Thai Traditional Medicine: A clinical aspect

TTM Practitioners must… 1. know the causes of illness 2. know the name of the illness 3. know the treatment 4. know the name of herbal formulas

Causes of the illness 1. The four elements 2. The seasons 3. The ages 4. The times (of the days) 5. The habitat

Causes of the illness 1. The four elements  Earth  Water  Fire  Wind

Causes of the illness 1.1 The earth element  The solid organs in the body or solid and hard compositions of solid and hard compositions of the body the body  20 organs/compositions

Causes of the illness 1.1 The earth element (20) hair (head and body), nails, teeth, skin, muscle, tendon, bone, bone marrow, spleen, heart, liver, lung, brain, ligament, kidney, large intestine, small intestine, new food, and old food

Causes of the illness 1.2 The water element  The liquid compositions/ secretion of the body secretion of the body  12 compositions/secretion

Causes of the illness 1.2 The water element (12) bile, sputum, pus, blood, sweat, solid fat, liquid fat, tear, synovial fluid, nasal secretion, saliva, urine

Causes of the illness 1.3 The wind element  The wind or energy circulated in the body in the body  6 circulatory wind/energy

Causes of the illness 1.3 The wind element (6) wind from toe to head and from stomach to throat, wind from head to toe and from small intestine to anus, wind in the abdomen (outside intestine)

Causes of the illness 1.3 The wind element (6) wind in the stomach and intestine, wind in the body (circulate with blood), and breath (inhale and exhale)

Causes of the illness 1.4 The fire element  The heat or energy circulated in the body in the body  4 circulatory heat/energy

Causes of the illness 1.4 The heat element (4) heat that warm up the body, external heat, external heat, digestive energy (heat), and heat that cause aging

Causes of the illness 1. The four elements 2. The seasons 3. The ages 4. The times (of the days) 5. The habitat

Causes of the illness 1. The four elements 2. The seasons 3. The ages 4. The times (of the days) 5. The habitat

Causes of the illness 2. The seasons  Rainy season  Winter  Summer

Causes of the illness 2.1 Summer  heat exposure can cause illness  start from the 1 st day after the full moon of the 4 th month to the full moon of the 4 th month to the full moon of the 8 th month moon of the 8 th month  illness caused by the fire element

Causes of the illness 2.2 Rainy Season  rain exposure can cause illness  start from the 1 st day after the full moon of the 8 th month to the full moon of the 8 th month to the full moon of the 12 th month moon of the 12 th month  illness caused by the wind element

Causes of the illness 2.3 Winter  cold exposure can cause illness  start from the 1 st day after the full moon of the 12 th month to the full moon of the 12 th month to the full moon of the 4 th month moon of the 4 th month  illness caused by the water element

Causes of the illness 1. The four elements 2. The seasons 3. The ages 4. The times (of the days) 5. The habitat

Causes of the illness 3. The ages  Middle age  Old age  Young age

Causes of the illness 3.1 young age  from born to 16 years old  illness caused by the water element element

Causes of the illness 3.2 middle age  From 16 to 32 years old  illness caused by the fire element element

Causes of the illness 3.3 old age  from 32 to 64 years old  illness caused by the wind element element

Causes of the illness 1. The four elements 2. The seasons 3. The ages 4. The times (of the days) 5. The habitat

Causes of the illness 4. The time (of the day)  Yam 1  Yam 2  Yam 4  Yam 3

Causes of the illness 4.1 Yam 1  6-9 am and 6-9 pm  illness caused by the water element (sputum) element (sputum)

Causes of the illness 4.2 Yam 2  9 am to noon and 9 pm to midnight midnight  illness caused by the water element (blood) element (blood)

Causes of the illness 4.3 Yam 3  noon to 3 pm and midnight to 3 am 3 am  illness caused by the water element (bile) element (bile)

Causes of the illness 4.4 Yam 4  3-6 pm and 3-6 am  illness caused by the wind element element

Causes of the illness 1. The four elements 2. The seasons 3. The ages 4. The times (of the days) 5. The habitat

Causes of the illness 5. The habitat  Hot habitat  Wet habitat  Cold habitat  Warm habitat

Causes of the illness 5.1 Hot habitat  ones who live in high altitude or mountainous areas mountainous areas  illness caused by the fire element element

Causes of the illness 5.2 Wet habitat  ones who live in the low land with fresh water reserves with fresh water reserves  illness caused by the wind element element

Causes of the illness 5.3 Warm habitat  ones who live near the water with sand and rock sand and rock  illness caused by the water element (bile and blood) element (bile and blood)

Causes of the illness 5.4 Cold habitat  ones who live in wet and salty area area  illness caused by the earth element element

The 5-causes of the illness 1. The four elements 2. The seasons 3. The ages 4. The times (of the days) 5. The habitat

Assignment: 1. What are the “elements” described in other traditional medical system: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Ayurvedic Medicine (AM), and Unani Medicine (UM) ? Explain with details. 2. Why most of these oriental medical systems based their philosophy on the “elements” concept relating to human health and the cause of diseases ? Express your opinion.