The Concept of the Centre in Chinese Medicine: Theoretical and Practical Considerations

It is an essential aspect of Chinese medicine that every one of its technical terms is imbued with multiple layers of meaning. Every acupuncture point name, for instance, represents a mnemonic bridge to the anatomical location of the point in space as well as its action in time. The same applies to the designation of the organ networks, the substances of the materia medica and other aspects of Chinese medicine nomenclature. The following is a multidimensional analysis of the term zhong 中 (centre), proffering the thesis that all aspects of traditional Chinese culture, especially the domain of Chinese medicine, revolve around the essential concept of a central unifying force.