[这个贴子最后由兰心在 2004/01/08 01:29pm 第 1 次编辑]
The zang and fu organs are the internal visible organs of the body. The xin-heart, gan-liver, pi-spleen, fei-lung, shen-kidney and pericardium are the zang organs. The small intestine, large intestine, stomach, gall-bladder, urinary bladder and sanjiao are the fu organs.
The zang organs have a Chinese prefix because a direct translation from the Chinese might be misleading. The Chinese xin has functions rather different from the concept of the heart in Western medicine, so if we call the heart 'xin-heart', or the liver 'gan-liver', we are able to understand that we are referring to the organ of the heart or the liver, but it is really rather different from our concept of those organs.
The zang organs are of paramount importance in the body. They co-ordinate with the fu organs and connect with the five tissues (channels, jin1 muscles, skin-hair, bones), and the nine openings (eyes, nose, ears, mouth, tongue, anus and external genitalia), to form the system of the Five Zang. The pericardium is not considered to be an important zang organ.
The Functions of the Zang Organs
The xin-heart
The xin-heart dominates the circulation of blood. When it functions properly the tissues and organs are well perfused and nourished, but when it malfunctions there is precordial pain, cyanosis and ischaemia. This disease is due to 'stagnation of the blood of xin-heart'.
The xin-heart 'keeps' the mind. Normally there is a clear mind, normal mentality, normal sleep and a good memory. When this fails there is coma, insomnia or somnolence, amnesia and mental derangement, because the xin-heart is failing to 'keep' the mind.
The xin-heart takes the tongue as its orifice and opens through it. Normally the tongue is reddish, moist, and moves freely. When the tongue has ulcers, is swollen or becomes purplish-red, there is 'upward blazing of the fire in xin-heart'. When the tongue is rigid and curled up (this may be accompanied by mental symptoms) 'phlegm and heat are covering the orifice of the xin-heart'.
The gan-liver
The gan-liver is the main yang organ of the body.
The gan-liver stores blood. Normally there is sufficient blood supply to all tissues. When this fails there is ischaemia, dizziness, malaise, abnormal menstruation and hemorrhage.
The gan-liver takes charge of freeing. Freeing really means the free flow of blood and qi through the body, especially digestion and the discharge of bile. When this is impaired there is irritability, mental depression, anorexia, abdominal distension and jaundice.
The gan-liver controls the jin which governs the muscle tone. When this function is disturbed there is muscle spasm, twitching, opisthotonos and convulsions. This is due to an 'insufficiency of yin and blood of the gan-liver, resulting in the malnutrition of the jin'.
The gan-liver takes the eye as its orifice and opens through it. Usually there is normal vision and normal eye movement. When this function is disturbed there is poor vision, night blindness, nystagmus and abnormal eye movements. This is due to an 'insufficiency of yin and blood in the gan-liver causing malnutrition of the eyes and stirring of the inner wind of the gan-liver.'
The pi-spleen
The pi-spleen governs the transportation and transformation of food, i.e. digestion. When digestion is abnormal there is anorexia, distension of the abdomen, diarrhea, emaciation, lassitude and oedema. This is due to 'a deficiency of the qi of pi-spleen'.
The pi-spleen commands the blood. Normally the blood circulates within the blood vessels but when this function fails there is extravasation of blood, chronic recurrent hemorrhage and bruising.
The pi-spleen dominates the muscles. This really means controlling the muscle bulk. Normally there is no muscle wasting, but when there is malnutrition of the muscles they are weak and wasted.
The pi-spleen takes the mouth as its orifice and opens through it. Normal people have a good appetite, a sense of smell and taste and red and moist lips. Abnormally there is anorexia, tastelessness or a sweetish, greasy taste, and pale sore lips. This is due to 'heat and damp in the pi-spleen'.
In addition the qi of pi-spleen lifts and fixes the internal organs in their normal position.
The fei-lung
The fei-lung takes charge of respiration. Normally respiration is even and the tissues are well oxygenated. When this function fails breathing is uneven, there is a cough, dyspnoea, shallow respiration and anoxia. This is due to 'a deficiency of qi of fei-lung which causes an impairment of dissipation and descent of clean qi (oxygen).
The fei-lung frees and regulates the water passage. This function covers the transportation and distribution of nutrients and water, the secretion of sweat and the excretion of urine. Abnormally there will be hyperhydrosis or hypohydrosis, oedema and difficulty in urination due to 'obstruction of the water passage'.
The fei-lung dominates the hair and skin. Normally the skin is lubricious, the hair lustrous, and sweating is normal. Abnormally the skin is rough, the hair dry and withered and the skin is 'loose'. This looseness opens the pores and increases the susceptibility to invasion by pathogenic factors.
The fei-lung takes the nose as its orifice and opens through it. Normally the nose is open and there is an acute sense of smell. Abnormally it may be obstructed, there may be anosmia, epistaxis and flaring of the alae nasi (usually accompanied by fever). This is due to 'invasion of the fei-lung by wind and cold or wind and heat'.
The shen-kidney
The shen-kidney is the main yin organ of the body. The shen-kidney dominates growth, reproduction and development. When this function fails there is a loss of reproductive function, retardation of growth, failure to thrive, and premature senility due to 'an insufficiency of the qi of shen-kidney'.
The shen-kidney produces marrow, filling the brain with marrow, dominating the bones and producing blood. Normally the spinal cord and the brain are fully developed, the bones are strong and the blood sufficient. Abnormally there will be dizziness, tinnitus, insomnia, poor memory and lassitude. The bones will be weak and brittle and the blood will be insufficient. This is due to 'an insufficiency of the essence of shen-kidney'.
The shen-kidney controls body water. This entails normal urine production and micturition. Abnormally there will be oliguria or anuria, oedema, difficult or dribbling micturition, polyuria, enuresis and incontinence. This is due to 'an insufficiency of yang of the shen-kidney failing to control body water'.
The shen-kidney controls the intake of clean qi (air). Abnormally there will be wheezing due to 'the failure of the shen-kidney to control the intake of clean air'.
The shen-kidney takes the ear as its orifice, opening through it. Normally there is sharp hearing, abnormally there is tinnitus, hearing loss, and even total deafness.
The pericardium
This may be called the organ of circulation in some texts. It is the least important of the zang organs.
It encloses and protects the xin-heart and the diseases of the pericardium result in dysfunction of the xin-heart.
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