Cognitive methods of life and disease in traditional Chinese Medicine

The name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: cognitive method of life and disease in traditional Chinese Medicine

Applicant: Chinese Academy of traditional Chinese Medicine

Project No.: 440

Project No.: IX - 1

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: traditional medicine

Region: Zhongzhi unit

Type: new item

Applicant: Chinese Academy of traditional Chinese Medicine

Protection unit: Institute of Chinese medical history and literature, Chinese Academy of traditional Chinese Medicine

Brief introduction of cognitive methods of life and disease in TCM

Applicant: Chinese Academy of traditional Chinese Medicine

The cognition of life and disease in traditional Chinese medicine is a kind of medical knowledge based on the traditional culture of the Chinese nation. The knowledge of life and disease of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) originated from the legendary times of Huangdi and Qibo. The formation of TCM life and disease knowledge system marked by Huangdi Neijing has a history of more than 2000 years. TCM life and disease knowledge mainly includes Yin and Yang, five elements, visceral signs, meridians, diseases and syndromes, etiology and pathogenesis, syndrome differentiation, treatment principles and methods, five movements and six Qi, etc.

Traditional Chinese medicine uses the concept of the unity of opposites of yin and yang to expound the life activities of human body and the interdependent relationship between human beings and the external environment such as nature and society. The balance of yin and Yang is the basis of maintaining and ensuring human life activities, and the imbalance of yin and Yang leads to the change of diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine uses the theory of five elements to explain the relationship between the human body and the nature, the various parts of the human body, and the mechanism of the occurrence and development of diseases, and to guide the treatment of diseases. Visceral image is an important life phenomenon of human body, which mainly includes the physiological functions and pathological changes of five viscera, six viscera, Qiheng viscera, essence, Qi, blood and body fluid. Meridians are the channels of Qi and blood in the human body, which have the function of connecting the whole body. Meridian system includes twelve meridians, eight extra meridians and collaterals. It is the basis of TCM diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and also the important theoretical basis of acupuncture, massage and other therapies. Etiology is the theory to study the causes and conditions of diseases, including exogenous six evils, internal injury seven emotions and diet fatigue. The pathogenesis theory is a theory to study the occurrence and development of diseases. Syndrome differentiation and treatment is the use of look, smell, ask, cut and other methods to diagnose the disease, the diagnosis results will be analyzed, comprehensive conclusion, establish the principle of treatment. Principles and methods of treatment are the basic principles and methods that must be observed in the treatment of diseases. They are the treatment rules summarized in the long-term clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine. They mainly include adjusting Yin and Yang, strengthening the healthy and eliminating pathogenic factors, treating the symptoms in a timely manner, and adjusting measures to people, time and local conditions. The five movements and six Qi are systematic knowledge to study and explore the effects of astronomy, meteorology and phenology on human health and diseases.

Traditional Chinese medicine has a unique theory and method of understanding diseases and syndromes. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the occurrence of diseases is the manifestation of the growth and decline of healthy and evil. Huangdi Neijing puts forward the disease view that "the healthy qi exists in the interior, and the evil can not be dried up" and "the evil is gathered together, and the Qi will be deficient". There are a lot of knowledge about diseases recorded in Treatise on Febrile Diseases and miscellaneous diseases and other early literature. There are 1720 kinds of diseases and syndromes in 67 branches recorded in Treatise on the origin of various diseases in Sui Dynasty.

The cognition of life and disease of TCM is the core of TCM knowledge, which plays a guiding role in all aspects of TCM health preservation, diagnosis, therapy, prescription, traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture and clinical practice. However, under the influence of Western medicine, the number of people who can understand and inherit this knowledge is decreasing, and they are facing the dilemma of preservation and development, which needs to be respected, protected and developed.