyllable and polysyllable words Qi are analyzed depending on the grammatical relations between characters.All the words with structure of "x-Qi" are separated into attributive structure and verb-object structure.All the words with structure of "Qi-x" are separated into attributive structure and subject-predicate structure.123 words with "x-Qi" structure and 69 words with "Qi-x" structure are defined according to their contexts.By all research mentioned above,concept Qi is analyzed thoroughly andsystematically.d)Theoretical analysis of acupuncture and QiUsing of concept Qi had a distinct historical tendency towards disyllable word.However,the single-syllable word Qi recorded in early classics has a great influence to development of acupuncture theory.Moreover,several complicated difficulties appeared in research mainly center on interpretation to this kind of word Qi.The different connotations of single-syllable word Qi are not independent,but have intimate logical relationships with each other.The conceptual framework of single-syllable word Qi is constructed in this research.The derivative relationships of different connotations of Qi are presented.The disyllable words Qi and polysyllable words Qi varied a lot.They are the expressions of the understanding to phenomenon of body and relation of human and nature of ancient people.By using the method of cognitive linguistics,the author describes the schema of Qi with the container schema and route schema.The scattered words of Qi are combined into an organic system,which represents the Qi world in ancient time.On the base of research above,the author raises six complex problems relevant to Qi in acupuncture theory,namely,the number of Qi of acupuncture,paralleling items with Qi in acupuncture,the shape and Qi,the blood-Qi and acupuncture,Qi and its change,the dialectical Qi.Discussion towards these questions is exploration to the truth of Qi theory.In the end,the author generalizes the enlightenments brought by the exploration to Qi theory of acupuncture from language,understanding and modern interpretation.●Research ResultsThe research results are reflected from six aspects.a)Qi in medical scriptures on bamboo slips and silksQi in medical scriptures on bamboo slips and silks has intimate relation with acupuncture,especially the "meridians".13 different meanings of Qi separated into nature and human,concrete and abstract lays the foundation for Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon.b)Study of scripture blocks involving Qi551 scripture blocks containing Qi can be extracted from Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon and Nanjing,all of which are explained one by one.The meaning of character Qi is complicated.Content in Inner Canon concentrates on acupuncture thoughts and needling methods.c)Qi theory of classical acupuncture literatureThe Qi theory in different aspects of acupuncture theory in Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon has specialties.In Nanjing,Qi theory is more theorized and has a mature system form.d)Definition and description of Qi conceptConcept Qi in classical acupuncture-moxibustion theory is involved in three categories,namely language,nature,needling.The character Qi has 12 different meanings.Qi concepts and their relations are described by using the method of cognitive linguistics.e)Questions about QiSix complex questions relevant to Qi in acupuncture theory are given profound discussion.f)Macroscopic analysis of Qi in acupuncture-moxibustion theoryQi theory is given discussion from macroscopic view.The Qi language has four categories,namely filler,dynamic phenomenon,function and condition,property and identification.The cognitive dimensions of Qi have diversities of blankness and actuality,idea and phenomenon.In the thoughts and situation of ancient people,Qi can be treated as faith.Whereas the concept of Qi still has great significance in modern time.●Limitations and ExpectationsThe limitations includes the neglect to Qi concepts without the character Qi,the exclusion of acupuncture monographs after Nanjing,the lack of comparative research on Qi with similar concepts in other culture.These regrets in this research give anticipated research areas in future. |
PDF Full Text Request