Psychiatry in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Abstract

There were two totally divergent streams of thought in traditional Chinese medicine; one was naturalistic with a learned philo sophical and humanistic basis, while the other was animistic, spiritualistic and steeped in folk and magical beliefs. In their diver gent courses however, these two streams influenced and intertwined with each other, and were transmitted down the centuries more or less unchanged until recent times.The first school of thought evolved from the organized doctrines of Taoism. Concepts of health and disease were intimately related to the philosophy of nature. Man as a micro cosm reflected the macrocosm of nature. Medicine became part philosophy and part religion, both of which propounded oneness with nature. There were several concepts which were basic to these ideas.a) The concept of Tao -The Chinese, being an agricultural people, saw in the changes of nature (such as day and night, the seasons, growth and decay) an immut able law and an indomitable spirit. This was Tao, "the Way", the supreme regulator of the universe. Man patterned his behaviour according to this, and health or disease depended upon it --"Those who follow Tao achieve the formula of perpetual youth and maintain a youthful body. Although they are old in years, they are still able to produce offspring", t c) The concept of the five elements -• Yin and Yang were broken down into more tangible components -metal, water, wood, fire and earth. These were distributed throughout nature, including the human body. The generation and subjugation of the five elements gave rise to changes in nature as well as in the body and so promoted health or disease.d) The concept of significant numbersDevelopmental stages were characterized by the numbers '7' in female and '8' in male. Number '5' was represented by the five ele ments, orifices, tissues, emotions, viscera, and other pentads. There were also three germs, three spaces, six bowels and so on.Disease or ill-health was explained in terms of transgression of Tao -deviation from the prescribed way of nature and so ciety, imbalance of Yin and Yang or dysequilibrium of the five elements. Thus was developed a complicated philosophical, natu ralistic and mechanistic system of medicine. However, external causes were also thought of as etiological factors; for example wind, cold, dryness, moisture and the atmospheric changes of the four seasons.The second main school of thought was based on folklore -myths and superstitions -and was probably derived from the an cient concept of animism and the practice of spirit worship. The priests or the sorcerers were the healers in ancient times, and it was not until the Chou Dynasty (1121-249 B.C.) that the religious and medical functions of these professions were sepa rated. Diseases were attributed to possession by ghosts, demons, spirits and foxes, which 399

Psychiatry in Iran and China

“…From a western point of view the changes in health care resulting from the Islamic fundamentalist revolution are probably regressive, whereas political upheaval in China has had less impact upon the health care system. (I, 5,7,8,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28].…”

Traditional Chinese Medicine

“…The Historical Note on "Psychiatry in Traditional Chinese Medicine" by Cheng (2) provokes thought on the purpose and methodology of such studies. Enquiries into various themes in Eastern civilizations which correspond to developments in Western psychiatry and psychotherapy are worthwhile, inasmuch as they deepen our understanding by a process of comparison and of contrast.…”