• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1110-1116
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• 2002

The skin(皮膚) separates epidermis(皮) and dermis(膚) in Oriental medicine. epidermis and hair come from ectoderm as dermis comes from mesoderm in embryology. Epidermis and hair belong to the Metal(金) and dermis belongs to the Earth(土) in Oriental medicine. The lung is related to the skin and hair. The skin surface is nourished by the essence from the lung, and the. lung has the function of sending wei-qi(衛氣.: defensive Energy) to the skin surface to guarantee body resistance. The skin takes nourishment from blood(血) and express by qi(氣). The supply of nutrients to the lung and skin relies on the function of the spleen, pancreas and subcutis. Flaming of the heart fire may scorch the essence of the lung-metal, inducing dermatosis.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2013

After studying the cause and mechanism of the itching with the perspective of chronic medical books including Neijing, and the annotators, the conclusions are as follows. 1. The itching, which has correlation with the heart, is the deficiency symptom(虛症). It is generated when the lung-metal(肺金) is infected by the fire pathogen(火邪) and developed to depression(鬱), because of the heart fire flaming upward of circuit year(歲火太過). The treatment is to make metal depression scatter(金鬱泄之). 2. The itching occurs between the dermis(膚) and the epidermis(皮). 3. The itching generates when the excess of yang exuberance(熱盛極) precede the transmission of the wind-heats(風熱), the wind-cold(風寒), and the wind-dampness(風濕). It causes the blood deficiency(血虛) and the blood stasis(血瘀) because of the skin dryness. 4. The itching usually generates during summer, causes the body fever(身熱) and the dermis pain(膚痛). When it becomes worse, it causes generalized itching and vesicles at the whole body(浸淫). 5. The itching is related to the spirit(魄), which works in unconsciousness and the movement of defense qi(衛氣) in night.