A Study Of Chinese Medical Treatment On Hyperthyroidism And Investigation On The Clinical Diagnosis Of Professor Li Saimei

This research is divided into two parts. The first part analyses the experience of CMP’s Chinese medical treatment on hyperthyroidism from1949till now. The second part is to discuss the personal experience in dealing with hyperthyroidism of Professor Li Saimei’s clinical treatment. In order to be comprehensive, I would like to discuss the topic in both macroscopically, the first part, and microscopically, the second part.ObjectiveSince1994, China compulsory adds iodine into edible salt. This becomes a national policy which has been carried out for18years. From a recent research, people absorb too much iodine, which leads to hyperthyroidism and thyroid tumors. Iodine, which stays in human body, will be mostly absorbed by thyroid. Absorbing too much iodine salt will actually affect health. It will cause thyroid disease, high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney disease. A thyroid disease specialist, Professor Zuo Xinhe of Hubei University of Chinese Medicine indicates that its going too far is as bad as not going far enough. People, lack of iodine, become normal but people who are not lack of iodine, absorbs too much will lead to the formation of thyroid disease. Recently, there is three times of thyroid disease patients in Tianjin than before. In China, our country promotes adding iodine in salt, but the number of thyroid patients increases instead. The cause of thyroid disease is becoming visible. We should pay attention on it. Recently, economy blooms, the society is shifting from agricultural to economical. Efficiency is becoming more and more important, and working pressure is gradually increasing too. Emotional problem will also cause illness. I was one of the hyperthyroidism patients. I understand the helpless feeling of being one of them. There is a possibility that patients have to take medicine for lifetime long. By taking western medicine, it may hurt liver function and reduce the number of white blood cells. Therefore, patients need to be monitored regularly. Hyperthyroidism may lead to the crisis of heart failure. Taking radioactive iodine may have side effect like infertility. With operation, there may have a risk of hurting vocal cord and lifelong hoarseness. Taking radioactive iodine or operation will also facing a problem of lifelong medication. With problems mentioned above, can Chinese medicine help?After an initial research, I found that CMP’s hyperthyroidism treatment have great success. However, lack of systematically arrangement and sort out, it is difficult to put it on practice. Therefore, I tried to organize the information systematically. Hopefully the information can be used conveniently after that.Professor Li Saimei is an expert of classic prescription, at the same time, the editor of the newest version of "Shanghanlun Lecture". She specializes in endocrine disorders, especially hyperthyroidism and diabetes. Her contribution on those fields is confirmative. As saying, Six Meridian cure all kinds of diseases. Professor Li Saimei advocates six-meridian pattern identification. She follows the rules of Six Meridian for hyperthyroidism and diabetes treatment. The result is satisfactory. According to Ng Yinlun’s dissertation, Professor Li Saimei’s efficacy rate is91.67%. How she puts forward the Six Meridian for hyperthyroidism treatment? What is her rule of using herbs? How she affects clinical diagnosis? Our knowledge is combined by "known" and "unknown"."unknown" is much more than "known". With "unknown", we are forced to guess. One of my aims of this research is to collect, re-arrange and analysis of the "known" information to give a clear picture for practice. Also, with the study of Professor Li Saimei’s theory and practice of Six-Meridian Pattern Identification, I hope we will have a clear guideline for hyperthyroidism treatment in the near future.MethodsThorough study and analysis the writings from CNKI, books from library of the University of Hong Kong and my personal collection of over3,000books, we take out all clauses about the Theory, Methodology, Prescription, Meditation of hyperthyroidism treatment. We can divide our study into4chapters. The "Theory" chapter divides the previous and modern knowledge of hyperthyroidism into3categories. The "Method" chapter divides our methods of hyperthyroidism treatment into internal therapy, external therapy, acupuncture and food therapy. The "Prescription" chapter divides prescriptions into three categories:Shanghanlun’s prescription, classic prescription and experience prescription. The "Medicine Analysis" chapter studies the herbs adopted by CMP for hyperthyroidism treatment.ResultsBy analyzing CMP s’study of hyperthyroidism from1949onwards, we can divide it into four fields:Theory, Methodology, Prescription, Meditation. My arrangement and data collection in each field, give a clear picture to check each efficiency for clinical treatment.In Professor Li Saimei’s1233cases,308cases (170patients) are hyperthyroidism. Amongst,132patients are female and38patients are male. Discovering by the case study, she has three methods of pattern identification: Six-Meridian Pattern Identification, Visceral Pattern Identification and Diseases Cause Pattern Identification. Within these308cases,203cases (66%) are Six-Meridian Pattern Identification.72cases (23%) are Visceral Pattern Identification.33cases (11%) are Diseases Cause Pattern Identification.Within203cases of Six-Meridian Pattern Identification,197cases (97%) are three yang meridians pattern and6cases (3%) are three yin meridians pattern. For those197cases of three yang meridians pattern,33cases (17%) are greater yang meridian pattern.29cases (15%) are yang brightness meridian pattern and135cases (68%) are lesser yang meridian pattern.For the cases of greater yang meridian pattern, the frequency of herb adopted, from high to low:tonics for invigorating qi herbs, pungent-warm herbs relieving superficies herbs, heat clearing herbs, promoting diuresis herbs, tonics for nourishing blood herbs, phlegm resolving herbs, pungent-cool herbs relieving superficies, tonics for reinforcing yang herbs, pacify the wind of liver herbs, dampness removing herbs, invigorating the blood and removing blood stasis herbs, tonics for nourishing yin, interior warming herbs, suppress cough and to calm panting herbs, tranquilize herbs, qi regulating herbs, astringent herbs, dispel wind and dampness herbs, hemostatic herbs and food retention relieving herbs. It totally involves20categories of herbs and493frequency of use. Excluding the frequency rate under3%, the sequence is:tonics for invigorating qi herbs, pungent-warm herbs relieving superficies herbs, heat clearing herbs, promoting diuresis herbs, tonics for nourishing blood herbs, phlegm resolving herbs, pungent-cool herbs relieving superficies, tonics for reinforcing yang herbs, pacify the wind of liver herbs, dampness removing herbs and invigorating the blood and removing blood stasis herbs.For the cases of yang brightness meridian pattern, the frequency of herb adopted, from high to low:heat clearing herbs, tonics for invigorating qi herbs, phlegm resolving herbs, pungent-warm herbs relieving superficies, invigorating the blood and removing blood stasis herbs, pacify the wind of liver herbs, pungent-cool herbs relieving superficies, tonics for nourishing blood herbs, tonics for nourishing yin herbs, promoting diuresis herbs, dampness removing herbs, tonics for reinforcing yang herbs, suppress cough and to calm panting herbs, qi regulating herbs, tranquilizer herbs, interior warming herbs, hemostatic herbs and astringent herbs. It totally involves18categories of herbs and441frequency of use. Excluding the frequency rate under3%, the sequence is:heat clearing herbs, tonics for invigorating qi herbs, phlegm resolving herbs, pungent-warm herbs relieving superficies, invigorating the blood and removing blood stasis herbs, pacify the wind of liver herbs, pungent-cool herbs relieving superficies, tonics for nourishing blood herbs and tonics for nourishing yin herbs.For the cases of lesser yang meridian pattern, the frequency of herb adopted, from high to low:tonics for invigorating qi herbs, heat clearing herbs, pungent-warm herbs relieving superficies, phlegm resolving herbs, pungent-cool herbs relieving superficies, promoting diuresis herbs, tonics for nourishing blood herbs, tonics for nourishing yin herbs, pacify the wind of liver herbs, invigorating the blood and removing blood stasis herbs, dampness removing herbs, tonics for reinforcing yang herbs, dispel wind and dampness herbs, interior warming herbs, qi regulating herbs, suppress cough and to calm panting herbs, hemostatic herbs, tranquilizer herbs, food retention relieving herbs, astringent herbs and cathartics herbs. It totally involves21categories of herbs and2,073frequency of use. Excluding the frequency rate under3%, the sequence is:tonics for invigorating qi herbs, heat clearing herbs, pungent-warm herbs relieving superficies, phlegm resolving herbs, pungent-cool herbs relieving superficies, promoting diuresis herbs, tonics for nourishing blood herbs, tonics for nourishing yin herbs, pacify the wind of liver herbs and invigorating the blood and removing blood stasis herbs.ConclusionsFrom1949up to now, CMP use traditional Chinese medicine to cure hyperthyroidism with fruitful achievements. However, the use of seaweed and kelp, which are rich with iodine, for hyperthyroidism treatment, have different argument. We need to have further study and research.Six Meridain is a valuable code for curing thousands of sickness. It is not only a book for curing cold. By studying Professor Li Saimei’s clinical hyperthyroidism treatment, we find that Shanghanlun is not a monograph only for curing cold. It should be a giant code for all kinds of diagnosis and treatment. Professor Li Saimei curing diabetes with six-meridian pattern identification, is a powerful proof. Misleading by its name "Shanghanlun", previous beginners misinterpreted that it is a book for curing cold only. By the great effort of our modern CMPs, including Professor Li Saimei, give a clear status for Shanghanlun. It is a great book for all kinds of diagnosis and treatment. It is also a victory for studying classic book.Most hyperthyroidism patients, with clinical manifestation, are three yang meridians pattern, rather than three yin meridians pattern. It can be proved by Professor Li Saimei’s medical cases,97%are three yang meridians pattern and only3%are three yin meridians pattern. Thus, we have a good guideline for hyperthyroidism treatment. For clinical diagnosis, we can use tonics for invigorating qi herbs, heat clearing herbs, pungent-warm herbs relieving superficies, phlegm resolving herbs, pungent-cool herbs relieving superficies, promoting diuresis herbs, tonics for nourishing blood herbs, tonics for nourishing yin herbs, pacify the wind of liver herbs and invigorating the blood and removing blood stasis herbs. We should adjust the quantity of each herb with different diagnosis.Referring to Professor Li Saimei’s three yin meridians pattern,2073medicine taking frequency, she had a standard rule for the quantity of each herb. She seldom exceeds the standard. It is a golden rule for us to follow as it is safe but efficiency.