胃气理论探析及其在临床中的应用原则

Investigation into Stomach-qi Theory and its Application Principle in Clinical Practices

胃气有广义和狭义之分, 广义的胃气是指人之正气, 亦即后天元气, 狭义的胃气是指脾胃的生理功能。脾胃的消化功能和饮食营养, 对人体生命和健康至关重要, 人受水谷之气以生, 脾胃之气运化水谷, 故言“人以胃气为本”。在病理上, 胃气的盛衰又是导致疾病发生与否的重要因素之一。胃气不伤, 人体就健康, 或少生病或不生病, 即使生病, 如果胃气不伤, 食欲不损, 病情虽重, 亦有转机; 若胃气一伤, 则容易生病或使病情加重。因此“凡欲察病者, 必须先察胃气; 凡治病者, 必须常顾胃气。胃气无损, 诸可无虑”。保胃气的原则是脾胃本脏有疾时当及时调理治疗; 治疗它脏之疾时亦需时时顾护脾胃。

Stomach-qi refers to, in a broad sense, the vital qi of human body, i.e. postnatal vigorous qi and, in a narrow sense, the physiological function of spleen and stomach. Digestive function of spleen and stomach and nutrition get from diet play a key role in keeping and maintaining life and health. Human rely on the qi of food and water they take in, and qi of spleen and stomach transports and transforms the food and water, so we say, “Stomach-qi is the root of human body”. Pathologically, the stomach qi strong or declin is one of the key factors results in diseases. One will be healthy or seldom affected by disease if his or her stomach qi is not damaged; even affected by severe disease, with undamaged stomach-qi and good appetite, one will have a favorable turn. On the contrary, once the stomach-qi is hurt, one will be easily affected by evils or state of the illness will aggravate. So, “If one wants to observe the state of an illness, he or she must observe stomach-qi first; if one wants to treat a patient, he or she must consider the stomach-qi. There would be no worries, if stomach-qi is fine.” Principles for protecting stomach-qi is to treat and regulate the diseases of spleen and stomach in time and to take care of spleen and stomach when one is treating disease of other viscera.