1. Heart (Xin): The heart generates blood and houses the spirit (Shen). It is the ruler of life activities in the human body. If the heart is not healthy, or is stimulated by emotions, or invaded by pathogenic factors, symptoms such as palpitations, anxiety, insomnia, forgetfulness, inappropriate laughter, delirium, and confusion may occur. When the heart is diseased, it cannot function autonomously and can disrupt the activities of other organs.
2. Liver (Gan): The liver stores blood and governs planning and deliberation. The liver is strong and is often referred to as the general; when stimulated by emotions, it can affect its normal function, leading to symptoms such as anger and headaches, and even cause upward fire resulting in vomiting blood.
The liver is also considered the “pre-natal” organ for women (indicating its role in reproductive functions), thus regulating menstruation and fertility must emphasize liver treatment.
3. Spleen (Pi): The spleen governs blood and is responsible for transformation and transportation. The main source of life force is nutrition; the spleen digests food and transports its essence throughout the body, thus it is called the “post-natal” foundation. If the spleen’s ability to transform is insufficient, it can lead to bloating after eating, resulting in muscle wasting and mental fatigue.
The spleen also governs the transformation of dampness; symptoms of damp stagnation, such as chest tightness, nausea, diarrhea, and edema, are often due to spleen weakness, hence methods to strengthen the spleen are commonly used to resolve dampness.
4. Lung (Fei): The lungs govern qi and are responsible for clearing and regulating. When lung qi fails to descend, it can easily lead to cough and asthma; in cases of deficiency, symptoms such as shortness of breath and weak speech are common. The lungs also play a regulatory role in the circulation of blood governed by the heart; ancient texts describe the heart as the monarch and the lungs as the minister.
5. Kidney (Shen): The kidneys store essence and govern strength. The kidneys play a positive role in energizing the body; kidney deficiency can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, tinnitus, visual impairment, lower back pain, weakness, and lethargy. The kidneys are considered the “pre-natal” organ for men, similar to the liver’s role for women, referring to reproductive functions.
Thus, symptoms such as decreased libido, nocturnal emissions, cold essence, and premature ejaculation are treated through the kidneys. The kidneys have a unique characteristic compared to other organs; there are two kidneys, the left being the kidney and the right being the Mingmen (Gate of Life). The kidneys govern yin, while the Mingmen governs yang, hence the kidneys are also referred to as the “water-fire organ.” The true yin and true yang mentioned in clinical practice refer to this.
6. Gallbladder (Dan): The gallbladder is the organ of clarity and decision-making. The gallbladder and liver are interrelated; although the liver qi is strong, without the gallbladder’s continuity, the liver and gallbladder work together to achieve courage. When gallbladder fire is excessive, symptoms such as irritability, headaches, chest tightness, side pain, bitter taste, and vomiting of bile may occur.
7. Stomach (Wei): The stomach is the sea of food and drink, responsible for receiving and accepting. The stomach and spleen are interrelated; although the stomach is responsible for receiving, and the spleen for digestion, the stomach’s basic function includes both receiving and digesting, hence the stomach and spleen are often mentioned together. It is said that if one cannot receive, one cannot digest; thus, “to receive food is to thrive, to cease receiving is to perish; with stomach qi, there is life; without stomach qi, there is death,” highlighting the stomach’s crucial function.
8. Small Intestine (Xiao Chang): The small intestine is the organ of reception and transformation. It receives the digested food from the stomach, further separating the clear from the turbid, allowing the essence to be stored in the five organs and the waste to be excreted through the six bowels, while the waste’s liquid is returned to the bladder and the residue to the large intestine. These are the functions of the small intestine in transformation.
9. Large Intestine (Da Chang): The large intestine is the organ of conduction and excretion. It receives the waste from the small intestine and is responsible for transporting and excreting it, serving as the final stage of the digestive process. Since the large intestine’s function is to conduct waste, it is responsible for bowel movements; thus, any issues such as constipation, diarrhea, dysentery, or blood in the stool are addressed through the large intestine, employing various methods such as promoting conduction, moistening, or binding.
10. Bladder (Pang Guang): The bladder is the organ of regulation and qi transformation. The bladder is responsible for the outflow of accumulated water; if qi transformation is obstructed, it can lead to urinary retention; if qi transformation is excessive, it can result in incontinence. However, the bladder’s qi transformation is related to the kidneys; sufficient kidney qi allows for transformation, while deficient kidney qi hinders it, thus treatments for urinary issues may sometimes involve warming the kidneys.
11. San Jiao (Three Jiao): The San Jiao is the organ of regulation and water movement. It consists of the upper, middle, and lower jiao. Its main function is to facilitate the movement of water; for example, to treat water retention and bloating, qi-promoting methods are often used to assist in water movement, commonly employing herbs that promote the flow of the San Jiao.
The upper jiao includes the heart and lungs.
The middle jiao includes the spleen, stomach, liver, and gallbladder.
The lower jiao includes the kidneys, bladder, small intestine, and large intestine.
Detailed division of the San Jiao:
Upper Jiao:Originates from the upper opening of the stomach, as “grains begin to enter the stomach, their essence first emerges from the two jiao of the stomach”; “the upper jiao develops and spreads the flavors of the five grains”; “the middle jiao also includes the stomach”. “Above the throat” refers to the upper jiao being adjacent to the esophagus, which ascends next to the throat.
Middle Jiao:Includes the stomach; after the upper jiao, the middle jiao also encompasses part of the stomach, connecting to the esophageal entrance (the esophagus is the middle jiao), extending beyond the upper jiao (the trachea is the throat).
Lower Jiao:The lower jiao is distinct from the ileum, draining into the bladder and infiltrating it. The ileum is also referred to as the large intestine in the “Inner Canon”. The term “distinct from the ileum” indicates the relationship and meridian connection between the lower jiao and the ileum, as the hand Shaoyang meridian “spreads to the heart, descends through the diaphragm, and connects to the San Jiao”; the “draining into the bladder” refers to the ureters, indicating the direct relationship between the lower jiao and the bladder.
Each organ has its primary function and operates in collaboration with others. There is a “mutual master” relationship among the organs; for example, the kidneys govern the heart, the heart governs the lungs, the lungs govern the liver, and the liver governs the spleen. “Master” indicates a presiding role, mutually regulating to maintain balance.
There is also a “mutual harmony” relationship between the organs and bowels; for instance, the lungs harmonize with the large intestine, the heart with the small intestine, the liver with the gallbladder, the spleen with the stomach, and the kidneys with the bladder. “Harmony” indicates cooperation, showing that the organs serve as the body while the bowels serve as the function, working together to achieve their combined functions. The organs are yin, while the bowels are yang, hence this cooperation is also called “interior-exterior”.
Although the organs are located within the body, they are closely connected to various tissues and organs. Therefore, observing the manifestations of these tissues and organs can provide insights into the condition of the organs, which is of great significance in diagnosis. The relationship between the internal organs and the body’s tissues and organs is commonly used in clinical practice,
For example: the liver opens to the eyes, its essence is in the tendons, and its manifestation is in the nails; the heart opens to the tongue, its essence is in the pulse, and its manifestation is in the face; the spleen opens to the mouth, its essence is in the flesh, and its manifestation is in the lips; the lungs open to the nose, its essence is in the skin, and its manifestation is in the hair; the kidneys open to the ears, its essence is in the bones, and its manifestation is in the hair. Additionally, the spleen governs the limbs, with the joints of the elbows belonging to the heart and lungs, the armpits belonging to the liver, the hips belonging to the spleen, and the knees belonging to the kidneys, etc.
Outside the organs, there are also extraordinary organs, namely the brain, marrow, bones, vessels, gallbladder, and uterus. The significance of extraordinary organs is that they resemble organs but are not, resembling bowels but are not; although they appear like bowels, their functions resemble those of organs; they are an unusual type of internal organ. They are also extremely important parts of the human body.
These extraordinary organs are not isolated; they are connected to the organs; for instance, the brain is related to the heart and liver, and since the brain is related to the marrow, and the marrow is related to the bones, and the bones belong to the kidneys, the brain is also related to the kidneys; the uterus belongs to the liver, and due to menstruation and nurturing the fetus, it is related to blood, hence it is also related to the heart and spleen.
In contrast to the extraordinary organs, there are also the organs of transmission and transformation, namely the stomach, large intestine, small intestine, San Jiao, and bladder; these five organs belong to the digestive system among the six bowels. As mentioned above, all body tissues are interconnected, forming a complete and inseparable whole.
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