Suwen not Shang Han Lun

[Guest guest]

, Julie Chambers <info@j...> wrote:

> Can you explain this further? For example, what flu is happening

this year, if you can describe it, and can other practitioners

confirm this clinically? Does it matter what part of the world one

is practicing in?

 

 

Julie:

 

It can easily be observed and confirmed if you look at things from

the 5-Phases perspective---but very few do (it's not the Worsely

material). 5-Phases seasonal dominances and changes for each year

are discussed at length in Suwen chapters 66 and following.

 

The stem and branch for this year are Yang Water and Horse

(Shaoyin). So there is conflict between water and fire phases. The

primary energy of the year is Fire (secondary is Yangming dryness)

which attacks metal (lungs) during the first half of the year. It

dries up yin fluids and makes the body produce more mucus to

balance. The water excessiveness of the stem adds its own kind of

dampness. That's why we alternately see several mixed types of

coughing (productive alternately dry, raspy) in the same person.

During late August, these types of coughs were already becoming more

common and apparent.

 

Then, the autumnal changes move the ambient energy of the body

deeper---the pulses are no longer floating due to summer heat. So

the vitality going deeper and the accumulated dampness and phlegm in

the lungs act like two weather fronts confronting each other. The

last part of the year is dominated by the colder energy of the 5-

Phase Revenge cycle, helping to make the cold/flu syndromes a deeper

problem from the chest congestion.

 

The pulses are deeper---Zang depth, not floating---and show dampness

and phlegm in the spleen and lung. Problems do not start at Taiyang

but deeper in the chest and throat. The phlegm can generate heat on

its own, or can be a good breeding ground for viruses which are

concentrate and exchanged by children going back to school, etc.

 

So all this can happen without necessarily starting or going through

the Taiyang level as discussed in the SHL. I suspect the SHL would

be more useful if the patient is well balanced before the initial

cold invasion. If the Suwen pattern already dominates the patient

before the end of the year, we can better describe it in terms of 5-

Phases. The Suwen patterns take the year to develop; while SHL

patterns discuss acute symptomology and involve a briefer period

(usually days to weeks). But since TCM practitioners are primarily

herbalists, there is more interest and discussion of the SHL

approach.

 

The 60-year Calendar cycle sets up what in Complexity Theory would

call the " initial conditions. " Then you compare your patient's

balance against this general pattern. Unfortunately, no one theory

can always dominate a situation or patient because there are so many

variables---different patient balance, local environment, different

pathologies, etc.

 

The changes in the presentation of colds and flu over the last

decade has been interesting, and seem to follow the Suwen pattern.

In the early 1990's, we had obvious superficial Taiyang syndromes.

Each year, it seemed to start at a deeper level or had shorter and

shorter periods of Taiyang. For the last few years, there has been

no substantial Taiyang syndrome; and now, this year, it seems to be

moving up the levels again.

 

 

Jim Ramholz

[Guest guest]

Jim Ramholz>>>What will be this year flue like?

alon

[Guest guest]

In , " Alon Marcus " <alonmarcus@w...> wrote:

> >>>What will be this year flue like?

 

Alon:

 

This year's cold/flu season has followed the Suwen pattern here in

Coloado. Symptoms are primarily congestion felt in the the throat

and/or chest, coughing, and feeling of tiredness or heaviness due to

the dampness at the deeper levels. The pulse pattern is not the

Taiyang floating and large pattern; nor shows the exuberant interior

heat of the Yangming stage. When you check the pulses, you see

slipperiness in the Zang depth in both the spleen and lung. When

that dampness shows some heat movement beginning, the condition is

worsening. If it gets strong, there can be some short periods of

fever and light sweating. Usually, the symptoms are not always

strong and patients quickly return to their routines.

 

Most people have been coming in because of it or with it. They often

don't fully recover (there is still dampness and congestion in the

lung) but go back to work because they feel " better. " Then, they

often come in several weeks later with another round, probably due

to relapse from stress, exposure to other varieties of the virus

brought home by their children, or they were exposed to someone

coughting at work. Almost everyone who has children has had some

version of it.

 

The pattern base for 2003 is described in Suwen chapter 66.

 

Jim Ramholz

[Guest guest]

This year's cold/flu season has followed the Suwen pattern here in Coloado. Symptoms are primarily congestion felt in the the throat and/or chest, coughing, and feeling of tiredness or heaviness due to the dampness at the deeper levels. The pulse pattern is not the Taiyang floating and large pattern; nor shows the exuberant interior heat of the Yangming stage. When you check the pulses, you see slipperiness in the Zang depth in both the spleen and lung. When that dampness shows some heat movement beginning, the condition is worsening. If it gets strong, there can be some short periods of fever and light sweating. Usually, the symptoms are not always strong and patients quickly return to their routines

>>>>I have seen this quite often every year in the last 20 i have been practicing. Since the Exterior symptom/signs are not clear do we see this as Interior pattern coming out or is this an Exterior pattern with pre-existing dampness

Alon

[Guest guest]

Exterior s/s were very clear during the early 90s (if I recall

correctly), and it followed the SHL pattern very closely. Over the

last decade, it began at deeper and deeper levels. In the last few

years, it has been without any Taiyang s/s---at least in the case of

the latitutes of Chicago and Denver.

 

Local environments may add their own spin into the mixture, which

can help explain the diverse SHL s/s discussed in this last thread.

 

Jim Ramholz

 

 

 

, " ALON MARCUS " <alonmarcus@w...>

wrote:

> This year's cold/flu season has followed the Suwen pattern here in

> Coloado. Symptoms are primarily congestion felt in the the throat

> and/or chest, coughing, and feeling of tiredness or heaviness due

to

> the dampness at the deeper levels. The pulse pattern is not the

> Taiyang floating and large pattern; nor shows the exuberant

interior

> heat of the Yangming stage. When you check the pulses, you see

> slipperiness in the Zang depth in both the spleen and lung. When

> that dampness shows some heat movement beginning, the condition is

> worsening. If it gets strong, there can be some short periods of

> fever and light sweating. Usually, the symptoms are not always

> strong and patients quickly return to their routines

> >>>>I have seen this quite often every year in the last 20 i have

been practicing. Since the Exterior symptom/signs are not clear do

we see this as Interior pattern coming out or is this an Exterior

pattern with pre-existing dampness

> Alon