Traditional Chinese Medicine

by Bob Flaws

In Chinese medicine, it is said that “The hair is the surplus of the blood.” Therefore, hair loss is usually attributed to blood vacuity. However, there can be different kinds of blood vacuity and, hence, different formulas for the treatment of these different patterns of hair loss. On page 359 of issue #6, 2008 of Shi Yong Zhong Yi Yao Za Zhi (Journal of Practical Chinese Medicine & Pharmacology), Chen Yue-chang published an article titled “The Treatment of 50 Cases of Hair Loss Via Pattern Discrimination.” Among these 50 cases, there were 30 males and 20 females aged 20-45 years with a disease duration of four weeks to 10 years. In this study, Dr. Chen identified four different patterns: 1) qi and blood insufficiency, 2) blood heat engendering wind, 3) kidney yin insufficiency, and 4) heart-spleen dual vacuity. Although the word “blood” does not appear in the names of the last three patterns, blood vacuity is implied, including in the case of blood heat engendering wind. In this pattern, one nourishes blood as a main way of treating wind based on the dictum, “To treat wind, first treat the blood.” Twenty-four cases got a marked effect, meaning that they saw hair regrow by a rate of 70% or more in the areas of hair loss. Eighteen cases got some effect, meaning that hair regrowth was between 30-70%, while eight cases got no effect. The total effectiveness rate was, therefore, published as 84%. In Dr. Chen’s conclusion, no single ingredient was singled out as being the most effective for promoting hair regrowth. Rather, her methodology was merely based on pattern discrimination and the appropriate administration of medicinals for those patterns.

Observations of the contents of issue #6, 2008 of Shi Yong Zhong Yi Yao Za Zhi (Journal of Practical Chinese Medicine & Pharmacology)

Out of 18 sections in the table of contents of this journal, one of those sections was “integrated Chinese-Western Medicine.” This section contained 13 RCTs. Only one other section, “Clinical Reports,” contained as many articles. The Clinical Reports section contained 13 studies using only Chinese medicine. In the Integrated Chinese-Western Medical Section, diseases studied included:

Hyperthyroidism
Ulcerative colitis
The acute stage of ischemic cerebral vascular disease
Chronic hepatitis B accompanied by insomnia
Chronic congestive heart failure
Perianal eczema
Condyloma acuminata (venereal warts)
Geriatric pruritus
Carbon dioxide poisoning brain disease
Post-surgical joint stiffness
Pulmonary tuberculosis
Irritable bowel syndrome
Upper arm neurological skin pain

In the Clinical Reports section, the diseases studied included:

Hair loss
Chronic rhinitis
Peri-arthritis of the shoulder
Primary onset dysmenorrhea
Urinary tract lithiasis
Cough
Acute lumbar sprain
Dizziness
Chronic gastritis
Hyperlipidemia
Male sterility
Cholelithiasis
Cough

Other sections contained studies on:

Neurovascualr headache
Bile-reflux gastritis
Chronic atrophic gastritis
Depression
Functional indigestion
Arthritis of the knee joint
Insomnia
Geriatric constipation
Post-medicinal abortion vaginal tract bleeding
Liver cirrhosis and ascites
Acute gouty arthritis
Lumbar disc protrusion
Low back pain
Chronic prostatitis
Chronic urticaria
Recalcitrant dry throat
Fever
Chronic heart failure
Urinary retention
Metabolic syndrome (syndrome X)

by Bob Flaws

In Old China, diabetes mellitus was only diagnosed (under the rubric of xiao ke, wasting thirst) once a person displayed the three polys: polyuria, polyphagia, and polydipsia. Wang Ken-tang, in his Wai Tai Mi Yao (Secrets Essentials from the Outer Posting), said, “Thirst with excessive drinking of water [along] with frequent urination… which is sweet is wasting thirst disease.” In that case, such frankly symptomatic patients mainly exhibit the patterns of dryness, heat, and yin vacuity. Therefore, our classic formulas for wasting thirst clear heat, moisten dryness, and enrich yin. However, in the West, our patients are commonly diagnosed with diabetes 10-15 years earlier during a routine physical exam. These patients do not have the three polys and, therefore, also do not necessarily exhibit the patterns of heat, dryness, and yin vacuity. Thus, we modern practitioners of Chinese medicine need to simply identify our diabetes patient’s presenting pattern(s) based on the signs and symptoms that are present and then treat what we see without undue influence from the classical Chinese medical literature.

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Honora and I came back several days ago (just before the Pacific Symposium) from a 10-day walking tour of Bhutan. Bhutan is located north of Bengal and Assam, east of Darjeeling, west of Arunachal Pradesh, all parts of India, and south of Tibet. It is the last independent Tibetan Buddhist kingdom in the world – a real Shangrila. For me this trip was a 40-year-old dream come true.

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I guess I created a bit of a stir at this year’s Pacific Symposium with my announcement that I am retiring from teaching Chinese medicine effective after my pulse class in NYC later this month. Traveling so much has begun to take a noticeable toll on my health and I think I’ve pretty much said everything I have to say on the topic of Chinese medicine. (I have one last book that I’m working on.) Besides, all my classes are available in digital form and as CDs; so it’s not as if my teachings will disappear any time soon. And to put any fears to rest, Blue Poppy is not going anywhere, nor is it changing hands. I will continue working part time at Blue Poppy for the foreseeable future, mostly in terms of selecting and creating new herbal formulas, doing some translation, and some book editing.

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by Eric Brand

Definition
Bi Yuan is often simply translated as sinusitis. It is an old disease category that dates back to the Nei Jing, and it is still one of the most prominent headings in modern Chinese medical disease classification. Some sources emphasize congestion while most sources emphasize profuse nasal discharge. It is differentiated from a variety of other diseases that affect the nose, primarily bi zhi or bi sai (both of which are translated as nasal congestion), as well as bi qiu (sniveling nose).

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