ABSTRACT
Shengxiantang， one of the classical traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） prescriptions， was developed by ZHANG Xi-chun， a well-known doctor in the Republic of China， to treat the syndrome of pectoral Qi sinking. Due to the unique herbal composition， this prescription has yielded remarkable outcomes， and it is still widely used for dealing with diseases of various systems. This paper reviewed the clinical research concerning Shengxiantang in order to provide reference for its clinical application. Following the retrieval of related articles published in the past ten years from China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform， Chongqing Weipu Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals （VIP）， and Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System （SinoMed） with the Chinese key words of “Shengxiantang （升陷汤）”， “sinking of pectoral Qi （大气下陷）”， “replenishing Qi and raising the sinking （益气升陷）”， and“pectoral Qi theory （大气理论）”， this paper collated the clinical application experience of Shengxiantang. To be specific， the corresponding etiology and pathogenesis， interpretations of Shengxiantang， as well as its indications， application experience and precautions were summarized to provide a basis for its further research and application. Based on the collected more than 50 representative articles， it was found that Shengxiantang has been extensively utilized for treating complex and critical diseases of various systems， especially the circulatory and respiratory diseases and organ prolapse. The research on the clinical application of Shengxiantang has deepened， exhibiting a promising development trend， which will provide new ideas for its clinical application.
ABSTRACT
Objective To identify the common clinical symptoms and signs of pectoral qi insufficiency syndrome;To provide evidence for its clinical treatment.Methods By retrieving 129 medical cases related to pectoral qi insufficiency syndrome in CNKI from January 1954 to October 2013 and Wanfang Database from January 1985 to October 2013, the authors made a statistical analysis of the symptoms and signs in medical cases related to pectoral qi insufficiency syndrome and elementarily generalized the common clinical characterization on pectoral qi insufficiency syndrome under the guidance of the TCM specialists.Results The cardinal syndromes of common clinical manifestation on pectoral qi insufficiency syndrome were shortness of breath and panting on exertion. The concomitant syndromes were pale or dim complexion, lassitude of spirit, lack of strength, shortage of qi and disinclination to talk, inability to sleep, dizziness, dizzy vision, etc. And it commonly superimposed failing to circulation qi-blood of cardiopulmonary as oppression in the chest, chest pain, palpitations, cyanosis, cough, etc, dysfunction of the spleen in transportation and transformation as torpid intake, sloppy stool, abdominal distension, and impairment of qi transformation due to Yang deficiency as cold limbs, fear of cold, edema, inhibited urination, and dry mouth.Conclusion The authors summarized cardinal syndrome, concomitant syndromes and superimposed symptoms on pectoral qi insufficiency syndrome from reported medical cases, which can provide scientific basis for normalizing the clinical diagnosis and treatment and interpreting the scientific connotation of pectoral qi insufficiency syndrome.
ABSTRACT
In this paper, through a systematic review of literatures on pectoral qi theory, we summarized the defini-tion of pectoral qi, physiological function, deficiency-excess changes, clinical manifestations of pectoral qi deficiency and modern research progress of pectoral qi theory, in order to deepen the understanding of pectoral qi connotation. The connotations of pectoral qi have four major kinds of views. The pectoral qi is a combination of the natural fresh air inhaled by the lungs and the foodstuff essence-qi transformed by the spleen-stomach accumulated in the thorax. The substance of pectoral qi is heart-lung yang qi. Pectoral qi is the special title of acquired essences in the thorax. Pectoral qi accumulated in the thorax is the beating-qi beneath the left breast. Its physiological function includes flowing through the respiratory tract to promote the respiration movement of the lungs, permeating the heart and ves-sels to promote circulation of qi and blood, comprehensively regulating of the heart and lungs, controlling all qi and zang-fu, accumulating body fluids, resisting external evils, controlling mental activities, maintaining mental state healthy and vigorousness, controlling vision, hearing, sound, color, smell and movement, converging primordial qi to maintain the vigor and vitality. Disorders of pectoral qi are mainly manifested as deficiency or excess. Deficiency is mainly manifested in pectoral qi insufficiency, or pectoral qi sinking. Excess is mainly manifested in pectoral qi ob-struction, or pectoral qi counterflow. The common clinical manifestations of pectoral qi insufficiency include short-ness of breath and panting on exertion. The concomitant symptoms are pale or dim complexion, lassitude, lack of strength, shortage of breath and disinclination to talk, insomnia, dizziness, spontaneous sweating, emaciation, darkish tongue with thin and white fur, sunken thin or weak pulse. And it commonly superimposed with failing to circulation qi-blood of heart and lungs as chest distress, chest pain, palpitations, cyanosis, cough, expectoration, and hard stool. Spleen transportation and transformation dysfunction were manifested as poor appetite, loose stool, and abdominal dis-tension. Impairment of qi transformation due to yang deficiency is manifested as cold limbs, aversion to cold, edema, urination difficulty, and dry mouth. In addition, diseases which are treated with pectoral qi are give priority to the heart-lung diseases, and then gradually extend to diseases of other systems. At the same time, there are many reports on using pectoral qi theory in disease treatment. The essence of pectoral qi is also discussed from the perspective of modern medicine. Generally speaking, pectoral qi theory has been put forward early; however, the systematic study is difficult to meet the needs of clinical diagnosis and treatment. There are many problems which remain to be further studied and solved.