Chapter One  Introduction

Medicines in the world can be divided into three systems : personalistic , naturalistic and scientific . Personalistic medical system believes that illness is caused by a supernatural being ( a god ) , a nonhuman being ( e. g. a ghost , ancestor , or evil spirit ) , or a human being ( e. g. a witch ) . Naturalistic medical system believes that illness is caused by an unbalance in the body generated by external elements . The scientific medical system is a medicine which is tested and verified by scientific experimental methods , it emphasizing microbiological pathogenic agents . The majority of Sinomedicine belongs to the naturalistic medical system .

Sinomedicine ( or Traditional Chinese Medicine ) has two basic characteristics , one being the concept of entirety , and the other being the selection of treatment based on the differentiation of syndromes . The basic characteristics of Sinomedicine relate to its developmental history . When the developmental level of science and technology had still not reached the age when things were analysed at microcosmic level , the ancient Chinese doctors grasped the law of life activities in the human body and the law of genesis , diagnosis and therapy of diseases through summarization of a vast amount of clinical observational experience.

Sinomedicine elucidates the physiological functions of the human body by using the theory of yin and yang and that of five elements as the guidance , and using the theory of viscera-state , and that of the meridians as the basis . The theory of yin and yang reveals the law of contradictory movement of nature , and structures and functions of the human body . The theory of five elements reveals the periodic return of nature , and the law of feedback controlment of the five zang-organs in the human body . The theory of the viscera-state and that of the meridians reveals the functions of the human internal organs and their interconnecting ways .

Selecting treatment according to the differentiation of syndromes is the guiding thought of diagnosis and treatment in Sinomedicine . The "syndrome" in Sinomedicine is an abnormal functional state of the human body . It shows in two aspects . One is an imbalance of physiological functions in the whole body , showing as a functional maladjustment of the vegetative nervous system , endocrine system , blood circulating system and immune system . The other is a functional abnormality of the local tissues and organs relative to the whole body , showing as a dysfunction of the local structures and an abnormality of distribution of bloodflow . In Sinomedicine , to return the functional state of the human body to normal , the therapies of drugs , acupuncture , moxibustion , Qigong and others can be used on the basis of the differentiation of syndromes .

In addition , Sinomedicine emphasizes the relation between human beings and nature , and the importance of health preservation .