DISEASE CLASSIFICATION IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE

—With Patricular Reference to the Classification of Chronic Epigastralgia—

Abstract

By using 28 signs and symptoms(SS)commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, specialists in Chinese medicine classified 377 cases of chronic epigastralgia(wei won tong)into 3 disease categories, that is D1, D2 and D3. The data collected in this study were analysed by correspondence analysis. Both 377 cases and 28 SS were arranged according to the similarity and were assigned on multidimensional coordinates. On the 2 dimensional plane spanned by the first 2 components, 377 cases were plotted and were examined whether the members of the same category could make an isolated cluster and did not mix with those of the different categories. The examination revealed that the members of D1 and those of D2 occupied the left half and the right half of one unseparable group, respectively. On the other hand, those of D3 were scattered below the combined group of D1 and D2. As a result, it was concluded that the separation of D1 and D2 was considerably difficult from the standpoint of the numerical taxonomy alone, whereas that of D3 and the rest members was achieved by using the coordinates of the 2nd component. Spatial allocation of each of the 28 SS was represented multidimensionally, and could not be reduced to a few dimensional By using 28 signs and symptoms(SS)commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, specialists in Chinese medicine classified 377 cases of chronic epigastralgia(wei won tong)into 3 disease categories, that is D1, D2 and D3. The data collected in this study were analysed by correspondence analysis. Both 377 cases and 28 SS were arranged according to the similarity and were assigned on multidimensional coordinates. On the 2 dimensional plane spanned by the first 2 components, 377 cases were plotted and were examined whether the members of the same category could make an isolated cluster and did not mix with those of the different categories. The examination revealed that the members of D1 and those of D2 occupied the left half and the right half of one unseparable group, respectively. On the other hand, those of D3 were scattered below the combined group of D1 and D2. As a result, it was concluded that the separation of D1 and D2 was considerably difficult from the standpoint of the numerical taxonomy alone, whereas that of D3 and the rest members was achieved by using the coordinates of the 2nd component. Spatial allocation of each of the 28 SS was represented multidimensionally, and could not be reduced to a few dimensional space.