Abstract
Objectives: The aim of this study is to bring new light on TalYeong-SilJeong (exhaustion of Yeonggi and loss of Essence) through the verification of both the original intention of Hwangjenaegyeong and the conceptual variation afterwards. Methods: Of various East Asian medical texts, those inferring to TalYeong-SilJeong includeing Hwangjenaegyeong itself were closely examined under the aspect of its conception. Results: TalYeong-SilJeong was suggested as the first representative tool and accurate diagnostic method of questioning in order to determine the mental state of a patient. However, medical scholars have suggested different levels of meaning. Some used the term for the broad coverage of mental illnesses, understanding Hwangjenaegyeong's discrimination as symbolic gesture, while others projected an unchallenged value on it and weaved it into the concrete set of a disease. Conclusions: The treatment of TalYeong-SilJeong is suggested according to the varying viewpoints of each medical text. By understanding multiple layers of the conception beyond, a clinician is expected to gain an exuberant image of conception on the one hand and an insight for more effective treatment on the other hand.