Lecture 2: Flashcards
How did the 5 elements theory originate?
- 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
What is the 5 Elements theory used for?
- In TCM it is used to explain the properties of organs, their mutual relationship and pathological changes.
- Water , fire, metal, wood, earth.
what are the mutual relationships between the elements?
–> food depends on water and fire.
–> production relies on metal and wood.
–> earth gives birth to everything.
What are Woods’s qualities?
- can be bent and straightened.
- workable and solid.
What are the qualities of the earth?
- permits sowing, growing and reaping.
- nutrition.
what are the qualities of metal?
- can be moulded and can harden.
- solid and moldable.
what are the qualities of water?
- moistens downwards.
- fluid and moveable.
what are the qualities of fire?
- flares upwards.
- combustible and warming.
What element generates earth?
fire.
- fire creates earth from ashes.
what element generates metal?
earth.
- earth creates metal by hardening.
what element does metal generate?
water.
- metal creates water by containing.
what element generates wood?
water.
- water creates would by nourishing.
How can we think of the generating cycles?
- mother always creates the child.
- i.e. fire is the mother of earth and earth is the child/son of fire.
what element generates fire
wood creates fire from burning.
what are the controlling cycles?
- fire controls metal.
- Earth controls water.
- metal controls wood.
- water controls fire.
- wood controls the earth.
how does fire control metal?
- fire controls metal by melting.
how does metal control wood?
metal controls wood by cutting.
how does wood control the earth?
- wood controls the earth by covering it.
how does the earth control water?
earth controls water by damming.
how does water control fire?
water controls fire by extinguishing it.
Why do elements control each other?
- in order to maintain balance,
what happens when the controller is in excess?
- when the controller is in excess compared to the controlled pathology will exist in the controlled.
what happens when the controller is in deficiency compared to the controlled one?
- pathology will exist in the controlled.
what is the insulating cycle?
- the opposite of the controlling cycle when an element backlashes its controller.
- happens when the controller is generally weaker than the controlled.
what is the 5-element direction? each element has a specific movement.
- fire= upward.
- water = downward.
- wood= expansion.
- metal = contraction.
- earth = central.
what season does each element represent? each element has a cycle where it is most active.
- fire= summer.
- metal = fall.
- water = winter.
- wood= spring.
- earth = late summer or the last 18 days of every season
what are the 2 pathologies that each element can experience when deficient?
- fail to nourish the child/the element it generates.
- allow an insult to occur on itself because the controller is in excess.
( yin deficiency and heat symptoms)
what are the 2 pathologies that each element can experience when in excess?
- draw excessively from the mother.
- overact on the controller. (yang excess symptoms; dry symptoms)
what are fires; organs, emotions, senses, tastes and seasons?
organs; heart and small intestine; pericardium and san jiao.
emotion; joy and anxiety.
sense; speech and taste.
taste; bitter.
season; summer.
What are metals organs, secretions, emotions, sense, taste and season?
organs; lung and large intestine.
secretions; mucous.
emotions; sadness and grief.
sense; smell.
taste; pungent.
season; autumn.
what are earth; organs, secretions, emotions, flavour, sense, season, climate?
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.
what are the water elements’ organs, secretions, emotions, flavour, sense and season?
organ; kidney and urinary bladder.
secretions; urine.
emotions; fear and shock.
flavour; salty.
sense; hearing.
season; winter.
what are the wood elements’ organs, secretion, emotions, flavour, sense and season?
organ; liver and gall bladder.
secretion; tears.
emotions; anger and jealousy.
flavour; sour.
sense; vision.
season; spring.
