On the Similarities and Differences Between Men and Women

On the Similarities and Differences Between Men and Women

It is commonly believed that men are primarily governed by Qi, while women are primarily governed by blood, hence the notion that men's blood is precious and women's blood is cheap. It is also said that men's blood differs from women's, but in fact, they are essentially the same. The only difference lies in the fact that women have menstruation, whereas men do not; this is the sole distinction. However, since both are blood, why does women have menstruation while men do not? The reason is that women are primarily governed by blood, which is yin and flows downward; its movement is driven by Qi. In other words, women rely on Qi to circulate their blood. Qi itself is transformed from water, as previously discussed in detail. The place where Qi and blood converge is within the lower abdomen, in the womb chamber—men call it the dantian, while women call it the "blood chamber" (1). This area is under the jurisdiction of the liver and kidneys, serving as the main hub for Qi and blood. Qi originates from water and is transformed into water; since men are primarily governed by Qi, when blood enters the dantian, it too is transformed into water, because inside the dantian, blood is transformed into water, making it not clear water but extremely concentrated and thick, which is referred to as kidney essence (2). Women's Qi can also be transformed back into water, but since women are primarily governed by blood, their Qi within the blood chamber is entirely transformed into blood, resulting in menstruation. Nevertheless, there is still some water generated by Qi within the blood, so menstruation is also called "menstrual water," and there is always a light-colored fluid before and after menstruation. This shows that women's blood always relies on the water component of Qi to stimulate and facilitate its flow. Understanding this, we realize that men's essence belongs to Qi and water, yet it never lacks blood or fire; similarly, women's menstruation belongs to blood and fire, but it never lacks Qi or water. Therefore, if a man's essence is thin, it indicates blood deficiency; if a woman's menstruation is abnormal, it indicates Qi stagnation. Question: Since men are primarily governed by Qi and women by blood, and the changes indeed follow what has been described here (3), why must women have menstruation while men do not? Answer: Menstrual blood is simply the surplus of blood. As new things are born and old ones are eliminated, this is the natural law of heaven and earth. Thus, the moon waxes and wanes, and the tides rise and fall (4). For women, blood is constantly renewed through the process of eliminating the old and generating the new, so when it reaches fullness, it overflows, and when it is full, it inevitably diminishes. Women experience menstruation once a month precisely to discharge the excess blood. Blood is yin and flows downward, so it naturally descends and becomes menstrual blood. As for men, although they do not have menstruation to observe, they still need to discharge their surplus. Men are primarily governed by Qi, which is yang and rises upward, so the surplus of blood does not descend but rises along with the Qi, following the Chong and Ren meridians up around the lips and chin, eventually growing facial hair. The growth of facial hair is precisely the way to discharge the surplus of blood. Therefore, women have menstruation, while men do not grow facial hair, male

The method of tonifying spleen yang has been thoroughly discussed by previous scholars, but few have specifically explored the method of tonifying spleen yin in ancient times. I would like to highlight this point, so that people understand that yin and yang cannot be neglected.

Tonifying spleen yin to stimulate appetite and promote food intake is something I discovered through clinical practice, based on the three characters "preserving body fluids" in the "Shanghan Lun." Beyond that, there is no other evidence. After completing this book, I later came across five Western medical methods, one of which states that the stomach digests food through gastric juice, and that sweet pancreatic juice (7) and bitter bile juice also enter the intestines to digest food. What is referred to as "juice" is precisely what I call "body fluids." Western medicine often talks about physical substances while neglecting underlying principles (8). However, this particular point actually refers to physical substances and does not contradict the principles, thus further confirming my argument, so I am recording it here.

[Notes]

(1) Blood chamber: Usually refers to the uterus, liver, and Chong and Ren meridians; here it specifically refers to the uterus.

(2) Kidney essence: Essence is the material basis of life, generally having two meanings: ① essence derived from food and water; ② reproductive essence. Kidney essence refers to the latter, because its production, storage, and excretion are all controlled by the kidneys, hence the name "kidney essence."

(3) Indeed as stated here: Exactly as described.

(4) Tides (xī): Due to the influence of the moon and sun, seawater rises and falls twice a day. When the sea rises in the morning, it is called tide; when it rises in the evening, it is called ebb tide.

(5) Perhaps we can make the most of its wonderful effects! "Shu" means "almost," expressing hope. "Jin shen" comes from the "I Ching": "Beat the drum and dance to fully express its spirit," meaning to fully utilize its wonders. "Yu" is a modal particle.

(6) The middle burner receives qi and extracts juice, which then turns red and becomes blood: The original text of "Ling Shu·Jue Qi Pian" reads: "The middle burner receives qi and extracts juice, which then turns red and becomes blood." This indicates that blood is formed through the subtle transformation of body fluids absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract.

(7) Sweet pancreatic juice: Refers to pancreatic juice.

(8) Talking about substances while ignoring principles: Discussing only concrete things and surface phenomena, while neglecting the underlying principles and inherent laws.

[Commentary] This article takes "men are primarily governed by Qi" and "women are primarily governed by blood" as its starting point, using logical reasoning to explain the physiological similarities and differences between men and women, and refuting the feudal fallacy that "men's blood is precious" and "women's blood is cheap" with simple and straightforward arguments. The author believes that men are primarily governed by Qi, which is yang and rises upward, causing blood to rise along with it and eventually forming facial hair; women are primarily governed by blood, which is yin and flows downward, leading to menstruation. Both women's menstruation and men's facial hair are merely remnants of blood, but because men and women are governed by different elements, there are differences in their rise and fall. Below the navel, men have the dantian, while women have the blood chamber, both serving as the main hubs for Qi and blood. A woman's Qi entering the blood chamber can be transformed into blood, resulting in menstruation. A man's blood entering the dantian can be transformed into Qi, and can also be re-transformed into water, becoming kidney essence. Although women's menstruation is more associated with blood and fire, and men's kidney essence is more associated with Qi and water, women's menstruation still contains Qi and water, and men's kidney essence still contains blood and fire.

Only in this way can normal physiological functions be maintained. Both men's and women's blood must follow their natural pathways; otherwise, blood will not flow according to its regular route. In women, this can lead to uterine bleeding and infertility; in men, it can cause blood not to nourish the body and result in hematemesis and epistaxis. The author believes that menstruation is a physiological manifestation of eliminating the old and generating the new, where "old" refers to stagnant blood. If stagnant blood does not flow, new blood will have no chance to form. Therefore, in treatment, he places particular emphasis on "methods to eliminate stagnation and generate new blood." He also believes that this approach is not only applicable to regulating menstruation in gynecology, but also important for treating hematemesis, epistaxis, and pus-filled lesions in both men and women. Furthermore, he cautions against viewing "eliminating stagnation" and "generating new blood" as two isolated methods. "Eliminating stagnation" can "generate new blood," and "generating new blood" can "eliminate stagnation," as the two are mutually reinforcing and dialectically related. Based on the "Inner Canon's" statement that "the middle burner receives qi and extracts juice, which then turns red and becomes blood," the author believes that the origin of blood production lies in the spleen and stomach, and therefore the root of treating blood disorders should also be in the spleen and stomach. Consequently, he emphasizes the importance of the spleen and stomach in treating blood diseases. In terms of regulating the spleen and stomach, previous scholars mainly focused on tonifying spleen yang to strengthen the spleen, but he believes that nourishing spleen yin is equally important. He also points out that the bile and pancreatic juice mentioned by Western medicine are similar to the body fluids mentioned in traditional Chinese medicine, both containing the essence of spleen yin.