October 29th  ~  November 1st 2004

WFAS 6th World Conference on Acupuncture, Gold Coast, Australia

Theoretical Studies on Oriental Medicine       Fourth Report

~ In Search of the Origins of Oriental Medicine in the Theory of “I”~

Introduction

           In my view, in order to prevent a divergence of intellectual concepts, establishing a common language pertaining to the theory and practical application of oriental medicine, in particular related to the medical art of acupuncture, requires an investigation of “I” as the canon of the Chinese ideogram-based culture.

Methods

           Based on the chapter “Shi san jing zhu shu” in the “Book of Changes”, “I” emerges from the great unity gives rise to the two forces, which then divide into the four patterns, creating the eight signs. I examined the underlying concepts and related characters, and in the light of this background, attempted to establish a theory that directly correlates physical examination and the assessment of the pathologic condition with the clinical application.

Results

           An understanding of the body can be based on the concept that “man exists within the “space” called time, continually subject to the atmospheric influences of cold and hot, constantly using qi in the attempt to maintain his unity. This explains why human behavior and disease changes constantly throughout life, shifting between the four patterns as the manifestation of the qi that forms the human body. Hence human behavior and disease are expressed as yin deficiency, yang excess, yin excess and yang deficiency, as the qi tries to restore the state of great unity.

This can therefore be understood as the body’s attempt at returning to its original state. Oriental medicine is the application of the theory that the body has the power to return to its original state, where acupuncture and moxibustion in particular is a treatment form that puts these oriental medical concepts to practical application.

Understanding disease patterns based on these four patterns helps to determine the therapeutic directives and the selection of therapeutic techniques.

Conclusions

           When subjected to heat, the disease will be “yang” in nature and in case of cold, “yin”. Therefore the pathological state deviates from the balanced state either in the form of “excess” or else as “deficiency”. This renders the understanding of diseases in terms of the four patterns yin deficiency, yang excess, yin excess and yang deficiency straightforward. This concept is essential for the establishment of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy that is consistent in both theory and practice.

Key words: I, heat, cold, yin-yang, deficiency-excess