Research On The Huainan Zi's Medical Thoughts

The Huainan Zi is a learning book which serves as a link between past and future in the earlier stage of the Western Han Dynasty. The medical science thought of The Huainan Zi is very abundant. This thesis tries to analyze its medical science thought completely and explores instructive theories which can be used by TCM. Here are six chapters in the following.In chapter 1, it focuses on the theories of yin-yang and the five elements in The Huainan Zi,including the yin-yang theory and the five-elements theory. The theory of yin-yang in The Huainan Zi includes the opposition and unity of yin and yang, interdependence between yin and yang, interlacing between yin and yang, mutual transformation between yin and yang, harmony of yin and yang, waning and waxing between yin and yang. The Huainan Zi entirely approaches the inter-promotion and inter-restraint among the five elements, advancing a theory about the strong, old, growing, imprisoning, dying state of the five elements, showing the flexible relationships of the five elements. The Huainan Zi makes up of a universe schematism according to the theory of the five elements which sweeps up the heaven, land and man. The Huainan Zi puts forward to explicitly the essence of yin-yang and the five elements is qi. The chapter forms the combination between yin-yang theory and the five-elements theory in The Huainan Zi.In chapter 2, it analyzes the relationship between the universe and human being. The Huainan Zi affirms that the universe is objiective. It discusses the person's origins, describes embryonic process of the fetus. It puts forward an idea that the body is the basis of mind and the mind is the mind produces love and hatred. It advocates that spirit dominates the life. The essence of body and mind is qi. The body, qi and mind keep an inter-locking relationship in a process of circulation. The Huainan Zi puts forward the five-element classification on the constitution of the body. It also gives us a proposition that there's evident relationship between man and nature. It discusses interaction between universe and man for the interaction between yin and yang, and gives us a holistic view about the unity of the universe and human being, which has caused direct influence on TCM.Chapter 3 analyses the contents of Zangxiang theory. The Huainan Zi records two kinds of corresponding relations between the five elements and the five zang-organs, analyses the corresponding relationship between the five zang-organs and five sense organs, and the relationship between the five zang-organs and the mind. It particularly shows us a full-scale understanding of the heart, whose physiological functions control blood vessels, govern the mind and affect nine orifices and limbs. The heart is the master of the five zang-organs.Chapter 4 discussed the contents of the cause of disease and pathological mechanism in The Huainan Zi. The cause of disease involves factors, such as weather, feeling ambition, geography and society...etc. It generalizes the basic principle of imbalance of yin-yang and mutual struggle between pathogenic factors and the healthy qi about pathological mechanism.Chapter 5 talks of the therapeutic contents of The Huainan Zi. The Huainan Zi takes prevention as the essential principle of therapy. It takes life cultivation as an important way of prevention. It puts an emphasis on knowing the causes of disease and making corresponding changes according to individual condition, local environment and seasonal variations, etc.Chapter 6 is the study of life cultivation in The Huainan Zi. The chapter summarizes completely the health-preserving in The Huainan Zi. The health-preserving in The Huainan Zi is a newer developmental stage of Taoism life cultivation. Its health-preserving principles includes the theory that we should hold the truth and keep the innocence of human, practice health-preserving in the light of the seasonal variations, and emphasize simultaneous cultivation of spirit, qi and physique. The Huainan Zi thinks that the life is the unity of spirit, qi and physique. It puts forward that spirit cultivation is the first important, and then body nourishment. Keeping the mind calm, moderating the temperament and nourishing the spirit are the ways to stabilize the mind. Keeping normal daily life, caring about what food is appropriate and what is not, and keeping harmony of movement and still are the ways of body cultivation. The purpose of health-preserving in The Huainan Zi is that it wishes people could become zhengren through health-preserving. The health thoughts have important influence on the developments Taoism health theories and life cultivating of TCM.The conclusion points out that it summarizes completely the medical science thought of The Huainan Zi. On one hand it can reflect the level of medical science in the earlier stage of the Western Han Dynasty; On the other hand it also points out the influence of medical science development aftertime. It gives new information about the approximate time of the composition for Huangdi Neijing.