One View of the Establishment of the Relationship Between the Zang-Fu and the Meridians in the Huangdi Neijing Suwen / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

[Objective] The Zang-Fu and the meridians, which are one of the foundations of modern acupuncture and moxibustion medical education, appeared in "Lingshu" in the "Meridian" section. However, the Zang-Fu and the meridians each has a history of independent development in ancient China Before the Common Era. The purpose of this study is to investigate the process by which the meridians came to be associated with the Zang-Fu, drawing from descriptions in "Suwen", which was compiled Before the Common Era.[Method] The source literature of this study is "Revisions and Extensive Notes on the Huangdi Neijing Suwen", with reference to "Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medicine and Classic Research" by MARUYAMA Masao to classify compilations of "Suwen". The research items are the names of the Zang and the Fu, the relationships between the Zang and the Fu, and the piao-li relationships of the Zang-Fu and the three Yin and three Yang of the hands and feet. [Result] The names for the Zang were Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs and Kidneys, and for the Fu were Small Intestine, Bladder, Gallbladder, Large Intestine, Stomach, and Sanjiao. The Zang-Fu relationships were Lungs-Large Intestine, Spleen-Stomach, Heart-Small Intestine, Kidney-Bladder, Liver-Gall Bladder, and Chronic Illness-Sanjiao. The piao-li relationships of the Zang-Fu and the three Yin and three Yang of the hands and feet were Foot Thai-Yang and Shao-Yin, Foot Shao-Yang and Chueh-Yin, Foot Yang-Ming and Thai-Yin, Hand Thai-Yang and Shao-Yin, Hand Yang-Ming and Thai-Yin, and Hand Shao-Yang and Heart. The Liver is treated by Foot Chueh-Yin and Shao-Yang, the Heart is treated Hand Shao-Yin and Thai-Yang, the Spleen is treated by Foot Thai-Yin and Yang-Ming, the Lungs are treated by Hand Thai-Yin and Yang-Ming, and the Kidneys are treated by Foot Shao-Ying and Thai-Yang. There was the expression "太陰陽明表裏為脾胃脈也" that Hand-Foot, Yin-Yang and the Zang-Fu were grouped by their Piao-li relationships. And there were the expressions saying "Shao-Yin is the Kidneys" and "Yang-Ming is the Stomach", although these were not in complete form. [Discussion] The Zang-Fu meridians, combining the Zang-Fu and the meridians, started from the Spleen-Stomach. There were other expressions combining the Zang-Fu with the meridians, although these were also not in complete form. While medicine at that time was being organized and integrated with the Yin-Yang and Five Elements theories, the relationships between the Zang-Fu and the meridians were also established. And it is inferred that the process of combining these and developing them into a new medical system existed during this period. [Conclusion] The relationships between the Zang-Fu and the meridians were established in "Suwen", which was compiled Before the Common Era, and the expression combining them started from "太陰陽明表裏為脾胃脈也".