"and" Theory Of Tcm Research

THE method of "Mediation"(he) is one of eight basic therapeutic methods in traditionalChinese medicine (TCM). It is uniquely characteristic of TCM and widely applicableclinically. Also, it exemplifies the philosophical idea of "Harmony" in traditional Chineseculture. However, as compared to the other seven basic therapeutic methods, the concept of"Mediation" is relatively unclear and both the connotation and denotation of the conceptsomewhat undefined. Though its meaning has been much debated throughout history, there isstill neither unified cognition nor a specific definition to the concept.THIS study collects,exhaustively, references related to the concept of mediation from variousschools of philosophy before the Qin dynasty as well as works of TCM for a conclusiveanalysis; it discovered that both the meaning and application of "Mediation" in "The MedicalClassic of the Yellow Emperor" and "Treatise of Exogenous Febrile Diseases" were descendedfrom the philosophical idea of "Harmony" introduced before the Qin dynasty. The historicaldevelopment of the method of"Mediation" branches into two. One of which progressed from"The Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor" and"Treatise of Exogenous Febrile Diseases"eventually to Zhang Jing Yue, that is,"The objective of a mediating formular is to resolvedisharmony". The other is the concept of"mediating shaoyang" through the use of the "Minordecoction of bupleurum" as introduced by Cheng Wu Ji. The latter became the foundation onwhich most TCM practitioners later in history chose to expand on. Through analysing"mediating formulae" throughout history, it was discovered that the therapeutic emphasis ofthe method of "Mediation" falls on regulating the liver and spleen systems. It is furtherclassified into two categories: regulating the liver and spleen systems; and regulating thespleen and gastral systems. Fomular-wise represented respectively by the "Minor decoction ofbupleurum" and the "Xiexin decoction", both of which originated from Zhang Zhong Jing.Based on the above，the definition of "Mediation" can therefore be classified into a generaland a specific one: the general definition being "All therapeutic methods used in TCM that isable to restore the human entity to a state of Harmony "; the specific defintion being "A therapeutic method that emphasises on the liver and spleen systems, shaoyang, andrepresented by the "Minor decoction of bupleurum. Also inclusive of therapeutic methods like:mediating shaoyang; regulating the liver and spleen systems; regulating the intestinal andgastral systems; and treating malaria". Thus specifying the definition of the method of"Mediation" and the boundaries of its clinical application.THIS study will aid in the defining and understanding the term "Mediation", which has longbeen the centre of controversy. Refining the bounderies of the over-generlised concept of"Mediation" in TCM formula-ology and therefore a valuable reference to future researchrelated to therapeutic principles and methods of TCM.