TCM week 2

Question 1

earth element
-organs
-secretion
-emotion
-smells
-flavour
-sound
-sense
-seasons
-climate
-timing

Answer 1

Spleen & Stomach Meridians

Saliva is the secretion

Pensiveness and worry are the emotions

Fragrant is the odor

Sweet is the flavor

Emotional sound is Singing

Illness sound is Swallowing

Sense is Taste

Season is Late summer or the last 2 weeks of every season

Climate is Moist and Thunderous

Stomach: 7 - 9am,
Spleen: 9 – 11am

Question 2

spleen organ functions (6)

Answer 2

Governs Transformation and Transportation

Controls the blood

Controls the muscles and the 4 limbs

Opens into the mouth, and manifests in the lips

Controls the ‘raising of Qi’

House the Yi (Intellect)

Question 3

how does spleen govern transformation and transportation

Answer 3

Receives Food Qi from the Stomach and converts it into Food Essence

Important for digestion and production of Qi and Blood

Send Clear fluids to the Lungs, and Turbid fluids to the Small Intestine

Question 4

spleen - transform and transport

what happens to food qi it gets from stomach

Answer 4

food qi from stomach into food essence

send clear fluid to lungs and turbid fluids to SI

Question 5

what can a dysfunction in spleen lead to in regards to transformation and transportation

Answer 5

dampness/phlegm accumulation

Question 6

what does spleen do to control blood

Answer 6

raise qi

Question 7

how does spleen control the blood

Answer 7

Keeps Blood within the vessels

Uses ‘raising of Qi’ function to accomplish this task

“Control” also refers to Spleen’s assistance in making Blood

Uses ‘transformation and transportation’ function to accomplish this task

Question 8

how does spleen control muscles and 4 limbs? via what does it do this?

Answer 8

via food qi

Qi extracted from the food gets sent to the muscles of the limbs to assist their functioning

Weak Food-Qi extraction leads to poor muscle functioning, which can lead to weak muscles and/or atrophy

Question 9

signs on lips of spleen dysfunction

Answer 9

dry, red, pale, or swollen lips

Question 10

how does spleen open into the mouth and manifest in the lips

Answer 10

Chewing of food to prepare it for transformation

Saliva is also controlled by the Spleen and is important in aiding digestion

Taste is also controlled by Spleen and assists in digestion

Changes in the lip color and texture resemble the state of the Spleen

Question 11

where does spleen send qi

Answer 11

sends refined qi up to lung and heart

“raising of qi”

Question 12

where does spleen send yang fluids to

Answer 12

upwards to be used by sense organs and be released from nose and mouth

Question 13

what does stomach do to qi

Answer 13

descending of qi

Question 14

stomach vs spleen effect on qi

Answer 14

stomach descends and spleen goes upward

Question 15

how does spleen prevent prolapse and herniation of organs

Answer 15

raising qi

Question 16

spleen and raising of qi

Answer 16

Sending refined Qi upwards to the Lung and Heart

Also sends Yang fluids upwards to be used by sense organs and be released from nose and mouth

Works closely with Stomach’s function of ‘descending Qi’

“Raising” also implies keeping organs in their place to prevent prolapse or herniation

Question 17

what does spleen house?

Answer 17

yi (intellect)

Question 18

spleen and housing the intellect

Answer 18

Thinking, studying, focusing, memorizing, concentrating, and generating ideas.

Closely connected to Shen (heart) and Zhi (kidneys)

Pensiveness or brooding negatively affects the Yi

Question 19

what are the 3 conditions that can come from spleen qi deficiency

Answer 19

1. spleen yang deficiency
2. spleen qi sinking
3. spleen failing to control blood

Question 20

STOMACH ORGAN FUNCTIONS (5)

Answer 20

Controls ‘receiving’

Responsible for “Rotting” and “Ripening”

Controls transportation of Food Essences

Controls descending of Qi

Origin of Fluids

Question 21

how does stomach control receiving

Answer 21

Related to food and drink arriving and staying in the stomach for processing

“Sea of Qi and Blood and of Food Drink”

Dysfunction may lead to poor appetite and/or rebellious Qi

Question 22

how is the stomach responsible for rotting and ripening

Answer 22

Prepares the food for extraction by breaking it down, which makes it easier for the Spleen to transform and transport

Similar to a cauldron

“If there is Stomach-Qi there is life, if there is no Stomach-Qi, there is death”

Question 23

how does stomach control transportation of food essences

Answer 23

Identical to Spleen’s function of transportation to the 4 limbs

A difference is that Stomach’s function will have an affect on the pulse quality

Stomach Qi can also affect tongue coating

Question 24

which way does stomach move qi

Answer 24

down

Question 25

what assists stomach in the descending of qi

Answer 25

liver qi

Question 26

where does stomach send qi to

Answer 26

small intestine for further seperation

Question 27

stomach and the descending of qi

Answer 27

Sends down to Small Intestine for further separation

Also works with Spleen’s ‘ascending’ function

Assisted by Liver Qi

Dysfunction may lead to stagnation of Qi in the Stomach

Question 28

how much fluid does stomach like

Answer 28

like wet, dont like dry

Question 29

stomach and the origin of fluids

Answer 29

Fluids are required for rotting and ripening

Stomach ensures that fluids which are not used to produce food essences are used to produce body fluids

The Stomach likes wet and dislikes dry