Comparison between the Diagnosis and Treatment Model in Differentiating Combined with Treating Diseases and Syndrome and the Theoretical System of Treatment According to Syndrome Differentiation

The classical diagnosis and treatment model, which was established by the Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases, is a combination of differentiating and treating diseases and syndrome. Considering the essence of a disease is its etiology and pathogenesis, disease differentiation and treatment is the legislative prescription of medication treatment around the etiology of the disease. The syndrome, as the clinical manifestation of a disease, can appear singly or in diverse combination. Therefore, the differentiation and treatment of syndrome is the direct way targeted one or more syndromes with the application of formulas and medicines, while the differentiation combined with treatment of diseases and syndrome emphasizes the simultaneous treatment according to both syndrome differentiating and the disease differentiating. The theoretical system of treatment according to syndrome differentiation established by the modern Chinese medical community is essentially the treatment according to differentiating the etiology and pathogenesis. In the process of development of Chinese medicine, some problems have been gradually revealed. In view of this phenomenon, it is proposed that the development of Chinese medicine should return to the classics and inherit the essence by restoring the original meaning of syndrome, as well as advocating the spirit of differentiating combined with treating diseases and syndrome.