Disease--The Result of the "Struggle Between the Genuine-Qi and the Evil-Qi"
TCM holds that for the occurrence of all diseases, there must be certain causes which are nothing more than the body's weak functional state, the low intensity of its resistance against disease, and attacks of various evils. Chapter 44 in Spirit Pivot says: "The occurrence of all diseases must be related with dryness, dampness, cold, heat, wind, rain, sexual intercourse, joy, anger, diet, and living place; and when the evil-qi meets with the genuine-qi, diseases will arise. The diseases are then given names according to the viscera involved." Chapter 46 also says: "The reason why people frequently suffer from diseases is the looseness of their joints, skin, and muscular texture, which leads to attacks of the evils." "When the evil-qi meets the genuine-qi, diseases will arise," refers to the fact that there will be a fighting when the two kinds of factors meet, leading to the occurrence of disease.
The occurrence of disease is related to two aspects, namely the body's genuine-qi and evil-qi. The genuine-qi refers to the functional activities of the body and its ability to prevent disease, struggle against disease, and repair injured tissues. The so-called evil-qi refers to various harmful factors that lead to diseases, such as the six climatic evils, seven emotions, pestilential evils, phlegm, fluid retention, stagnant blood, and retention of the food and drink taken into the body. So, TCM pathogenesis holds that the occurrence of any kind of diseases is nothing more than the actual reflection of the struggle between the genuine-qi and the evil-qi, the failure of the genuine-qi against the evil-qi, and of other contradictory struggles in the body.
Therefore, the occurrence of disease can be considered as a process in which the body's abilities of resisting diseases and repairing tissues struggle against the evil-qi this process, the internal unity of the body and the unity of the body and the external environment change continuously; but only when the body's genuine-qi becomes too weak to resist the evil-qi, or the intensity of the evil-qi attacking the body surpasses that of the genuine-qi defending the body, can diseases appear. This leads to the incoordination of zang-viscera and fu-viscera, yin and yang, and the qi and blood.
It also results in disturbed physiological functions of the viscera and meridians and collaterals, together with lower adaptability to the external environment, thus leading to a decrease or loss of ability to live or work. The entire process of a disease, therefore, is the process of the struggle between the genuine-qi and the evil-qi; and the inter-changes of the intensity of the genuine-qi and the evil-qi in this process are the basic factors directly affecting the develop ment and prognosis of diseases.
