A Comparative Study Of Traditional Chinese Medicine In Traditional Chinese Medicine

As a vital composition of human body, Zangfu undertakes the main physical function of it.Chinese Zangfu theory is not only a metaphorical and analogous theory on the medical phenomena of Zangfu, but also covers the instinct anatomical knowledge of human body. Ancient classics of Chinese medicine have an abundant description of human anatomical event,and literatures containing pictures of Zangfu in those classics are numerous and those freehand sketches are a significant part of Chinese medicine literature.However, at the initial stage of the Chinese medicine theory, due to lack of precise physical and c hemical apparatuses, even if the doctor cuts the body open, s/he cannot know the functions and pathologica 1 changes of tissues and organs inside the body and can only explain them philosophically based on life phe nomena observed from life and medical experience. Therefore, the organ and viscera theory of the Chinese medicine is based on vision and uses natural phenomena and life experience to explain the physiological op eration mechanisms and pathological reasons of the human body.From time immemorial Zangfu theory has been a focal point of various medicine masters. However, recent scholars interested in Zangfu theory mainly lay particular emphasis on the literal records in literature, making the studies from the scope of Zangfu illustrations to discuss relationships between Zangfu is scant.The expressional method of Chinese Zangfu illustrations differs from western anatomical pictures.Because Chinese Zangfu illustrations and western anatomical pictures are dissimilar apprehensions of inner structure of human body founded on disparate cultural background, which means that they are graphical understanding of human body under the scope of different cultures. Thus, each has an irreplaceable efficacy in respective medical theory.Though distinctions are not scarce, from the perspective of medical applications, it is gratuitous to arbitrarily say which one is more accurate or more conducive for patient treatment.Therefore, it is necessary for ttraditional Chinese medicine researchers to undertake specialized research on Chinese Zangfu illustrations to explore their innate academic values.Firstly, a history of Zangfu illustrations is demonstrated in order to build anatomical foundation for descendant Zangfu illustrations.By means of methodical collection of Zangfu illustrations in Chinese ancient literatures from different dynasties, setting them as study extent, comparing nuances among them, and referencing germane literal records to explicitly discriminate the traditional venations and intended implications of those sketches, a sufficient interpretation of the significance in Chinese medicine theories of those illustrations is achieved.Then peculiarity of the five internal organs expressed in Zangfu illustrations is analyzed and considering contemporary Mingmen features in Zangfu illustrations, a historical evolution of Mingmen theory is expatiated. In other words, by putting Zangfu illustrations and contemporary Zangfu conceptions back to the particular history conditions when they emerged and developed to explore Zangfu illustrations’genesis in the whole philosophical, social, cultural and ethical background of specific historical environment and discuss probable factors in Zangfu theory and its system.By dating back the origin of Zang-Fu illustrations in TCM,analyzing their characteristics and studying the correlation between these images and TCM, this paper puts forward that:(1) Zang-Fu illustrations are n ot purely the human anatomy but instead the instructions used to illustrate the anatomic and non-anatomic a ttributes of viscera. The drawer designed the viscera’s images, positions and their internal relations based o n his own understanding of the human body, or by combining with TCM theory or by consulting the prevail ing social and cultural background at that time. (2) For thousands of years, the shape of the internal viscera has not changed, but changes in viscera images has taken place in different times, which indicates that Zang-Fu illustrationsare man-made structures so as to cater to and explain the TCM theory at that time. However , the dissected viscera have made limited contributions to the development of TCM.