The Treatment of Modern Western - Biblio.nhat-nam.ru

INTRODUCTION 23formula from the qi-rectifying chapter or category, or it is asecondary pattern, and one will have to add acupuncturepoints or medicinals based on the principles of coursing theliver and rectifying the qi.BLOOD STASISJust as Old Doctor Yan De-xin mentioned above believesthat liver depression complicates all chronic diseases, Dr. Yanalso believes that blood stasis complicates all geriatric disease27 , and a large proportion of the chronic diseases discussedin this book primarily affect older middle-aged andelderly patients. In part, Dr. Yan derives this idea from theChinese statement of fact, “New diseases are in the channels;enduring diseases enter the network vessels.” The traditionalexplanation of the second half of this axiom is that chronic,enduring diseases are typically complicated by blood stasis inthe network vessels. Above, we have seen how liver depressionqi stagnation is such a common, almost universal componentto chronic disease. Therefore, it is no large leap tounderstand why blood stasis also complicates most chronicdiseases. This is explained by the following Chinese medicalsyllogism: The qi moves the blood. If the qi moves, the bloodmoves. If the qi stops, the blood stops. In fact, blood stasis issuch a fundamental part of the aging process that liver spots,a sign of blood stasis in the grandchild network vessels, arealso called age spots.As we have seen above, the qi moves the blood. Therefore, qistagnation may lead to blood stasis. However, blood andbody fluids also flow together. Therefore, either evil dampnessor phlegm congelation may also result in blood stasis.Likewise, so may long-standing food stagnation. Of course,blood stasis may be caused by the severing of the channelsand vessels by traumatic injury. It may also be the sequela ofany pathological bleeding. Bleeding is, ipso facto, a sign ofblood moving outside its channels and vessels, and the bloodcan only flow freely as long as it is canalized by these channelsand vessels. Therefore, all enduring or repeated pathologicalbleeding results in blood stasis.Other causes of blood stasis are scars which impede the freeflow of qi, blood, and body fluids, qi vacuity which fails tomove the blood, blood vacuity which fails to nourish the vessels,and any type of cold, either vacuity or repletion.According to Chinese medicine, cold’s nature is constrictingand contracting. Therefore, the blood can only flow as long asadequate yang qi warms and steams it. Further, there is a particularreflexive relationship between fresh or new blood andstatic blood which is also called dead blood. As we have seenabove, blood vacuity may fail to nourish the vessels, thusresulting in blood stasis. However, it is also just as true thatstatic blood impedes the engenderment and transformation offresh or new blood. Hence, blood vacuity may lead to bloodstasis and blood stasis may lead to blood vacuity. In actual fact,if either exist for any length of time, there must be both.Because blood stasis complicates most chronic diseases, mostif not all protocols for chronic diseases must be modified bythe inclusion of one or more points or medicinals to quickenthe blood and transform or dispel stasis even if the mainpattern is not blood stasis. If the stasis has entered the networkvessels, then medicinals which specifically free the flowof the network vessels must be used. These tend to comefrom three groups of Chinese medicinals shown in the previoustable.PHLEGMPhlegm is likewise a complicating factor in many difficult,knotty diseases. Phlegm is nothing other than congealed fluids,and fluids are moved and transformed by the qi.Therefore, phlegm may be engendered by either qi vacuity orqi depression. Phlegm may also be congealed if there is coldconstricting and congealing body fluids or heat brewing andstewing fluids and humors. Thus it is said:Phlegm is root in water and dampness.[If] these obtain qi and fire, this leads tobinding making phlegm.In addition, as we have seen above, because blood and fluidsflow together, phlegm stagnation may lead to blood stasis,while blood stasis may lead to phlegm stagnation. Therefore,when it comes to the treatment of phlegm in difficult, knottydiseases, Zhu Liang-chun thought that, besides transformingphlegm:To treat phlegm, it is essential to treat theblood. Quickening the blood leads to thetransformation of phlegm. 28This means that there are a number of disease mechanisms,any one of which may engender phlegm internally. Hencephlegm may be either the cause or result of other diseasemechanisms in the body. Futher, phlegm is not always overt.One species of phlegm is called hidden or deep-lyingphlegm. This refers to phlegm which is lodged in the bodybut which is not seen under normal circumstances.However, when the right combination of disease mechanismsconcur, then phlegm becomes visible and overt. Forinstance, everyone with allergic rhinitis and asthma hasdeep-lying phlegm. During periods of remission, there maybe few or no signs and symptoms of this phlegm. Whenexternal wind evils inhibit the lungs’ diffusion and downbearingof fluids and the lung qi counterflows upward, thisdeep-lying phlegm is drafted upward with this counterflowand becomes manifest.It is also important to remember that any palpable, round,rubbery nodulation is considered phlegm nodulation in