Application of image comparison method

Analogical thinking method is widely used in Neijing.

1. Construct the theory of Tibetan image by analogy.

The theory of Tibetan image is the core content of the theory of Neijing. Regarding the formation of the theory of Tibetan images, Su Wen's theory of the formation of five zang-organs put forward the principle that "the images of five zang-organs can be compared", and Bing Wang commented: "Images are weather. Although the five internal organs are hidden and invisible, their meteorological use can be analogized. " Zhang Jiebin said: "Like also. Hidden inside, the shape is seen outside, so it is called Tibetan elephant. " According to the images of the five elements, Su Wenjin Kui Yan-array divided nature and human body into five categories according to the principle of the same or similar functions and behaviors, and then explored the deep theory of Tibetan images contained in the images. Firstly, the image of the five elements is used to simulate the function of the five internal organs. For example, the liver is as straight as wood, the heart inflammation is like fire, the spleen is as static as soil, the lungs are as hard as gold, and the kidneys are as moist as water. Secondly, the image of the five elements is used to compare the theory that the five internal organs are related to the weather. The viscera, organs, physiological parts and emotional activities of the human body are all classified by external sounds, colors, seasons, climate, orientation and taste. For example, the heart, the basic function of the heart is to master the gods and blood, and the red, sound, fire, summer, heat, south and suffering in all things in the universe can be attributed to the heart.

2. Understand the state and manifestations of diseases by analogy.

Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes "syndrome" rather than "disease", and the manifestations of various diseases are attributed to "syndrome". For example, dizziness, hand-foot convulsion, tremor and other diseases all have the characteristics of vacillation, which is the same as the activity of wind, so they can be classified as "wind syndrome". For another example, Chinese medicine diagnoses diseases of the five internal organs from the five colors on the body surface and the five elements belonging to different organs and tissues. For example, "the lungs are white and hairy, the heart is red and collaterals overflow, the liver is light and the claws are withered, the spleen is yellow and the meat crawls, and the kidney is black and gnarled."

3. Explain physiological and pathological phenomena by comparing numbers.

The "number" taken in Neijing is actually a special "image", not quantitative, but qualitative. Number ratio is a method to express the meaning of "image" with easy numbers, and to deduce the changing law of things through easy numbers. Variables mainly include the number of hexagrams, branches, five elements (the so-called "river map number" in later generations) and nine palaces (the so-called "Luo Shu number" in later generations). Su Wenjin's strict array corresponds the liver, heart, spleen, lung and kidney of the five internal organs with the scores of five, six, seven, eight and nine in the five-element birthday chart. Liver wood is divided into eight, heart fire is divided into seven, spleen and soil are divided into five (ten), lung gold is divided into nine, and kidney water is six, which means that "the five internal organs should be at four o'clock." Su Wenliu and Jacky's Collection of Great Works explained the changing law of five movements and six qi with the theory of "the number of the many, the number of the insufficient and the soil constant". "Seven chapters of Su Wen's Luck uses the number of dry branches to infer the law of climate change in the past 60 years and its relationship with human diseases by comparing the numbers. There are seven women and eight men in the base of human development and reproduction in Su Wen's On Ancient Innocence, that is, the number of Yin and Yang advancing and retreating. In addition, the five internal organs, the twelve meridians, Eight Strange Classics, the twelve meridians, Three Yin San Yang, Six Qi, Eight Classes and Six Classics in Neijing.

It is worth noting that image analogy, as a way for human beings to grasp the objective world, has always had very important epistemological and scientific value. Through analogy, we can enlighten people's thinking, help people spread their wings of imagination, and thus push others to draw inferences and discover new things. Doctors have used this way of thinking in medical practice and invented many new methods of diagnosis and treatment. However, the defect of analogy thinking method is also obvious, that is, it pays too much attention to the commonness, commonness and similarity of things or phenomena, while ignoring the characteristics and differences of different things. If the derived attributes happen to be their differences, then the conclusion must be wrong.

Zhang Qicheng

China Traditional Chinese Medicine Publishing House

Inner Xue Jing, September 2004.