Study on the Food Therapy for the Aged as Discussed in 『천금방』

『천금방』의 노인식이요법연구

On the basis of the widely collected fork prescriptions, long clinical practice of himself, together with integration of all the good points of earlier medical specialists, 孫思邈 wrote 『千金方』 of thirty volumes. Among them Volumes 『食治』 (Food Therapy) and 『養性』(Cultivating the Character) are especially meaningful for in gerontology. Thirty years after its completion, as a supplement, he wrote another thirty volumes of 『千金翼方』. Mr. Sun integrated his discoveries in the treatments of the aged patients, and his opinions for longevity into the Volumes 『養性』 (Cultivating the Character), 『?穀』(Fasting), 『退居』(Retirement), 『補益』(Supplementation). Thus he laid down the basic foundation for the gerontology of Chinese medicine. 『千金要方』 and 『千金翼方』 by Mr. Sun discuss mainly the prevention of illness for aged patients. As for the function of food therapy, he explains: 'Food can dispel evil elements of the body and settle down its organs. It can further bring pleasure to man's spirit and help the circulation of blood and breath.' He then propose the major method of food therapy: 'For a medical doctor, he should understand the causes of disease, then treat it with food. Only after the food treatment fails, medicine is employed.' He thinks that medicine does work in treatment, but it also creates imbalance in the body, and makes the latter vulnerable to outside harms. Therefore, a good doctor is the one who cures the disease and bring pleasure to the patient with food. He stresses that food therapy is always a priority. Mr. Sun prefers animal's organs in the food therapy for aged. For example, he uses powder of sheep's kidney to treat the lumbago. He suggests the viewpoint of 'Curing man's organs with animal's organs' and 'Strengthening man's organs with animal's organs,' and sets the theoretical foundation of 'Organic Treatment.' Mr. Sun's gerontology and food therapy received further development latter. The prescriptions contained therein had been widely used in 王懷隱's 『太平聖惠方』 and 陳直's 『養老奉親書』, both in the Song Dynasty. Eventually they had become a science of food therapy for aged patients.