A Study On The Diseases

Since the 20th century, the researchers in our country have excavated an abundance of bamboo slips of state of Chu and Qin Dynasty. The literature about Medicine on those bamboo slips are an important part of literature materials of Traditional Chinese Medicine. And the information that those bamboo slips illustrate form a connection between oracle bone inscriptions of Shang Dynasty and silk slips of Han Dynasty. Meanwhile, when compared with extant literature, it has a higher academic value. This thesis, which is divided into three parts, explores the organization of names of diseases on bamboo slips of state of Chu and Qin Dynasty, textual criticisms and explanations about names of diseases on Chu’s and Qin Dynasty’s bamboo slips and the names of diseases on bamboo slips of state of Chu and Qin Dynasty and the evolution of perception of diseases.Part One:Organization of names of diseases of state of Chu and Qin DynastyIn this part, the author organized the names of diseases on bamboo slips of state of Chu and Qin Dynasty and the original texts those names of diseases extracted from.There are six kinds of Chu Bamboo Slips:the Chu bamboo slips at Geling of Xincai County, the bamboo slips at Tianxingguan in Jiangling. the Chu bamboo slips from Wangshan and from Baoshan, the bamboo slips of Chu in the Warring States period collected in Shanghai Museum and in Tsinghua University. Sixty-four names of diseases are analyzed and after removing all the duplication, there are 57 names left.There are four kinds of Qin Bamboo Slips:Shuihudi Bamboo Slips in Yunmeng, Bamboo Slips of the Qin Dynasty from Fangmatan in Tianshui. the Qin Bamboo Slips of Zhoujiatai in Shashi District of Hubei and Liye Bamboo Slips. Ninety-nine names of diseases are analyzed and after removing all the duplication, there are 87 names left.In sum. there are 10 kinds of bamboo slips in Chu and Qin Dynasty, and after removing all the same names used in bamboo slips in both Chu and Qin Dynasty, there are 136 names in all.This thesis aims to add names of diseases on bamboo slips in Warring States Period collected in both Shanghai Museum and in Tsinghua University on the basis of the achievement of our ancestors; organize the unsystematic names of diseases on those bamboo slips mentioned above; and summarize in form of tables the names of diseases appearing on bamboo slips of Chu and Qin Dynasty, their frequency on bamboo slips and different kinds of bamboo slips for sake of a convenient check.Part Two:Textual criticisms and explanations about names of diseases on Chu’s and Qin Dynasty’s bamboo slipsThe author made textual criticisms and explanations about names of diseases on Chu’s and Qin Dynasty’s bamboo slips, especially some contradictory names of diseases to be analyzed.An example is listed as follows:"Fan Xin’’:Since the end of Qin Dynasty. "Fan" does not only mean fever and headache but an extensive meaning has been added to it, which could provide support for the research on the change of meanings of names of diseases. This research indicates goiter was popular in areas of state of Jing and Chu, and even worse, the descendants of those areas cannot avoid it, which will provide support for epidemiological studies.Part Three:Names of diseases on bamboo slips of state of Chu and Qin Dynasty and the evolution of perception of diseasesThis part studies the connection between names of diseases on bamboo slips of state of Chu and Qin Dynasty and the evolution of perception of diseases, which includes distribution of names of diseases, synthesis of names of diseases, evolution of semantic meaning, abstraction of names of diseases and nomenclature of names of diseases.(1) Distribution of names of diseases & Perception of diseasesThe author discussed the reasons for frequent occurrences of several diseases (mental diseases, names of diseases of disability and deformity, names of trauma diseases and names of skin diseases) and analyzed the process of evolution in details and specific ways through the analysis of several prevalent diseases that occurred during the period of state of Chu and Qin Dynasty on the bamboo slips and in comparison with oracle bone inscriptions and literature materials of Han Dynasty and after Han Dynasty.(2) Synthesis of names of diseases & Perception of diseasesThrough the analysis of synthesis of names of diseases on bamboo slips of state of Chu and Qin Dynasty, the author discussed the perception of ancient people about the frequent occurrence of several names of diseases and names that had certain connection. Also, after the analysis of synthesis of names of heart diseases and leprosy, the author found out that ancient people of state of Chu and Qin Dynasty had a deeper understanding about connections between different diseases and they could summarize the standard and procedure of diagnosis according to the connection between the combinations of diseases.(3) Abstraction of names of diseases & Perception of diseasesAs for a certain kind of names of diseases that often appeared on the bamboo slips, the writers abstracted the commonness of diseases that the same kind of names of diseases represented apart from naming separately in accordance with the characteristics of different diseases. The author of this thesis by taking names of disability as an example discussed abstraction of conception about diseases that the bamboo slips showed. At this time, Traditional Chinese Medicine did not only make simple descriptions about diseases but also had a deeper understanding about diseases-seek for abstraction of diseases for conclusion of diseases.(4) Nomenclature of names of diseases & Perception of diseasesThrough the comparison between nomenclatures of names of diseases on bamboo slips of state of Chu and Qin Dynasty and the extant literature materials, the author discussed the phenomenon of constant exploration of causes of diseases in Traditional Chinese Medicine which promoted the development of perception towards diseases of medicine. It also had significance to the development and progress for medicine.This thesis is a report from the aspect of diseases’ names on a study on the evolving process of perception of TCM about diseases by organization, textual criticisms and explanations of names of diseases on bamboo slips of state of Chu and Qin Dynasty. And it can offer some reference for the development of researches on medical thinking.