Liver and gall bladder channel parallels in the Hippocratic Corpus and Huang Di Nei Jing with theoretical considerations

J Tradit Complement Med. 2021 Dec 22;12(4):384-390. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2021.11.005. eCollection 2022 Jul.

Abstract

Chinese history contains an abundance of records discussing contact with the outside world. In the ever elusive search for the origin of the meridian theory, an extended investigation into the Hippocratic Corpus reveals parallels with the Huáng Dì Nèi Jīng () medical text of the Chinese tradition that provide an alternative perspective into the origins of meridian channels theory. Though this topic has been discussed in the past, this paper provides new and developed insight into theories associated with the liver and gallbladder channel systems of each tradition. Condensing the scope of the analysis between the Huáng Dì Nèi Jīng and Hippocratic text traditions and focusing on the liver and gall bladder channels aids to expound on the theoretical background required to advance the comprehension and understanding regarding the origins of each tradition. This paper reveals content that further the relationship between the two traditions, including demonstrating the existence of theoretical parallels existing between the liver and gall bladder channels of these two texts.

Keywords: Channels; Hippocrates; Meridians; Philosophy; Traditional Chinese medicine.

Publication types

  • Review