43. The Principles of Oriental Medicine ： Yin and Yang 2

Yin and Yang refer to the ancient observation of opposing yet complementary phenomena in nature. Examples include heaven and earth, sun and moon, day and night, summer and winter, male and female, up and down, fire and water, life and death. The world of phenomena cannot exist without these relative oppositions. For instance, what if only heaven existed but not the earth? Only women but not men? Only life but not death? Thus, the concept of Yin and Yang emerged from philosophical reasoning.

In Oriental Medicine, the most fundamental diagnostic system is known as the Eight Principles (八綱辨證), and the overarching framework among them is Yin and Yang. For example, in the case of a common cold, the first step in diagnosis is to determine whether it is a “cold-type” or “heat-type” cold.

A cold-type cold is characterized by chills with fever, body aches, headache, nasal congestion, sneezing, coughing, clear runny nose, and clear phlegm. The patient dislikes cold and feels better when warmed. The pulse often presents as floating.

A heat-type cold begins with a sore and painful throat. The mouth feels dry, and the patient craves water. Nasal discharge is thick, and phlegm is yellowish. There may be profuse sweating and constipation. In this sense, cold-type colds are Yin, while heat-type colds are Yang. Once this Yin-Yang diagnosis is made, the prescription changes accordingly.

In cold-type colds, if the patient is sweating, classic prescriptions include Gui Zhi Tang (桂枝湯) or Ge Gen Tang (葛根湯).

The standard prescription for Gui Zhi Tang is as follows:

• Cinnamon Twig (桂枝) 10g

• White Peony Root (白芍) 10g

• Honey-Fried Licorice (炙甘草) 6g

• Fresh Ginger (生薑) 3 slices

• Jujube (大棗) 6 pieces

If the cold is felt deep in the bones, Cinnamon Bark (肉桂) 10g is added. Common ginger tea is made using these food-grade herbs and can be consumed as a functional tea.

The well-known Ssanghwa-tang (雙和湯) is a combination of Si Wu Tang (四物湯), which nourishes Yin, and Huang Qi Jian Zhong Tang (黃耆建中湯), which tonifies Yang. It is effective for colds in patients with low energy.

Thus, diagnosis and treatment take into account not only the location of the illness—whether on the surface (skin) or internal (lungs or stomach)—but also the patient’s constitution, whether strong or weak. All of these are guided by evaluating the state of Yin and Yang. The same principle applies to acupuncture, where diagnosis and treatment are based on the Yin-Yang state just like herbal prescriptions.

Because the movement of life energy is believed to occur through Yin and Yang just like in nature, Oriental Medicine provides a more humane and scientific approach than simply prescribing one-size-fits-all cold medications. In China, many patients with colds visit Traditional Chinese Medicine (中医学) clinics to receive personalized herbal and acupuncture treatment.

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Dr. Jin-man Kim, director of Peace Oriental Clinic