A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE

Yin-Yang and the Five Elements

The theories of yin-yang and the five elements were two kinds of outlook on nature in ancient China. They involved a naive concept of materialism and dialectics and actively promoted natural science in China. Ancient physicians applied these two theories in their field, which greatly influenced the formation and development of the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine and have guided clinical work up to the present.

1. Yin-Yang – The theory yin-yang holds that every object or phenomenon in the universe consists of two opposite aspects, namely, yin and yang, which are at once in conflict and in interdependence; further, that this relation between yin and yang is the universal law of the material world, the principle and source of existence of myriad of things, and the root cause for the flourishing and perishing of things.
1. The opposition and interdependence of yin and yang
2. The opposition of yin and yang generalizes the contradiction and struggle of the two opposites within an object or a phenomenon. Ancient scholars used water and fire to symbolize the basic properties of yin and yang. That is to say, the basic properties of yin simulate those of water including coldness, downward direction, dimness, etc., while the basic properties of yang are like those of fire, including hotness, upward direction, brightness, etc.
3. The tissues and organs of the human body may pertain either to yin or yang according to their relative locations and functions.
4. Yang – The trunk surface and the four extremities, being on the exterior, pertain to yang.
5. Yin – Inside organs
6. The relation of yin and yang is that neither of them can exist in isolation. For instance, without daytime there would be no night; with excitation there would be no inhibition. Both yin and yang rely on each other for existence, coexisting in a single entity.
7. The equilibrium of yin and yang
2. The occurrence of a disease is the outcome of imbalance between yin and yang. All the methods of treatment should aim at reconciling the two and restoring them to a condition of relative balance. In acupuncture treatment, points on the right side may be selected to treat disorders of the left side and vice versa, while points on the lower portion of the body may be selected to treat disorders of the upper portion and vice versa. All these methods are based on the concept of regarding the body as an organic whole, and the aim of treatment is to readjust the relation of yin and yang and promote circulation of qi and blood.
3. The Five Elements – The theory of the five elements holds that wood, fire, earth, metal and water are basic materials constituting the material world. Chinese medicine is in classifying into different categories natural phenomena. The tissues and organs of the human body; human emotions and interpreting the relationship between the physiology and pathology of the human body and the natural environment. This theory is used as a guide in medical practice.
1. Attributes of the five elements – People live in nature. The natural environment greatly influences our physiological activities. The following table shows the five categories classified according to the five elements: