Discussion on the“Seasonal Organs”Theory of The Inner Canon of Huangdi / 浙江中医药大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective] Discuss the“five seasonal organs”theory of The Inner Canon of Huangdi, especially the seasonal issues of the spleen and preliminarily speculate the formation period. [Methods]By means of literature and historiography methods, information before The Inner Canon of Huangdi would be gathered, especially“The Book of Rites·on Order”,“Guanzi·Seasons”,“Annals by Lv·Twelve Ji”and so on. On this basis, we can discuss the different perspectives of “five seasonal organs”theory and the seasonal issues of the spleen of The Inner Canon of Huangdi, and preliminarily speculate the theory’s origin, evolution, and formation. [Results]“Six periods connected to six internal organs”theory is more concerned with the meaning of anatomy, although it is early view of the“seasonal organs”theory, but six or twelve has its specific cultural origins;“Eight wind connected to eight internal organs”theory is affected by Zhou Yi;“four periods connected to four internal organs”theory couldn’t explain attribution of the“soil”and its role, it belongs to the early stages of Qi argumentation of the“seasonal organs”theory after the introduction of the Five Elements Theory;“five periods connected to five internal organs”theory reflected the tight integration with the theory of five elements and balanced attachment features; the theory which has the most theoretical and clinical meaning is“four periods connected to five internal organs”theory. [Conclusion] The different perspectives of“five seasonal organs”theory and the seasonal issues of the spleen of The Inner Canon of Huangdi are results of a number of philosophical thoughts absorbed by different doctors, but through analysis of the relevant literature, the core ideas can be briefly summarized, it can be generalized that the spleen is located in the center, connected at any time, behalf of governance after each season ’s eighteen days.