Shaoyang For Half The Table And A Half Years Of Challenges

It is a theory on the study of Shanghan Lun (Treatise on Cold-attack) that Shaoyang is half exterior and half interior, which is used to describe the location of the Shaoyang disease and explain the pathogenesis of the Shaoyang disease.The concept of half exterior and half interior was firstly proposed by Cheng Wuji, a great physician in Jin Dynasty. He wrote the book named Annotation on Shanghan Lun. The concept of half exterior and half interior was quoted for 23 times in this book to expound the Shaoyang disease and Xiao Chaihu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Decoction) Syndrome.Most physicians of later generations followed this theory to explain the Shaoyang disease.But they had great different understandings on the theory of half exterior and half interior. This thesis detailedly studies on this theory by means of different aspects, such as analysin on the understandings of half exterior and half interior proposed by Cheng Wuji, discussion on the concepts of exterior and interior, comprehension on the Shaoyang disease and the therapentic function of Xiao Chai Hu Tang. These following points are concluded through the study:(1)The concept of half exterior and half interior proposed by Cheng Wuji is not unquestionable.(2)The location of Shaoyang is not half exterior and half interior.(3)The Shaoyang syndrome is different from the syndrome of half exterior and half interior.(4)Xiao Chaihu Tang Syndrome is different from the syndrome of half exterior and half interior(5)The therapeutic effect of Xiao Chaihu Tang is not to harmonize Shaoyang, but to activate the pivot of Shaoyang by means of relieving qi stagnation of Shaoyang.Therefore, the theory of Shaoyang is half exterior and half interior is not correct.lt confuses the comprehension of Shaoyang disease and obstructs the understanding of the therapeutic effect of Xiao Chaihu Tang. If we have to keep the concept of half exterior and half interior, we can only take it for the original meaning which is mentioned in the 148th item of Shanghan Lun.That means a special syndrome of the complicated Taiyang and Yangming disease with qi stagnation of Shaoyang.