• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 2009

After a research on appearance diagnosis and fish, bird, horse, and turtle types, this study concluded as following. Appearance diagnosis is a technique that exams five jang organs by color and shape of eye, nose, mouth, and ear. Four HyungSang types-including fish, bird, horse and turtle types-are evaluated upon the external shape that are created while type of seed changes. Appearance diagnosis focuses on five jang organs. Four HyungSang types focus on external shape, but are eventually related to five jang organs. Thus, two different techniques possess a point in common; five jang organs. The assignment of nose, eye, ear and mouth to the Five elements varies between two techniques. On the viewpoint of formation, appearance diagnosis assigns them to metal-water-wood-fire-earth and movement, and four HyungSang types do to wood-fire-earth-metal-water and constitution. On the viewpoint of body/use and static/dynamic, appearance diagnosis assigns them to metal-water-wood-fire-earth and constitution, and four HyungSang types do to wood-fire-earth-metal-water and movement. If nose, eye, ear, and mouth are assigned by on four HyungSang types, which are based on external shape, the assignment can be utilized in diagnosis. If, however, they are assigned by appearance diagnosis, it can be focus on treatment. Five jang organs and six fu organs are affected by internal conditions because they are located inside of human body, while four HyungSang types are affected by external conditions because it deals with external shape. If a disease occurs in the developed part of the body, it would be difficult to be cured because four HyungSang types depend on external shapes.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.52-68
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• 2013

Objectives: Hyungsang medicine (HM) is an inspection which emphasizes the relationships between pathological patterns and one's facial or bodily shape, color and movement. The purpose of this study was to review previously published study results of the HM. Methods: The authors reviewed a total of 51 HM-related studies published from 2000 to 2012 found on PubMed and various domestic Oriental medicine journals. Each study was classified into theoretical, diagnostic, or treatment-related category. Results: Theoretical studies were mostly based on the Nei-Ching and Dong-Eui-Bo-Gam texts, and dealt with differences in form between types such as masculine and feminine, the five organ image types, the four-type categorization of body essence, vital energy (Qi), mentality, and Blood, Gallbladder and Bladder, the four-type categorization of fish, bird, horse, and turtle types, and the six meridian types. Research on diagnosis has been performed on diagnostic characteristics of HM, correlation between HM and general coordinative manipulation (GCM), and Hyungsang medicine and ante-disease pattern (未病類型). Studies on treatments could largely be classified as treatments for specific diseases using certain acupuncture or herbal prescriptions based on HM. Treatments were mostly evaluated solely through subjective symptom improvement of patients. Conclusions: Our review results suggest that HM-related studies were focused on the constitutional characteristics and clinical utility of HM. To strengthen the theoretical basis of HM and its clinical utility, clinical trials including randomized, treatment-placebo and blind methods are needed.