2.3 The Spleen and Stomach
1) The spleen governs the transportation and transformation and
the upfiow of the clear The transportation and transformation of the spleen refer to the functions of the spleen in digesting food and transporting the essence of water and grain. Water and grain are the main source of the nutrient substances that man needs after his birth and are also the main material foundation to transform qi and blood. The transportation and transformation of the essence of water and grain
are governed by the spleen, so the spleen is also termed the source of qi and blood formation. The food enters the stomach and is digested jointly by the stomach and spleen. Its essence of water and grain is spread throughout the body by the spleen, so as to nourish the tissues and organs of the zang-fu organs, four limbs, bones,skin and hair, tendons, muscles, etc.. Therefore, the spleen function of transportation and transformation includes the physiological functions of digestion, absorption, distribution, etc..
If the spleen function in digesting and absorbing essence of water and grain is disturbed due to some causes, there will be the problems of abdominal distension, diarrhea, nutritional disturbance, etc.. If the spleen function in distributing the essence of water and grain is disturbed, there will be damp and phlegm because of fluid retention.
The spleen function of transportation and transformation
depends upon the function of the spleen qi. The functional feature of the spleen qi is predominantly to flow upwards. The reason why the spleen can transport the essence of water and grain upwards to the lung and then to transform it into qi and blood for nourishing the whole body through the functions of the heart and lung is exactly the spleen function to raise the clear. The so-called "raising the clear" refers to the upflow and distribution of the essence. If the spleen qi fails to flow upwards or even collapses, there will be the problems of vertigo, blurred vision, chronic diarrhea, prolapse of
rectum or of the internal organs.
2) The spleen controls the blood
Besides the function to pr.~duce the blood, the spleen also has
'the functions to control the blood and keep the blood to circulate inside the vessels for avoiding extravasation of blood. The spleen is the source of qi and blood formation, and when the spleen function in transportation and transformation is healthy, it ensures sufficient supplies of qi and blood in the body. Therefore, the blood is able to be produced and also kept within the vessels. The two phases that "the spleen controls the blood" and "qi secures the blood" are essentially synonymous in the physiology. Pathologically,
hemorrhage occurring due to the failure to secure the blood in the deficiency of qi and blood caused by the unhealthy spleen in transportation is called that "the spleen fails to control the blood". So the principles of this hemorrhage are similar to those of that "qi fails to secure the blood".
3) The spleen governs the muscles and four limbs
Because the spleen is the source of qi and blood formation,
all the muscles and four limbs rely for their nutrition on the essence of water and grain transported and transformed by the spleen. Therefore, if the spleen function in transportation and transformation is healthy, there will be sufficient nutrition in the whole body, the muscles will be full and sound and the four limbs will be powerful.
If not, there will be wasting of the muscles, loss of limb power, and even flaccidity and paralysis ill severe cases.
4) The spleen opens into the mouth
That the spleen opens into the mouth refers to the 'relationship of the spleen function in transportation and transformation to the appetite and taste in the mouth. If the spleen function in transportation and transformation is healthy, the appetite will be good and taste in the mouth will be normal. The disorders of the spleen are often reflected in the changes in appetite and abnormality in taste in the mouth, such as bland, swaet, or sticky taste. Furthermore, if the spleen is healthy in transportation, qi and blood will
be sufficient and the lips will be red, moist and lustrous. If the spleen fails in transportation, qi and blood will be deficient and the lips will be pale, lustreless, even withered.
5) The stomach governs the acceptance and decomposition of
water and grain Because the stomach functions physiologically to accept the foods and perform the initial stage of digestion, therefore the stomach is described to govern the acceptance and decomposition of water and grain. The food initially in the stomach is sent downwards by the stomach to the small intestine for a further digestion, therefore the stomach that keeps "a free downfiow" is considered normal. The essence in foods is absorbed and distributed by the spleen, so the spleen is said to transport the body fluid for the stomach. If the stomach function of decomposition is disturbed because of some causes, there will be disharmony of the stomach qi, characterized by epigastric fullness, poor appetite, gastric pain, or there will be the upreverse flow of the stomach qi, characterized by nausea, vomiting, belching and hiccup.
6) The spleen and stomach are exteriorly-interiorly related
The spleen and stomach are connected by the meridians to
form an exterior-interior relation. The spleen governs the transportation and transformation, while the stomach governs the acceptance. That the stomach accepts and decomposes water and grain is supposed to prepare for the spleen in the transportation and transformation. That the spleen governs the transportation and transformation, "transports the body fluid for the stomach", is supposed to adapt to the continuing capacity of the stomach for food intake.
Both organs should function in close cooperation in performing
the digestive activity. If the stomach's acceptance is not good, the spleen is caused to get insufficient raw materials to produce qi and blood, while a good appetite with indigestion is also a pathologic state. There is a clear distinction between the stomach's acceptance and spleen's transportation and transformation: loss of appetite or epigastric upset with rapid hunger is attributable to the stomach diseases. Indigestion, abdominal distension after meals and loose stools are attributable to the spleen diseases. For the former, the treatment should be directed toward to increase
the appetite and harmonize the stomach; for the latter, the treatment should be given to strengthen the spleen to help its transportation. The spleen governs the upflow, while the stomach governs the downflow. The spleen's upflow means that the spleen functions of transportation and transformation are not only to digest foods but also to absorb and distribute the nutrient substances and water in foods. The spleen function of distribution is to distribute the nutrient substances upwards to the heart and lung. If the spleen qi fails to ftow upwards, there will be the pathological changes of the central qi collapse, characterized by downbearing and distending
sensation in abdomen, diarrhea, prolapse of rectum, etc.. The
stomach's downflow includes the functions of the stomach and
intestines and refers to the functions of the stomach and intestines in transporting foods downwards for gradual digestion. Therefore the stomach that keeps a free downflow is considered normal. If the stomach qi flows upwards instead of downwards, there will be the symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, belching, hiccup, constipation, etc.. The spleen's upftow and stomach's downflow are mutually complementary. The spleen is to raise the clear qi (the essential qi of water and grain), while the stomach is to descend the turbid qi. The failure of the clear qi to flow upwards leads to the failure of the turbid qi to come downwards; while the failure of the turbid qi to flow downwards may also impair the upflow of the clear qi.
2..4 The Liver and Gallbladder
1) The liver governs the free flow
That the liver governs the free flow means that the liver qi has the physiological functions of ensuring smooth and uninterrupted flow. The free flow reflects the smooth and regular physiological state of the liver. Neither inhibitory nor excitant, it often keeps a full vitality. The liver function to govern the free flow can be seen
in the following aspects:
(1) Smoothness of qi activity The activities of qi and
blood, meridians and collaterals, zang-fu organs, and organs and tissues of the human body, are the function of "q; activity". The smoothness or unsmoothness of qi activity is a manifestation of normal or abnormal liver function in governing the free flow. Only when the liver function in governing the free flow is normal, can the qi activity be smooth and regular, therefore qi and blood are harmonious, the meridians and collaterals are unobstructed and zang-fu organs function normally. If the liver function in governing the free flow is abnormal, qi activity is unsmooth and irregular,
and various pathological changes would occur. If the liver qi is depressed in the liver and its meridian, there will be the symptoms such as distending pain in the chest and hypochondrium, distending pain in the breasts, distending pain in the lower abdomen, etc..
If the liver qi reverses to attack the stomach transversely, there will be the symptoms such as dashing pain in the epigastrium, nausea, vomiting, belching, etc.. If the liver gi attacks the spleen, there will be the symptoms such as distending pain in the chest, hypochondrium and abdomen, borborygmus, diarrhea, etc.. In a further
stage of development, qi stagnation may influence the blood circulation and lead to blood stasis, forming masses in the abdomen. Qi stagnation may transform into fire, causing exhaustion of blood or frenetic movement of blood, so as to affect thc liver function to store blood.
(2) Secretion and excretion of bile The gallbladder is located
behind the right lobe of the liver and stores the bile. Production and secretion of bile depend upon the liver and that "the surplus of the liver qi permeates the gallabladder and accumulates into bile". Therefore, the secretion and excretion of the bile are the important part of the liver function in governing the free flow. If the liver fails to govern the free flow, there will be irregularities in bile secre-
tion and excretion, leading to the symptoms such as jaundice, bitter taste in the mouth, vomiting of yellow fluid, distending pain in hypochondrium, flatulence, diminished food intake, etc..
(3) Changes of emotional activities The human emotional
activities, such as joy, anger, anxiety, preoccupation, sorrow, fear and fright (called "the seven emotional factors"), are the natural responses of the 1-,rain to the objective reality of the outside environment. In Chinese medicine, "the seven emotional factors", as one type of the causes of diseases, can affect the functions of the zang-fu organs, particularly the liver function in governing the free flow.
If the liver fails to govern the free flow, qi activity will be irregular,leading to abnormal emotional changes which manifest as inhibitation and excitement. If the liver qi is inhibitant, there will be distension and fullness in the chest and hypochondrium, depression, melancholy with desire for crying. If the liver qi is exciting, there
will be irritability, fury, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, distension in head, headache, blurred vision, vertigo, etc.. The disorder in the liver disturbs the function in governing the free flow, leading to the mental and emotional abnormalities. On the contrary, the mental sitmulation from the outside, such as depression or anger,
may lead to the abnormalities of the liver function in governing the free flow, so as to cause the problems as liver qi stagnation, irregularity of qi activity, etc..
2) The liver stores the blood
The liver functions to store the blood and regulate the amount
of blood. The amount of blood in the various parts of the body
varies in accordance with the physiological needs. During physical exertion, the blood is distributed throughout the body to meet the needs of the normal activities. When the body is at rest, some part of blood flows back to the liver to be stored. Therefore, "the feet receive blood and then can walk, the hands receive blood and then can grip". When the liver function in storing the blood is disturbed, two possible disorders may arise. First, the amount of blood stored in the liver is insufficient, so that there is no enough blood to be distributed throughout the body to supply the needs
for the physiological activities. For example, if the blood fails to nourish the eyes, there will be blurred vision, dry eyes and night blindness; if the blood fails to nourish the tendons, there will be contracture or motor impairment of the tendons; if the blood fails to infuse into the Flush Vessel Meridian and the Conception Vessel
Meridian in women, there will be scanty menses and amenorrhea.
Secondly, the liver function in storing the blood is disturbed, so that the pathological phenomena of hemorrhage may occur, such as excessive menses, functional uterine bleeding, etc., which are known as "the failure of the liver to store the blood".
3) The liver governs the tendons, with its manifestation in the nails The tendon movement throughout the body is related to the
liver functions. Only when the blood in the liver is sufficient, can it infuse its qi into the the tendons and nourish the tendons completely, so as to keep normal movement. If the blood in the liver is insufficient, the blood cannot nourish the tendons and there will be the symptoms such as contracture, or numbness, or motor impairment of the limbs; if the liver wind stirs internally, there will be the spmptoms such as tremor, convulsion, trismus, opisthotonos, etc.. "The nails are the surplus of the tendons" means that when the blood in the liver is sufficient, the nails are red, lustrous and strong. But when the blood in the liver is insufficient,
the nails are pale, thin, deformed and brittle.
4) The liver opens into the eyes
The liver stores the blood and the Liver Meridian goes up-
wards to connect the eye system. That the eyes can have vision
mainly depend upon the nourishment of the liver blood. Clinically, some eye disorders are one part of the pathological manifestations of the liver. If the yin blood of the liver is insufficient, there will be night blindness, dry eyes and blurred vision. In upflaming of the liver fire, there will be redness, swelling and pain in the eyes. In the hyperactivity of the liver yang, there will be blurred vision. In internal stirring of the liver wind, there will be deviation
or upward movement of the eyeballs.
5) The gallbladder stores and excretes the bile
The gallbladder is attached to the liver and stores the bile.
Bitter in taste and yellow in color, the bile comes from the liver and is formed by the surplus qi of the liver. The bile flows freely downwards to infuse into the intestines to assist the digestion of food. If qi of the liver and gallbladder flows reversely or there is damp heat in the liver and gallbladder, there will be the symptoms such as bitter taste in the mouth,vomiting of bitter fluid and yellow face and eyes due to over flow of the bile.
6) The liver and gallbladder are exteriorly-interiorly related
The liver and gallbladder are connected by the meridians to
form art exterior-interior relation. The liver is related to the emotions,' while the sufficiency or deficiency of the gallbladder qi also affects the emotional changes. Clinically, some mental and emotional disorders such as palpitation, timidness, insomnia, dream disturbed sleep are often treated from the gallbladder. The bile comes from the liver and is stored in the gallbladder. Therefore, the liver and gallbladder are closely related in physiology and pathology. The liver diseases often affect the gallbladder and vice
versa, leading to the diseases of both the liver and gallbladder such as fire flaming in the liver and gallbladder, damp-heat in the liver and gallbladder, etc..
2.5 The Kidney and Bladder
1) The kidney stores the essence and governs the growth, deve-
lopment and reproduction
The human growth, development and reproduction are reliant
on the essential qi stored in the kidney. The essential qi stored in the kidney is derived from the reproductive essence of the parents (the congenital essence), which is the primitive substance to the development of the embryo. After birth, it is gradually nurtured by the essence in food (the acquired essence) to become gradual exuberant. From the childhood, the essence in the kidney gradually exuberates and reaches its fullness in puberty; men are able to produce sperm and women are able to ovulate according to the monthly cycle. Thus the reproductive function comes to maturity.
In old age, the essential qi in the kidney weakens gradually, the sexual and reproductive functions gradually fade away, and the body degenerates. If the kidney function in storing the essence is disturbed, the growth, development and reproductive ability will be affected. Some diseases such as infertility, loss of hairs and teeth, retarded development of children and flaccidity of tendons and bones are the manifestations of deficiency of the essential qi in the kidney.
The essential qi in the kidney includes the kidney yin and kidney yang. The kidney yin is the root of the yin fluid in the human body and functions to moisten and nourish the zang-fu organs and tissues. The kidney yang is the root of the yang qi in the human body and functions to warm and promote the zang-fu~ organs and tissues. According to the attribution of yin and yang, the essence belongs to yin, while qi belongs to yang. Therefore, the kidney essence is also called the kidney yin, while the kidney qi is also called the kidney yang. The kidney yin and yang are mutually conditioned and interdependent, so as to keep the dynamic balance inside the human body. If this balance is disturbed, there will be the patho-logical changes of disharmony between yin and yang of the kidney.
For example, the symptoms such as dysphoria with feverish sensation in chest, palms and soles, tidal fever, night sweating, nocturnal emission in men and somnial copulation in women, are the syndrome of fire preponderance due to yin deficiency, in conjunction with the deficiency of the kidney yin which cannot restrict yang. While the symptoms such as low-spiritedness, lassitude, cold pains in the low back and knees, chills in the four limbs, dysuria or frequent urination, impotence and premature ejaculation in men and infer-
tility in women because of cold in the uterus, are related to the deficiency of the kidney yang and weakness of the warming function.
2) The kidney governs the acceptance of qi
The respiration is dominated by the lung, but the qi inhaled
should be sent downwards to be accepted by the kidney qi. The
kidney function in accepting qi has an important significance to the human respiration. Only when the kidney qi is sufficient, can the kidney accept qi normally, can the qi pathway of lung be unobstructed and can the respiration be normal. If the kidney is deficient and the root is not firm, the qi inhaled cannot be accepted by the kidney, thus leading to the symptoms of shortness of breath in physical exertion and difficult breathing.
3) The kidney governs the bones and produces the marrow
In fact, the governance of the bones and production of the mar-
row are also one of the component parts of the functions of the
kidney essential qi in promoting growth and development. The
kidney stores the essence, the essence produces the marrow, and
the marrow nourishes the bones. The growth, development and
repairment of the bones depend upon the nourishment and pro-
motion of the essential qi in the kidney. Therefore, the symptoms as retarded closure of the fontanels and flaccid bones in children are the manifestations of the deficiency of the essential qi in the kidney. The deficiency of the kidney essence can lead to the deficiency of bone marrow and present the weakness of legs and disability to walk, or stiffness of low back and disability to antefiex and retroflex. That many kidney-tonifying drugs can accelerate the bone repairment also explains the relationship between the kidney and bones. "Teeth are the surplus of the bones", therefore, the slow growth of teeth in children and early looseness and loss
of teeth in adults are due to the deficiency of the essential qi in the kidney. Hence, some dental disorders of the deficient pattern can be dealt with by treating the kidney.
Because the kidney can produce marrow and the brain is known
as the sea of the marrow, there is also a close relationship between the kidney and brain marrow. The insufficiency of the essential qi in the kidney can cause the empiness and deficiency in the sea of marrow and can lead to the symptoms such as vertigo, sluggish mentation, decrease of memory, etc.. Those symptoms should also be treated with the drugs to tonify the kidney.
4) The kidney governs the water
The kidney has the functions to distill the body fluid and re-
gulate its distribution and excretion of the waste water in order to maintain the function of water metabolism inside the body. The water fluids inside the body are deprived from the acceptance of the stomach and are distributed to the whole body by the transportation of the spleen and the unbostruction and regulation of the lung, and their waste fluids are infused downwards to the bladder where they are discharged out of the body. This process only can be fulfilled by the qi transforming function of the kidney. For example, the impairment of the qi transforming function due to insufficiency of the kidney yang qi can either cause the disorders in the regulation of water metabolism, presenting scanty urine, retention of
urine and water swelling, or the disability to secure the water fluids due to the deficiency of the kidney yang, presenting clear and profuse urine, frequent nocturia, etc..
5) The kidney opens into the ears and two orifices, with the
manifestations in the hair The hearing function of the ears is reliant on the nourishment of the essential qi irt the kidney. If the essential qi in the kidney is sufficient, the-hearing sense is acute. If the essential qi in the kidney is insufficient, there will be tinnitus, decrease of hearing
ability, etc.. Deficiency of the essential qi in old age often leads to deafness.The two orifices refer to the anterior orifice (the genital organ) and posterior orifice (the anus). The functions of these organs are related to the essential qi in the kidney. Pathologically, the kidney deficiency leads to abnormalities of defecation and urination, such as scanty urine, retention of urine, or clear and profuse urine, in-
continence of urine, or chronic diarrhea, incontinence of feces, etc.,or leads to the disorders of the reproductive system, such as impotence, premature ejaculation, seminal emission, etc..The essence and blood are mutually multiplied, and the sufficient essence makes the blood abundant. The nourishment of the hair comes from the blood, so it is said that "the hair is the surplus of the blood". The nourishment of hair comes from the blood, but its vitality is rooted in the kidney qi. Therefore, the growth or loss of hair and the moisture or withering of hair are all related to the sufficiency or deficiency of the essential qi in the
kidney. The adults have the sufficient essential qi in the kidney, so their hair is lustrous; the aged have the deficient essential qi in the kidney, so their hair becomes grey or even loses.
6) The bladder stores and excretes the urine
The bladder, one of the organs in the human body to perform
the water metabolism, functions physiologically to store and
excrete the urine. In the process of water metabolism in the human body, the water fluids are distributed throughout the body by the functions of the lung, spleen, kidney and Sanjiao (triple energizer). After full use by the body, they are infused downwards to the bladder and transformed into urine, which is excreted out of the body by the qi transforming function of the bladder. If the bladder fails to have its qi transforming ability, there will be the difficulty of urination or retention of urine. If the bladder loses its securing
ability, there will be frequent urination, incontinence of urine.
7) The kidney and bladder are exteriorly4nteriorly related
The kidney and bladder are connected by the meridians to
form an exterior-interior relation. The bladder has the physiological function to store and excrete the urine. This is closely relatcd to the qi transforming function of the kidney. The storage is the securing function of the kidney qi, while the excretion is the dredging function of the kidney qi. The two functions are known as the "opening" and "closing" functions of the kidney. The opening and dosing of the kidney qi govern that the urine is infused downwards to the bladder where the urine is stored to a certain amount
for excretion. The qi transforming function of the bladder is actually one part of thc qi transforming function of the kidney. The pathological manifestations of the bladder, such as retention of urine,dribbling of urine, or frequent urination, urgent urination, painful urination, or profuse urine, enuresis, incontinence of urine, etc.,
are often related to the disturbance of the opening and closing of the kidney, besides the disorders of the bladder itself.
2.6 The Pericardium and Sanjiao (Triple Energizer)
1) The pericardium
The pericardium, also known as the pericardium collateral,
is a membrane surrounding the heart and functions to protect the heart. The pathogens invading the heart would first affect the pericardium. In fact, the conditions of the affected pericardium coincide with those of the heart. For example, loss of consciousness and delirium due to high fever are termed that "the heat enters the pericardium". The mental derangement due to phlegm-turbidity is termed that "the phlegm-turbidity mists the pericardium".
2) The Sanjiao (triple energizer)
The Sanjiao (triple energizer) dominates all kinds of qi,
governs the qi transforming functions of the human body and is
the pathway to pass the Yuan-Primary Qi. The Yuan-Primary Qi
is derived from the kidney, but must be distributed throughout the body by the pathway of Sanjiao (triple energizer), so as to invigorate and promote the functional activities of all the zang-fu organs and other organs and tissues.
The Sanjiao (triple energizer) is also the pathway to transport
the water and grain. The digestion, absorption, distribution and excretion of water and grain in the human body, especially the water, are a complicated physiological process fulfilled jointly by several zang-fu organs, including the functions of the Sanjiao (triple energizer). The reason why the Sanjiao (triple energizer) can pass the water and grain and become the pathway of water metabolism is related to the Sanjiao (triple energizer) functions to dominate all kinds of qi and govern the qi transforming function of the human body.
The Sanjiao (triple energizer) is divided into the upper, middle and lower portions to enable them to have their individual qi transforming function for digestion, absorption, distribution and excretion of water and grain. The portion above the diaphragm is known as the upper energizer, including the heart and lung. The upper energizer governs dispersing and distributing abilities, i.e.,
through the distributing function of the heart and lung, the essential qi of water and grain can be sent throughout the body to warm and nourish the skin, muscles, tendons and bones and to dredge and regulate the striations. The portion from the diaphragm to the umbilicus is known as the middle energizer, including the spleen and stomach. That the middle energizer governs the decomposition of water and grain refers that the spleen and stomach function to digest the food, absorb the essence and distil the body fluid for transforming the nutritional substances into qi and blood. The portion
below the umbilicus is known as the lower energizer, including the liver, kidney, large and small intestines, bladder, etc.. The lower energizer governs the separation of the clear from the turbid, and excretes the metabolized water and waste. This function refers to the function of the kidney and bladder in urination and that of the intestines in defecation. Generally speaking, the functions of the Sanjiao (triple energizer) are related to the whole process of the digestion, absorption, distribution and excretion of the essence in
water and grain, especially to the water metabolism. Therefore, if the water pathway of the Sanjiao (triple energizer) is obstructed, there will be retention of water, leading to the symptoms such as dysuria, edema, etc..
3) The pericardium and Sanjiao (triple energizer) are exteriorly- interiorly related
The pericardium and Sanjiao (triple energizer) are connected
by the meridians to form an exterior-interior relation.
2,7 The Extraordinary Organs
The extraordinary organs include the gallbladder, brain, marrow, bone, vessel and uterus, among which the gallbladder, brain and uterus are more significant clinically in the diagnosis and treatment.
The gallbladder has previously been introduced. Here only the
brain and uterus will be explained.
1) The brain
In Chinese medicine, the mental, conscious and thinking ac-
tivities of the human beings belong to the heart and are somewhat related to the liver and kidney, but there is still certain knowledge
about the brain. For example, the brain is considered as the sea of the marrow and is understood to have the function to govern the mental consciousness and thinking activities of the human beings.
And the physical movement of the limbs and the neural and mental activities, such as visual sense, hearing sense, etc., are all understood to be related to the brain. If "the sea of the marrow is insufficient, there will be vertigo, tinnitus, soreness in legs, blurred vision, visual blackouts and lethargy". Analysed from the organ phenomenon theory, the various aspects of the brain in physiology, pathology, pattern identification and treatment belong mainly to the heart, liver and kidney respectively. That "the heart houses the mind" refers basically to the function of brain in mental activities and thought. The syndrome that "the heat enters the pericardium" and "the phlegm mists the heart aperture" are the disorders of the central neural system.
The disharmony between yin and yang and between qi and blood of
the heart partially belongs to the disorders of functional activities in the brain. The drugs which can nourish blood and calm mind,open the aperture, eliminate phlegm, nourish the heart yin, and warm the heart yang have certain effect on the central neural system.
Some part of the physiological activities that "the liver governs the free flow" and "the liver governs the tendons" belong to the function of the brain. In the syndrome of "stagnation of the liver qi" and of"hyperactivity of liver yang", some symptoms are related to the central neural system. The syndrome of "internal stirring of the liver wind" basically includes the symptoms of the central neural system. The drugs which can soothe the liver, balance the liver, suppress yang and extinguish wind have certain effect on the central
neural system. The kidney stores the essence and produces the
marrow, while the brain is the sea of the marrow, so the kidney is more closely related to the brain. Insufficiency of the kidney essence can lead to the disturbance of the cerebral development in children and the degeneration of cerebral function in adults and the elderly. Some drugs which can tonify the kidney have some effect on the improvement of the cerebral function.
2) The uterus
The uterus is considered as the organ of menstrual cycle and
childbearing and is related to the following three factors.
(1) The functions of the essential qi in the kidney Only
when supported by the exuberance of the essential qi in the kidney,can the female reproductive organs develop to maturity to ensure proper menstruation and adequate conditions for conception and childbearing. In old age, the essential qi in the kidney becomes deficient; the menstruation ceases and the reproductive function is then lost. Therefore, the essential qi in the kidney is the fundamental condition to keep normal menstruation and childbearing.
(2) The functions of the Flush Vessel Meridian and Conception
Vessel Meridian Both the Flush Vessel Meridian and Conception
Vessel Meridian start from the uterus. The Conception Vessel
Meridian joins the three Foot-Yin Meridians in the lower abdomen and regulates all the yin meridians of the body. Thus it is known as "the sea of the yin meridians". The Flush Vessel Meridian overlaps the Kidney Meridian and regulates qi and blood in the twelve regular meridians. Thus it is known as "the sea of blood".When qi and blood are sufficient in the twelve regular meridians,they are infused into the Flush and Conception Vessels. By the regulation of the Flush and Conception Vessels, they enter the uterus to permit menstruation. In children, because the kidney
qi has not been abundant and the uterus has not yet developed, the Flush and Conception Vessels are not fully filled, therefore the menses would not start. At the age about fifty, because the essential qi in the kidney becomes deficient gradually, the Flush and Conception Vessels are not sufficient as well, therefore there would be menstrual
irregularity gradually and menopause finally. These are the physiological phenomena. If the Flush and Conception Vessels are disturbed, there will be such problems as irregularity of menstrual
cycle, etc..
(3) The functions of the heart, liver and spleen The heart
governs the blood, the liver steres the blood, and the spleen controls the blood. These three organs function to regulate the blood of the whole body, so they are related to the menstruation. If the liver fails to store the blood, or ifthe spleen fails to control the blood,
there will be such symptoms as profuse menses, shortened menstrual cycle, prolonged menstrual period, metrorrhagia, metrostaxis, etc..
Either in the insufficiency of the production of the blood caused by that the spleen is deficient and fails to transport and transform the essence of water and grain or in the insufficiency of the heart blood related to that the mental and emotional abnormility influences the heart, there would be scanty menstruation, prolonged menstrual
cycle, even amenorrhea, etc.. For another example, when the mental depression affects the liver function in governing the free flow, there would also be menstrual irregularities due to stagnation of liver qi.

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