By X. Kent. Wittenberg University.
But by the time a baby has grown to adulthood the hot or “yang” energy has gradually risen to the upper part of the body containing the vital organs such as the heart buy cheap aricept 10mg on line, liver best 10mg aricept, lungs and brain purchase aricept 5mg with visa. The cold or “yin” energy has tended to settle in the legs buy generic aricept 5 mg online, genitals, kidneys and lower abdomen. The result is gen- eral fatigue, weakness, and poor health. A young person usually has sufficient energy to keep the routes less obstructed so that the power still flows. The organs are thus nourished, and there is little sickness. But if we do not live healthily and practice to keep the energy routes open, they will gradually close and cause emotional imbalances, premature sickness and old age. The perfect energy circulation we enjoyed as babies was not aired by the daily stress of living. Simply by re-establishing that same strong flow of lukewarm chi — mixed yin and yang energy — our vital organs will begin to glow with radiant health. When this healing power of the Tao - the life energy in its original, pure, undi- vided form — flows through our bodies, we regain the exuberant energy and rosy glow we once had as babies. Our true task is only to “re-awaken” this undivided healing power that was once an ac- cepted fact in our being. Primary Energy Channels The nervous system in human beings is very complex and ca- pable of directing energy wherever it is needed. But the ancient Taoist masters discovered there are two primary energy channels that carry an especially strong current. It begins at the base of the trunk, midway between the testicles and the anus at a point called the perineum. It flows upward into the body past the penis, stomach organs, heart, and throat. The second channel called the “Governor”, starts in the same place. It flows from the perineum upwards into the tailbone and then up through the spine into the brain, and back down to the roof of the mouth. The tongue is like a switch that connects these two currents, for when it is touched to the roof of the mouth just behind the front teeth, the energy flows in a circle up the spine and back down a the front of the body. The two channels form a single circuit that the energy loops around in circles. When this energy flows in a loop around the body through these two channels, the Chinese mas- ters said the “small heavenly cycle” or “microcosmic orbit” had - 26 - Chapter I been completed. Henceforth in this book we shall refer to this ma- jor energy loop as “the microcosmic orbit”. Its vital current circu- lates past the major organs and nervous system of the body, giv- ing cells the juice they need to grow, heal, and function. Proper Wiring of the Etheric Body The two main energy channels of the body can be compared to the main wiring of a house. Imagine a trunk line which brings power from outside into the building’s service panel. This panel contains the circuit breakers that protect the inside wiring from short cir- cuits and overloads. It also has the switches that control the cur- rent to all the rooms inside the house. This inside wiring is like the “six special power routes” in the body used in higher levels of Tao- ist meditation that branch off from the Microcosmic Orbit. In higher levels there are additional “wires” for especially heavy loads of en- ergy that might surge into the system — the “thrusting route” in the middle of the body is one such wire.
Texture The texture of the skin is an important consideration buy cheap aricept 5 mg on-line. Coarseness may be a sign of chronic or acute irritation buy cheap aricept 10 mg line, as well as hypothyroidism 5mg aricept visa. Texture that is extremely fine or smooth may indicate hyperthyroidism aricept 5mg line. Turgor Finally, skin turgor and elasticity are indications of several variables, including the level of hydration and aging. Some disorders, such as scleroderma, are associated with increases in skin turgor. The skin should feel resilient, move easily, and return to place quickly after a fold is lifted. The skin overlying the forehead or dorsal hand is more likely to provide a false impression of tenting or decreased elasticity; therefore, turgor should be tested by gently pinching a fold of skin over the abdomen, forearm, or sternum. Assessing Skin Lesions Any lesion identified must be assessed in detail. The characteristics to note include the size, shape, configuration, color, and texture. There should be a determination of whether the lesion is elevated, depressed, or pedunculated. The color, odor, amount, and consistency of any exudate should be determined. If multiple lesions are present, the pattern, location, and distribution must be determined. All of theses variables, along with information Copyright © 2006 F. Skin 17 obtained during the history and findings related to other systems, are important to mak- ing an accurate diagnosis. The color atlas (see Plates 1–4) includes photographs of specialized techniques that are helpful in assessing skin lesions: magnification, diascopy, skin scrapings, and the use of Wood’s lamp. DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF COMMON CHIEF COMPLAINTS Note: The color atlas (see Plates 5–32) includes photographs, in alphabetical order, of many of the conditions described in the following section. Vesicles (Blisters) Vesicles (blisters) are small, fluid-filled lesions. They may erupt at a site that initially appears inflamed, with a macule or papule. A wide range of conditions can cause vesicles, including infectious and atopic disorders, as well as trauma. The history is very helpful in narrowing the differential diagnosis. HERPES SIMPLEX (PLATE 15) Herpes simplex is a viral infection that involves the skin and mucous membranes. It is transmitted via direct contact between a susceptible person and one who is shedding virus. The infection can cause significant systemic symptoms. Orolabial lesions are typically caused by HSV-1 and genital lesions by HSV-2. There may be a history of recurrent lesions in the same location. Herpes simplex is often associated with lymphadenopathy. The skin lesions consist of multiple vesicles, which clus- ter and are usually preceded by an area of tender erythema. The lesions can occur anywhere on the body, although common sites include perioral and perigenital regions. Diagnostic studies are typically not warranted or ordered. Definitive diagnosis can be made by viral culture of the lesion and Tzanck smear.
The power ascends purchase 5mg aricept visa, thereafter buy aricept 5mg otc, to the level of the shoulder blades and then the neck buy 10 mg aricept with visa. Do not concentrate on the adrenals too long as this can cause insomnia cheap 10mg aricept overnight delivery. If you find this happening, con- centrate on the coccyx. This will again send power up the back and into the small brain. When this is concentrated on you may - 88 - Chapter VIII feel your back get warm and you may find yourself unintentionally doing yoga-style breathing. In time you may feel something in the top of your head in the pineal gland area. The energy, when encountered here, feels warm or numb and as though something were pressing from inside. From there, the Chi flows down to the mideyebrow region, making it feel very tight. Once you’ve reached this point, the Chi has completed the “Governor Route”. Thereafter, the power must be directed down- ward, no matter what your level of development. When you’ve reached the head, reverse it and direct it to the Ming-men, directing it from there to the inner sides of the thighs and ending in the soles. Concentrate there for a while and then bring your attention to your toes, knees, Hui-yin and then navel again. Stay there for a while and then go up one center to the solar plexus and concentrate there. Since you’ve opened the functional route, as soon as you concentrate on the solar plexus, you should feel energy there and in the area between the eyebrows as: well. The energy that is developed at this time flows in both the Gover- nor and Functional routes. Doing it this way is much safer and spares you side effects. When you’ve developed more power, it will push up from the solar plexus into the heart chakra. This should be your next point of concentration, then, but if you spend too much time here you will develop heart burn and find difficulty in breathing. If you’ve concentrated for one or two weeks and the power has not yet risen to the throat energy center, you can either direct your attention to that center during your practice sessions or con- centrate on your solar plexus and allow the energy to push its own way up to the throat center. Think the energy up to the tongue from the throat area and bring the energy in the brow area or nose down to the palate. When the energy descends along the nose, this causes some practitioners to sniffle (so that you can have some guide as to what might be happening). When the proper place on the palate has been touched, you will feel as though you had a small electric shock in your tongue. When this happens, it marks the completion of the Microcosmic Orbit by the fusion of the Func- tional and Governor routes, known as the Small Heavenly Cycle. Everyone, regardless of age, must conclude their practice by directing the energy downward. Collect it in the navel and circu- late it from 3 to 36 times in either direction. This is absolutely es- sential as a precaution against energy getting “stuck” in some other parts of the body. Circulate Chi Power Continuously in the Orbit When you have completed the route point by point you are ready to continuously circulate the “chi” power in the Microcosmic Orbit. It is the steady flow of this warm energy current that offers the most powerful results in the self-healing process. To do this, when you concentrate, begin at the navel.
The spatial resolution of a transducer depends on the operating frequency generic aricept 10 mg free shipping, coupling medium trusted 10mg aricept, and transducer properties purchase 10 mg aricept with mastercard. The relation between resolution and frequency is demonstrated in the equation: *Uniaxial with lateral constraints order 5mg aricept mastercard. The smaller the wavelength (the higher the frequency), the finer the spatial resolution will be. This equation assumes that the ultrasonic wave is comprised of a single frequency. In reality it is impossible for a pulsed transducer to generate a single frequency signal because of inertial effects. The bandwidth of a signal is the range of frequencies in the ultrasound pulse — shorter pulses will have larger bandwidths. In acoustic microscopy, short pulses are necessary to ensure that incident and reflected waves do not interfere. A transducer that has short pulse lengths has a short “ring down time” because it oscillates through fewer numbers of cycles per excitation. A Historical Perspective of the Study of Bone with Acoustic Microscopy The first practical scanning acoustic microscope was developed and built for materials analysis by Lemons and Quate. Since then, scanning acoustic microscopy has become a major nondestructive evaluation tool involving imaging and the characterization and detection of defects in structural materials. Although acoustic microscopy has been used for over 3 decades in industry to analyze solid materials, only recently have scientists applied scanning acoustic microscopy to the fields of biology and medicine, where “soft” materials are prevalent. Experiments involving the technique have been used to study the acoustic velocity, acoustic attenuation, density, and thickness of tissues, and even cells. To measure the acoustic impedance of a material, one collects the amplitude of the first echo of a longitudinal sound wave reflected from the surface of the specimen. By varying transducer design, other sonic waves can be generated and used for material properties analysis. Rayleigh waves are surface waves; however, bone poorly supports Rayleigh wave propagation. High signal attenuation occurs because of the porosity of bone. Low Rayleigh velocities result, and given the angle at which the signal returns to the transducer, it is not possible for the transducer to receive the signal. The same group measured surface skimming waves from horse radial bone. A high frequency point focus lens was used and surface waves were measured every 150 microns in a line. The averaged velocities were used to calculate a mean elastic coefficient. Other investigators have also used the velocities measured with acoustic microscopy to calculate the material properties of bone. They observed a significant decrease in the velocity of sound in osteoporotic bone compared to age-matched normal bone. Three other recently published studies have addressed the material property contributions that mineral and collagen provide for bone, and all three research groups utilized a scanning acoustic microscope. All the techniques demonstrated decreased material properties with demineralization. They also compared the elastic constants generated with bulk transmission ultrasound against the constants gen- erated with velocities measured with an acoustic microscope. Orthotropic symmetry was assumed, and © 2001 by CRC Press LLC a good agreement with both techniques was observed, except for specimens oriented 30° to the longitu- dinal axis of the bone. This deviation supports the hypothesis that the principal orientation of the secondary lamellar bone collagen is 30° to the long axis of the bone. This concept was further supported by the anisotropy ratio data generated in this study.