Bowels & Viscera

Question 1

Bowel & visceral pattern identification

Answer 1

• correlation of information derived from 4 examinations w doctrine of visceral manifestation to determine what bowels or viscera are affected by disease
• identify morbid changes in their qi-blood & yin-yang aspects
• identify affected organ –> based on physiopathological characteristic

Question 2

HEART (bowel & visceral pattern identification)

Answer 2

• opens into tongue and has its fullness in the blood vessels
• symptoms: heart palpitations, interrupted pulses, derangement of heart spirit
• located in chest, surrounded by pericardium
• governs blood and vessels, stores spirit, opens at tongue (reddening of tip of tongue signals disease)
• associated channel connects to small intestine (corresponding exterior organ)
• governs sweat, and speech, and bloom in face

Question 3

LUNG (bowel & visceral pattern identification)

Answer 3

• connected with surface & governs qi
• diffuses, depurates, and bears downward
• opens into nose and has its fullness in blood vessels
• *symptoms: cough, panting, insecurity of defensive exterior

Question 4

SPLEEN / stomach & intestines

bowel & visceral pattern identification

Answer 4

• governs movement & transformation of food
• stomach governs digestion
• intestines govern conveyance & transformation of waste
• *symptoms: vomiting, abdominal distention & fullness, diarrhea

Question 5

LIVER (bowel & visceral pattern identification)

Answer 5

• connected with surface & governs qi
• diffuses, depurates, and bears downward
• connects with throat, opens into nose (outer orifices of Lung, by which great qi/air enters) and has its fullness in blood vessels
• symptoms: cough, panting, insecurity of defensive exterior
• lung is interior and is connected by its channel to the large intestine, which is the corresponding exterior organ
• governs qi → responsible for breathing and production of true qi
• regulate waterway → lung’s qi’s action in regards to water metabolism governs skin and body hair → nourishes skin & hair and protects the exterior against invading evils
• closely related to heart, spleen,, kidney

Question 6

KIDNEY (bowel & visceral pattern identification)

Answer 6

• governs water, stores essence, governs bones & engenders marrow
• opens into ears and the two yin (anus & genitals) & has fullness in bones
• *symptoms: water swelling, urinary block, enuresis, seminal emission, limp aching lumbus & knees, sluggish movement

Question 7

YIN-YANG & QI-BLOOD (bowel & visceral pattern identification)

Answer 7

• once affected bowel or viscus has been identified, relative states of yin, yang, qi, & blood can be determined from 8 principle and qi-blood pattern identification
• HEART & LIVER: ALL 4 aspects
• LUNG: pathologies of yin & qi
• SPLEEN: disorders of qi & yang
• KIDNEY: pathologies of yin-yang & essential qi

Question 8

BOWELS & VISCERA

Answer 8

• organs of chest & abdomen

Question 9

what are the 5 viscera?

Answer 9

1. heart
2. lung
3. spleen
4. liver
5. kidney

Question 10

what is the 6th viscus in channel theory?

Answer 10

pericardium

Question 11

what are the 6 bowels?

Answer 11

1. stomach
2. small intestine
3. large intestine
4. gallbladder
5. bladder
6. triple burner

Question 12

function of viscera

Answer 12

to produce and store essence

“The so-called five viscera store essential qi and do not discharge waste. Thus, they are filled, but are not full.”

Question 13

function of bowels

Answer 13

to decompose food and convey waste

“The six bowels process and convey matter, and do not store. Thus, they are filled, but are not full.”

Question 14

Extraordinary Organs

Answer 14

Brain
Bones
Marrow
Blood vessels
Uterus
Gallbladder (also a bowel)

Question 15

Why is gallbladder classed also as extraordinary organs?

Answer 15

Since the bile it produces is considered as “clear fluids” rather than waste

Question 16

Heart & kidney interact

Answer 16

• Heart connects with lower burner through kidney
• Kidney connects with upper burner through heart
• 2 organs interdependent & counterbalance each other
• if relationship upset -> insomnia, profuse dreaming, lumbar pain, dream emissions

Question 16

LUNG & HEART

Answer 16

• heart governs the blood & vessels & lung faces the hundred vessels
• complementary nature of heart’s function of governing blood & lung’s function of governing qi
• blood passes through the lung before being distributed around the body

Question 17

LUNG & SPLEEN

Answer 17

• spleen is source of phlegm formation & lung is the receptacle that holds phlegm
• damp qi arising when spleen qi is vacuous and fails to move and transform fluids properly gathers and forms into phlegm, which collect in lung

Question 18

LUNG & KIDNEY

Answer 18

• kidney governs water & lung is upper source of water
• lung controls movement of water down to the kidney
• lung governs qi and kidney is the root of qi
• if kidney essential qi is insufficient, it is incapable of ensuring the absorption of qi through the lung → results in respiratory insufficiency characterized by shortness of breath and rapid breathing at the slightest exertion
• mutually engendering (qi & water)

Question 19

SPLEEN

Answer 19

• governs movement & transformation of grains and water and distribution of its essence
• “spleen qi flows through to the mouth. If the stomach and spleen are functioning normally, the individual has a good appetite and normal taste in the mouth.”
• plays an important role in formation of qi & blood
• assimilate nutrients from food in stomach to make qi, blood, and fluids
• stomach responsible for initial decomposition of “grain and water” → spleen extracts essence (nutrients) of food and dispatches it to other organs to reach all parts of body
• spleen “moves the fluid of the stomach” → drink enters stomach, where it is churned and its essential qi is strained off → is carried to spleen and further distributed by spleen qi → passes up to lung, which regulates the waterways down to the bladder → water essence is distributed to 4 parts, passing through the 5 channels
• digestion, assimilation, distribution of nutrients
• source of blood and qi formation
• engenders and contains blood
• governs flesh and limbs

Question 20

Pathologies of spleen

Answer 20

• if upset digestion and assimilation → abdominal distention, diarrhea, nutritional disorder
• if distributive function is impaired → improper movement of fluids → internal dampness, phlegm, rheum, or water swelling
• spleen vacuity dampness
• spleen vacuity phlegm
• spleen vacuity diarrhea
• spleen vacuity water swelling
• spleen failing to manage the blood → bleeding that occurs in qi and blood vacuity patterns stemming from impairment of splenic movement and transformation, also flooding and spotting due to heart-spleen vacuity and blood in stool due to qi vacuity
• emaciation, wilting weakness f limbs with the loss of their use
• disease of spleen & stomach often reflected in changes in appetite and changes in taste in the mouth (blandness, sweetness, sliminess)