A Discussion Of The Six-channel Diseases In Treatise On Cold Damage By Using The Theory Of Manifestation, Root Cause And Medial Qi

A Discussion of the Six-channel Diseases in Treatise on Cold Damage by Using the Theory of Manifestation, Root Cause and Medial QiThe objective of this thesis is to discuss the six-channel diseases in Treatise on Cold Damage by using the theory of manifestation, root cause and medial qi. From studies of the past scholars, the qi transformation theory in The Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic (Huang Di Nei Jing) for explaining the pattern of natural climate change, has been used to compare to the qi transformation pattern of human zang-fu (viscera and bowels) and channels and collaterals under the philosophical guide of the "harmony of humans and nature". The qi transformation theory was also used by doctors in Qing Dynasty to explain the mechanism of the six-channel patterns in Treatise on Cold Damage (Shang Han Lun). To better inherit and carry forward the study of Treatise on Cold Damage, I summarized the "six-channel qi transformation theory" from the traditional Chinese medical logic, trying to use simple and understandable language to explain the findings in a systematic way, hoping that it is worthwhile in promoting the academic and clinical application of the "six-channel qi transformation theory".There are three parts in this thesis:The first part is to discuss the qi transformation theories in The Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic (Huang Di Nei Jing), including the theory of manifestation, root cause and medial qi, and transformation theory according to the previous theory. I have summarized a relatively completed qi transformation model of the channels and collaterals and zang-fu, in order to explain the physiology and diseases in Treatise on Cold Damage. The first step was to apply the theory of manifestation, root cause and medial qi to the functioning of channels and collaterals and zang-fu of the human body, then to classify them into six systems of the three yin channels and three yang channels, which can then be classified into three groups of exterior-interior channels. The six systems each has its own physiological characteristics and specific qi transformation function, while each of them is also regulated by the qi transformation function of the channels and collaterals and zang-fu in exterior-interior relationship with it, maintaining a system in dynamic equilibrium. This is the physiological foundation of Treatise on Cold Damage. The next step is to apply the pattern of transformation according to manifestation, root cause and medial qi to the six-channel diseases in Treatise on Cold Damage. The generation and transformation of six qi and five elements is in orderly sequence, with one following another. Wood gives birth to fire, wood transform following the fire; earth gives birth to metal, dryness transform following the dampness; water and fire are coordinated, and cold and heat are in equilibrium; these patterns keep the dynamic equilibrium of the entire body, the excess and insufficiency of six qi and five elements would lead to disorders. Taiyang and shaoyin are in the relationship of water and fire, the cold and heat changes occurred as a result of the increase and decline of water and fire. Yangming and taiyin are in the relationship of metal and earth, earth gives birth to metal, and thus dryness and dampness change according to the transportation and transformation function of the earth-spleen in middle of the body. Shaoyang and jueyin are in the relationship of wood and fire, wood gives birth to fire, and changes according to the increase and decline and the ascending and descending of ministerial fire. These are the mechanism of the three yin and three yang syndromes.The second part is to discuss the three yin and three yang physiology and diseases in Treatise on Cold Damage by using the qi transformation model of channels and collaterals and zang-fu. The three yin and three yang each has its manifestation of the qi transformation function of the corresponding channels and collaterals and zang-fu. The cold water of taiyang is regulated by the monarchical fire of shaoyin, to carry out the function of storing yang qi; the excessive and deficient fire and water would cause disorders, showing syndrome of either cold transformation or heat transformation. The dry metal of yangming is regulated by the damp earth of taiyin, to carry out the function of receiving and descending yang qi; the excessive and deficient fire and water would cause diseases, showing syndrome of dry transformation, heat transformation, damp transformation and cold transformation. The ministerial fire of shaoyang is regulated by the wind-wood of jueyin, responsible for the spiral ascending and spiral descending of yang qi; disorder of the ministerial fire could cause diseases, heat would be caused by non-descending ministerial fire, alternating chills and fever could be caused if the ministerial fire increase and decrease alternately, decline of the ministerial fire could lead to yin syndromes. The damp earth of taiyin is regulated by the dry metal of yangming, carrying out the transportation and transformation function of earth; disorders could be caused if the fire within earth decline, and dryness will transform following dampness. The monarchical fire of shaoyin is regulated by the cold water, in order to promote the circulation and warming of yang qi; the excess or deficiency of fire and water would lead to disorder, showing either cold syndromes or heat syndromes. The wind-wood of jueyin is regulated by the ministerial fire of shaoyang, promoting the free flow of qi; the disorder of ministerial fire would lead to diseases. Deficiency of ministerial fire would cause stagnation of wood and stirring wind, resulting in the pattern of upper heat and lower cold, while the decline of ministerial fire could result in reversal cold of the limbs; alternating preponderance of reversal heat could be caused by ministerial fire increased and decreased alternately, and heat syndromes could be resulted from excessive reversal heat.The third part is to discuss the inter-regulative relationship between the qi of the three yin and three yang. The channels and collaterals of taiyang and shaoyin are intertwined, their zang-fu and qi connected. Monarchical fire can be transformed and stored because of the cold water, and cold water can transform to circulate and warm the whole body because of the monarchical fire, the water and fire coordinate and achieve equilibrium of cold and heat, thus taiyang and shaoyin are inter-transformable. If the monarchical fire is insufficient, disorder of taiyang tend to develop into shaoyin cold syndrome, while preponderance of fire in shaoyin disorder could lead to bloody stool which is resulted from heat leaking into bladder. The channels and collaterals of yangming and taiyin are intertwined, their zang-fu and qi connected. Yangming is able to descend because of the dampness of taiyin, and taiyin is able to carry out the function of transportation and transformation because of the dryness of yanming. Because of the normal functioning of the middle earth, the dryness and dampness coordinate, and thus yangming and taiyin are inter-transformable. If the fire of yangming decline, the dry earth would become damp and develop into taiyin disorder, syndromes such as damp-heat jaundice could be caused; if fire restore in taiyin, the damp earth would become dry, the disease might recover or develop into yangming syndrome. The channels and collaterals of shaoyang and jueyin are intertwined, their zang-fu and qi connected. The ministerial fire is able to circulate and transport because of the wind-wood, and the wind-wood is warmed by the ministerial fire, whether the ministerial fire is sufficient and ascend and descend in an orderly way is the key in this mechanism, thus shaoyang and jueyin are inter-transformable. Besides the many similar symptoms, the preponderance of fire in jueyin might manifest as shaoyang symptoms such as "fever with vomiting".