Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders (《傷寒論》)
Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders) |
Composed of 12 volumes and 22 pieces, the book has 397 sections with 112 herbal prescriptions. It organizes all the diseases into the six divisions called "six channels," based on the ways treatment can be applied accordingly.
The six channels are:
Tai Yang (greater yang): a milder stage with external symptoms of chills, fevers, stiffness, and headache. Therapy: sweating.
Yang Ming (yang brightness): a more severe internal excess yang condition with fever without chills, distended abdomen, and constipation. Therapy: body cooling and discharging body waste.
Shao Yang (lesser yang): half outside, half inside, half excess and half deficiency, with chest discomfort, alternating chills, and fever. Therapy: harmonizing.
Tai Yin (greater yin): chills, distended abdomen with occasional pain. Therapy: warming the body with supplements.
Jue Yin (absolute yin): thirst, difficult urination, physical collapse. Therapy: warming the body with supplements.
Shao Yin (lesser yin): weak pulse, anxiety, drowsiness, diarrhea, chills, cold extremities. Therapy: warming the body with supplements.