? The Concept of "Spleen" in Ancient China (Traditional Chinese Medicine)

Unlike the spleen in Western medicine, the "spleen" in traditional Chinese medicine is positioned as a central organ responsible for functions such as digestion, absorption, production of qi and blood, blood circulation, and clearing.
Main functions (from the theory of Tibetan elephants)
　? 　Transport and chemical role: Extracting nutrients (grain essence) from food, qi, blood, and body fluids
Convert to
　? 　Hematogenic effect: Involved in the production of blood (in Western medicine, bone marrow is responsible)
　? 　Blood unification effect: Keeping blood in blood vessels and preventing it from leaking out
　? 　Clarification effect: Lifts nutrients to the heart, lungs, and head
　? 　Belongs to the thought: Excessive thoughtfulness is said to damage the spleen

The "spleen" in traditional Chinese medicine is said to have a function similar to that of the "pancreas" and "digestive system" of Western medicine.

? Sugita Genpaku and the redefinition of "spleen"

Sugita Genpaku (1733?1817was an orchid doctor in the Edo period and a pioneer in introducing Western anatomy to Japan.
His translation of "The New Book of Dismantling" was based on the Dutch "Tahel Anatomia", and was a groundbreaking book that revealed the actual structure of the human body against the abstract concept of organs such as the five organs and six organs.
The shock and challenge of Genpaku Sugita

　? In traditional Chinese medicine, the "spleen" was considered the center of digestion and absorption.
　　The actual spleen is involved in immunity and blood filtrationIt turns out to be a small organ
　? Sugita witnessed the "division of the organs (dissection)" and became the abstraction of the internal organs
Question
　? As a resultThe transition from empirical medicine to empirical medicine began, and it became an opportunity for the spread of orchid medicine

? Summary: "Spleen" as an intersection of ideas

In ancient China, the spleen was regarded as a central functional organ for life activities, rooted in the idea of emphasizing harmony between the body and nature.
On the other hand, Sugita Genpaku is a person who saw the actual human body and built a bridge from an abstract view of organs to a scientific understanding of its structure.
This difference in "spleen" is not just a difference in medical terminology,It is the very difference in ideas about how to look at the body and how to heal it.