A Review of the 8 Principal Pattern in Diagnosis

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The 8 Prinicpal Pattern is the most basic of diagnosis in Chinese medicine. Case

studies are analyzed according to Hot and Cold, Exterior and Interior, Excess

and Deficiency, and Yang and Yin. Thus a person may suffer from Interior Cold

Deficiency (Yang Deficiency) or Exterior Excess Heat (heat exhaustion).

 

The terms Exterior and Interior refer to how deeply the Evil has penetrated. In

general, the term Exterior refers to the surface of the body, the meridians, the

muscles, and the head and limbs. Interior refers to the organs. Exterior

conditions can be characterized by headaches and pain in the limbs, muscle

aches, stuffy nose and sinuses, etc. Interior problems are characterized by

pain in the trunk, changes in bowel movements, changes in behavior, etc.

 

Very often (though not always) a person with an Exterior condition will have a

floating pulse. A floating pulse is one that can be felt most strongly at the

surface with a little bit of pressure. Increase finger pressure on the wrist,

and you no longer can feel the pulse as well.

 

A sinking pulse is one that can be felt most strongly when you apply the most

pressure to the wrist. A sinking pulse indicates an Interior Condition.

 

Beginning students usually are taught first to analyze cases according to the 8

Principal Patterns. The next step might be to learn to analyze according to the

Fundamental Processes - Qi, Qi Stagnation, Blood, Blood Stasis, Fluids, Shen

(Mind/Spirit - Shen disharmonies often are the more severe mental illnesses),

and Jing (hereditary illnesses, though the term Jing means a lot more than

this).

 

The next step may be learning to diagnose by Pernicious Evils - Heat, Fire,

Cold, Wind, Dampness, and Dryness. A person may suffer from Exterior Dampness

or Internal Wind or Interior Cold.

 

Then you start to apply everything you've learned so far to the organs. You

narrow the diagnosis. You realize that the Blood Deficiency you diagnosed back

when you were learning the Fundamental Processes specifically is attacking the

Liver (Liver Blood Deficiency). You learn that the Interior Cold Deficiency

(Yang Deficiency) that you learned to diagnose when you learned the 8 Principal

Patterns specifically is attacking the Kidneys (Kidney Yang Deficiency).

 

Victoria

 

 

 

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