Reference; https://mbp-japan.com/tokyo/seino-1987/column/5097220/
Modified and translated by CFJA
Later, People’s Medical Publishing House 人民衛生出版社 published four textbooks, which originally was from one book, “The Study of Acupuncture and Moxibustion 鍼灸学”. “The Study of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (I) Meridians鍼灸学（一）経絡学説” published in February 1962, “The Study of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (II) Acumoxa points 鍼灸学（二）腧穴説” published in December 1962, “The Study of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (III) Needling and Moxibustion鍼灸学（三）刺灸学” published in December 1963, and “The Study of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (IV) Therapeutics 鍼灸学（四）治療学” published in 1965 were used as a textbook for the department of acupuncture and moxibustion in Shanghai College of Chinese Medicine上海中医学院. Although “The Study of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (IV) Therapeutics鍼灸学（四）治療学” was written by the apprentices of Cheng Dan’an, the theory and treatment methods are contradicted – what is currently known as bensho ronchi弁証論治, the feature of modern Chinese medicine. Yang Changsen楊長森 created this method.
In western medicine, the patient is treated based on the name of the disease. In Japanese acumoxa, meridian therapists used the concept of sho 証 (evidence/proof/sign). Although Cheng Dan’an imitated this concept and created benbyo ronchi 弁病論治, he passed away before he could find a clear answer. In China, which had been under the control of Japan for a long time, there had likely been a national sentiment that wanted to catch up to the western culture and did not want to use the Japanese language regardless of using Japanese techniques. Therefore, they might have been looking for something similar to the western disease name and the Japanese sho.
At that time, Yang Changsen, who has been prescribing medicine as an internal doctor, learned the thought of rihohoyaku理法方薬, an idea for prescribing herbs. This was applied to acumoxa, which led to the creation of rihohoketsu jyutsu理法方穴術, an idea for prescribing acumoxa points. This method prescribes a pair of acumoxa points for one disease/illness or symptom. The creation of this thought helped to fill the gap for those who were struggling or lost after the death of Cheng Dan’an. Therefore, Bensho ronchi弁証論治 is an idea that was compiled by Yang Changsen. This idea was published in “The Study of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (IV) Therapeutics鍼灸学（四）治療学” and currently, it is educated all around the world.
Here is the summary of Cheng Dan’an and Yang Changsen’s ideas:
- Cheng Dan’an developed benbyo ronchi 弁病論治 by changing the ancient model taisho ronchi 対症論治, in reference to the illness categorization thought 疾病分類思考 from the western medicine.
- Yang Chengsen developed bensho ronchi 弁証論治 (the method of benbyo thinking method 弁証思考方式), which is rihoho jyutsu 理法方術 in acumoxa clinical diagnosis, influenced by rihohoyaku 理法方薬 in herbal therapy.