Methodology of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine embodies rich dialectical thought, such as that of the holistic connections and the unity of yin and yang. It deals with many facets of human anatomy and physiology: zang-fu (organs), jing-luo (main and collateral channels), qi (vital energy), and blood, jing (essence of life) and body fluid, the inside and outside of the body, as well as the connections between the whole and the parts. It also examines the effect of the social and natural environment - the universe, the sun and moon, the weather, the seasons and geography on the interrelations and conditioning of yin and yang. The result has been the formation of a system of thought about the interrelations behind spirit and organism, zang and fu, and the inside and outside of the body.

Traditional Chinese medicine puts the human body into a large system for observation and explores the interrelationship among formations, factors and variables, both within and outside the body; it regards and deals with these interrelations with reference to data that are correspondingly interrelated; it uses the principle of stabilization to "harmonize yin and yang to reach a state of equilibrium;", adjust their relationship so that they remain in a healthy state. In this book the author deals with traditional Chinese medicine in three ways: 1) the theory about yin and yang; 2) the theory about the manifestations of zang; and 3) bianzhenlunzhi. Probing into such scientific methods as systematics, cybernetics and informatics, and comparing them with the theories on traditional Chinese medicine, the author wishes those who are interested in traditional Chinese medicine can easily understand the methodology of traditional Chinese medicine.