Sixzang organs: heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, pericardium To manufacture and store essential substances including vital essence, qi (vital energy), blood, andbodyfluid
Sixfu organs : small intestine, gall bladder, stomach, Large intestine, urinary bladder, and sanjiao To receive and digest food, absorb nutrient substances, transmit and excrete wastes
Sixfu organs: small intestine, gall bladder, stomach, Large intestine, urinary bladder
The functions of the Liver Stores the blood Governs the smooth flow of qi around the body Manifests in the nails Governs the nerves and sinews Opens into the eyes Influences sexuality and reproduction
Heart Governs the blood Governs the blood vessels Manifests in the complexion Opens into the tongue Controls sweating
Pericardium The pericardium has a powerful influence on mental and emotional states
Spleen Governs transformation and transportation Manages the blood Holds the zang in place Governs the flesh and limbs Opens into the mouth
Lungs (the receiver of qi ) Govern qi and respiration Regulate the water passages Govern the skin and bodily hair Open into the nose
Kidney (the controller of fluids) Stores jing, controls growth, reproduction and development Governs the bones and produces marrow Governs water Controls the reception of qi Opens into the ears Manifests in the hair
Large Intestine (the eliminator) Governs transformation and conveyance of waste Governs liquid
Stomach (the transporter) Governs intake and decomposition of food and drink
Small Intestine (the separator of pure from impure) Governs the separation of the clear and the turbid
Stores fluid Bladder (the fluid storer)
Gallbladder (the decision maker) Stores and excretes bile Controls the sinews Controls judgement
San jiao Provides a pathway for fluids and qi Distributes yuan qi
Internal causes of disease seven emotions/affects (qing)
Xi, joy relates to the heart and fire element. Excessive joy slackens fire qi causing vexation, agitation, inappropriate laughter, mania. Lack of joy may lead to poor communication, hurt, rejection, defensiveness, over sensitiveness, selfrighteousness, paranoia.
Nu, anger, relates to liver/wood, causing liver qi to rise and stagnate. When wood qi does not move smoothly it may cause frustration, resentment, mood swings and depression, feeling trapped, inability to plan or make decisions, timidity, unassertiveness, over controlling, inflexibility.
worry or Si, variously translated as thought, pensiveness, relates to spleen/earth. Worry (or excessive thinking/studying) binds earth qi sometimes causing repetitive thinking, unclarity, worry, insecurity, obsessiveness, a lack of nurturing or a tendency to be overly solicitous.
Kong, fear, relates to kidneys/water. Fear is said to precipitate or descend water qi leading to dread, mental debility, feeling overwhelmed, inability to cope, phobias, feeling powerless, secretiveness, suspicion, recklessness, stubbornness.
You (sadness/anxiety) and bei (grief/sorrow ) relate to lungs/metal. They are said to disperse metal qi, stagnating qi in the chest; leading to a sense of sadness and oppression, lack of self worth, pointlessness, inability to let go, detachment, criticalness, confusion, arrogance, guilt and rigidity.
Jing, fright or shock, leads to liver wind and heart and kidney disharmony by scattering qi.
Wind External wind invading lungs as wind heat, wind cold or wind dryness. External wind invading channels as paralysis, pain, tremors, tics, convulsions, stiffness, numbness and/or restricted movement of muscles/joints. External wind skin conditions, causing rapidly moving itching and rashes.
Cold Wind cold invading the lungs. Cold bi (painful obstruction syndrome) invades limbs as stiffness, contracted tendons, chilliness. Cold invading the middle jiao as pain or diarrhoea. Cold invading the liver channel as cold shan.
Damp/Phlegm Damp obstructing spleen and stomach. Damp heat invasions, either obstructing spleen and stomach or liver and gallbladder, or pouring into large intestine or bladder. Damp cold invasions, damp combining with wind cold or wind heat leading to bi syndrome. Phlegm more viscous in nature, arising from accumulated dampness/spleen deficiency. May become solid.
Dryness Dryness invades lungs, as external febrile disease damaging blood or yin, or as blood dryness.
Fire and summer heat external febrile diseases, or summer heat on its own or combined with damp.
Heat or damp toxin may combine together. Arise from depression of fire and/or accumulating damp. Affect intestines/skin leading to skin disorders with abscesses, sores. Damp toxin leads to copious discharge.
Colour of tongue Pale red: normal Pale: deficiency of yang or blood wet, pale: yang deficiency dry, pale, orange sides: blood deficiency Red: heat with coating: full heat peeled: empty heat Deep red: severe heat
Colour of tongue Purple: stasis of blood reddish purple: heat and stasis of blood bluish purple: cold and stasis of blood purple sides: liver blood stasis Blue: interior cold leading to stasis of blood
Shape of tongue Thin: blood/yin deficiency Swollen: retention of dampness/damp heat Stiff: interior wind Flaccid: deficiency of body fluids Long: tendency to heat (heart heat)
Shape of tongue Short: interior cold/extreme deficiency Cracked: full heat/yin deficiency Quivering: spleen qi deficiency Deviated: interior wind Toothmarked: spleen qi deficiency
Tongue coating Thin white coating: normal White coating: cold pattern Yellow coating: full heat pattern Thick coating: retained evil/pathogenic factor
Tongue coating Thick, sticky, white: retention of dampness or phlegm cold Thick, sticky, yellow: retention of dampness or phlegm heat Peeled: yin deficiency Red, peeled: kidney yin deficiency
Tongue moisture Slightly moist: normal Wet: yang deficiency Dry: full heat/empty heat
Diagram of tongue diagnosis
Primary Correspondences Within Five Element Theory
Five Shu Points
Mother & Child Five Element Points
Yin and Yang in Pathology
Four different situations: