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Ba Jia (Eight Masses) are diseases caused by the disharmony of blood vessels and essence-qi resulting from damage to the uterus, childbirth experiences, and irregular menstruation. The Kidney belongs to Yin and governs opening and closing; the left side is called Baomen (Gate of the Womb), and the right side is called Zihu (House of the Child), which primarily regulate the menstrual cycle and reproductive function. Baomen and Zihu govern Zi Jing (reproductive essence); they are the passages for Shen Qi (spiritual energy) to enter and exit, connecting with Zhonghuangmen and the four sides of Yumen, governing the Guanyuan point to secure Zi Jing. Three cun below the umbilicus is named Guanyuan, which stores Hun and Po souls, and is also the usual resting place for the female uterus and the Sanjiao (Triple Burner). If a woman's meridians and Shu-Luo (collaterals) are harmonious, menstruation arrives on time, enabling smooth reproduction without disease. However, if a woman's Ying-Wei (Defensive-Nutritive) meridians are severed and blocked, pathogenic factors can invade and gather in the Zangfu of the uterus; if intercourse occurs while menstrual blood has not cleared, it causes the woman's blood vessels to spasm and tighten, leading to heaviness and urgency in the lower abdomen, distension and fullness, mutual pulling pain in the chest, hypochondrium, waist, and back, soreness and pain in the four limbs, dietary irregularity, and the formation of firm masses. If evil blood is not removed, menstruation becomes irregular, occurring either before or after the expected time, leading to the formation of accumulations resembling pregnancy. If pathogenic factors are extremely severe, it causes mental vagueness and excessive dreaming, alternating chills and fever, unwillingness to move the four limbs, rising qi in the vagina, internal swelling and wind generation, and in severe cases, dysuria with painful, dribbling urination, yellow-black complexion; once such a disease forms, fertility is lost.

The so-called Ba Jia refer to Huang Jia (Yellow Mass), Qing Jia (Green Mass), Zao Jia (Dry Mass), Xue Jia (Blood Mass), Zhi Jia (Fat Mass), Hu Jia (Fox Mass), She Jia (Snake Mass), and Bie Jia (Turtle Mass).

Huang Jia: When a woman’s menstruation first begins, if she has recently suffered an abortion or injury, and blood and qi have not yet stopped, and her sleep is unsettled, with the five Zang and six Fu organs weak and emaciated, and spirit poorly regulated, if she then relieves herself facing a strong wind with yin and yang open, allowing wind-dampness to invade the joints, qi enters the interior of the yin from below and lingers there, named Yin-Yang Deficiency, thereby generating a Huang Jia accumulation. This causes suffering from cold and heat in the four limbs, heavy body with sweating, loss of appetite, and a firm mass of blood and qi under the left hypochondrium that cannot be suppressed, causing pulling pain in the waist and back, difficult menstruation, and infertility. Urgency in the lower abdomen pulls down to the vagina like a knife刺, inability to urinate, frequent chills and fever, discharge of red-yellow fluid from the vagina; such painful conditions lead to childlessness.

Qing Jia: After new childbirth, if a woman walks around before ten days have passed, washes too early with hot water, causing Yin-Yang deficiency, loosening of the four sides of Yumen, instability of Zihu, pain in bones and flesh, inability to raise arms, incomplete recovery of diet, and a sucking sensation in the internal organs. If she lies facing the wind without covering herself, or sleeps on wet mats, she suffers from cold penetrating the abdomen, causing stifling depression and heaviness. If evil blood is not removed, heat binds, blocking bowel and bladder movements, transforming into Qing Jia. The mass gathers in the left and right hypochondria, hides in the back spine, extends upward to the shoulders, causes spasms below the hips and waist, swelling of both feet, yellow face, and difficulty in urination and defecation. Subsequently, menstruation becomes obstructed or uncontrollable, resembling Bingzhong (uterine bleeding). This results from negligence, leading to reduced fertility.

Zao Jia: When menstruation flows and evil blood is not fully cleared, and the person is weak and exhausted, if she runs fast in summer heat or lifts heavy objects, sweating profusely, before strength recovers, and suddenly becomes angry causing throat constriction and unexpressed qi, leading to meridian spasms, internal stagnation, stifling fullness, shortness of breath, extending up to the chest, diaphragm, and back spine, with urgency in the lower abdomen where both menstruation and qi are blocked. If she drinks clear water to soothe her heart, menstruation flows horizontally, infiltrating other organs without leaving, generating heat, thus forming a Zao Jia accumulation. The mass is as large as half a cup, causing severe pain in the upper and lower abdomen, radiating to the hypochondria, pulling up to the heart causing irritability, impairing diet, inducing vomiting, inability to take deep breaths in the chest and abdomen, heavy waist and back, preference for lying down with night sweats, sore and painful legs, pain upon standing for long periods, urinary incontinence resembling seminal emission, closed menstruation, and difficult defecation. Such patients have reduced fertility.

Xue Jia Disease: When menstruation has just started but stops before the usual number of days, due to overeating causing excessive grain qi overflowing into other organs; or due to extreme hunger and cold, insufficient intake, unregulated breathing, and self-exertion while blood flow is unstable, blood wanders between the intestines and stomach, lingering in the collaterals, creating internal cold and heat that combines with menstruation to form a Xue Jia accumulation. This causes lower back pain preventing bending and stretching, accumulated qi under the Henggu bone hard as stone, urgent and painful lower abdomen, back spine pain, deep spasms reaching the lower waist and abdomen, feeling of wind-cold in the yin interior, contraction of Zimen, irregular menstruation coming and going intermittently; this disease leads to childlessness.

Zhi Jia: When menstruation has just arrived, or within thirty days postpartum, before recovery, if intercourse occurs, causing collateral separation, injury to Baomen, loss of control in Zihu, joint laxity, free flow of fluids in the five Zang and six Fu organs, movement in the vaginal channel, dispersion of the pivot of hundred vessels, with no external change in appearance. When Zi Jing meets blood and qi, violating taboos, Zi Jing transforms and fails to conceive, forming a Zhi Jia accumulation. This causes distension, internal urgent pain and bi-syndrome, pulling heaviness in the lower abdomen, stabbing pain in the waist and back, inability to raise limbs, lack of taste in food, restless sleep, wandering pain in the abdomen, fluctuating severity, occasional shortness of breath and dizziness, body sagging, aversion to cold and wind, bladder distension, irregular menstruation deviating from normal patterns, and continuous bleeding from bowels and bladder. Such cases lead to childlessness.

Hu Jia: When menstruation should arrive according to the monthly cycle, but instead the woman feels sorrowful and fearful, travels far encountering violent storms, rain, thunder, lightning, and fright, wearing heavy wet clothes, becoming fatigued and short of breath, mind unsettled, limbs slack, shivering with cold, pulse qi cut off, spirit wandering, pathogenic factors enter the yin interior and do not leave, generating a Hu Jia accumulation. It consumes the viscera, causing amenorrhea, lower abdominal stasis, chest, hypochondriac, waist, and back pain, vaginal swelling, difficult urination, and inability of Baomen and Zihu to receive male essence. Excessive qi in the five Zang organs causes craving for food, desire to vomit, excessive salivation, excessive thinking, resembling pregnancy, and inability to raise limbs. Those with this disease will be sterile for life. If the mass has formed hands and feet, it is fatal; if unformed, it is treatable.

She Jia: When menstruation has newly ceased, closure has not recovered, Baomen and Zihu are injured by labor, Yin-Yang not restored, Ying-Wei dividing, if one contracts wind, suffers sudden illness and emaciation, diet unregulated; or if getting up, walking in wind, passing through mud, using cold substances too early; or sitting on wet ground, named Yin-Yang disorder. With a hollow abdomen and empty stomach, if after a long journey one drinks from dirty wells, eats unclean food, or swallows essence of snakes and rats, lingering in collaterals, generating a She Jia accumulation. It ascends to consume the heart and liver, growing large, shape like lacquer, located above and below the umbilicus, affecting the left and right hypochondria, inability to exhale, severe pain in the thighs and calves, urgency in the lower abdomen, red-yellow urine, bladder pulling the vagina into spasm, waist and back pain, difficulty moving, suffering from chills and fever, followed by variable menstrual flow. Those with this disease will not bear children. If the mass has formed hands and feet, it is fatal; if unformed, it is treatable.

Bie Jia: When menstruation has just arrived, the person suffers severe vomiting and fatigue, wears heavy wet clothes without timely removal; or sleeps facing the wind, steps on wet ground with both feet, wakes from trance, stands unsteadily, complexion not stabilized, sees desired objects/people, heart opens and agitates, soul moves, internal organs deplete; or enters water to wash and bathe, does not exit promptly, spirit fails to guard, water essence and pathogenic factors enter together, reaching the Mu-yuan of the Sanjiao, Yumen closes first, fluids flow recklessly, lingering in collaterals, generating a Bie Jia accumulation. As large as a small plate, causing sharp lower abdominal pain, evil qi moving up and down, severe abdominal pain that seems present and absent, jumping sensation upon pressure, pulling down to the yin interior, waist and back pain, inability to rest, menstruation prone to blockage and decay, yellow-black face, loss of voice and shortness of breath. Those with this disease become sterile. If the mass has formed hands and feet, it is fatal; if unformed, it is treatable.