Exploration of the Origins of Chinese Medicine in Esophageal Anatomy and Functional Understanding
10.14148/j.issn.1672-0482.2024.1123
- VernacularTitle:食管解剖与功能认识的中医源流探析
- Author:
Hong SHEN
1
;
Feng XU
;
Jingyi HU
;
Lei ZHU
Author Information
1. 南京中医药大学附属医院,江苏 南京 210029
- Keywords:
esophageal anatomy;
esophageal function;
TCM origins;
China-West convergence
- From:
Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2024;40(10):1123-1128
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
The esophagus is referred to as the conduit for food and drink.It can be categorized into three distinct phases:an era characterized by written descriptions,a phase marked by anatomical illustrations,and a period of integration between Chinese and Western medical practices.In the initial phase of written descriptions,seminal texts such as The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic and The Classic of Difficult Issues documented aspects regarding both length and function of the esophagus;however,these accounts were relatively succinct.The subsequent phase saw advancements in anatomical illustrations that refined our comprehension of esophageal structure and functionality.During the period of the integration of Chinese and Western medicine,insights from Western anatomy prompted a reevaluation within Chinese medicine concerning both anatomy and physiology related to the esophagus;concurrently,clini-cal cases involving esophageal disorders emerged prominently.Consequently,Chinese medicine's grasp on esophageal physiology,pa-thology,anatomy,and function became increasingly comprehensive over time.Choosing the esophagus as the starting point for observ-ing the theory of viscera in Chinese medicine is intended to illustrate that Chinese medicine's understanding of life,health and disease is based on the observation and continuous improvement of the anatomical functions of the viscera,integrating the physiological func-tions to form a highly integrated system with functional states,so as to facilitate the use of natural medicines for regulation and treatment.This is a distinctive feature different from Western medicine,and it can keep pace with the times and absorb modern re-search results,and continuously improve the theory and treatment system,so as to obtain strong vitality and benefit mankind.
