• 대한한의학회지
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.5-14
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• 1997

This paper documents a study of the physiology of the lung. The aim of this paper is to better comprehend the physiological function of lung. To this end, the relationship between the physiological function of the lung and the characteristics of the 'Keum Un Qi Hua'(金運氣化), and the functional changes of the lung and its surrounding physiological systems have been studied in their relationship to the concept of the organism as a whole. The results of this study are as follows; The function of the lung is comprehended as corresponding to the 'Keum Un Qi Hua'. In visceral phenomenon, the lung has specific relations with the large intestine(大腸), nase(鼻), skin and hair(皮毛), sweat gland(汗孔), nasal mucus(涕), spirit(氣魄), grief and melancholy(憂 悲), the lung channel of hand-taiyin(手太陰肺經), the large intestine channel of hand-yangming(手陽明大腸經). This is called ‘the physiological systems of the lung’, and because these mutual relations reflect the functional changes of the lung, it is applied as the elementary knowledge to diagnose and treat the lung. For instance, a deficiency of the 'Qi‘ of the lung brings on an unconsolidated defending energy whose manifestations are sweating spontaneously as well as being susceptible to the common cold due to a diability in fighting against external pathogenic factors. Invasion of the lung by external pathogenic factors blocks the movement of the 'Qi' of the lung, which results in nasal obstraction. watery nasal discharge and a hyposmia. So the physiological functions and pathological changes of the lung can be determined by observing ’the physiological systems of the lung‘ based on the precepts of oriental medicine. As a result, the function of the lung is to be understood based on the characteristics of the 'Keum Un Qi Hua'. Furthermore we can know that the physiological systems of the lung mirrors the functional changes of the lung.