Library

The Small Intestine is the fu-organ responsible for receiving and storing. It forms an exterior-interior relationship with the Heart. The Hand-Taiyang (Bladder) Meridian is its channel. If the pulse qi of the Heart and Small Intestine is severed, death occurs in six days. The manifestation of severance includes hair standing erect like hemp fibers, incessant sweating, and inability to bend or stretch the body. Furthermore, if Heart disease involves chronic cough that does not heal, the pathogen transmits to the Small Intestine. Coughing from the Small Intestine manifests as simultaneous emission of gas (flatulence) during coughing.

Excess syndrome of the Small Intestine involves heat injury; heat causes sores in the mouth. Deficiency syndrome involves cold generation; cold leads to the discharge of thick, bloody stool, or black fluid, with the root located in the Small Intestine. Additionally, cold in the Small Intestine causes swelling and heaviness in the lower body. If heat lingers without exiting, hemorrhoids gradually develop. Accumulation of pathogens causes fever in the evening, which subsides by morning. When the pathogenic qi flares up, it causes heaviness below the waist, urgency and difficulty in defecation after eating; these are its signs. Distension of the Small Intestine causes distension and pain in the lower abdomen, radiating to and hurting the entire abdomen. If Jue-pathogens enter the Small Intestine, one dreams of gathering in cities or wells, or experiences sore throat and submandibular swelling, inability to turn the head, shoulder pain as if beaten by a club, and leg pain as if broken.

Yellow Emperor stated: The Heart is the Sovereign Officer, the residence of Shen (Spirit). Its structure is tight and resistant to injury. If injured, Shen departs; when Shen departs, life ends. Thus, the Heart rarely suffers disease; if it does, it is fatal and untreatable. Only the Small Intestine is prone to disease.

Regarding pulse diagnosis: If the Yang position at the Cun-kou point on the left hand shows "Yang Severance," indicating the absence of the Small Intestine pulse, death occurs in six days. This condition presents as Bi-obstruction around the umbilicus and hernia masses in the lower abdomen. If the pulse at the left Cun-kou is excess and large, it indicates Small Intestine Excess. With heat pathogen, urination becomes red and dysuric. In cases of excess heat, there are oral ulcers, intermittent fever, mental restlessness and fullness, and body heaviness. The Small Intestine governs the tongue's function; when harmonious, speech is clear, articulation is agile, and taste discrimination is keen. In deficiency, the left Cun-kou pulse floats and is soft and weak, collapsing under pressure. Symptoms include fright, mania, loss of mental hold, emptiness below, and aphasia.

Spleen belongs to Earth. It is the Official of Remonstrance, governing intention and wisdom. It digests the five grains, stores nutrients within, nourishes the four peripheries, and is prosperous in all seasons, peaking in Late Summer. It forms an exterior-interior relationship with the Stomach. The Foot-Taiyin (Spleen) Meridian is its channel. Bian Que said: In Spleen disease, the complexion is sallow. In excess, the tongue is stiff and straight, appetite is lost, vomiting and regurgitation occur, and limbs are flaccid. In deficiency, essence is insufficient, Yuan Qi is depleted, leading to involuntary enuresis. The pulse coming like flowing water is called "Excessive" (Tai Guo), indicating external disease. The pulse coming like a bird's spur is called "Insufficient" (Bu Ji), indicating internal disease. Excessive pulse causes heavy limbs and slurred speech. Insufficient pulse causes abdominal fullness, anorexia, fatigue, and limp paralysis. Saliva flows from the mouth, limbs swell, and loose stools occur intermittently. Dreams of food and drink may appear. A Spleen pulse that comes gently and goes like a chicken walking is considered Normal (Ping). A pulse that is solid, full, and slightly rapid, like a chicken lifting its foot, indicates Disease. A pulse resembling a crow or sparrow pecking, a bird's spur, or a leaking roof indicates Death.

In Wind-Stroke, there is slight fever, appearance resembling drunkenness, abdominal irritability and fullness, and shortness of breath due to lax skin and flesh. During the Prosperous season, a slow and relaxed pulse is Normal. A string-tight pulse indicates Liver Wood overcoming Spleen Earth, a meeting of true and ghost pathogens, a sign of great misfortune. A slightly choppy and short pulse indicates Lung Metal attacking Spleen Earth, which heals spontaneously without treatment. A deep and slippery pulse indicates Kidney Water following Spleen Earth, causing no harm. A floating and surging pulse indicates Heart Fire generating Spleen Earth, posing no danger.

In Spleen disease, symptoms include yellow complexion, body heaviness, bowel dysfunction, fixed gaze, retracted lips, cyanosis of fingernails and toenails, cold extremities, vomiting, and generalized joint pain preventing movement. The pulse should be floating, large, and slow. If it is instead string-tight, and the color is green instead of yellow, it is ten deaths, untreatable. Other Spleen diseases present with yellow complexion, indigestion, epigastric and abdominal fullness, body heaviness, limb pain, hard stool, and difficult urination. A slightly slow and long pulse indicates treatability. Spleen Qi deficiency leads to slippery stool, free urination, and incessant sweating. Fluids from the five Zang organs pour downward, resulting in five-colored diarrhea. Long-standing accumulations lead to inability to control limbs, jaundice, failure of food to transform into muscle and Qi, abdominal distension, and unstable panting.

Spleen Excess manifests in dreams of building walls and houses. Spleen Hyperactivity manifests in dreams of singing and music. Spleen Deficiency manifests in dreams of insufficient food. When Jue-pathogens invade the Spleen, one dreams of large marshes and hills, with wind and rain destroying houses. Spleen distension causes frequent hiccups, limb stiffness, body heaviness, anorexia, and excessive belching. Spleen disease follows a diurnal pattern: clarity in the day, worsening at dawn, stability at noon, and quietness in the late afternoon. A very tight pulse causes convulsions; a slightly tight pulse causes chest and diaphragm obstruction, with food regurgitation immediately after ingestion. A very slack pulse causes Wei-Jue (flaccidity and cold); a slightly slack pulse causes Wind-Wei, with limbs unable to move. A very large pulse causes sudden collapse; a slightly large pulse indicates Spleen enlargement, internal hernia, and pus/blood outside the intestines. A very small pulse causes chills and fever; a minute pulse causes Xiao-Dao (wasting-thirst). A very slippery pulse causes Tui-Hernia; a slightly slippery pulse indicates insect toxicity, borborygmus, and internal heat. A very choppy pulse indicates intestinal issues; a slightly choppy pulse indicates internal ulceration and purulent bloody stool.

When the Spleen pulse arrives, if it is large and empty, there is accumulated Qi in the abdomen and Jue-Qi, named Jue-Hernia. Women follow the same pattern. This condition causes sweating in the limbs due to exposure to wind. Spleen pulse severance leads to death in ten days. Umbilical protrusion also indicates death. Dry, cracked lips without texture and turning blue-black indicate early Spleen severance. Spleen disease with yellow face and red eyes is treatable. If blue-black color enters the mouth, death occurs in half a year. If the complexion resembles the color of the fruit of the Akebia tree, death occurs in one month. Auspiciousness or calamity is seen in the colors appearing in specific facial regions. Mouth lock, black lips, limbs heavy as mountains and uncontrollable, unceasing bowel/bladder movements, and inability to eat or drink indicate death in seven days. However, if lips are sallow but voice is clear, it is treatable. Persistent Spleen Malaria with abdominal pain and borborygmus, slow hot sweats, and a sudden change from a calm temperament to anger, laughing through the nose while speaking normally, and inability to respond to others, indicates disaster within one month.

Cold and heat in the Spleen both cause abdominal pain and anorexia. Spleen disease also presents with a stiff tongue, slurred speech, tendon contraction, testicular retraction, pulling pain in the inner thigh and hip, body heaviness, anorexia, and abdominal drum-like distension. Transformation into watery diarrhea with inability to lie down indicates a fatal, untreatable condition. Spleen proper heat causes yellow face, red eyes, and hypochondriac pain/fullness. Cold causes salivation, anorexia, limb pain, incessant diarrhea, cold extremities, and severe tremors resembling malaria. In treating illness, one must clearly identify the syndrome and carefully examine the pulse before administering decoctions or pills to seek recovery.