Abdominal mass:an introduction of Zheng Jia and various types.
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✵Gynecology of TCM is a branch to study the physiological and pathological characteristics of women and to prevent and treat syndromes specific to women. Gynecology of TCM research scope including irregular menstruation, amenia, metrorrhagia, infertility, postpartum syndromes, breast syndromes, and miscellaneous syndromes, etc.
- Abdominal mass.
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✵The abdominal mass is also known as Zheng Jia in TCM. Mass formed in the abdomen, big or small, or swelling distention, or full, or pain, is known as "Zheng" if it is an aggregation of stagnant blood with definite shape and fixed pain, or is known as "Jia" if it is an accumulation of Qi that has no fixed shape and is easily movable, or appears and disappears from time to time, with a migratory pain, if ever present. In the western medicine system, it is known as "hysteromyoma or fibroid".
✦ The pathogenic reason that leads to the abdominal mass, are known mostly due to Qi stagnation and blood stasis, etc. The related syndromes into different types are introduced: abdominal mass of Qi stagnation type, abdominal mass of blood-stasis type, abdominal mass of blood-deficiency type, abdominal mass of cold type, abdominal mass of large-intestine cold type, postpartum Abdominal mass of residue lochia type, etc.
- Abdominal mass of Qi-stagnation type.
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✵The abdominal mass of Qi-stagnation type is mainly due to Qi stagnation. Symptoms normally are soft mass, movable with touch, touchable or untouchable, the location is not fixed, sometime at left side, sometime at right side, sometime at top sometime at bottom, sometime pains, sometime no pain, this is normally known as "Jia" in TCM.
- Abdominal mass of blood-stasis type.
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✵The abdominal mass of blood-stasis type is mainly due to blood stasis. Symptoms normally are hard mass, unmovable with touch, sometime uncomfortable and pain at night, pulse manifestation is deep and hesitant, dim complexion(looks dark, green on face), there is blue spot under tongue or beside the tongue, this is known as "Zheng" in TCM.
✵Ancient herbalists who hold a syndrome differentiation viewpoint with similar explain of pathogenic reasons, and the relevant representative work are introduced and quoted:"In the case of menstruation stopped in months(amenia), abdominal mass and pains, is the condition of blood accumulation and forming an abdominal mass." [02].
"Xue Jia: abdominal mass formed from blood, ...the blood sea is affected by cold pathogens, blood stagnancy and stasis, develops to mass and pains, in the condition stagnancy fixed and not solid..." [03].
- Abdominal mass of blood-deficiency type.
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✵The abdominal mass of blood-deficiency type is mainly due to blood deficiency. Symptoms normally are mass, size up to the chicken egg, pain in the left and right hypochondria, menses stopped, fever in five centers (fever in heart and four palms-cores), dizziness, dazzled and dim eyesight, cough with phlegm, etc. This is also known as "Zheng" in TCM.
✵Ancient herbalists who hold a syndrome differentiation viewpoint with similar explain of pathogenic reasons, and the relevant representative work are introduced and quoted:"Blood deficiency and fever: the syndrome is due to woman's character impatient, or hurt from sexual intercourse during menses, a mass is formed in the abdomen, its size is up to a chicken egg, pain in the left and right hypochondria, menses stopped, as a result, fever in five centers (fever in heart and four palms-cores), dizziness dazzled and dim eyesight, cough with phlegm... In case it is not treated in a half year or a year, she is emaciated and suffers from diarrhea, there is no survive case in a hundred cases." [04].
- Abdominal mass of cold type.
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✵The abdominal mass of cold type is mainly due to cold pathogen. Symptoms normally are hard mass, gradually enlarged, as pregnant, this is known as "Shi Jia"(literally means stone mass) in TCM.
✵Ancient herbalists who hold a syndrome differentiation viewpoint with similar explain of pathogenic reasons, and the relevant representative work are introduced and quoted:"Shi Jia: menses comes, cold pathogen invading and stay in the uterus, blood condensed and stasis, woman suffers from abdomen gradually enlarged, looks similar to pregnancy... If her physical constitution is deficient and weak, it will develop to distension and swelling..." [03].
- Abdominal mass of large-intestine cold type.
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✵The abdominal mass of large-intestine cold type is mainly due to cold pathogen. Symptoms normally are blood stagnant, abdomen is enlarged gradually, similar to pregnancy, this is known as "Chang Tan"(female abdominal mass, or literally it means mass of intestines) in TCM.
✵Ancient herbalists who hold a syndrome differentiation viewpoint with similar explain of pathogenic reasons, and the relevant representative work are introduced and quoted:"Chang Tan: cold pathogens invading during menses and stay in the large intestines, as a result, lead to blood condensed, menses come but less bleeding, the abdomen is gradually enlarged, looks similar to pregnancy, it is also known as Tai Lou..., In the condition that the woman's physical constitution is deficient and weak, it will develop to distension and fullness..." [03].
- Postpartum Abdominal mass of residue lochia type.
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✵The postpartum abdominal mass of residue lochia type is mainly due to residue lochia after childbirth. Symptoms normally are residue lochia not passing down completely, it is also known as postpartum abdominal mass of lochiorrhagia type, this is known as Chan Hou Jia Kuai( mass clots after childbirth ) in TCM.
✵Ancient herbalists who hold a syndrome differentiation viewpoint with similar explain of pathogenic reasons, and the relevant representative work are introduced and quoted:"Chan Hou Jia Kuai(abdominal mass clots after childbirth):...it is due to residue lochia not passing down completely. In general, it is due to first childbirth, residue lochia did not come, or comes but not passing down completely, or the woman fear recipes, although there are pains, but she bears with it and not speak out; or the woman and herbalist insist on replenish deficiency theory after childbirth, ...residue blood is retained and stagnant, not dissipated in a long period, accumulated and form a mass..." [04].
References:
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- 01.Abdominal mass:an introduction of Zheng Jia and various types.
- 02.Song Shi Nǚ Ke Cuo Yao(the Synopsis of Song's Gynaecology).By 宋林皋(Sòng Lín Gāo)[Ming].
- 03.Ye Shi Nǚ Ke Zhèng Zhì(the Syndromes and Therapeutics of Ye's Gynaecology).By 叶桂(Yè Guì)[1817].
- 04.Fù Kē Bèi Kǎo(the References of Gynaecology).By 何应豫(Hé Yīngyù)[1820].
