A Study On The Development And Evolution Of The Theoretical Framework Of "Nai Jing"

ObjectiveTo clarify the history of development and evolution of the theoretical framework of prescriptions and to sum up the law characteristics, to initially built a more complete and stable prescription theoretical framework.MethodsThis study organized and summed up the points of ’Nei Jing’ prescription theoretical system, and preliminary outlined of the frame structure of prescription theoretical system of modern prescription textbooks. Then this study longitudinally compared and analyzed of theoretical system between ’Nei Jing’ and Modern prescription Textbooks. Through the systematic collection and reference of relevant ancient medical literature, this study generalized the history of development and evolution of prescription theoretical framework and summed up the law characteristics.ResultsThe first section mainly combed and integrated the relevant prescription theoretical content involved in ’Nei Jing’. That ’Nei Jing’ was already provided with basic elements of prescription theoretical system, including treatment principle and therapeutic method, indication,prescription, compatibility, prescription form, usage, etc.Section II mainly combed ’Nei Jing’ prescription theory’s historical evolution and its development and changes, such as the development of therapeutic methods, disease-syndrome-symptom of main medical treatments, evolution of prescription and compatibility, decoction and taking methods, etc. Or amplification, or reduction, or the occurrence of fusion, each prescription theoretical content had its own characteristics of the development and evolution.Section III summarized the general regular pattern features of theoretical prescription’s development and evolution from ’Nei Jing’ to modern prescription textbooks. There are three important historical nodes in the development of prescription theoretical framework. First is the late Song, Jin and Yuan dynasty, with the emergence and development of effect and discuss on prescriptions, the prescription theory achieved a "drug-prescription-effect-syndrome" and "syndrome-method-prescription-medicine" unity. The second one is the Ming and Qing Dynasty, due to advances in prescription classification, especially the comprehensive taxonomy created by Wang Ang ’Prescription Variorum’, it solved the long-standing classification problem that prescription theory can not be self-contained, marking the initial formation of formula subject of TCM. Along with the establishment of modern formula subject and the publication of the textbooks of prescription, the framework of the prescription theoretical system had been completed the process from the initial exploration to the gradual improvement. And this study roughly outlined the theoretical framework of modern prescriptions. The development and evolution of prescription theoretical system overall presents a process from coarse to fine, and from abundance back to simplification. The development of each part of the prescription theoretical framework is often out of sync and mutually influenced.Conclusion’Nei Jing’ already has some basic elements to build the prescription theoretical framework, but it is difficult to form the systematic framework. From ’Nei Jing’ to modern prescription textbooks, prescription theoretical contents as a whole show a growing process of expansion, during this period, there are also some theoretical contents gradually reduced, disappeared or fusion occurred. Prescription theoretical framework basically goes through a process from scratch, and from attachment to independence, then to final inclusion.