TCM tongue and pulse applying pathogenic factors and vital substances

Question 1

What are the vital substances?

Answer 1

Qi, Blood, Body Fluids, Essence

Question 2

What is Qi?

Answer 2

The root of the human body; the stem & leaves would dry up without a root

Question 3

What are the Qi functions?

Answer 3

Promoting: Growth & development

Warming: Warmth is maintained by re-adjusting Qi

Defence: Wei Qi protects the body from exterior attacks

Checking: Maintains homeostasis

Nourishing: Ying Qi of Nutritive Qi

Qi Hua: Function of the organs (ex: Lung Qi=lung function)

Question 4

What are the types of Qi?

Answer 4

-Yuan Qi
- Food Qi
- Zong Qi
-Ying Qi
-Wei Qi
-Zang-Fu (organ) Qi

Question 5

Describe Yuan Qi:

Answer 5

-rooted in the kidney’s and transported by San Jiao
-The greater the Yuan Qi, the greater the Zang-Fu activity (vice-versa)
-Part of us that is inherited; derived from pre-heaven essence
-Needs to be supplemented and nourished by food essence

-Can be depleted by: Excess activity/lack of rest long term, prolonged illness which requires more Qi, Increased ejaculations for males, Increased pregnancies for females

Question 6

Describe food qi (Gu Qi):

Answer 6

-Grains of Qi
-First stage in the transformation of food into Qi
- Food enters the stomach and first ‘rotted & ripened’ and then transformed into food Qi by the spleen. (this form is not yet usable by the body)
-Food Qi rises to the chest (lungs) and combines with air to form Zong Qi (gathering Qi)
-Food Qi also goes to the heart, where it is transformed to blood

Question 7

Describe Zong Qi:

Answer 7

-formed from the interaction between food Qi and air
-closely related to the function of the heart and lungs
-assists the heart and lungs to push Qi and blood to the limbs
-also gathers in the throat and assists in speech

Question 8

Describe Zhen Qi:

Answer 8

-True Qi
-Last stage of transformation of Qi
-Vital Qi, righteous Qi
-Gathering Qi is transformed to true Qi catalyzed by original Qi
-Assumes two forms: Ying Qi & Wei Qi

Question 9

Describe Ying Qi:

Answer 9

-Nutritive Qi; interior
-From food extracted by the spleen & stomach
-A refined Qi made from food, air, and yuan Qi
-not food Qi which is unrefined
-Nutritive: Nourishes the internal organs; Closely linked to blood that flows in the channels and blood vessels

(Yin in nature)

Question 10

Describe Wei Qi:

Answer 10

-Defends against external pathogens such as Wind, Heat, Cold, and Dampness
-Protects the muscular surface
-controls the opening of the pores
-Moistens the skin and hair
-Makes adjustments of the body temp
-Warms up the Zang-Fu organs

-The stronger the Wei Qi the better the immune system.
-Lives between the skin and muscles
-warms skin and muscles
-nourishes skin and muscles
-body temp regulation

Question 11

Describe Zang-Fu organs Qi:

Answer 11

Zang Organs- Yin organs- Solid organs

Fu organs-Yang organs-hollow organs

Question 12

What are other types of Qi to consider?

Answer 12

Meridian Qi, and Zhong Qi: middle Qi

Question 13

Describe the vital substance of Blood:

Answer 13

-Formed from mainly Food Qi
-Food Qi from the spleen and stomach rises to the chest where it is acted upon by yuan Qi
-At this point it is known as blood
-But blood is not complete (blood) until it is sent to the heart where heart turns blood red
-“Heart governs Blood”

Question 14

What are the functions of blood?

Answer 14

-Nourishment & moisture: MOvement of the eyes & 4 limbs
-Nourishes hair, sinews, bones & bowels
-Foundation of mental activities; houses the mind
- Circulates with Ying Qi
-Determines menstruation

Question 15

List information about the blood:

Answer 15

-Qi is the commander of blood and blood is the mother of Qi

-Qi is yang and it moves blood

-blood is yin and it gives the body nutritional substance to carry

Question 16

Blood in relation to organs:

Answer 16

-The heart is where blood is created from food Qi. “ The heart governs blood”

-The spleen supports keeping blood in its place. “The spleen makes blood”

-The Liver stores blood

Question 17

Describe Body fluids:

Answer 17

-All the fluids within the body
-sweat, saliva, urine, tears, digestive juices
-Functions to moisten skin, muscles, organs, mucous membranes and orifices
-Classified as either Jin (thin) or Ye (Thick)

Question 18

Describe Thin Fluids - Jin:

Answer 18

-Circulate with defensive Qi
-Controlled by the Lung
-Warm and Nourish muscles and moisten skin
-Clear and watery in nature
-Found on mucous membranes and the skin
-Becomes the fluid portion of blood

Question 19

Describe Thick fluids- Ye:

Answer 19

-Circulate with nutritive Qi
-Controlled by the spleen & kidney
-Lubricates joint cavities, bone marrow and CSF
-Turbid and viscous in nature
-Found in the bowels, brain, bones and viscera

Question 20

What is fluid metabolism?

Answer 20

-Begins in the stomach where fluids are churned and separated
-Spleen further separates the fluid and ascends the pure to the lung and descends the impure to the small intestine
-The small intestine also functions to separate pure from impure and sends the pure to the stomach and the spleen and the impure to the large intestine or urinary bladder
-The lungs send the more refined portion to the skin, and the less refined portion to the kidneys
-The kidneys send steam up to the lungs to keep them moist

Question 21

Describe essence (Jing):

Answer 21

-Primary substance for growth and development
“pre-heaven essence”

Question 22

What are the two essence types?

Answer 22

-Prenatal Essence
-Postnatal Essence

Question 23

Describe Prenatal Essence:

Answer 23

-From Parents
-Nourishes developing embryo
-Creates Individuality

Question 24

Describe Postnatal essence:

Answer 24

-From foods and fluids et daily
-Easiest to change/Improve

Question 25

What is the 8 year cycle for men?

Answer 25

8 years: Essence is full- Hair is grown, and the teeth change

16 years: Essence is abundant-The water of heaven (essence) arrives, the Jing Qi is able to flow, the Yin and Yang are in harmony, and the man is fertile

24 years: The essence plateaus- The tendons and bones are strong, the wisdom teeth come in, and growth is at its peak.

32 years: The tendons and bones are at their strongest & the flesh is full and strong.

40 years: the essence is weakened, the hair falls out, & the teeth are loose

48 years: The yang Qi is exhausted, the face darkens, & the hair whitens

56 years: The liver (essence) is weak, the tendons cannot move, the dew of heaven is used up, there is little semen, the kidney is weak, and the appearance and body are at their end.

64 years: The hair and teeth are gone

Question 26

What is the 7 year cycle for women?

Answer 26

7 years: Essence is ascendant: The teeth change and hair grows

14 years: Dew of heaven arrives: The conception meridian flows (REN), the penetrating extra meridian is full, the mensus comes regularly, and the women can conceive

21 years: the essence plateaus: wisdom teeth come in and growth is at its peak.

28 years: the tendons and bones are strong, hair is at its growing peak, and body is strong

35 years: the yang brightness meridian weakens, face begins to darken, hair falls out

42 years: the three yang meridians are weak above in the face, the face is dark, and the hair begins to turn white

49 years: The conception meridian is deficient, the penetrating extra meridian is exhausted, the water of heaven is dried up, the earth road (mensus) is not open, so weakness and infertility set in

Question 27

Describe Shen (mind):

Answer 27

-Closely related to the heart; responsible for many different mental activities

Question 28

What are the functions of the Shen (mind):

Answer 28

-Consciousness
-Thinking, Memory
-Insight
-Cognition
-Sleep
-Intelligence
-Wisdom
-Ideas
-Affections
-Feelings
-Senses

Question 29

Study the chart:

Answer 29

memorize