Study On The Principle Of Prescriptions, Syndrome And Differentiation Treatment Of Infertility From Relevant Ancient Literature Of TCM

PurposeInfertility is a common and difficult gynaecological disease that arouses much interest worldwide. Traditional Chinese medicine offers distinct advantages in treating infertility. This is reflected in the treatment of infertility with good clinical results. Ancient Chinese medicine literature contains valuable experience in diagnosis and treatment of infertility which is worth exploring. This dissertation analyzes the prescriptions and treatment law in the ancient Chinese medicine literature on infertility, probes into the differential treatment of infertility and the prescription formation rules with the aim of providing using guidelines for research and clinical prescription.Research methodThe research method employed in this dissertation is'the analysis of thoughts among different academic schools and probe into various academic origins' used in traditional Chinese medicine literature. Ancient documents and prescriptions regarding infertility collected from the Eastern Han Dynasty till the Qing Dynasty were screened. Based upon the primitive functions and indications of the prescriptions and related records,599 prescriptions from different historical periods were categorized statistically. The frequency and category of each type of drugs were analysed.Simultaneously, using statistical software SPSS 9.0, data were analysed through the use of frequency statistics, factor analysis and cluster analysis. Moreover, a comparative analysis of different types of drugs on historical time was conducted in order to infer the evolution of infertility characteristics of drug laws.Results1. According to the statistical analysis of prescriptions employed before the Sung Dynasty, medication using Radix Ginseng, Cortex Cinnamomi, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Rehmanniae Recens, Herba Asari, Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae, Radix Saposhnikoviae, Rhizoma Zingiberis, Pericarpium Zanthoxyli, Poria, Rhizoma Typhonii and Radix Glycyrrhizae has high frequency. Analysing the drugs used,26.84% was replenishing drugs,16.05% drugs for warming the interior syndrome,11.32% drugs for promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis,10.26% drugs for relieving exterior syndrome,7.37% drugs for astringing and 6.32% drugs for clearing heat. Based upon the cumulative frequency of drugs used, these six types of drugs accounted for 78.16%, constituting four fifths of the drugs used. It is inferred that before the Qing Dynasty drugs for supplementing and boosting formala and for warming the interior syndrome were mainly used for treating infertility, combining with drugs for promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, drugs for relieving exterior syndrome and drugs for clearing heat, supplemented with sedative drugs and dewetting medicine. Doctors emphasised the pathogenesis of the syndrome of disharmony of Chong and Conception Channels and treatment was based upon cold pathogen and deficiency in order to establish the benefit and warming the interior syndrome as the main therapeutic method.2. According to the statistical analysis of prescriptions employed during the Sung Jin Yuan Dynasties, medication using Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Cortex Cinnamomi, Rhizoma Zingiberis, Radix Ginseng, Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong, Pericarpium Zanthoxyli, Radix Rehmanniae Preparata, Poria, Rhizoma Typhonii, Herba Asari and Radix Angelicae Dahuricae was used. According to the drug class frequency analysis results, the first six drugs having relatively high frequency were tonic medicine (26.36%), drugs for warming the interior syndrome (14.69%), drugs for promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis (10.50%), drugs for relieving exterior syndrome (9.58%), drugs for astringing (5.96%) and drugs for clearing heat (5.96%). Based upon the cumulative frequency of drugs used, these six types of drugs accounted for 73.05%, constituting three quarters of the drugs used. It is inferred that similar medication was used during the Sung Jin Yuan Dynasties as tonic medicine and drugs for warming the interior syndrome were mainly used for treating infertility, combining with drugs for promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, drugs for relieving exterior syndrome and drugs for astringing, supplemented with sedative drugs and dewetting medicine.3. A number of doctors arose during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the process for treating infertility had become more systematic. The first twelve drugs having a relatively high frequency were Radix Angelicae Sinensis, hizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong, Radix Rehmanniae Preparata, Poria, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Rhizoma Cyperi, Radix Ginseng, Radix Glycyrrhizae, Rhizoma Atractylodis, Macrocephalae, Cortex Cinnamomi, Radix Rehmanniae Recens and Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae. According to the drug class frequency analysis results, the first seven drugs having relatively high frequency were tonic medicine (37.63%), drugs for promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis (10.86%), drugs for relieving exterior syndrome (9.58%), drugs for warming the interior syndrome (8.9%), drugs for regulating qi (8.04%), drugs for clearing heat (8.0%) and drugs for eliminating dampness and diuresis (6.35%). Based upon the cumulative frequency of drugs used, the first six types of drugs accounted for 73.05%, constituting three quarters of the drugs used. It is inferred that similar medication was used again during the Ming and Qing Dynasties with tonic medicine and drugs for warming the interior syndrome as the main medication for treating infertility, combining with drugs for promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, drugs for relieving exterior syndrome and drugs for astringing, supplemented with sedative drugs, dewetting medicine and various kinds of drugs.Conclusion1. Establishing an infertility prescription database of ancient Chinese medicine literature based upon the basis of relevant records of the original functions and indications of prescription in different historical periods. 599 prescriptions were collected and categorized statistically. The frequency use of each type of drugs was analysed through the use of frequency statistics, factor analysis, cluster analysis in order to make inference about the prescription characteristics of the treatment of infertility and the evolution of drug law in different historical periods2. Safeguarding the pathogenesis and tracing the causes of disease are the principles of treating infertility. Acknowledging the importance of the concerted application of drugs for tonifying the kidney, warming the interior syndrome, promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis and for eliminating dampness and phlegm which are considered as important features of infertility treatment.