title: [Historic significance of Hua Tuo's theory of "Six parts" and "Three methods" in cold pathogenic diseases].
abstract: In the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing explored deeply and separately the diagnostic and therapeutic principles of cold pathogenic diseases, though they didn't know each other. This was not only because of their excelsior spirit, but also showed the severity of cold pathogenic diseases at that time. The doctors in past dynasties researched and inherited the achievements of Zhongjing's Shang han lun (Treatise on Cold Pathogenic Diseases). The theory of Hua Tuo's "transformation of diseases by six parts" was different from Su wen re lun (Discussion on Heat in Plain Questions). It doesn't put 6 - channel theory equally, but giving a series of rules for diagnosing the syndromes transforming from superficies to interior, from the surface to the bottom, and from upper to lower which is the beginning of wei - qi - ying - xue differential diagnosis and three - jiao differential diagnosis. Hua Tuo treated cold pathogenic disorders by "sweating, emesis, and catharsis" with abundant clinical approaches. Hua Tuo's idea of "rotten stomach with petechiae" was valued by scholars of warm disorders and of clinical significance even today.
authors.affiliation: Hebei Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shijiazhuang 050031.
authors.forename: Dongyi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D049690:History, Ancient; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000266:history*; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D014774:Virulence