Weblog of Kevin Zhu

In the Jin Gui Yao Lue, the author states that “wind…is able to generate as well as destroy everything in the world.” Because wind transports pollen from plant to plant, it can be said to generate life. On the other hand, the wind, according to the Huang Di Nei Jing, is the “first evil of the one hundred diseases,” the most severe of the six evils; therefore, it also has the ability to destroy. All evils which attack the body do so by combining with wind. Once the wind evil has attacked the protective qi, and therefore caused vacuity of the protective qi, then the combined evil will be able to poison the body. This statement details the origins of disease introduced in the Jin Gui Yao Lue Fang Lun, Essentials from the Golden Cabinet. According to the text exterior conditions results in the blockage of the skin, four limbs, nine orifices, nutritive and defensive qi, and vessels. This exterior evil should be treated with promotion of sweating which will expel the evil. The chief formulas include Ma Huang Tang/Decoction of Herba Ephedrae and Gui Zhi Tang/Decoction of Ramulus Cinnamomi in addition to some modifications. Interior diseases, according to the text, result from exterior evils following the channel into the zang fu organs. The treatment depends on the zang fu organ and should follow the condition. If the condition is one of vacuity, then the principle should be to tonify. If it is excess, then the treatment should be to drain. For interior conditions, the primary problem is a disorder of the zang fu organs’ qi mechanism.

In comparison to current day clinic, the origins of disease listed in statement 2, with the exception of the third cause, present differently. Today, patients tend to have exterior channel disorders mixed with interior zang fu disorders, such as with fibromyalgia. The treatment principle should be to boost the interior right qi as well as expel the evil from the exterior. Tonifying the right qi will regulate the qi mechanism of the interior zang fu organs which will ensure that their qi is flowing in the correct direction. It will also ensure that the emperor of fire is able to function during the day time; the ministerial fire is able to hide in the kidney; the qi of the middle jiao’s spleen ascends and the stomach qi descends; the liver wood is able to generate heart fire; the lung metal qi is able to descend with the gallbladder to the lower jiao; and the heart fire will be able to communicate with the kidney water. When the internal zang fu organ qi flows normally (normalizing Sheng Jiang, means ascending and descending), then the right qi will be strong. And, at the same time, the evil will be expelled from the exterior (regulation of chu ru, means out and in). The essential lesson of the Shang Han Lun and Jin Gui Yao Lue is this regulation of the sheng jiang and chu ru. The Shang Han Lun focuses on sheng jiang while the Jin Gui Yao Lue focuses more on sheng jiang.