An exploration of WU Jutong′s thought on five movements and six qi
10.3969/j.issn.1006-2157.2025.06.008
- VernacularTitle:吴鞠通运气思想探赜
- Author:
Shuai KANG
1
;
Weiling YUAN
2
;
Xiaoyan LIU
1
Author Information
1. Beijing University of Chinese Medicine
2. Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
five movements and six qi;
WU Jutong;
warm disease;
qi transformation;
epidemic pestilence;
autumn dryness
- From:
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2025;48(6):785-790
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
WU Jutong profoundly understood the principles of five movements and six qi and skillfully applied them in clinical practice. His academic system is consistently guided by theory of evolution phase. Based on WU′s original works, this article reviews and synthesizes chapters related to movements and qi, analyzing and summarizing his perspectives. WU asserted that mastering movements and qi and understanding the Sanyuan are the foundational prerequisites for medical practitioners, emphasizing its necessity. As a master of theory of Seasonal Febrile Disease, he first addressed movements and qi in Detailed Analysis of Epidemic Warm Disease, clarifying the origins of warm disease theory. He interpreted the etiology, mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment of Warm Diseases through movements and qi principles, proposing that epidemic patterns and severity correlate with annual host climatic qi and guest climatic qi, as well as the heaven-governing and earth-governing qi. He noted that pestilence exhibit cold or warm attributes depending on yearly movements and qi variations, while smallpox arises from shaoyin-monarch-fire′s warm qi, necessitating movements and qi based diagnosis and treatment.Latent Summer Heat Disease frequently occurs in years such as Zi-Wu and Chou-Wei, linked to shaoyin-monarch-fire and taiyin-damp-earth. Additionally, WU critiqued predecessors′ misunderstandings of dryness, explaining autumn dryness pathogenesis as mild cases manifest as dryness, severe cases as cold, transformed as dampness and reverted as fire. He further emphasized untimely qi transformations as pathogenic factors and tailored formulas accordingly. This analysis of WU′s movements and qi thought aids in clinically applying his theoretical and therapeutic frameworks.
