A neglected master on integrative medicine: Wei-Ju ZHU / 中西医结合学报

ABSTRACT

Through analyzing the academic ideas in Shanghan Zhinan written by Wei-Ju ZHU, a modern famous physician, it is pointed out that ZHU's achievement on integrative medicine has been overlooked. Taking the theory of syndrome differentiation of six channels from Shanghan Lun as an example, ZHU presumed that the essence of therapeutic theory of traditional Chinese medicine was to conform to or strengthen human body's self-healing and self-regulating abilities. Since Yangqi is the major force in the body to help heal disease when it occurred, ZHU often took measures to strengthen Yang first in treating disease and also was good at using hot-natured herbs, such as Radix aconiti lateralis preparata. ZHU's thoughts on integrative medicine were concerned with etiology, pathology and therapeutics. In addition, ZHU generalized the syndrome differentiation into the theory of five phases and eight principles, and made important contributions to the history of integrative medicine. His thinking will provide valuable revelation for clinical practice and modern research on traditional Chinese medicine.