Metaphorical Cognition Of "TCM Channel Theory"

ObjectiveChannel theory of TCM origins from the Plain Questions of The Inner Cannon of Huangdi:"Qi and blood flow in the five internal organs’tracts, and derive from the internal channels which called Jing in Chinese medicine. If qi and blood flow gentle and smoothly your body will maintain in harmony. Keeping the internal channel unobstructed, so as to keep disease away." This paper mainly studied the main architecture of human channel system Qi and blood,the five internal organs’tracts, the internal channels or Jing. The core state of internal organs system externals from the nature world and within the five internal organs or the heart-liver-spleen-lung-kidney system. The internal channels of human body defined from different forms but rank to the same concept. Sanjiao or the triple energizer and Jing both with the characteristics of the channel are the main place for metabolism of Qi blood and water. "Qi assembled together to take tangible shape, and the solidity disseminate to become Qi". The movement of Qi produced all kinds of changes. This changing for human body presented the transformation between the Qi, blood and body fluid and the metabolic process.MethodAnalyses the basic theory of the Inner Cannon of Huangdi, the channel theory of TCM that we discuss belong to different forms of pipeline, with the function of transforming Qi, water and waste. The internal channels with organs and tissue staggered into a complex network or channel system communicating to the exterior and interior of human body, from the five internal organs to the end tip of arms and legs, ascending and descending, inward and outward. Sanjiao or the triple energizer is in charge of the passage of Qi and water. It is the general waterways and the channel for conveying fluid water and Qi. Sanjiao and Jing or the internal channels can be thought of as both the whole transportation system of the human body. With the five internal organs’tracts, on the basis of the theory of "gasification", we can build a channel system as the courses of Qi-blood circulation process.Metaphor is an indispensable tool for cognitive the world. From the known to the unknown areas, by comparing the similarity of two or two classes of object, it provides a way to help people to learn the unfamiliar things through the familiar ones. It can provide instructive thoughts in science, to strengthen the understanding and awareness of unfamiliar things, to help setting up the construction of a new theory, and to express new concepts or content. Human body has a unified organic connection with the nature in the theory of traditional Chinese medicine. Its integral structure function is interrelated. The whole is an indivisible unity for the internal and external environment of human body and the nature. We can observe the regularity of life activity through the change of the nature environment. This holistic view is obtained from observation and comparison of the overall concept of nature. Hydrology and climate system of the nature is derivative from the initial observation of the climate and the experience of the cause of climate change by human being. There is similar analogy between channel system of human body and the hydrology and climate system.ResultThis article construct a metaphor descript of "the channel system of human body is the same as the hydrology and climate of the nature system" based on the three stages of metaphor structure theory that is analog access, mapping and transfer from the stages of metaphor logic. The analogical relation between the channel system of the body and the hydrology and climate system of the nature is set up on the premise of similarity and by logical inference, analogy replacement and mapping. Analogy contains two aspects of the structure, function and model est..We set up Sanjiao or triple energizer and Jing system of TCM, that is to say Qi-blood operation channel of human being in the process of analogy replacement. Acquiring new knowledge from the known to the unknown is the function of analogy.ConclusionBased on cognition of different phase of water varies in its surroundings and the knowledge of water vapor transmission, precipitation and evaporation, we compared with the theory of traditional Chinese medicine and we can get a better understanding and interpretation of the functions of human body channel systems. From the reagent and dosage characteristics of Li Dongyuan and Huang Yuanyu and the gasification theory of the triple energizer, we can realize that the spleen-stomach system as the junction of the process of gasification plays an important role of regulating Qi movement of human body. It will be more effective to guide the clinical prescription through cognitive metaphor thinking mode as a tool.