Diabetes mellitus belongs to the category of“xiaoke”(consumptive thirst ) in traditional Chinese medicine . Traditional Chinese medicine holds that the etiology and pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus are chiefly due to insufficiency of source qi and weakness of internal organs, or mental disturbance and excess of five emotions that cause “qi” stagnation transforming into fire, or improper intake of food resulting in interior dry-heat and that causes dryness to impair fluid or causes phlegm and dampness to transform into fire consuming “yin” fluid, or attack of exogenous evils, transform into heat impairing fluid, or improper exertion and rest, or sexual indulgence that damage kidney . In short, it is due to preponderant blazing of dry heat and deficiency or wasting of yin fluid . Commonly, yin deficiency is considered to be the substance while dry heat is the external phenomenon . The two often interact both as the cause and effect .The more the dry heat
rises, the more deficient will the yin fluid become, and vice versa.
The“three polys and one little”are the chief symptoms of“wasting thirst”. According to the dif ference of the patient’s clinical symptoms, the disease may also be divided into the signs of upper , middle and lower wasting thirsts . The main affected organs are the lung, stomach
and kidney . Lung is the upper source of water . When lung is damaged by dry heat, thirst and fond of drinking occur . If the lung loses its function of controlling water , the fluid will run down directly to cause frequent micturition . The stomach is, so to speak, the sea of the water
and grain . If it is damaged by dry heat, blazing of excess stomach fire will cause limosis and constipation . The kidney governs the water and is also responsible for storing essence . Dry heat damages the kidney causing abnormal qi transformation . Thus kidney cannot govern the water and the amount of urine will be increased . If kidney lose its function to consolidate and astringe, the essence flows downward causing turbid and sweet urine . If the essence flows outward, the extremities and trunk will lose their nourishment causing fatigue and emaciation . The conditions may be prominent in the three organs of lung , stomach and kidney , but the morbid changes may be mutually influenced . For instance, in the case of lung drynes s and yin deficiency , the fluid or humor cannot be distributed, thus the stomach loses moistening and nourishing, and the kidney loses source of nourishment . Excess of stomach heat will burn the fluid of the lung and consume kidney
yin . If kidney yin is insufficient, the fire of yin deficiency will blaze . It may also inflame upward the lung and stomach . Finally , lung dryness, stomach heat and kidney deficiency may exist at the same time . Polydipsia, polyphagia, polyuria, fatigue and emaciation may also be
simultaneously observed . If diabetes mellitus lingers for a long time, yin damage may involve yang , resulting in damage in both yin and qi , or deficiency in both yin and yang, even the signs of kidney yang deficiency .
In lingering diabetes, when both yin and yang are damaged, the obstruction of the meridians and collaterals by phlegm turbidity and stagnant blood can cause various pathological changes in other zangfu organs . For instance, if the heart meridian is obstructed, there will be
Bi-obturation syndrome in the chest, manifested by palpitation, fearful throbbing sensation and chest pain . In the condition of dryness and heat by yin deficiency and failure of the lung in its moistening ability, if pathogenic heat is invaded, pulmonary consumptive diseases can be
complicated . When yin fails to suppress yang, leading to hyperactivity of the liver yang, internal stirring up of the liver wind, accumulation of phlegm in the clear aperture and stagnation in the meridians and collaterals in the brain, there will be stroke, hemiplegia, vertigo and headache. In obstruction of the kidney meridian, and collaterals by deficiency in both yin and yang, there will be edema, impotence and retention of urine, etc . If the meridian and collaterals of the eyes are obstructed, and blood is unable to circulate through the meridians or essence is unable to support the eyes upward, there will be blurred vision, eyeground bleeding and even blindness . If phlegm turbidity and stagnant blood are accumulated in the meridians and collaterals of the four extremities, there will be numbnes s and pain in the limbs, and even necrosis in the tips of the limbs . In malnutrition and obstruction of the skin, if invaded by pathogenic wind, dampness and heat toxin, there will be skin pruritus, ulceration and other pathological changes . If yin fluid is extremely exhausted causing failure of yin in suppres sing
yang and floating signs of deficiency yang , there will be such symptoms as flushed cheeks, headache, fidget, nausea, vomiting, endophthalmos, dry red lips and tongue, deep and long sighing, and finally followed by critical phenomena of coma, extreme cold sensation in the limbs, fine and feeble pulse and impalpable pulse due to exhaustion of yin and depletion of yang .
Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history in treating diabetes mellitus . China has become the earliest country in the world in cognizing diabetes mellitus . Physicians in different generations or dynasties had accumulated rich experience in preventing and treating this disease . Besides the therapy of internal treatment, they had originated numerous characteristic therapeutic methods such as dietary therapy, acupuncture and moxibustion .They had made great contributions to the proliferation and prosperity of the Chinese nationality .