INTERNAL CANON OF THE YELLOW EMPERORTHE ZANG-FU SYSTEM AND THE MANIFESTATION – PART 1
Stanley LiangPh.D., R.TCMP, R.Ac
Dr. Stanley, R.TCMP
Text reading
S8 – Discussion on the Secret Canons in Royal Library S9 – Discussion on Six-Plus-Six System and
manifestations of the Viscera S11 – Different Discussion on the Five Zang Organs S21 – Special Discussion on Channels and Vessels S29 – Discussion on Taiyin and Yangming S8L – Basic State of Spirit S18L – The Production and Convergence of Yingqi and
Weiqi S30L – Differentiation of Qi
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What is Zang Xiang (Viscera Manifestation)
Core of the ZangFu theory Focus on manifestation Research on the Zang-Fu and their corresponding
meridians, tissues, and orifices; their physiological rules, and interaction
Five systems respectively centered by heart, lung, liver, spleen, and kidney
To name a meridian in Lingshu: Zang – hand/ foot -Yin/Yang meridian is a system centered by Zang
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Content of Zang Xiang
The five Zang organs + Pericardium (host of heart) The six Fu organs The singular Fu organs Meridians Tissues Orifice Spirits
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Suwen – Chapter 8
Ling-lan (room of orchid): the royal library of the Yellow Emperor
Secret information only exposed to a few people The interactive functions of the 12 organs
Five Zang organs + pericardium Six Fu organs
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The interactive functions of the 12 organs as a administrative system
Analogy of a governmental systemDr. Stanley, R.TCMP
The role of heart
The king organ Control the whole body and other organs Generates and holds the spirit Brain dominates the consciousness? In TCM, the heart SYSTEM control and regulate
consciousness – learn by heart, remember by heart Intestine brain: the peptides produced by the
digestive tract regulate some neural activities
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The role of lung
The prime minister organ To assist the king and to manage Zhijie: managing for Zang-fu, Qi, blood, Ying & Wei To adjust the blood circulation and all vessels Lung is the cover of the heart (on the top of the
heart) The normal circulation of Qi and blood, and normal
interior and exterior movements are propelled by the Qi of lung
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The role of liver
The general organ Maintain the normal emotion & mood Support critical thinking Anger causes liver Qi dysfunction thus disturbs
normal thinking Liver holds blood, controls the spirit of anger Liver disease causes irritable emotion
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Case study
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Female, 30, Schizophrenia, always in high emotion, delirium, insomnia, irritable, conspitation, red face, red tongue with sting and yellow coating, rapid and stringy pulse
Syndrome Treatment principle Formula
The role of gall bladder
The official justice (judge) organ – impartiality Liver governs thinking, gall bladder governs
decision making Typical disorders:
Insomnia Anxiety depression
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The role of pericardium (Shanzhong)
The convey organ, close servant of the king (heart) Governs the emotion of happy, to convey the
feeling of happiness of the heart The castle to protect the king (heart) If the heart is attacked by external evil directly, it
will cause death, so the pericardium is attacked by the evil to project the heart
The basis foundation of Wenbing
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The role of spleen and stomach
The granary organ Digest, absorption, transportation Convert the food into essence Qi to nurish The basis of so-called “post-congenital
functions” The source and generator of Qi and blood
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The role of large intestine
The transportation and conversion organ The relation of large intestine and bladder
The water or fluid is separated into feces and urine in large intestine
Diarrhea / loose feces can cause oliguria Excessive urine can cause constipation
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The role of small intestine
The reception and digestion Further digest the food transferred from the
stomach Separate the clear and turbid from food
Essence of water and grain Waste product of digestion
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The role of kidney
The organ with multiple functions and skills Holds the congenital essence Sufficient congenital essence promote
intelligence Ensure the normal digestion functions to extract
the nutrition from food Ensure normal urination and defecation
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Case study
Dr. Stanley, R.TCMP
45 year old female, right kidney stone, 1cm by ultrasonic scan, back pain on right side, abdominal flatulence on the right, normal urination
Syndrome Treatment principle Formula
The role of Triple Energizer (Sanjiao)
The organ for dredging and water passage Provide the passage for water The Qi of the triple energizer propel the running of
water circulation To distill the water to the Qi status for circulation for
urination and sweat
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The role of bladder
The reservoir for water, propel the Qi and water circulation by the distilling function (Qi Hua)
The functions of the TCM bladder is far more than the bladder in western medicine, including both bladder, kidney, and the excretion system
Connect with the skin and hair of body surface by the Foot-Taiyang meridian of bladder
The distilling or Qi Hua function Promote sweating Promote urination Transfer water to blood
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The important role of the 12 Zang Fu
The functions of the 12 Zang Fu are mutually related
The normality of the heart plays the central role for a clear mental status
If the spirit is abnormal, it will harm the rest 11 Zang Fu
Importance of healthy behavior and mind
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The central role of the heart
Heart is the master of the 5 Zang organs and the 6 Fu organs
Heart cannot be attached by external evil Many herbal formula to recover unconsciousness focus
on cleaning the evils from the pericardium It is important the evaluate the status of spirit when
inspecting the patient for prognosis The spirit should be withhold by the eyes inside the
pupils Voice / sound should be with spirit The pulse should feel with spirit and root
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The complexity of medicine
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The complexity of medicine and the functions of human body
The interaction among human body, environment, climate changes, and prognosis
The details lies in the microcosmic
The medical knowledge can be learned by quantitative analysis, microcosmic observation like modern medicine
Suwen – Chapter 9
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This chapter can be separated into two parts Part one is about the interaction of natural environment
and human body, or the five seasons and six external factors (Wu Yun Liu Qi)
The second part is about Zang Fu manifestation The Yin Yang character of the Zang Fu can be sub-
divided to Tai-Yang, Shao-Yang, Yang-Ming, Tai-Yin, Shao-Yin, Jue-Yin
Zang Fu organs from Yin Yang
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The physical body is formed by the two Qi: Yin and Yang
The diversity of spices is formed by the different quantities of Yin and Yang
Based on the levels of Yin and Yang, they can be named: Tai-Yang, Shao-Yang, Yang-Ming, Tai-Yin, Shao-Yin, Jue-Yin
The five elements and the six Qi
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The five elements at earth: wood, fire, earth, metal, water
The six Qi in the heaven: wind, coldness, summer-heat, dampness, dryness, fire
The generation of the five-yun-six-qi is based on the changing quantity of Yin-Yang
The five colors and five flavors of plants are generated by the changing quantity of Yin-Yang
The Yin-Yang qualities of different Zang Fu gives their different preference
Human body should be fed by the five flavors to nourish different Zang Fu
The heaven Qi and the food flavors
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The heaven Qi has more impact to the Zang Fu functions compared to the food flavors
The five types of Qi response to different Zang Fu organs
The five flavors response different Zang Fu organ preference
The mechanism of the nourishing
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The five Qi enters from nostril, resting on the upper Jiao at the heart and the lung
The sufficiency of heart and lung Qi can reflect on face the voice
The fluid is generated based on harmonized Qi, and maintains the normal spirit
The harmonized Qi also ensures normal Zang Fu functioning
How to identify the Yin Yang character
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Location: upper (chest) – Yang, lower (abdomen) –Yin
Movement tendency Ascend – Yang: heart, spleen, liver (main function) Descend – Yin: lung, kidney (main function) Fu Organ (intestine, stomach, bladder, gall bladder) –
mainly descend
Function of the heart
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Root: life Hosting: spirit (Shen) Manifestation: face Nourish: blood vessles Yin-Yang: Taiyang of Yang Season Qi: summer
Function of the lung
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Root: Qi Hosting: Po (consciousness) Manifestation: body hair Nourish: skin Yin-Yang: Taiyin of Yang Season Qi: autumn
Function of the kidney
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Root: storage Hosting: Jing (essence) Manifestation: hair Nourish: bones Yin-Yang: Shaoyin of Yin Season Qi: Winter
Function of the liver
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Root: exhaustion (tendon) Hosting: hun (thinking and
dreaming) Manifestation: nail Nourish: sinew Yin-Yang: Shaoyang of
Yang Season Qi: spring
Function of the spleen and gall bladder
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Root: granary Hosting: Ying (nutrient-Qi) Manifestation: lips Nourish: muscles Yin-Yang: Zhiyin of Yin Season Qi: the last 18 days
of each season The normal digestion needs
the propelling of the Qi of gall bladder
Summary of Zang Xiang
Dr. Stanley, R.TCMP
Zang Xiang, or organ manifestation is the core theory of Neijing Its main focus is the physiological functions, but it is also related to
the anatomy Different syndrome aspects
Zang Fu – location Meridian – location and interaction Qi, blood, Jin, fluid – depth Six meridian – how the evils are transferred Triple energier / Sanjiao – location Wei-Qi-Ying-blood: the path where the evils invade Yin-Yang
Relation of Zang Fu with season Qi
Chapter 11 – Different discussion of the Five Zang Fu
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Classify the Zang Fu functions by the function of hosting and the function of transferring
The way to observe orifices The theoretical basis of pulse diagnosis
The standard of Zang and Fu
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What is the standard to determine an organ as Zang
What is the standard to determine an organ as Fu
Based on hosting or transferring
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The Qiheng Fu-Organs Generated by the earth-Qi
(yin) but their functions are Yang (Yin-based, Yang functioning)
The five-Fu organ: Yang functioning – transferring food, no withhold
The function of Pomen, or anus – regulated by the normal Qi of Zang
Food waste should not be withheld for too long
The hosting of five Zang and transferring of the six Fu
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The five Zang withhold the Qi, should be full of Qi but not filled by food
The disorders of Zang are more likely to be deficiency
The six Fu transfers food, should be filled with food but not full with Qi
The withhold and transfer functions
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Qi essence is withheld in Zang, the turbid Qi should be discharged
The food is transferred by Fu, but the Fu organs also have their essence
The Qiheng organs is empty inside, but their main function is to withhold the Qi essence
The gall bladder and the uterus with the essence, but meanwhile discharge the overfilled essence
The function of the Pomen (anus)
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The normal function of anus (open/close) affects the Qi circulation of Zang Fu
The Pomen is considered as the envoy of the five Zang organs
The close of Pomen is controlled by the normal function of Qi
Restore normal defecation is a key method to regulate the Qi function of the Zang Fu organs
How Pulse diagnosis works
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Qikou can reflect the conditions of all Zang organs
Stomach of the sea of food and source of Qi and blood
The close relation of the lung meridian and the spleen meridian regarding position and path of the lung meridian
Stuffy nose reflects both lung and heart disease
Why Qikou can manifest all five Zang organs
Dr. Stanley, R.TCMP
Qikou is located on the lung meridian Lung governs all vessels, vessels links the spleen and
stomach for food essence extraction and circulation The lung stomach origins from the middle Jiao, so it
reflects the function of the digestion Cun – Taiyuan(Yuan/Shu point), Chi-Jingqu(Jing point) Reflects spleen, kidney, and spirit:
Wei (Digestion) Shen (Zang Qi) Gen (root)
Case study
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38, female, history of coronary heart disease, occasional breath difficulty, chest tightness
Chapter 21– special discussion on Channels and vessels
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The excessive use of normal functions of Zang Fu will cause disease
The distribution of food essence and the metabolism How the Zang Fu functions affects the meridians
The interaction of behavior and Zang Fu
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Midnight (1AM-3AM), peak of Yin, affects kidney
Kidney cannot withhold Qi from ascending asthma
The Qi disorder affects lung
Falling down harms sinew and tendon harms liver
The interactions (cont.)
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Fear disturbs Qi in upper Jiao, it harms heart and lung Falling down and harms bone, affects kidney Strong person is easy to restore balance of Qi Weak person is difficult to restore the balance Thorough physical examination helps to make correct
diagnosis Eating excessively harms stomach, excessive emotion
harms heart, long jugging harms kidney, rapid running harms liver, over working harms spleen
Abnormal climate in seasons also causes disease
Mental factors
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Patients personality and physical fitness affect prognosis
Doctor’s professionalism also plays an important role Physical resistance Mental stability Carefulness
How disease affects mental status
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The disease affects mental status
Should respect patient’s consent and choice
The impact of patient’s consent and cooperation on efficacy
The excessiveness
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Excessiveness of climate in different seasons Excessiveness of emotion Excessiveness of flavors of food
Diet control Diabetes
Excessiveness of labor Excessiveness of drug administration
The distribution of essence
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Absorbed in stomach Extracted by spleen Distributed by Qi of lung Descended by bladder via the
triple energizer Disseminated and nourish the
body by the meridians of the Five Zang organs
Match the needs of different seasons
The function of Sanjiao
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The channel for water circulation
Propelled by the Qi function of lung
The water is finally sent to bladder
Have both ascending and descending functions
Questions/Discussions
The role of each Zang Fu organs The five Zang-Fu-body system The effect of internal and external evils
to Zang Fu The mental impacts to Zang Fu function The theoretical basis of pulse diagnosis The function of food and water
digestion
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