Course Overview

Sign and syndromes explored starting from the Classics and used to understand our patients and their clinical conditions. 7 clinical cases are fully described to help orientation in diagnosis and treatment.

Constraint yu 郁 was said “the origin of most of illnesses” by Wang Lu (1332-1391), but already in Suwen (ch. 21) we read that “in strong people qi circulates and therefore illnesses resolve themselves. … In weak people qi becomes stuck and the result is illness.”

Fanzao 烦 躁: significance of the common symptom of internal restlessness and external agitation.

Internal heat neire 内热: excess of emotions transforms into heat, which consumes yin and zang and generates illness (wuzhi huare theory 五志化热) developed by Liu Wansu (1120-1200) and then Li Dongyuan and Zhu Danxi.

Bentunqi 奔豚气, meiheqi 梅核气, zangzao 脏 躁, and baihebing 百合病 were described in Jingui yaolue (220 CE), now listed by modern Chinese texts as emotional illnesses.

Diankuang 癫 狂: manifestations and causes of this severe mental condition according to Nanjing (ch.59) and the following traditional medical thought. A comparison with actual conventional psychiatry is depicted.

Each content is explored through examples from our daily clinic, taking also into account some problematic issues concerning the therapeutic relationship.

Course Objectives

• Explore classical signs as constraint yu 郁, fanzao 烦 躁, neire 内热.
• Explore classical syndromes as bentunqi 奔豚气, meiheqi 梅核气, zangzao 脏 躁, and baihebing 百合病.
• Explore the classical syndrome diankuang 癫 狂.
• Discuss classical signs and syndromes through actual clinical cases.

Course Outline

0 hrs - 30 minFanzao - restlessness and agitation.

30 min - 1.25 hrsYu - constraint + cases.

1.25 hrs - 1.75 hrsBentunqi + case.

1.75 hrs - 2.25 hrsZangzao + case.

2.25 hrs - 2.5 hrsMeiheqi + case.

2.5 hrs - 2.75 hrsBaihebing + case.

2.75 hrs - 3.5 hrsDiankuang + case.