Tumor

A growth on the body's surface that is neither painful nor itchy. The Origin and Indicators of Disease (诸病源候论 zhū bìng yuán hòu lùn) states, A tumor is a sudden swelling in the skin and flesh that is as large as a plum at onset, growing gradually larger; it is neither painful nor itchy. It is not stiffly bound; rather it is lodged (留 liú) and does not disperse, for which reason it is called 瘤 liú. If untreated, it can become huge and will not be dispersed. It does not kill the person; care should be taken not to rupture them.

Biomedical correspondence: What is called a tumor in Chinese medicine is generally found to be a benign tumor in Western medicine.

Distinctions are made between different kinds of tumor: qì tumor is soft and puffy (corresponds to neuroma cutis in modern medicine); blood tumor is characterized by dilatation of blood vessels knotting together (corresponds to angioma); flesh tumor is a spongy swelling like steamed bread that appears to well up from flesh (corresponds to lipoma); sinew tumor is marked by green-blue sinews like a pile of knotted intertwined worms (varicose veins) and swells up from the sinews (corresponds to phlebangioma, varicosity, cavernous hemangioma and other shallow lesions); bone tumor is stuck to the bone and is hard as stone (benign and malignant bone tumors); fatty tumor is a tumor with a blue-black speck in the center from which from time to time a white substance like bean curd dregs can be squeezed, and which may suppurate, thus becoming a suppurative tumor (corresponds to a cystic tumor). See the individual entries. Compare rock, which normally corresponds to a malignant tumor in Western medicine.

Etymology

Chin 瘤 liú comprises the illness signifier 疒 with 留 liú to remain or become lodged, possibly indicating an understanding of the phenomena in terms of qì stagnation, blood stasis, etc.