Headache with Terminology: Bu, Yang, Yi and Zi

[Guest guest]

Hi All, & Bob & Rey,

 

The terminology can give me an awful headache!

 

Rey had written:

> [re] subchapter 4 ' Zi Yin Yao' of Chapter 15 of the Chinese text

> Zhong Cao Yao Xue (Shanghai TCM Academy, l983, p.571) … The

> Chinese text states: " Zi Yin Yao are also referred to as Yang Yin

> Yao or Bu Yin Yao. That is they are Yao [meds] designed to … treat

> Yin Xu … conditions Bing Zheng. These [Hbs] [act] to Moisten KI Yin

> (Zi Shen Yin); Tonify LU Yin (Bu Fei Yin); Nurture ST Yin (Yang

> Wei Yin) and Benefit LV Yin (Yi Gan yin) " . From the above … we

> can deduce that Zi Yin = Moisten Yin; Yang Yin = Nurture Yin; Bu

> Yin = Tonify Yin; Yi Yin = Benefit/Tonify Yin. Regards, Rey

 

Integrating Bob's response with Rey's, we get:

 

Bu Yin = Tonify/Supplement Yin;

Yang Yin = Nourish/Nurture Yin;

Yi Yin = Boost/Tonify/Benefit Yin;

Zi Yin = Moisten/Enrich Yin.

 

Bob goes on to say:

> ... knowing this, you can now go to the Wiseman & Ye Dictionary

> and look up these terms, identify their Chinese characters, and

> read what Wiseman & Ye have to say about their meanings and

> clinical use.

 

Accepting that all four terms (Bu, Yang, Yi and Zi) refer to acting

[by Meds (or AP, or Yi-Intention?)] to fortify a weakened Yin:

 

(a) Can someone enlighten me, preferably with examples, as to

what (if any) are the clinical distinctions between the terms: Bu =

Tonify; Yang = Nurture; Yi = Benefit/Tonify; Zi = Moisten.

 

(b) If there are no major clinical (practical) differences between

them, why not use ONE term for the similar concept(s)?

 

 

 

 

 

Best regards,

 

Email: <

 

WORK : Teagasc Research Management, Sandymount Ave., Dublin 4, Ireland

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HOME : 1 Esker Lawns, Lucan, Dublin, Ireland

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[Guest guest]

Phil,

 

Supplement is the most generic term. It can be used with qi, blood, yin, or yang

and any of the five viscera and six bowels.

 

Nourish is only used when speaking specifically about blood and yin.

 

Enrich is only used when speaking about specifically yin.

 

Boost is not commonly used when speaking about either blood or yin. It is mostly

used when speaking about qi.

 

Yin is not " weakened. " Therefore, one does not " fortify " yin. As you know,

fortify means to strengthen. The word

fortify is only used to talk about A) health in general, and B) the spleen in

particular. Yang may be strengthened or

invigorated, but yin never is.

 

Supplementation is a quantitative concept. Basically, it is a process of filling

what is empty.

 

If terminology gives you a headache, start trying to look at all this in

Chinese. It is all much clearer in Chinese. Trust me. Then

Wiseman's terminology makes so much more sense as do all the arguments for

adopting this terminology. As I have said before, you

cannot know the taste of sugar from second party verbal descriptions. At some

point, you've got to put the sugar in your mouth.

 

Bob

[Guest guest]

Hi All, & Bob

 

I wrote: >> Integrating Bob's response with Rey's, we get: Bu Yin =

Tonify/Supplement Yin; Yang Yin = Nourish/Nurture Yin; Yi Yin =

Boost/Tonify/Benefit Yin; Zi Yin = Moisten/Enrich Yin.

 

Bob Flaws replied: >> Phil, Supplement is the most generic term

.... quantitative ... a process of filling what is empty. It can be used

with qi, blood, yin, or yang and any of the five viscera and six

bowels.

 

>> Nourish is only used when speaking specifically about blood

and yin.

 

>> Enrich is only used when speaking about specifically yin.

 

>> Boost is not commonly used re either blood or yin. It is mostly

used when speaking about qi.

 

Many thanks for that.

 

>> Yin is not " weakened. " Therefore, one does not " fortify " yin. As

you know, fortify means to strengthen. The word fortify is only used

to talk about A) health in general, and B) the spleen in particular.

Yang may be strengthened or invigorated, but yin never is.

 

Now I feel like having a headache again!

 

TCM uses the phrase: " In Xu use Bu; in Shi use Xie " . There are

many TCM Patterns involving Yin Xu, I thought that Yin Xu =

deficient/weak/empty/debilitated Yin. Is that not correct?

 

To treat Yin Xu, I thought one should use acupuncture or herbs to

" Bu Yin " , i.e. to Tonify/Strengthen/Build/Supplement Yin. Is that

not correct?

 

>> If terminology gives you a headache, start trying to look at all

this in Chinese. It is all much clearer in Chinese. Trust me. Then

Wiseman's terminology makes so much more sense as do all the

arguments for adopting this terminology. As I have said before, you

cannot know the taste of sugar from second party verbal

descriptions. At some point, you've got to put the sugar in your

mouth. Bob

 

Noted. It is not easy to get time to study AP/herbs AND also study

Chinese, but I'm working slowly towards the latter - at least trying

to capture the characters & pinyin for the more common terms.

 

 

Best regards,

 

Email: <

 

WORK : Teagasc Research Management, Sandymount Ave., Dublin 4, Ireland

Mobile: 353-; [in the Republic: 0]

 

HOME : 1 Esker Lawns, Lucan, Dublin, Ireland

Tel : 353-; [in the Republic: 0]

WWW : http://homepage.eircom.net/~progers/searchap.htm

[Guest guest]

Phil,

>

> To treat Yin Xu, I thought one should use acupuncture or herbs to

> " Bu Yin " , i.e. to Tonify/Strengthen/Build/Supplement Yin. Is that

> not correct?

 

Tonify, strengthen, build, and supplement are not all synonyms in English, and

that is the point. Supplement means to add to

something that is relatively empty. One does supplement or add to that which is

vacuous or empty. Strengthen means to make

something stronger. Build means to construct. Tonify doesn't exist in English.

It's not in any English dictionary I own. If all these

words are synonyms to you, I can see why terminology would give you a headache.

 

Bob