| Six-qi theory is an important concept in Korean medicine. Traditionally, Six-qi theory has been used pathologically. However, it could be more valuable when applied from a physiological perspective. The external Six-qi theory is an analysis of the external environment such as the climate, but the internal Six-qi theory is an analysis of the internal environment of the human body. The internal environment of the human body is considered to be the condition of extracellular fluid (ECF). The internal Six-qi can be understood by the condition of extracellular fluid. In particular, among the internal Six-qi, cold-heat and dry-dampness are well reflected in the condition of extracellular fluid. In addition, analyzing the condition of the internal Six-qi through medical inquiry would be helpful in more practical clinical treatment. A questionnaire about cold and heat could determine the intensity of the body's metabolism, and a questionnaire about dryness and moisture could determine the level of body fluids in the body. |
| This study aims to identify the background and characteristics of Hyungok(Yoon Gil-Young, 1911-1987)’s 'Oriental Physiology' by analyzing the formation of his knowledge system through his papers and books. The background of the knowledge system that synthesized his writings on 'Oriental Physiology' and 'Oriental Pathology' into 'Dongeuihak Methodology' was identified. his writings on 'Basic course-Clinical course Cooperation in medical education' and 'Korean-Western medicine Cooperation in clinic' shed light on the characteristics of Korean medicine in contrast to Western medicine. By quantitatively analyzing the concepts of 'BonHan', 'BonYul', and 'BonHeo' presented in Hyungok's last book 'Dongeui Clinical Pharmacology', using a quantitative method, we examined the characteristics and meaning of Hyungok's clinic based theoretical system. This study confirms the importance of 'Traditional Korean Medical Physiology' as a fundamental course in the Korean Medicine curriculum and reevaluates Hyungok's theoretical system in relation to drug treatment. |
| Due to recent changes in Korean medicine education and the medical environment, emphasis is being placed on integrated curricular understanding of western medical theory. Concerning to inflammation accounting for the majority of diseases, the corresponding concepts and specific details as an interface between the two were compared for a comprehensive basic and clinical understanding in Korean medicine, and then explored the logical procedures required for the verification method through experimental research. The up-to-date concept of acute inflammation is defined by a spectrum of biological responses and processes against external disturbances and the resulting state. The response is the initial phase of struggle between the vital energy and the pathogenic factor(SVP), the process is a specific pathogenesis, and the state can be corresponded to a specific type of symptom set. Also, the contents of inflammation as physiological homeostasis control only a quantitative difference can be regarded with the constitutional theory and differential diagnostics and therapeutic theory(DDT). Summing up the above, the viewpoint of the homeostasis maintenance mechanism and the logic of inflammation theory against SVP & DDT theory were same. So, variables and indicator molecules in the homeostatic and inflammatory control mechanisms for each cell or tissue can be used in the experimental and clinical research of Korean medicine. And then the general hypotheses of Korean medicine theory induced or abducted from research hypotheses of an experiment can be obtained. |
| Throughout history, Traditional Asian Medicine (TAM) has accumulated diverse theories and extensive knowledge from different medical scholars and schools of thought. While numerous qualitative studies have explored the unique theoretical and prescriptive characteristics of each scholar and school of thought, quantitative research with complementary roles remains limited. This study seeks to explore the potential of geometric data structure analysis as a novel quantitative method to enhance understanding of the basic theories of TAM. Specifically, by analyzing the prescriptions of the four noted scholars of Geum-Won era, we evaluated the similarity of representation of herbs and analyzed the topological properties of prescription networks. Our results suggest that there are both subspaces that are significantly shared among scholars and unique subspaces that are not aligned by linear transformation. From the constructed prescription networks, we found a pattern of continuous variation among the prescriptions, which generates a specific directional trajectory on the herbal manifold. Furthermore, we can derive specific directions for future research from the analysis results. Our study highlights that the analysis of TAM theories using mathematical methods can contribute to the modernization of the theories and allow the existing theories to be understood from a novel perspective. |
