The Concepts of Mental Illness in Traditional Medicine: With the Special Reference to Cheon-Kwang, Sasu, and Changzo-Chung

Rhi, Bou Yong

Abstract

As a supplementary research to the previous investigations in 1973 and 1991 of the mental illnes in Dong Ui Bogam, the handbook of Korean medicine from the 18th Century, the author has investigated the concepts of Cheon, Kwang, Sasu and Chang-zo-chung in more wide range of literatures including the Chinese classic of medicine, Huang Chi Nai Ching and other Korean and Japanese literatures. In spite of the difficulties of the comparisons between the diagnostic categories of the eastern and the western medicine, some common observations on the clinical features of the mental disorders are confirmed. In Huang Chi Nai Ching, Cheon indicates both epilepsy and abnormal mental states characterized by the withdrawal and the suppressed state of conciousness. Kwang indicates wildness. Some descriptions of Kwang are apparently identical with the catatonic excitement of schizophrenia whereas some other description indicates manic state suggesting no distinction was made between the schizophrenic and the manic states. The term Kwang also has been used to any organic delirious states. Dong Ui Bogam has dealt with the state of Cheon as epilepsy in more detail separately from the section of Cheon Kwang. The book has maintained the concept of Cheon of Huang Chi Nai Ching as the state of mental depression in contrast to Kwang, the wild excitation. The book also has supported the possibility of comorbidity of Cheon and Kwang. Dong Ui Bogam particularly has dealt with the state of Sasu which can be identified with schizophrenic symptoms of disorganized type. However, in some description it was difficult to differentiate from the dissociate disorder with temporary hallucination. The descriptions of Chang-zo-chumg in Dong Ui Bogam was very sparce. However, together with the descriptions of Bun Don Byung in the Chinese medical references, Chang-zo-chung may indicate the classical hysterical disorder. The diagnosis of the oriental medicine aims at the comprehensive description of the state of man in his or her sufferings including the psychic, social and genetic physiologic aspects other than the search of the unitary disease as seen in the western medicine. Very meticulous categorizations of mental states in relation to physiological aspects for each different prescriptions are noteworthy. The concerns of the oriental medicine with the abortive symptoms and latent potentiality of pathological development are also worthy to note.