About
疳 (gān) is a phono-semantic compound, combining the semantic radical 疒, which places it within the domain of diseases and ailments, with the phonetic component 甘 (gān, "sweet"). In traditional Chinese medicine, it specifically refers to a chronic pediatric condition marked by severe malnutrition, emaciation, and abdominal distension. The character's composition reflects the historical medical theory that this wasting syndrome was often caused by excessive consumption of sweet, rich foods, which damaged the child's spleen and digestion.