Analysis of Commonalities and Differences in the Treatment of Spleen-Stomach Diseases by Renowned Provincial Chinese Medicine Practitioners in the Sanbei Region of Ningbo Based on Data Mining
Abstract: Objective: To analyze the medication patterns and differences in the treatment of spleen-stomach diseases by renowned provincial Chinese medicine practitioners LIN Jipin, ZHANG Dijiao, and ZHANG Tan in the Sanbei region of Ningbo based on data mining. Methods: A total of 250 medical records for spleen-stomach diseases (including seven conditions: abdominal distention and fullness, vomiting, hiccups, acid reflux, constipation, diarrhea, epigastric pain) from each practitioner (LIN Jipin, ZHANG Dijiao, ZHANG Tan) were selected from the outpatient information system of Cixi Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The first-visit prescriptions were recorded and analyzed using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Computing Platform (V3.5). The data mining analysis was carried out through statistical evaluation of herb frequency,properties,flavors,meridian tropism, and efficacy, supplemented by association rule analysis and k-means clustering analysis. Results: The analysis identified 29 high-frequency herbs in LIN Jipin's prescriptions,28 in ZHANG Dijiao's,and 33 in ZHANG Tan's for spleen-stomach diseases. LIN Jipin employed 32 herb association combinations, ZHANG Dijiao used 12, and ZHANG Tan used 30. Each practitioner had six core herb combinations. In terms of herb nature, all three predominantly used warm and cold herbs,with hot herbs being the least frequent.The main herb flavors were bitter, sweet, and pungent. LIN Jipin's prescriptions focused on regulating qi, clearing heat, relieving the exterior, and tonifying deficiency, primarily targeting the lung, spleen, liver, and stomach meridians. ZHANG Dijiao's prescriptions emphasized tonifying deficiency,clearing heat,regulating qi,and calming the mind,mainly targeting the liver, lung, spleen, and heart meridians. ZHANG Tan's prescriptions prioritized clearing heat, regulating qi, draining dampness, and tonifying deficiency, mainly targeting the lung, liver, spleen, and heart meridians. Conclusion:The commonalities among LIN Jipin,ZHANG Dijiao,and ZHANG Tan,the three renowned provincial Chinese medicine practitioners in the Sanbei region of Ningbo in treating spleen-stomach diseases include harmonizing qi dynamics to stabilize the middle qi, clearing heat and draining dampness while preserving yin, and strengthening middle energizer to boost qi with an emphasis on prevention and treatment.Differences exist among the practitioners: LIN Jipin skillfully employed digestion-promoting and purging-tonifying combined strategies;ZHANG Dijiao focused on calming the mind and tonifying the kidney with flexible methods; and ZHANG Tan emphasized simultaneous treatment of syndromes and symptoms,addressing both root and branch.