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Electronic Letters to:

Reviews:
Bhushan Patwardhan, Dnyaneshwar Warude, P. Pushpangadan, and Narendra Bhatt
Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Comparative Overview
eCAM 2005; 2: 465-473 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]
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[Read eLetter] Error in Figure 1- Basic Principles of TCM
Chad Sheehy, Kun Cao   (14 December 2005)

Error in Figure 1- Basic Principles of TCM 14 December 2005
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Chad Sheehy,
Scientific Evaluator
Marketed Health Products Directorate, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0K9,
Kun Cao

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Re: Error in Figure 1- Basic Principles of TCM

Professor Edwin L. Cooper Founding Editor in Chief eCAM- Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/

Dear Professor Edwin L. Cooper,

We have read Patwardhan et al’s article “Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Comprehensive Overview” with great interest. However, we also wish to point out some errors in Figure 1- Basic principles of TCM. This figure is meant to illustrate the generation, regulation, and flow of energy between the five elements in TCM. However, the figure, as printed, does not reflect this cycle.

First, the dotted arrow between Metal and Earth, should in fact be a solid arrow from Earth to Metal. Earth compresses and creates, or nourishes, Metal. Metal does not restrain Earth as the published figure indicates. (1)

Second, in order to complete the mutual restraint/controlling cycle, a dotted line is required from Water to Fire as water puts out, or restrains, Fire. (2)

Additionally, the solid arrows between the particular elements and their associated yin/yang (Zang/Fu) organs may be misleading to readers. These 5 elements are said to be the correspondences of the respective Zang/Fu organs in humans, rather than nourishing them, as the authors indicated in the figure.(1) Therefore, Figure 1, as published, does not accurately reflect this aspect of the TCM 5 element theory.

Sincerely,

Chad Sheehy ND, BSc & Kun Cao MD, PhD - Scientific Evaluators, Marketed Natural Health Products Division, Marketed Health Products Directorate, Health Canada; Chad_Sheehy@hc-sc.gc.ca, Kun_Cao@hc-sc.gc.ca

1. Matsumoto K, Birch S. Five Elements and Ten Stems- Nan Ching Theory, Diagnostics and Practice. Brookline, MA: Paradigm Publications; 1983: 40-41.

2. Ni M. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine- A New Translation of the Neijing Suwen with commentary. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, Inc.; 1995: 13-16.

Conflict of Interest:

None declared