FONG WAN - Library

CHAPTER VIII
THE NERVES
CHINESE THEORIES REGARDING RHEUMATISM
PARALYSIS, NEURITIS, CONVULSIONS
AND APOPLEXY
These ailments originate from similar causes and belong to the same
family of diseases. Rheumatism is the more common of the five. The
Chinese characters for Rheumatism are "Fung Sep," which mean
"Wind and Dampness." The Chinese attribute this disease to four
causes :
1. To the air circulation in the body. The "Fung" (wind) circu-
lates in the body just as the air circulates in space. If the air circula-
tion is impeded, it becomes wind of certain velocity. The wind causes
pain to move from one part of the body to another.
2. To dampness. The dampness in the body resembles the damp-
ness or moisture in the air. If the dampness is heavy, it causes dull,
heavy pain in the human body.
3. To inflammation. Inflammation in the body is like the heat
waves that cause lightning, storms, etc., on the earth. Inflammation
swells the tissues and causes pain.
4. To cold. The cold or chilliness in the body resembles the cold or
chill ("Hon" in Chinese) of the earth. It causes excruciatingly sharp,
shooting pains, especially in the hips and legs.
In the case of a rheumatic sufferer, more than one, and sometimes
all four of these causes are operative to a greater or less degree. Nine-
ty per cent of the sufferers from rheumatism have kidney and bladder
troubles, which weaken the nerves and the blood circulation. Wind,
dampness, inflammation and cold are liable to affect the body both from
internal and external sources. Unless one's blood circulation is ir-
reparably deteriorated, the Fong Wan Herbs will eradicate the causes
of Rheumatism.
Although Rheumatism may come on either suddenly or gradually,
104