VISCERO MERIDIAN FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES AND PERIODS OF A DAY

Chen Keqin', Hao Shaojie', Hu Xiaoxian1, Fu Yongmin1, Dan Hua1, Fang Anming1, Yan Qingrui3, fin Liyun3, Liu Dongyun3, Zhu Fen3, Shen Zhuobin4, Cao Yayi5, Du Jinbao6

It had been recorded in "Huang Di Nei Jin" thousand years ago that the autoregulatory rhythms of organism would be affected by natural environments, but only in a few decades had it aroused the attention in the international circle of medicine and developed an ever more profound influence in modern medical science. Since the spring-up of "Time Biology" (Circadian Theory) and the erection of "Ziwuliuzhu", theory based upon viewpoints of "Neijing" having gained universal recognition, we carried out an investigation to determine the correlation between viscero-meridian functional activities and the twelve periods of a dayt21 among 2,863 cases in 8 hospitals in Xi'an and Chengdu. We studied their time of morbidity onset, causes and courses of illness, in order to find out regularities in their daily variations, e.g. when symptoms got aggravated, relieved, the time of deaths, and to offer a scientific basis in making preventive monitor regimen, in-time rescue, and judgment of the prognosis.

(1) From the analysis of 331 inpatients, we found 180 cases had significant daily variations in symptom-aggravation-period, the peak period was at Xu (31 cases, or 17.2%), the minimum period of symptom intensification being at Chou (6 cases, or 3.3%). There were 164 cases observed with marked diurnal relief, Si was the highest period (34 cases, or 20.7%) while Chou being the lowest (0).

(2) in this investigation, 2,532 death-records were reviewed. A Among these dead patients 1,986 cases had their symptoms intensified one day antemortem, most started to ascend from Yin (112 cases, or 5.64%) and reached the peak at Si (242 cases, or 12.13%). The period of least mortality was at Chou (111 cases, or 5.59%).

Most deaths occurred at Chen and You (76 cases, or 18.78%), fewer at Zi (187 cases, or 7.39%). The peak value of mortality varied also with viscera affected, for .example, deaths of heart diseases occurred more frequently at Zi, Mao, Wu and You 4 periods, while most pulmonary cases died at You most of the patients with spleen, stomach and kidney diseases died at Si, small intestinal cases at Shen, biliary cases at Wu, urinary bladder cases at Mao, brain patients at You

Even if all were patients of heart disease, the coronary ones died more often You and the pulmonary cardiac cases at Mao; liver cirrhosis mortalities often took place at Chen but more hepatic cancer patients died at Chou and Yin periods. The period of aggravation of symptoms one day before death varied from locality to locality too, such as the intensification of hepatic diseases happened more often at Chen in Xi'an but at Shen in Chengdu; cerebrovascular cases usually passed away at You in Xi'an but at Chou in Chengdu.

Remarks:

(1) ZIWULIUZHU: Selecting the acupoint based on the five Shu points of twelve meridians matching the "Tian Gan" (Heavenly Stems) and "Dizhi'' (Earthly Branches),

(2) Twelve periods (time intervals) of a day.

Zi: the 1st of the Twelve Earthly Branches (TEB), i.e., from II p.m. to 1 a.m.;

Chou: the 2nd of TEB, from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m.;

Yin: the 3rd of TEB, from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m;

Mao: the 4th of TEB, from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m;

Chen: the 5th of TEB, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m; a,in.;

Si: the 6th of TEB, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.;

Wu: the 7th of TEB, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.;

Wei: the 8the of TEB, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.;

Shen: the 9th of TEB, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.;

You: the 10th of TEB, fro m5 p.m. to 7 p.m.:

Xu: the 11th of TEB, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.:

Hai: the 12th of TEB, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

1. Hospital of Shanxi Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology, Xum;

2. Xi'an Railway Centre Hospital;

3. The Second Staffs Hospital in Eastern Suberbs of Xi'an;

4. The Second Hospital, Xi'an Medical College,

5. The First Municipal Hospital, Xi'an:

6. The Municipal Tuberculosis Hospital, Xi'an.