Spleen as muscle relaxant -- theoretical sources

[Guest guest]

At 09:18 PM 11/12/2006, Z'ev wrote:

 

> There are two sources for information on what acupuncture points/

>channels and/or Chinese medicinals do in the human body and mind.

>One is the collected case records and works of Chinese physicians

>over many centuries, the other is modern research.

 

Z'ev,

 

You may be subsuming this under " works of Chinese physicians " , but

there was the distinct movement in the Song era Imperial Academy

which first, or at least extensively, attributed actions or

therapeutic functions to points. (As in the Pacific Symposium

lecture a couple of years ago by Jeffery Yuan). The impetus for this

is said to be the idea of " principle " (li) made famous by the Song

theorist Zhu Xi (or something like that), whereby the points were

understood to each embody inherent li. Presumably these attributions

were a refinement of traditional and empirical lore, with possibly

some pure theoretical construction for the sake of completeness.

Similar to the historically simultaneous classification of herbs with

inherent actions, which Paul Unschuld suspects was to some degree

more theoretical than evidential.

 

 

 

 

--

 

 

Version: 7.5.430 / Virus Database: 268.14.3/531 - Release 11/12/2006 7:34

PM

[Guest guest]

Yes,

I am aware of the Song dynasty Imperial Academy and its

tremendous innovations in Chinese medicine. That era began the

renaissance in Chinese medicine that continued through the Jin-Yuan

dynasty as well, thanks to the efforts of the emperor Heilong.

By the way, the 2005 issue of Asian Medicine had an excellent

article on this era of medicine in China. This is when the

profession of the 'scholar-physician' developed as well.

 

 

On Nov 13, 2006, at 12:17 AM, wrote:

 

> At 09:18 PM 11/12/2006, Z'ev wrote:

>

> > There are two sources for information on what acupuncture points/

> >channels and/or Chinese medicinals do in the human body and mind.

> >One is the collected case records and works of Chinese physicians

> >over many centuries, the other is modern research.

>

> Z'ev,

>

> You may be subsuming this under " works of Chinese physicians " , but

> there was the distinct movement in the Song era Imperial Academy

> which first, or at least extensively, attributed actions or

> therapeutic functions to points. (As in the Pacific Symposium

> lecture a couple of years ago by Jeffery Yuan). The impetus for this

> is said to be the idea of " principle " (li) made famous by the Song

> theorist Zhu Xi (or something like that), whereby the points were

> understood to each embody inherent li. Presumably these attributions

> were a refinement of traditional and empirical lore, with possibly

> some pure theoretical construction for the sake of completeness.

> Similar to the historically simultaneous classification of herbs with

> inherent actions, which Paul Unschuld suspects was to some degree

> more theoretical than evidential.

>

>

>

> --

>

>

> Version: 7.5.430 / Virus Database: 268.14.3/531 - Release Date:

> 11/12/2006 7:34 PM

>

>

>