Holistic concepts of health and disease

CHINESE CONCEPTS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE

The Chinese concept of Qi represents the vital life force. All living things contain Qi. Balance of Qi in the body maintains health. Imbalance of Qi (excess Yin or excess Yang, deficient Yin or deficient Yang) causes ill-health. Absence of Qi occurs at death. Qi is obtained from the lungs (oxygen, air) and the food (nutrients). It circulates to every cell in the body, via the Channel-Organ System (COS) and blood stream.

Qi interacts with genetic influences, immunity to infections and non- specific resistance to trauma, poisons and dis-ease, autonomic balance and hormone balance. If the degree of insult disturbs the balance of Qi, dis-ease results. See diagram:

External insults: Trauma, dietary imbalance, allergies, infection, parasitism, poisons, pollution, stresses, cosmic, solar, lunar, EMF, geophysical- forces, climatic changes.

Internal insults: Genetic susceptibility, uncontrolled emotions; auto-immune diseases, autonomic and hormonal disturbance, reflex effects of injury.

The life energy (Qi) has its Yin and Yang aspects, seen as the typical energy in the Yin and Yang Channels.

Dis-ease arises when the Qi is disturbed by any deficiency, excess or blockage of Yin or Yang energy in the Channel-Organ System (COS). Abnormality is a relative state caused by a poor adaptation to internal or external changes, associated with an abnormal excess or deficiency of energy in one or more Channels.

• a.Excess Yin will consume (weaken) Yang. Deficient Yang will allow a relative excess of Yin. In both cases, there is a relative net excess of Yin. This causes Yin (Cold) Syndromes.
• b. Excess Yang will consume (weaken) Yin. Deficient Yin will allow a relative excess of Yang. In both cases there is a relative net excess of Yang. This causes Yang (Hot) Syndromes.
• c. Excess of Yin or excess of Yang causes conditions known as Shi (excess) Syndromes.
• d. Deficiency of Yin or deficiency of Yang causes conditions known as Xu (deficiency) Syndromes.

Chinese combinations allow 4 main Syndromes Cold Shi, Cold Xu, Hot Shi and Hot Xu Syndromes. In Shi (excess) Syndromes, the body resistance (anti-pathogenic defence systems) are relatively normal and the cause of dis-ease is usually external.

In Xu (deficiency) Syndromes, body resistance is relatively weak, and the dis-ease has usually gained the interior and is more serious. 

AP therapy is different for Shi and Xu Syndromes. In the Shi (excess) Syndromes, a sedation technique (Xie) is used (In Shi, use Xie). In the Xu (deficiency) Syndromes, a tonification technique (Bu) is used (In Xu, use Bu). These are discussed in other papers (Five Phase Theory and its Use in Medicine and Techniques of Stimulation of the AP Points) to which the reader is referred. 

WESTERN CONCEPTS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE

In a given case, the cause of dis-ease (the insult) may appear to be simple. For instance, a herd of cattle may show depigmentation of the coat, enteritis, abortion/stillbirth /neonatal deaths and infertility. Blood tests may show severe copper deficiency. One may be tempted to assume that copper deficiency is the main cause, or the only cause. However, further examination may show that infection and parasitism are involved also and the role of these may not be appreciated fully. If very detailed investigation were done, other factors (for instance excess of iron, molybdenum, lead or zinc and stress factors) may also be present. In practice, herd supplementation with copper salts could restore health and fertility. If, however, the other factors were corrected singly or together, the same good result could be obtained even without copper supplementation.

Similarly, outbreaks of infectious dis-ease in young calves (enteritis, pneumonia, septicaemia, oomphalitis, etc) may suggest very heavy bacterial challenge as the main cause. On further examination, however, it may be found that the herd is deficient in trace-minerals (Cu, Co, Se, Zn) which are essential to herd immunity. Control of the "infectious disease" in these cases may be achieved by adequate supplementation of the calves with the correct trace-elements. Prevention, in subsequent years, is based on supplementation of the pregnant cows, so that the calves are born with adequate trace-mineral status and the dams' colostrum is adequate in antibody. Of course, improvement in the housing and hygiene on the farm will also help.

CONCLUSION

The best chance for healing or cure depends on:

a. recognition that the organism is influenced by many more forces than orthodox concepts consider;
b. removing or alleviating as many causal factors as possible and/or
c. stimulating the defence systems or homeostatic- adaptive systems of the body.

It follows that many conditions respond to a wide variety of treatments, singly or in combination. These treatments include orthodox medical or surgical methods, physiotherapy, desensitisation to allergens, alteration of diet or lifestyle, relaxation therapy, hypnosis, psychiatric care etc. AP is extremely valuable in stimulating the adaptive mechanisms. This will be discussed in another paper (AP for immunomediated disorders).

Unorthodox therapies, such as homeopathy, cytotherapy, chiropractic, osteopathy, "neutralising" geophysical forces, radiaesthesia, laying on of hands etc may also be effective in man and animals but the absence of controlled studies has limited their acceptance and their use.

FURTHER READING MATERIAL

1. Becker, R.O. (Veteran's Administration Hospital, Upstate Medical Centre, Syracuse, New York 13210, USA). Over 100 scientific publications on tissue regeneration, electrical potentials, the primitive nervous system, AP and geo- physical effects on health.
2. Breneman, J.C. (1978) The basics of food allergy. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois.
3. Burr, H.S. (1972) Blueprint for immortality: the electric patterns of life. Neville Spearman Ltd., London. (or) Burr, H.S. (1973). The Fields of Life: our links with the universe. Ballantyne Books Inc., New York.
4. Buxton-Hopkin, D.S, (1976) James Reilly and the autonomic nervous system: a prophet unheeded: Annals of Royal College of Surgeons of England, 60, 108-116.
5. Coca,A.F. (1978). The pulse test: easy allergen detection. Arco Books, c/o Thorson's Books, Wellingborough, Northants, England.
6. Graves,T. (1977)Dowsing techniques and applications. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, UK.
7. Journal of the British Society of Dowsers. Quarterly journal from: The Secretary B.S.D., Sycamore Cottage, Hastingleigh, Ashford, Kent, UK.
8. Mackarness,R. (1976) Not all in the mind. Pan Books, London.
9. Ostrander,S. and Schroeder,L. (1977) Psychic discoveries behind the iron curtain. Abacus Books (Sphere Books), London.
10. Randolph,T.G. (1951) Food allergy. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois, U.S.A.
11. Randolph,T.G. (1965) Ecologic orientation in medicine: comprehensive environmental control in diagnosis and therapy. Annals of Allergy, 23, 7-22.
12. Russell,E.W. (1971) Design for destiny. Neville Spearman Ltd., London.
13. Russell, Edward W. (1973) Report on radionics: science of the future. Neville Spearman Ltd., London.
14. Selye,H. (1976) Stress in health and disease. Butterworths, London.
15. Watson,L. (1973) Supernature. Hodder and Stoughton, London.
16. Watson,L. (1979) Lifetide. Hodder and Stoughton, London.
17. Mann,F. (1973) AP Cure of many Diseases. Heinemann Medical Books, London.
18. Austin,M. (1974) AP Therapy. Turnstone Books, London.
19. Connolly,D. (1979) The Law of the Five Elements. Centre for Traditional AP, American City Building, Columbia, Maryland 21044, USA.