Lecture 2:

Question 1

How did the 5 elements theory originate?

Answer 1

• Aristotle- 4 elements and conflict between them.
• originated in Zhou Dynasty (1000-700 BC).
• Used during the Warring states period for everything.
• its use tapered off around 100 AD.
• regained status in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
• incorporated into mainstream Chinese medicine

Question 2

What is the 5 Elements theory used for?

Answer 2

• In TCM it is used to explain the properties of organs, their mutual relationship and pathological changes.
• Water , fire, metal, wood, earth.

Question 3

what are the mutual relationships between the elements?

Answer 3

–> food depends on water and fire.
–> production relies on metal and wood.
–> earth gives birth to everything.

Question 4

What are Woods’s qualities?

Answer 4

• can be bent and straightened.
• workable and solid.

Question 5

What are the qualities of the earth?

Answer 5

• permits sowing, growing and reaping.
• nutrition.

Question 6

what are the qualities of metal?

Answer 6

• can be moulded and can harden.
• solid and moldable.

Question 7

what are the qualities of water?

Answer 7

• moistens downwards.
• fluid and moveable.

Question 8

what are the qualities of fire?

Answer 8

• flares upwards.
• combustible and warming.

Question 9

What element generates earth?

Answer 9

fire.
- fire creates earth from ashes.

Question 10

what element generates metal?

Answer 10

earth.
- earth creates metal by hardening.

Question 11

what element does metal generate?

Answer 11

water.
- metal creates water by containing.

Question 12

what element generates wood?

Answer 12

water.
- water creates would by nourishing.

Question 13

How can we think of the generating cycles?

Answer 13

• mother always creates the child.
• i.e. fire is the mother of earth and earth is the child/son of fire.

Question 14

what element generates fire

Answer 14

wood creates fire from burning.

Question 15

what are the controlling cycles?

Answer 15

• fire controls metal.
• Earth controls water.
• metal controls wood.
• water controls fire.
• wood controls the earth.

Question 16

how does fire control metal?

Answer 16

• fire controls metal by melting.

Question 17

how does metal control wood?

Answer 17

metal controls wood by cutting.

Question 18

how does wood control the earth?

Answer 18

• wood controls the earth by covering it.

Question 19

how does the earth control water?

Answer 19

earth controls water by damming.

Question 20

how does water control fire?

Answer 20

water controls fire by extinguishing it.

Question 21

Why do elements control each other?

Answer 21

• in order to maintain balance,

Question 22

what happens when the controller is in excess?

Answer 22

• when the controller is in excess compared to the controlled pathology will exist in the controlled.

Question 23

what happens when the controller is in deficiency compared to the controlled one?

Answer 23

• pathology will exist in the controlled.

Question 24

what is the insulating cycle?

Answer 24

• the opposite of the controlling cycle when an element backlashes its controller.
• happens when the controller is generally weaker than the controlled.

Question 25

what is the 5-element direction? each element has a specific movement.

Answer 25

• fire= upward.
• water = downward.
• wood= expansion.
• metal = contraction.
• earth = central.

Question 26

what season does each element represent? each element has a cycle where it is most active.

Answer 26

• fire= summer.
• metal = fall.
• water = winter.
• wood= spring.
• earth = late summer or the last 18 days of every season

Question 27

what are the 2 pathologies that each element can experience when deficient?

Answer 27

1. fail to nourish the child/the element it generates.
2. allow an insult to occur on itself because the controller is in excess.
   ( yin deficiency and heat symptoms)

Question 28

what are the 2 pathologies that each element can experience when in excess?

Answer 28

1. draw excessively from the mother.
2. overact on the controller. (yang excess symptoms; dry symptoms)

Question 29

what are fires; organs, emotions, senses, tastes and seasons?

Answer 29

organs; heart and small intestine; pericardium and san jiao.
emotion; joy and anxiety.
sense; speech and taste.
taste; bitter.
season; summer.

Question 30

What are metals organs, secretions, emotions, sense, taste and season?

Answer 30

organs; lung and large intestine.
secretions; mucous.
emotions; sadness and grief.
sense; smell.
taste; pungent.
season; autumn.

Question 31

what are earth; organs, secretions, emotions, flavour, sense, season, climate?

Answer 31

organs; spleen and stomach.
secretion; saliva.
emotions; pensiveness and overthinking.
flavour; sweet.
sense; taste.
season; late summer or last 2 weeks/transition into every season.
climate; moist and thunderous.

Question 32

what are the water elements’ organs, secretions, emotions, flavour, sense and season?

Answer 32

organ; kidney and urinary bladder.
secretions; urine.
emotions; fear and shock.
flavour; salty.
sense; hearing.
season; winter.

Question 33

what are the wood elements’ organs, secretion, emotions, flavour, sense and season?

Answer 33

organ; liver and gall bladder.
secretion; tears.
emotions; anger and jealousy.
flavour; sour.
sense; vision.
season; spring.