Traditional Chinese Medicine - Lecture 4 PDF

NMT100: TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE – LECTURE 4 THE VITAL SUBSTANCES Author: Dr. Romi Fung, ND, M.Sc, Ph.D (cand.) THE VITAL SUBSTANCES • Qi • Blood • Body Fluids • Essence QI THE VITAL SUBSTANCES QI 氣 • “Qi is the root of the human body; the stem & leaves would dry up without a root” - Ei...

NMT100: TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE – LECTURE 4 THE VITAL SUBSTANCES Author: Dr. Romi Fung, ND, M.Sc, Ph.D (cand.) THE VITAL SUBSTANCES • Qi • Blood • Body Fluids • Essence QI THE VITAL SUBSTANCES QI 氣 • “Qi is the root of the human body; the stem & leaves would dry up without a root” - Eight Problems of Classics on Medical Problems QI FUNCTIONS • 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 or Nutritive Qi • Qi Hua: Function of the organs e.g. Lung Qi = Lung function TYPES OF QI • • • • • • Yuan Qi Food Qi Zong Qi Ying Qi Wei Qi Zang-Fu (Organ) Qi YUAN QI 原氣 • • • • • Rooted in the Kidneys and transported through the body by the San Jiao The greater the Yuan Qi, the greater the Zang-Fu activity and 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 ♂ Increased pregnancies for ♀ FOOD QI (GU QI) 谷氣 • • • • • Grains of Qi First stage in the transformation of food into Qi Food enters the Stomach and first ‘rotted and ripened’ and then transformed into Food Qi by the Spleen. This Food Qis not yet in a form useable 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 ZONG QI 宗氣 • 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 ZHEN QI 真氣 • • • • ‘True’ Qi Last stage of transformation of Qi Zhen Qi: Vital Qi, or Righteous Qi Zong (Gathering) Qi is transformed into True Qi catalyzed by Original Qi • Assumes two forms: Ying Qi and Wei Qi YING QI 營氣 • • • • • 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 WEI QI 衛氣 • Defends against external pathogens such as Wind, Heat, Cold and Dampness • Protects the muscular surface • Controls the opening of the pores • Moistens the skin & hair • Makes adjustments of the body temperature • Warms up the Zang-Fu organs ZANG-FU ORGAN QI • Function of the Organs Zang Organs – Yin Organs – Solid Organs Fu Organs – Yang Organs – Hallow Organs OTHER QI TO CONSIDER • Meridian Qi • Zhong Qi: Middle Qi 中氣 BLOOD THE VITAL SUBSTANCES BLOOD • 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" BLOOD FUNCTIONS • 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 BLOOD • “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 BLOOD AND RELATION TO ORGANS • 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 BODY FLUIDS THE VITAL SUBSTANCES BODY FLUIDS • 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) THIN FLUIDS - JIN • • • • • • 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 THICK FLUIDS - YE • 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 FLUID METABOLISM • 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 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 a steam up to the Lungs to keep them moist ESSENCE THE VITAL SUBSTANCES ESSENCE 精 • AKA. Jing • Primary substance for growth and development ESSENCE TYPES Prenatal Essence From parents Nourishes developing embryo Creates individuality Postnatal Essence From foods and fluids eat daily Easiest to change/improve 8-YEAR CYCLE FOR MEN At 8 years, Essence is full: The hair is grown, and the teeth change. At 16 years, the 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. At 24 years, the Essence plateaus: The tendons and bones are strong, the wisdom teeth come in, and growth is at its peak. At 32 years, the tendons and bones are at their strongest and the flesh is full and strong. 8-YEAR CYCLE FOR MEN At 40 years, the Essence is weakened, the hair falls out, and the teeth are loose. At 48 years, the Yang Qi is exhausted, the face darkens, and the hair whitens. At 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. At 64 years, the hair and teeth are gone. 7-YEAR CYCLE FOR WOMEN At 7 years, Essence is ascendant: The teeth changes and hair grows At 14 years, Dew of Heaven arrives: The Conception Meridian flows (REN), the Penetrating Extra Meridian is full, the menses come regularly, and the woman can conceive. At 21 years, the Essence plateaus: Wisdom teeth come in and growth is at its peak. At 28 years, the tendons and bones are strong, hair is at its growing peak, and body is strong. At 35 years, the Yang Brightness Meridian weakens, face begins to darken, hair falls out 7-YEAR CYCLE FOR WOMEN At 42 years, the three Yang Meridians are weak above in the face, the face is dark, and the hair begins to turn white. At 49 years, the Conception Meridian is Deficient, the Penetrating Extra Meridian is exhausted, the Water of Heaven is dried up; the Earth Road (the menses) is not open, so weakness and infertility set in. SHEN (MIND) 神 • Closely related to the Heart; responsible for many different mental activities • Functions: • Sleep Consciousness Wisdom Thinking, Memory Ideas Insight Affections Cognition Feelings • Intelligence Senses REFERENCES • Maciocia, G. (2005). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. 2nd Edition. Chapter 3: Pp. 41-73.