Traditional Eastern Medicine: Ancient Chinese Medicine Flashcards
Considered the oldest medical text, produced some 2,000 years ago
Basically a documented Q and A between the Emperor and his advisers, in 2 volumes of 81 chapters each.
Topics include: Concepts of Qi (energy), Yin-Yang, Zang-fu, the Five Elements
Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine
Credited with establishing China as a great civilization 4, 500 years ago
Huang-di, the Yellow (Golden) Emperor
Most important concept in Chinese medicine, broadly a “life energy” that flows through the body along a series of channels (meridians).
Concept of Qi
How many meridians are in our body?
12 main meridians
Two halves that together complete wholeness.
All things have an inherent duality that is opposite, yet complementary.
Concept of Yin and Yang
dark, watery, cool, passive, feminine
yin
bright, dry, hot, active, masculine
yang
system of classifying body organs as either yin or yang
Zang-fu
Yin organs= zang
Yang organs= fu
Enumerate all zang organs
lung, heart, spleen, liver, kidney
Enumerate all fu organs
small and large intestine, stomach, gall bladder, bladder
Chinese philosophy used to describe interactions and relationships between things
The five elements —wood, fire, earth, metal, and water —are believed to be the fundamental elements of everything in the universe between which interactions occur
Associate signs or symptoms to particular organs and afflictions.
Five Elements Theory
Four Methods of Diagnosis
Observation
Auscultation and olfaction
Interrogation
Taking the pulse
Needles inserted into chosen points, allowing for the normal flow of “Qi” throughout the body and restoring health to the mind and body.
Acupuncture
Therapy that involves burning moxa (mugwort root) made from dried Artemisia vulgaristo, tofacilitate healing.
warm and invigorate the blood, stimulate the flow of Qi
treat menstrual pain
Moxibustion
first famous Chinese surgeon
developed an anesthetic, mafeisan– likely a mixture of wine, opium and cannabis
Hua To
