Research On The TCM Conception Of"Dietetic Contraindication"

This thesis will explore the TCM conception of dietetic contraindication (pronounced "jikou" in Chinese) in terms of origins, the development course and theoretical foundation, as well as the connotation and denotation of the conception. The thesis contains six parts:The Current Situation of the Study on "ji kou" ConceptionThe current study fails to fully clarify the origin of "ji kou" conception, and sort out the connotation and denotation of TCM "ji kou" conception.Synonyms and Near-synonym of "ji kou"The TCM term "ji kou" has several synonyms and near-synonyms, namely shijin(食禁),shiji(食忌),jinkou (禁口),"shenkou"(慎口),jiekou (�'口)The Development Course of TCM "ji kou" ConceptionThe consciousness on dietetic contraindication appeared during the Pre-Qin era, the theory and conception of "ji kou"emerged during the Qin and Han dynasties, marked by the appearance of Huangdi Neijing. The knowledge on "ji kou" experienced rapid development during the period of WeiJin, the Sui and Tang dynasties. The systematic knowledge on "ji kou" was formed throughout the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The progress of modern science and the rise of western medicine opened up broad prospects for the theoretical, clinical and experimental study on TCM "ji kou".The Theoretical Basis for TCM Conception of "ji kou"The theories involved in TCM conception of "ji kou" conclude "the theory of YIN and YANG and five elements","the concept of wholism of Human-Nature","the theory of food","the thinking of analogy","the theory on inexplicable energy stealing" and "treatment according to syndrome differentiation" and so on.The Connotation and Denotation of TCM Conception of "ji kou"In a narrow sense, TCM conception of "ji kou" generally refers to restraining from certain foods for the sake of health conditions and disease treatment, maternal health, and avoiding food mismatches. In a broad way, TCM conception of "ji kou" means avoiding any health-risky diet.Whether the intake of certain foods should be restrained or avoided depend on one’s medical conditions, the TCM syndrome, and the Chinese herbal medicine used in the treatment. Meanwhile, one’s constitution categories in TCM, age, gender, physiological stage, and living environment shall be taken into account.Significance of the StudyThis study will re-research the thought sources of TCM conception of jikou, explore its theoretical basis, clarify its application principles, and confirm the connotation and denotation of conception. This study will definitely benefit the clinical and experimental study of TCM dietetic contraindication and contribute to the innovation of TCM theory.