Kendall quote

[Guest guest]

RE: Kendall's statement quoted by Jim Ramholtz:

 

> Physicians in ancient China developed a total medical system that

> has survived virtually unchanged to present times. Further, Chinese

> medicine is complete within itself in that there is consistency between

> physiological concepts, etiology, methods of diagnosis, and principles of

> treatment.

 

This is not the case. Chinese medicine has evolved, even as regards the

ancient canonical texts. The Nei Jing on which he centers his argument is

not a religious document the reduction of which to biomedical concepts

discredits it or substantiates another view. It is a compilation of early texts

in which we can appreciate the deepest roots of Chinese thought about

health and medicine. In both the Ma Wan Dui and the Nei Jing scripts the

channels are as yet unconnected and the concept of circulation has yet to

arise. When the concept of circulation and interconnection arrises in the

Nan Jing, it becomes a central principle that continues with further

elaboration to the present.

 

As for his internal consistency argument, this disagrees with what everyone

else who has looked at Chinese medical intellectual history has concluded.

CM has evidenced considerable tolerance for multiple explanations, some of

which are contradictory. For example, the introduction of wen bing theory

inspired not one known writer to assert that the older cold damage should

be discarded.

 

The " no known facts " argument is equally narrowly drawn. The fact that

needling produces channel-like sensations, that some dermatologic

phenomena follow traditional channel pathways, and that altering the

stimulus applied at the ancient points can alter pressure pain sensations at

distant points, all are naked sense observations available to clinicians from

the earliest periods. A concept of relatedness such as the channels could

easily have arisen from these observations. Research showing that needling

points reputed to benefit eye diseases increases the electrical activity of

vision-related areas of the brain, as well as Manaka's work, would not of

course have played a role in the ancient descriptions. However, these

observations also support the concept of channels as observable

relationships. The fact that a channel cannot be surgically removed, or

that the " current in a wire " image can not survive close examination, does

not make the concept any less valid or useful.

 

Bob

 

bob Paradigm Publications

www.paradigm-pubs.com 44 Linden Street

Robert L. Felt Brookline MA 02445

617-738-4664

 

 

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[Guest guest]

, " Robert L. Felt " <bob@p...> wrote:

However, these observations also support the concept of channels as

observable relationships. The fact that a channel cannot be

surgically removed, or that the " current in a wire " image can not

survive close examination, does not make the concept any less valid

or useful.

 

 

Bob:

 

I would agree with you completely. We also experience and observe

the channels in doing qi gong and in reading the pulses. Kendall and

Mann's books are the only ones I'm familiar with that reduce and

limit CM to physiological processes. But these ideas are not unique

to just these authors; undoubtedly, there are others. I originally

heard of these ideas, earlier and indirectly, from a friend whose

girlfriend is a DO and vet. She set up the alt med program at the

university here and teaches those ideas.

 

Perhaps these concepts are the central tenants of the medical

acupuncture program. Do you know offhand?

 

 

Jim Ramholz