TCM 2_ 5 Elements and their Organs (Printed) PDF Lecture Notes

NMT100: TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE – LECTURE 2 5 ELEMENTS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING TCM ORGANS Author: Dr. Romi Fung, ND, M.Sc, Ph.D (cand.) IN THIS LECTURE • 5 Elements in TCM in Nature • Relationships between the TCM Elements Generating, Commanding and Insulting Sequences 5 ELEMENTS • Aristo...

NMT100: TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE – LECTURE 2 5 ELEMENTS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING TCM ORGANS Author: Dr. Romi Fung, ND, M.Sc, Ph.D (cand.) IN THIS LECTURE • 5 Elements in TCM in Nature • Relationships between the TCM Elements Generating, Commanding and Insulting Sequences 5 ELEMENTS • Aristotle - 4 elements and conflict between them • Originated in the Zhou Dynasty (1000-770 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 5 ELEMENTS • In TCM, the 5 elements are used to explain the properties of the organs, their mutual relationship and pathological changes. Five natural substances we cannot do without: food depends on water & fire, production relies on metal & wood, and earth gives birth to everything. 5 ELEMENT QUALITIES • Wood ‘can be bent and straightened’ Workable and solid • Earth ‘permits sowing, growing and reaping’ Nutrition • Metal ‘can be molded and can harden’ Solid and moldable • Water ‘moistens downwards’ Fluid and moveable • Fire ‘flares upwards’ Combustible and warming SEASONAL CYCLE • AKA Cosmological Sequence GENERATING CYCLE • Fire creates Earth • Earth creates Metal • Metal creates Water • Water creates Wood • Wood creates Fire GENERATING CYCLE • • • • • Wood creates Fire from burning Fire creates Earth from ashes Earth creates Metal by hardening Metal creates Water by containing Water creates Wood by nourishing • Mother always creates the child Ie. Fire is the mother of Earth, and Earth is the child/son of Fire CONTROLLING CYCLE • Fire controls Metal • Earth controls Water • Metal controls Wood • Water controls Fire • Wood controls Earth CONTROLLING CYCLE • Fire controls Metal by melting • Metal controls Wood by cutting • Wood controls Earth by covering • Earth controls Water by damming • Water controls Fire by extinguishing CONTROLLING CYCLE • Each element is controlled by another element in order to maintain balance • When the controller is in excess relative to the controlled, pathology will exist in the controlled • When the controller is in deficiency relative to the controlled, pathology will exist in the controller INSULTING CYCLE • Opposite of the controlling cycle when an element ‘back-lashes’ its controller • Occurs when the controller is relatively weaker than the controlled 5 ELEMENT DIRECTIONS Each element has a specific movement • Fire = Upward • Water = Downward • Wood = Expansion • Metal = Contraction • Earth = Central 5 ELEMENT SEASONS Each element has a seasonal cycle where it is most active • Fire = Summer • Metal = Fall • Water = Winter • Wood = Spring • Earth = Late summer or last 18 days of every season 5 ELEMENT PATHOLOGY For each element, 4 conditions can occur: When an element is deficient it will: 1) Fail to nourish on the child on the generating cycle 2) Allow an insult to occur on itself by creating a relative excess (e.g. Yin Deficiency and heat symptoms) along the controlling cycle When an element is in excess it will: 3) Draw excessively from the mother 4) Over-act on the controlling cycle (Yang excess causing dry symptoms) FIRE ELEMENT • Organs: Heart & Small Intestine, Pericardium & San Jiao • Emotion: Joy and anxiety • Sense: Speech and Taste • Taste: Bitter • Season: Summer METAL ELEMENT • • • • • • Organs: Lung and Large Intestine Secretion: Mucous Emotions: Sadness & grief Sense: Smell Taste: Pungent Season: Autumn EARTH ELEMENT • • • • • • • Organs: Spleen & Stomach Secretion: Saliva Emotions: Pensiveness, overthinking Flavor: Sweet Sense: Taste Season: Late summer or the last 2 weeks/transition of every season Climate: Moist and Thunderous WATER ELEMENT • • • • • • Organs: Kidney & Urinary Bladder Secretion: Urine Emotions: Fear and shock Flavour: Salty Sense: Hearing Season: Winter WOOD ELEMENT • • • • • • Organs: Liver & Gallbladder Secretion: Tears Emotions Anger & jealousy Flavor: Sour Sense: Vision Season: Spring 5 ELEMENT CORRESPONDENCES Fire Element: Heart and Small Intestine, Pericardium and San Jiao Earth Element: Spleen and Stomach Metal Element: Lung and Large Intestine Water Element: Kidney and Urinary Bladder Wood Element: Liver and Gallbladder 5 ELEMENT CHART Element Wood Fire Earth Metal Water Yin Organs Liver Heart Spleen Lung Kidney Yang Organs Gallbladder Small Intestine Stomach Large Intestine Bladder Seasons Spring Summer Between Seasons Fall Winter Colours Green Red Yellow White Black Senses Eyes Tongue Mouth/Lips Nose Ears Tissues Sinews Vessels Muscles Skin Bones Emotions Anger Joy Worry Sadness Shock/Fear Taste Sout Bitter Sweet Pungent Salty PRACTICE QUESTIONS • What Element generates the Water Element? • What Element does the Wood Element generate? • What Element is generated by Spleen? PRACTICE QUESTIONS • What Element commands the Metal Element? • What Element is commanded by Water Element? • What Element is commanded by the Heart? PRACTICE QUESTIONS • What Element insults Fire Element? - metal • What Element is insulted by Earth Element?- wood • What Element insults Kidneys? - REFERENCES • Maciocia, G. (2005). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. 2nd Edition. Chapter 2: Pp. 19-40.