By Jubong Kang, K.M.D.
The term energy is available to interpret fire and yang of Eastern Medicine. Eastern Medicine doctors always check the wrist pulses to know the state of qi of the body. Qi means yang and fire, and the pulse represents the beating energy of the heart and the state of qi in the body.
Four this reason, qi – yang or fire’ – is expressed through the heart beating and energy is the power of heart beating. If the heart beating is high, then the energy state is high, conversely, if the energy state is high, then the heart beating is high.
In considering the temperature of the body, if the energy state or the heart beating is high, then the body temperature is also high. We can say the energy state of the heart beating and the temperature of the body all represents the same meaning in the view of Eastern Medicine.
Moreover, we need to think of one more notion, which is the adjuster of the heart beating or the adjuster of the temperature of the body.
In modern biology, the adjuster of the body temperature is in the hypothalamus and this gland communicates to and controls the heart movement through nerves and hormones via many routes in our body.
Now, with more scientific understanding of anatomy and physiology, a sentence in 『Shang Han Lun』 was possibly suggesting that bladder channel is related to the hypothalamus.
For greater yang disease, after Gui Zhi Decoction was taken, on the contrary, vexation comes out and disease are not solved, then firstly give needles on Feng Zi (GB20; 風池) and Feng Fu(DU16; 風府), vexation is removed, then dose Guo Zhi Decoction (『Shang Han Lun』 Line24, p. 66, PPV).
In this clause, after talking Guizhi Decoction, if vexation appears, then stimulating the acupuncture points Feng Zi (GB20) and Feng Fu (DU16) which are very points close to the hypothalamus help relive vexation.
Here the reason for vexation was released by needling acupuncture points which alerted the adjuster in the hypothalamus to regulate body temperature which had been raised to a higher degree from taking Guizhi Decoction, was then lowered through needle stimulation. And now Guzhi Decoction is given again to treat Greater Yang Disease.
According to this sentence bladder channel is related to the function of hypothalamus and Guizhi Decoction is one of the major formula treating greater yang channel disease which is bladder channel disease.
Then, one of various function of Guizhi Decoction is controlling the temperature adjuster of the hypothalamus and the adjuster is closely related to bladder channel which goes through the lower region of the neck where the hypothalamus is located.
However, in this book, the terms blood, lymph, heart beating power and temperature adjuster are called four essences of Zhong Jing and used frequently to interpret sign symptoms.
