“痰生百病”的隐喻分析

Metaphorical Analysis of “Phlegm Producing All Diseases”

中医理论中的“痰”是拥有双重身份的隐喻概念,古代医家通过病理产物痰液构建出致病因素痰邪,又以痰邪为源域认识多种疾病的病因,形成了“百病多由痰作祟”和“痰生百病”等观念。在梳理痰邪的产生与演化的基础上,分别从痰邪常见易生、“痰家族”的形成、由有形到无形三个方面,对上述认知过程进行隐喻分析。结果发现,痰邪源自水与津液;痰邪流动性强成为常见的致病因素;痰邪与其他病邪的融合形成了痰病复杂多样的临床表现;无形之痰的出现最终使得痰邪可致“百病”。

“Phlegm” is a metaphorical concept with a “dual identity" in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Ancient physicians constructed the concept of phlegm pathogen based on the pathological product phlegm(i. e. sputum), and then used it as the source domain to understand the causes of various diseases, thereby formulating the concepts such as “all diseases result from phlegm” and “phlegm produces all diseases”. This article sorted out the generation and evolution of phlegm pathogen and conducted metaphorical analysis on the cognitive process of phlegm pathogen from the following three aspects: phlegm pathogen is common and easily to be generated;the formation of “phlegm family”;progression from tangible to intangible phlegm. The results found that phlegm pathogen originates from water and body fluids, and the strong fluidity makes it a common pathogenic factor. Phlegm pathogen and other pathogenic factors may lead the phlegm diseases to be complex and diverse. The formulation of invisible phlegm ultimately cause “all diseases”.