PRINCIPLES OF PREVENTION AND TREATMENT
防治原则
Prevention and treatment of disease are two 疾病的防和治是中医principles that must be followed in TCM work. Both 必须遵循的两个原则，都of them are important components of the 是中医理论系统的重要组theoretical system of TCM. 成部分。 I. Prevention
I.预防
By prevention is meant taking certain
measures to avoid the occurrence and progress of diseases. TCM has always attached great 预防指的是采取一定importance to prevention. As early as in Huangdi's 的措施避免疾病的发生和Classic on Medicine, the preventive thought of 发展。中医总是非常重视\treatment of diseases\was advanced. 预防。早在《黄帝内经》This theory involves two aspects: preventive 就提出了“治未病”的预treatment before the occurrence of diseases and 防思想。该理论涉及两个preventing deterioration after the occurrence of 方面：未病先防和既病防diseases. Basic Questions states:\变。《素问》指出：“是always give the preventive treatment before a 故圣人不治已病治未病，disease occurs and prevent a disturbance before 不治已乱治未乱......。it starts?. Not taking medicine until a disease 夫病已成而后药之，乱已comes on or not preventing a disturbance until it 成而后治之，譬犹渴而穿starts is no different from not digging a well 井，战而铸锥，不亦晚until one is thirsty or not making weapons until 乎？”解放后，我国政府a battle starts. Isn't that be too late?\提出了“预防第一”，是liberation, our government put forward \中国医疗卫生工作的四大prevention first\原则之一。它也是中医防policies of the medical and health work of China. 止疾病发生和发展的原And it is also a principle of preventing the 则。 occurrence and the progression of a disease in TCM.
1. Preventive Treatment of Disease
1.未病先防
It refers to taking various measures to 未病先防指的是采取prevent diseases from occurring. The occurrence 各种措施防止疾病的发of a disease is related to both pathogenic factors 生。疾病的发生和邪气及and vital qi. The former is the important 正气都相关。前者是疾病condition for the occurrence of a disease, which 发生的重要条件，后者的the deficiency of the latter is the intrinsic 亏虚则是疾病发生的必要factor for the occurrence of a disease. Therefore, 条件。因此，未病先防必preventive treatment of a disease must start with 须从加强人体的抵抗力和both strengthening the resistance inside the body 防止病邪的侵犯开始。《素and preventing pathogens from invading the human 问》指出：“正气存内，body. Basic Questions States:\The body with vital 邪不可干。”预防疾病的
qi is never attacked by pathogenic factors.\发生必须采取以下预防措prevent the disease from occurring the following 施。 preventive measures mucs be taken.
(1)Streagthening Vital Qi's Capacity to Resist
（1）扶正御邪
Pathogens
a. Regulating Mental Activities to Maintain the a.调养精神活动以保持健Health 康 b. Keeping regular hours
c. Doing regular physical exercises d. Using drug prophylaxis and providing artificial immunization
(2) Defending the body against pathogens
b.作息规律 c.适当的体育锻炼 d.药物预防和提供人工免疫
（2）抗御邪气
a. Keeping away from six exogenous pathogens and
a.远离六淫疫气
pestilence
b. Avoiding various infectious diseases and trauma
b.避免感染性疾病和外伤
c. Developing hygienic habits and preventing c.养成卫生习惯，防止环environmental pollution, as well as water and food 境污染及水源和食物污contamination 染。 2. Preventing the deterioration of disease 2.既病防变
Though prevention prior to the occurrence of a
虽然未病先防是最好
disease is the best policy, timely diagnosis and
的措施，但及时诊断和有
effective treatment to control the deterioration
效的治疗对控制疾病恶化
of disease is also important. Therefore, once a
同样重要。因此，一旦疾
disease occurs, it should be early treated so as
病发生了，就应该及早治
to cure it in its initial stage. Ye Tianshi, a
疗以争取在疾病早期治
famous practitioner of the Qing Dynasty,
愈。叶天士，清代的著名
advised:\
医家建议：“治邪之未
pathogens have not involved yet.\This is also an
至。”这也是防止疾病进
important method of preventing the disease from
一步恶化的重要方法。
further deteriorating. II. Principles of Treatment
II.治疗原则
To study TCM treatment, attention should be paid 研究中医治疗，必须to the therapeutic principles which must be 注意随疾病治疗而定的治followed in the treatment of disease. They are 疗原则。它们是在整体观formed under the guidance of holistic concept and 念和辨证论治的指导下形TDS, and they have the guiding significance for 成的，对治疗原则的确立establishment of the therapeutic principles and 和处方的确定有指导意prescriptions of a recipe. Therapeutic principles 义。治疗原则和治疗方法differ from therapeutic methods. The former refer 不同。前者指的是指导治to the general principles for guiding therapeutic 疗方法的总原则，而后者methods, while the latter are the concrete methods 是在治疗原则指导下的具
of treatment under the guide of the therapeutic 体治疗方法。中医有各种principles. There are different kinds of 不同的治疗原则。例如，therapeutic principles in TCM. For example, 治病求本，扶正驱邪，调treatment aiming at the primary cause of a 理阴阳，调理脏腑，调理disease, strengthening vital qi and eliminating 气血和三因制宜（因时，pathogenic factors, readjusting yin and yang, 因地，因人）。 regulating the zangfu's functions, regulating qi-blood and treatment in accordance with the three factors( Climate, locality and individual). 1. Treatment Aiming at the Root Cause of a Disease
1.治病求本
By treatment aiming at the root cause of a disease is meant treating a disease on the basis of its root cause. It is not until the fundamental 治病求本意味着根据cause of a disease is found out that it is possible 疾病的根源基础治疗基to get to the essence of the problem and to make 础。只有发现疾病的基本a proper treatment. Basic Questions points out, 原因，才能抓住问题的本\质和制定适当的治疗。《素disease of a disease in treatment. \问》指出：“治病必求于treatment aiming at the root cause of a disease 本。”将治病求本运用于is used clinically, routine treatment or contrary 临床时，正治或反治和治treatment and treating the primary (ben) and or 本和治标必须正确运用。 treating the secondary (biao ) must be dealt with correctly.
Routine treatment includes the following
methods: treating cold syndrome with hot natured
正治包括以下方法：
drug, treating heat syndrome with cold natured
寒者热之，热者寒之，虚
drug, treating deficiency syndrome by
者实之，实者泻之，等。
replenishment, treating excess syndrome by purgation, etc.
Contrary treatment has the following methods: treating pseudo-heat syndrome with hot-natured
反治有以下方法：热
drugs, treating pseudo-cold syndrome with
因热用，寒因寒用，塞因
cold-natured drugs, treating
塞用和通因通用。
obstruction-syndrome with tonification and treating diarrhea with purgation.
Treatment of the primary and the secondary
includes the following methods: treating the 治标和治本包括以下secondary for emergency, treating the primary for 方法：急则治标，缓则治chronic cases and treating both the primary and 本和标本兼治。 the secondary aspects.
2. Strengthening Vital Qi and Eliminating Pathogens.
2.扶正驱邪
Strengthening vital qi is to increase body
扶正可以增强人体抵抗
resistance. Since victory or failure in the
力。由于正邪之争的胜负
struggle between vital qi and pathogens
决定了疾病的加重或减
determines the aggravation or alleviation of a
轻，所以临床上一个重要
disease, one of the important principles in
的原则就是改变邪正之间
clinical treatment is to change the relative
的相对强盛，这样疾病才
strength of vital qi and pathogens. In so doing,
会好转。
the disease will take a turn for the better.
Eliminating pathogens means getting rid of
驱邪意味着驱除病邪以
pathogenic factors to facilitate and recover the
恢复正气的强盛。因此，
strength of vial qi. Therefore, eliminating
驱邪和扶正一样是临床上
pathogens, like strengthening vital qi, is also
重要的原则之一。
one of the important principles clinically.
They have the following methods: driving out pathogens first and then strengthening vital qi, 它们有以下方法：先驱strengthening vital qi first and then eliminating 邪后扶正、先扶正后驱邪pathogens and strengthening vital qi and 和扶正兼驱邪。 eliminating pathogens simultaneously.
Strengthening vital qi and eliminating pathogens
扶正与驱邪相互补充：
supplement each other: the former helps the
扶正有助于驱邪，而驱邪
elimination of pathogenic factors and the latter
有助于扶正。所以，临床
helps strengthening vital qi. So, clinically,
上必须根据疾病的不同适
they should be applied in the light of the
当选用。
variations of the cases. 3. Readjusting Yin and Yang.
3.调理阴阳
The imbalance of yin and yang is the basic pathogenesis of many a disease, therefore, 阴阳失调是许多疾病的regulating relative excess or insufficiency of 疾病病理改变，因此，调yin and yang, remedying defects to rectify abuses 整阴阳的偏盛偏虚，补虚and restoring relative balance of yin and yang are 泻实，重建阴阳的相对平one of the basic principles in clinical treatment. 衡是临床治疗疾病的原则To restore their balance yin and yang are usually 之一。重建阴阳的平衡通regulated by means of removing the relative excess 常由泻实和补虚的调理而or invigorating the relative deficiency. Since 实现。因此，阴阳变化可Yin and Yang are the changes may be summarized as 归纳为阴阳失衡。 the imbalance of yin and yang.
Besides, regulating zang-fu's functions and qi-blood relationship are also two important therapeutic principles. Space lacks for a detailed description of it.
除此之外，调理脏腑功能和气血关系也是两种重要的治疗原则。篇幅所限，恕不叙述。
4. Treatment in Accordance with Three Factors 4.三因制宜（因时，因地，(climate, locality and individual). 因人） This is the therapeutic principle that TCM
这是中医适用于治疗疾