Connotation of channel and its relation with nerve

Abstract

Originated for the recognition on the anatomy and physiology of "vessel", the theory of channel treats the running pathway of the vessel as jing mai (channel vessel), with its transverse branches as mai (vessel), thus the idea of jing luo and jing mai was gradually formed and the connotation of "channel (jing luo)" is with the etymological connotation of function of the nerve. The challenge to channel theory comes from the introduction of western medicine, or in other words, people interpret the communication among the body surface and the upper and lower parts of the surface, the special connection between the body surface and the internal organs, the adjusting and reaction function. During the introduction of western anatomy-physiology in the late Ming dynasty or the eastward introduction of western medical science at the late Qing dynasty, the terms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) connected with channel functions, including "minute tendon (xi jin)", "connection (xi)" had been rendered as the Chinese translation of "nerve". Thus, the language transforming basis between channel and nerve function was laid down at the first stage of confluence between TCM and western medicine.