2. The Zang-Fu Organs
--The Internal Organs of the Human Body
The knowledge concerning the zang-fu organs in Chinese
medicine is termed the organ phenomenon theory, which includes
the anatomy, physiology, pathology, pattern identification and
healing principles of the zang-fu organs. As the important com-
ponent part of the basic theory in Chinese medicine, the organ
phenomenon theory has the guiding significance in the clinical
practice. There are the following two features in the organ
phenomenon theory.
1) Holistic viewpoint
In the explanation of the physiological functions and patho-
logical manifestations of the internal organs, the organ pheno-
menon theory not only explains the characteristics of the individual zang-fu organs, but also stresses on the mutual relationship between the fang and zu organs. Taking the spleen and stomach as an example, besides the explanation of the functions of the spleen and stomach that the spleen governs transportation and transformation, while the stomach governs accepting food, the spleen governs upflow, while the stomach qi governs downflow, the organ phenomenon theory also emphasizes that "transportation and transformation" and "accepting food" are mutually indispensable facets of the digestion process, while "spleen's upflow" and "stomach's downflow" are mutually conditioned and mutually opposite and complementary. The organ phenomenon theory also holds that the various tissues such as hair, skin, muscles, blood vessels, tendons, bones, as well as the organs such as eyes, ears, nose, mouth, tongue, arms and genitals are also related to the internal organs.
For example, the lung opens into the nose and transports the essence to the skin and hair; the heart opens into the tongue and has its nutrition in thc blood vessels; the kidney opens into the ears, anusand genitals and has its nutrition in the bones, etc.. Besides, the organ phenomenon theory also finds that between the mental and emotional activities and the physiological and pathological phenomena of the zang-fu organs, there is a relation of mutual influence. The abnormality of the mental and emotional activities may affect the physiological functions of some internal organs and even lead to
diseases; while the diseases of some internal organs may influence the normal mental and emotional activities.
2) Difference, between zang and fu organs, with the predo-
minance of the zang organs The organ phenomenon theory divides the internal organs of the human body into two types: The heart, lung, spleen, liver and kiclney are termed the five zang organs; while the gallbladder, stomach, large and small intestines, bladder and triple energizer are termed the six fu organs. The zang organs function to transform and store the essential qi, while the fu organs function
to decompose food and convey the waste. The organ phenomenon
theory provides more detail about the zang organs than the fu
organs and mainly explains the functions of the five zang organs. The zang and fu organs are linked by the meridians to form pairs of the exterior-interior relationship. The heart and small intestine, the lung and large intestine, the spleen and stomach, the liver and gallbladder, the kidney and bladder are respectively related exteriorly and interiorly. Besides, the pericardium, also taken as a zang organ, is related to the sanjiao (triple energizer) exteriorly and interiorly.
It should be pointed out that in the organ phenomenon theory
in Chinese medicine, the organs of the heart, lung, spleen, liver,kidney, stomach, large and small intestines, gallbladder and bladder are morphologically equivalent to the modern human anatomy and refer to the substantial internal organs of the same name. However, the explanation of their physiological and pathological manifestations differs greatly from those of the modern physiology and pathology.
2, I The Heart and Small Intestine
1) The heart governs the blood and vessels
Although the blood is produced from the essence of water and
grain assimilated by the spleen and stomach, that the blood is able to circulate constantly inside the vessels to supply nutrition to the whole body mainly belongs to the function of the heart. That the heart can promote the blood circulation depends upon the function of the heart qi. Only when the heart qi and blood are sufficient, can the rate of the heart beats be even, the pulse be harmonious and forceful, and the facial complexion be pink and lustrous. If the heart qi or blood is deficient, there will be pale and lustreless
facial complexion, palpitation, slow, or rapid, or knotted, or regularly interrupted pulse. The heart qi deficiency will also lead to stagnation of blood and the symptoms of purple facial complexion and chills in the four limbs will occur. If the heart blood is insufficient, its nourishing function decreases and the heart qi loses its reliance, thus the symptoms of vertigo, lassitude, shortness of breath, hidrosis and so on will happen. Therefore, whether the blood is
sufficient or whether its functions are harmonious can be the key to the influence on the physiology and pathology of the heart.
2) The heart houses the mind
The so-called "mind" here refers to the mental consciousness
and thinking activities. Both the mental consciousness and thinking activities are considered as the functions of the brain. But in Chinese medicine, their different aspects are respectively attributed to the five zang organs and most closely related to the heart in particular. If the heart fulfills its physiological functions normally and qi
and blood are sufficient, the consciousness is lucid, making the individual alert and responsive to the outer environment. If the heart is diseased, the mind in the heart may be disquieted, resulting in the symptoms such as restlessness, palpitation, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, etc. In serious cases, there may be the symptoms Of obvious decrease or Joss of mental activities such as hypersonnlla,coma, etc., or the symptoms of mental disorders such as feeble-mindedness, delirium, manic agitation, etc..
3) The heart opens into the tongue
The heart is located in the chest. The divergent collateral of the Heart Meridian goes upwards to reach the tongue, so qi and blood of the heart flow to the tongue. If the heart is diseased, the manifestations are invariably reflected in the tongue. For example, incases of heart yin deficiency or exuberance of heart fire, the tip or the whole body of the tongue is red, thorny, cracked or eroded. In
cases of heart yang deficiency or insufficiency in the heart qi and heart blood, the tongue is pale and the tongue body is enlarged. In cases of heart blood stagnation, the tongue is purple with purplish spots. When a pathogen enters the heart, the tongue becomes stiff and speech is impeded.
4) The small intestine governs the separation 'of the clear from the turbid The small intestine further digests the food decomposed initially by the stomach. The clear, referring to the essence of water and grain and to the large amount of fluid, is absorbed by the spleen and distributed to the whole, body. The turbid is sent downwards to the large intestine, while the useless water is infused to the bladder.
The disorders of the small intestine are attributable to failure to separate the clear from the turbid irt the digesting process, manifesting stool and urinary disturbance, such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, scanty urine, etc..
5) The heart and small intestine are exteriorly interiorly related The heart and small intestine are connected by the meridians to form an exterior-interior relation. In pathology, if, in a condition of excessive fire in the heart, "the heat spreads to the small intestine", there may be symptoms of excessive heat in the small intestine, such as scanty urine, dark-colored urine, burning urination, etc.. On the contrary, the heat in the small intestine may spread upwards to the heart along the meridians, leading to the symptomssuch as restlessness, red and eroded tongue, etc..
2.2 The Lung and Large Intestine
1) The lung governs qi and dominates respiration
The lung is the place of exchange between the gases inside
and outside the body. That the clear qi is taken in from the nature and the turbid qi of the interior body is expelled are mainly fulfilled by the lung. The lung qi has the dispersing and descending functions. Only when the lung qi disperses and descends normally, can the air pass in and out freely, the qi pathway be unobstructed, and the respiration be even. If the dispersing and descending functions are disturbed, there will be pathological changes of "failure of lung
in dispersing ability" and "failure of lung in descending ability",. leading to the symptoms such as cough, hurried breathing, shortness of breath, distension and fullness in the chest and hypochondrium,etc..
The respiratory function of the lung is also related to the production of the real qi inside the body. The air inhaled by the lung is the important component part of the real qi. The source of the real qi depends upon the air inhaled from the nature by the lung on the one hand and upon the nutrient substances (qi of water and grain) absorbed by the spleen on the other hand. Both of them are combined with the essential qi in the kidney to form the real qi for vitalizing the whole body. In addition to impairing the respiratory
function, insufficiency of the lung qi may also affect the formation of the real qi and thereby lead to the general qi deficiency, resulting in the symptoms such as lassitude, shortness of breath, spontaneous sweating, etc..
2) The lung unobstructs and regulates the water pathway
The lung, spleen, kidney, intestines and bladder are jointly
responsible for regulating the water metabolism in the human body. The role of the lung in the water metabolism is called "unobstructing and regulating the water pathway", and represents a combination of the dispersing and descending functions. Dispersing function means to distribute the fluid throughout the body, particularly to the skin, where it is excreted from the hair pores. Descending function refers to the downward conveyance of water to the bladder where it is excreted. If the lung fails to disperse in the water metabolism, there will be anhidrosis due to close of striations. If the lung fails to descend, there will be edema, difficult urination, scanty urine, etc..
3) The lung governs the skin and hair
"The skin and hair" represent the surface of the body, in-
cluding skin, sweat glands and body hair, and have the function
to secrete sweat, moisten skin and resist exogenous pathogens.
These functions of the skin and hair are just the function of the Wei-Defensive Qi which distributes on the skirt and hair. The reason why the Wei-Defensive Qi can bring these functions into full play depends upon the dispersing ability of the lung qi. Because of the close relation between the lung and the skin and hair, pathologically the exogenous pathogens entering the body from the outside affect the lung first, while if the abnormal lung qi cannot disperse the Wei-Defensive Qi and is unable to spread the essence to the skin and hair,
not only there will be the symptoms such as dry and withered skin and hair, hidrosis or anhidrosis, but also the exogenous pathogens are easy to invade. Therefore in the treatment, the exterior syndrome caused by the exogenous diseases may be cured by treating the lung and some skin diseases may also be cured by treating the lung.
4) The lung opens into the nose
Since the lung dominates the respiration and the nose is the
pathway of the respiration, the nose is termed the aperture of the lung. The smelling sense of the nose can function normally only if the lung qi is harmonious and the respiration is smooth. In pathology, many lung disorders are resulted from the invasion of the exogenous pathogens through the mouth and nose. The upreverse flow of the lung qi caused by the lung heat frequently leads to flaring of the nostrils. In the treatment of the diseases such as nasal obstruction, running nose and abnormality of smelling sense, the pungent-dissipating and lung-dispersing methods are often applied.
In addition, the throat is the gate of the respiration and vocal organ, where the Lung Meridian passes through. Therefore, excess or deficiency of the lung may lead to hoarseness of voice and other throat disorders.
5) The large intestine governs transportation and transformation of the waste The large intestine receives the turbid conveyed from the small intestine, and absorbs further a part of fluid from the waste to make the waste into stools which are excreted from the anus. When the large intestine is diseased, its transportation and transformation
will be abnormal, leading to diarrhea; and dry stools and constipation will occur because of exhaustion of fluid by heat or insufficiency
of body fluid.
6) The lung and large intestine are exteriorly-interiorly related The lung and large intestine are connected by the meridians to form an exterior-interior relation. Since the lung qi functions to disperse and descend, the large intestine will transport and transform normally and stools can be excreted smoothly. The obstruction of the large intestine can affect the dispersing and descending abilities of the lung qi. Clinically, if the lung fails to disperse and descend and the body fluid cannot flow downwards, there will be difficult defecation. If there is excessive heat in the large intestine and the fu organs are obstructed, there will be the symptoms of the unsmooth lung qi, such as asthma, cough and
stuffy chest. Therefore, in the treatment of the phlegm-heat accumulation in the lung, the intestine-unobstructing and bowel purging methods can be applied to clarify the lung heat and remove the phlegm accumulation. In the treatment of some types of constipation, some drugs that help the dispersing and descending abilities of the lung can be used as the supplementary drugs.

Back Home