Investigation into Stomach-qi Theory and its Application Principle in Clinical Practices / 中华中医药杂志

ABSTRACT

Stomach-qi refers to, in a broad sense, the vital qi of human body, i.e. postnatal vigorous qi and, in a narrow sense, the physiological function of spleen and stomach. Digestive function of spleen and stomach and nutrition get from diet play a key role in keeping and maintaining life and health. Human rely on the qi of food and water they take in, and qi of spleen and stomach transports and transforms the food and water, so we say, “Stomach-qi is the root of human body”. Pathologically, the stomach qi strong or declin is one of the key factors results in diseases. One will be healthy or seldom affected by disease if his or her stomach qi is not damaged; even affected by severe disease, with undamaged stomach-qi and good appetite, one will have a favorable turn. On the contrary, once the stomach-qi is hurt, one will be easily affected by evils or state of the illness will aggravate. So, “If one wants to observe the state of an illness, he or she must observe stomach-qi first; if one wants to treat a patient, he or she must consider the stomach-qi. There would be no worries, if stomach-qi is fine.” Principles for protecting stomach-qi is to treat and regulate the diseases of spleen and stomach in time and to take care of spleen and stomach when one is treating disease of other viscera.