Meraque or Triple Energizer (San Jiao): Actual or Virtual Organ in Traditional Medicine - A Hypothetical Viewpoint

Abstract

Background/Objective: In traditional medicine, there are a number of terms and organs that have not yet been reported in Western medicine. For example, ‘Meraque' in Iranian traditional medicine and ‘Triple Energizer' or ‘San Jiao' in traditional Chinese medicine (as one of the Fu organs) are examples of such terms. The organs they refer to can explain many of the clinical signs and symptoms which have been noted as psychosomatic disorders in Western medicine. One hypothesis is that this organ might be a real space. From the viewpoint of embryology and anatomy, this report will try to create a new perception in the reader's mind of the Meraque/Triple Energizer/San Jiao of the human body. Methods: We searched through the major databases for the key words ‘traditional medicine', ‘Meraque', ‘meridians', ‘acupuncture points', ‘San Jiao' and ‘Triple Energizer'. Results: There were no reports on the relevant concepts of San Jiao/Triple Energizer and Meraque. Discussion: During embryonic development and after gastrulation, three layers called the ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm are formed. The mesoderm is the source of most of the internal organs, dividing into two layers, the somatic and the visceral, with an invisible space in between that is called the coelom. This space could possibly be the same as the Meraque/Triple Energizer/San Jiao (as a hollow organ) and, furthermore, the same as a cavitary tissue forming a pathway to connect the internal organs of the body with the surface of the body. In this case, many of the mechanisms of traditional medicine and acupuncture can be explained. In other words, for the first time the coelom is proposed as the Meraque and the Triple Energizer/San Jiao in Iranian and Chinese traditional medicine, respectively.