Carrying on and assimilating the brain theories of Li Shizhen, Yu Jiaji, Jin Zhengxi, Liu Zhi and Wang Ang, Wang Qingren, a well-known physician of the Qing Dynasty, further put forward new medical ideas on the close relationship between the brain and the senses of hearing, sight and smell and memory, forming the brain-spinal cord theory of traditional Chinese medicine. The main content of the theory is as follows:
1. Putting forward the basic brain theory of traditional Chinese medicine that "inspiration and memory exist in the brain"
From the appearance of The Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic, the earliest medical classic extant in China, to the time of Wang Qingren, no one had definitely given his views on the brian in broad outline which were similar to Wang Quigren's brain-spinal cord theory. Proving "inspiration and memory exist in the brian", Wang Qingren pointed out: " The heart is the path of entry and exit of qi, how can it create inspiration and store memory?" He proposed that the fullness or deficiency of the brain and the spinal cord is related to having a good or poor memory. He said: "A child having a poor memory is one having maldevelopment of the brain; an old person having a poor memory is one having deficiency of the brain." That argument of his proves to be scientific even in modern medicine and serves as an important guideline in strengthening the function of the brain and improving intelligence in the present

Author's unit name: Guangdong Gaoming Medical and Medicinal Institute of Encephalopathy, 2 Heping Lane, Cangjiang Road, Hecheng District, Gaoming, Guangdong 528500

traditional Chinese medicine. In addition, he made observation on unconsciousness of patients with epilepsy and syncope resulting from disorder of qi and made it clear that the brain is the place where the inspiration lies.
He pointed out that in the absence of qi in the brain death as well as lack of inspiration followed, as seen in epilepsy, clonic convulsion in children and syncope resulting from disorder of qi in adults.
2. Criticizing the error of the heart controlling mental activities and putting forward the brain-spinal cord theory
For several thousand years, the theory of the heart controlling mental activities had occupied a dominant position in the relationship between the heart and mental activities.《The Internal Classic》merely touches on the relationship between the brain and psychological and pathological changes, it does not go into it deeply. Physicians of later ages such as Li Shizhen, Yu Jiaji and Wang Ang still advocated the theory of the heart controlling mental activities in their theory and practice though they also recognized the association of the brain with psychological activities. On the contrary, Wang Qingren, in his《Corrections on the Errors of Medical Works》, definitely expressed that the reason why he advanced the theory of the brain and the spinal cord was to terminate the dominant history of the theory of the heart controlling mental activities and to point out that a doctor who knew nothing about the function of the heart could not cure a patient of his disease.
3. Putting forward an assumption that the left and right cerebral hemispheres differ in their functions
Wang Qingren pointed out that marrow is formed by the kidney essence and connected with the brain through vertebrae. The marrow he described is the spinal cord which lies in the spinal canal, the brain and the spinal cord is covered by the top of the skull. This exposition, though rather simple and rough, showed clearly the association between spinal cord and the brain at that time and was, therefore, of historic value. Based on his experience in diagnosing deviation of the eye and mouth of patients with apoplexy, he came to the conclusion that the left cerebral hemisphere controls the right extremities and its right counterpart governs the left extremities and that channels and collaterals on both sides of the body cross at the craniofacial part, just as what he said: "Patients who have left hemiplegia have, for the most part, wry mouth with distorted eyes on the right side; those who have right hemiplegia have deviation of the eye and mouth on the left side in most cases…… Channels and collaterals on the left side of the body go upward to the head and face and run right; those on the right side of the body go upward to the head and face and run left, being bilateral cross." This gives channels and collaterals the intension of nerve fibers.
4． Affirming the relation between the brain and all sensory organs and pointing out that the abnormality of sensory organs is related to encephalopathy
Taking ears, eyes and nose as representatives, Wang Qingren pointed out that ears, eyes and nasal cavity all communicate with the brain and that with blockage in between, pathological changes of corresponding sensory organ develop. He said: "The communication of the two eyes with the brain is just like a thread." He seems to have guessed the optic nerve pathway of modern medicine. He said: "Both ears communicate with the brain, the sound heard is conducted to the brain. With qi deficiency of the brain and encephalatrophy, the qi of the brain is not related to the qi of external acoustic meatus, therefore deafness of deficiency type follows; with blockage in the pathway from external acoustic meatus to the brain, deafness of excess type follows. The two eyes are derived from brain juice, the communication of both eyes with the brain is just like a thread, the things seen are conducted to the brain. The pupils are white, derived from brain juice and called the entry of brain juice into eyes. The nose also communicates with the brain, the odour smelt is conducted to the brain. In the presence of pathogenic wind-heat in the brain, the brain juice flows out from nose into nasal discharge, called sinusitis with purulent discharge." He definitely pointed out that the senses of hearing, sight and smell of human beings are controlled by the brain. Of course, some of his expositions such as "the entry of brain juice into eyes" and "the brain juice flows out from nose" lack scientificity.
5. Expounding the dialectical relationship between the development of the brain and spinal cord and the development of intelligence and explaining the cause of insomnia and dream
Based on his observation of the developmental course from newborn infant to an advanced age, Wang Qingren pointed out that senses of sight, hearing and smell, speech and memory of human beings are all related to the development of the brain. He said: "A newborn infant has incomplete development of brain and fontanel, cannot see nimbly and does not know to listen to, to smell and to speak. When he is one year old, the brain and fontanel are more developed and he can see a little nimbly and knows a little to listen to, to smell and to speak a few words. When he is three or four years old, the brain and spinal cord and the fontanel are gradually completely developed, and he can see nimbly and knows to listen to, to smell and to say a few sentences of words. When a man is in an advanced age, his brain gradually becomes empty, so he has poor memory." These expositions seem to be rough ideas at present. He also said: " With the brain disturbed by heat-evil, insomnia follows." And dream, like having manic-depressive psychosis, is due to "stagnation of qi and blood of the brain." This explanation is, of course, very imperfect according to modern neurophysiological and psychological analysis.
Wang Qingren's exposition on "the brain-spinal cord theory" mentioned above, though few in words, is rich in content. It lays a preliminary scientific foundation for the brain to be a psychological organ. Despite the lack of strict scientificity in his exposition, it is a monument in the development of the brain theory of traditional Chinese medicine.