Wonders of Traditional Herbal Medicine

Movements of Pathogenic Factors

Huang Yuanyu had the remarkable ability to predict the development of a disease within a person and move it from one part of the body to another. While this may sound mysterious, it is a well-documented and true story.

According to herbal medicine concepts, all diseases are caused by six pathogenic factors (often referred to as evil spirits), which can move around the body as the disease progresses.

Common Cold as an Illustration

Consider the common cold as an example. Initially, the symptom is a runny nose because the pathogenic factors are in the lungs, which open to the nose. Without effective treatment, the disease can worsen, leading to a dry mouth and severe dehydration as the pathogenic factors move to the kidneys.

If left unchecked, these factors may then move to the spleen and stomach, causing a loss of appetite and potential damage to these organs.

As the situation deteriorates further, the patient may feel weak and mentally foggy, indicating damage to the heart meridian.

This progression shows that the pathogenic factors causing a common cold can move around the body as the disease develops. Therefore, treatment must be methodical, addressing each symptom step by step rather than relying on a single remedy.

Prevention is Better Than Cure

From the perspective of traditional herbal medicine, during the incubation period of a disease, the pathogenic factors are suppressed by the body’s yuanqi (vitality force). If not discovered and treated early, the yuanqi weakens with age, allowing the pathogenic factors to break out suddenly, leading to serious and difficult-to-treat symptoms.

Even if a master practitioner can save the patient’s life, they may still suffer from severe aftereffects. Thus, traditional herbal medicine emphasizes treating the disease before it occurs, particularly during its incubation period.

Attacking Poison with Poison

For instance, Huang Yuanyu foresaw his cousin’s malignant lumpy sore that would eventually break out on his back. He treated it with medicine to move it to the leg, buying time to address the disease two years later. If the sore had been allowed to develop on the back, it would have become incurable.

To cure the sore when it broke out, the herbal doctor would need to use toxic herbs to kill the pathogenic factors, a method known as “using poison to attack poison.”

However, treating a sore on the back poses a dilemma because all the yang-meridians pass through this area, and using toxic yang-herbs would be like adding fire to fire, which the body cannot withstand.

Additionally, at this stage, the person’s yuanqi has not yet detected the toxic factors, making self-detoxification impossible.

Huang Yuanyu’s strategy was to move the pathogenic factors from the yang-meridian-rich back to the yin-meridian-rich leg, where appropriate toxic herbs could be used to treat the sore effectively.

Looking ahead

For more stories about Huang Yuanyu and his contributions to traditional herbal medicine, and how it helps in rejuvenating our health, stay tuned for the next episode.

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