Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that diseases arise from the external Six Evils and internal Seven Emotions. The former refers to external causes, while the latter refers to internal causes, with external causes acting through internal ones. The Six Evils are the changes in natural conditions, namely Wind, Cold, Heat, Dampness, Dryness, and Fire; the Seven Emotions refer to emotional changes, namely Joy, Anger, Worry, Thought, Sadness, Fear, and Shock. Modern medicine also provides ample clinical data and experimental evidence indicating that emotional activities can lead to diseases by affecting the physiological functions of the nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system.
Wind: Divided into external wind and internal wind. External wind invades the muscle surface, causing the lung’s defensive Qi to be unstable. Internal wind is characterized by excessive liver Yang, transforming into fire and generating wind.
External wind: Mild symptoms include aversion to wind, fever, sweating, headache, nasal congestion or runny nose, throat itchiness, cough, and a floating pulse. Severe cases may present with facial drooping, limb numbness, or joint pain.
Internal wind: Sudden onset of symptoms, with mild cases showing dizziness, tremors of hands and feet, and numbness. Severe cases may lead to convulsions, coma, opisthotonos, hemiplegia, or sudden heat stroke with loss of consciousness.
Cold: Divided into external cold and internal cold.
External cold: Cold evil injures the muscle surface, characterized by aversion to cold and fever. If it affects the meridians and muscles, it leads to joint pain; if it affects the gastrointestinal tract, it results in abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Internal cold: Weak Yang Qi leads to internal cold. Symptoms include pale complexion, cold hands and feet, aversion to cold and preference for warmth, a pale and swollen tongue, white and slippery coating, and a deep, slow, weak pulse. Insufficient heart Yang may accompany chest tightness or even angina, with a blue face and purple lips; insufficient spleen Yang may lead to abdominal distension, reduced appetite, and loose stools; insufficient kidney Yang may result in coldness in the lower back, frequent clear urination, impotence, or watery vaginal discharge; insufficient lung Qi may cause shortness of breath, spontaneous sweating, cough, and thin, watery phlegm; insufficient liver Yang may lead to cold hernia, pain in the lower abdomen or testicles, or vomiting and headache if cold ascends the meridians.
Heat: Divided into heat injury and heat stroke, with heat injury further categorized into heat and damp heat.
Heat injury: Symptoms include high fever, profuse sweating, headache, fatigue, dry lips, thirst, and a rapid pulse. Damp heat from exposure to cold in hot weather presents with fever, aversion to cold, vomiting, chest tightness, sweating, shortness of breath, heaviness, fatigue, reduced appetite, diarrhea, red and painful urination, a white or yellow greasy tongue coating, and a floating, slippery, rapid pulse.
Heat stroke: Sudden fainting, confusion, high fever, coarse breathing, cold sweat, and a rapid, weak or deep pulse.
Dampness: Divided into internal dampness and external dampness. External dampness arises from prolonged exposure to humid environments or prolonged wet conditions, compounded by inadequate protection and lack of exercise. Internal dampness results from excessive consumption of cold foods or alcohol, leading to disharmony of the spleen and stomach, causing dampness to stagnate internally.
External dampness: Symptoms include heaviness and pain in the head and body, fatigue in the limbs, difficulty in joint movement, a white greasy tongue coating, and a soft, slow pulse.
Internal dampness: Dampness obstructing the upper jiao leads to head heaviness, chest tightness, a bland taste in the mouth, sometimes a sweet taste, lack of appetite, or little thirst; short urination with a white greasy tongue coating; dampness obstructing the middle jiao leads to abdominal distension, poor digestion, belching, heavy limbs, jaundice, loose stools, and scanty, turbid urination; dampness obstructing the lower jiao leads to swollen feet, turbid urination, loose stools, and vaginal discharge.
Wind, Cold, Heat, Dampness, Dryness, and Fire are the six different climatic factors in nature, collectively referred to as the “Six Qi”. For the human body, if the Six Qi are excessive or insufficient, it can lead to abnormal organ function, resulting in pathological changes associated with Wind, Cold, Heat, Dampness, Dryness, and Fire. At this point, the “Six Qi” are referred to as the “Six Evils”, namely Wind Evil, Cold Evil, Heat Evil, Damp Evil, Dry Evil, and Fire Evil.
1. Wind Evil: Wind is the primary Qi of spring, but it can occur in all seasons. Therefore, while Wind Evil is most prevalent in spring, it can also occur in other seasons. Wind Evil commonly invades the body through the skin and is a frequent pathogenic factor among the Six Evils, often serving as a precursor to other evils such as Cold, Dampness, Dryness, and Heat. Its characteristics include rapid movement and frequent changes, manifesting in various forms and locations, such as migratory joint pain, skin rashes, and itching.
2. Cold Evil: Cold is the primary Qi of winter, where low temperatures and sudden drops in temperature can easily lead to Cold Evil if the body is not adequately protected. Cold Evil can also occur in other seasons due to sudden temperature drops, sweating in the wind, rain exposure, starvation, or excessive consumption of cold foods. Cold primarily constricts and pulls, leading to contraction and tension in the body. When Cold Evil invades the body, it causes Qi to contract, leading to tightness in the skin, meridians, and muscles. For example, when Cold Evil invades the surface, it causes skin contraction, closed sweat pores, and symptoms such as aversion to cold, fever, and absence of sweating. In the meridians and joints, it can lead to restricted movement and pain.
3. Heat Evil: Heat is the primary Qi of summer, representing the transformation of hot Qi. While Heat and Fire are similar, Heat Evil has a distinct seasonal characteristic, primarily occurring between the summer solstice and the beginning of autumn. Heat Evil is purely an external evil, primarily arising from external exposure rather than internal generation, which distinguishes it from the other five evils. The hot and humid summer climate often leads to the combination of Heat Evil and Damp Evil invading the body. Clinical manifestations include fever, thirst, fatigue, and symptoms of damp obstruction such as heaviness in the limbs, chest tightness, nausea, and loose stools.
4. Damp Evil: Dampness is the primary Qi of late summer, occurring during the transition from summer to autumn, which is the season with the highest humidity. Damp Evil can also occur in other seasons due to humid weather, exposure to water, prolonged stays in damp environments, or sweating in wet clothes. The spleen governs the transformation and transportation of water and dampness; if the spleen fails to function properly, dampness can stagnate internally, leading to Damp Evil. Damp Evil is characterized by heaviness and stickiness, easily invading the spleen and stomach. Its course is generally prolonged and difficult to resolve, often leading to decreased appetite, loose stools, and turbid urination.
5. Dry Evil: Dryness is the primary Qi of autumn, where dry weather is prevalent, leading to Dry Evil. It can also occur in other seasons due to prolonged sunny weather, excessive heat exposure, or dry conditions. Dry Evil typically invades through the mouth, nose, and skin, affecting the lung’s defensive Qi. There are two types of Dry Evil: warm dryness and cool dryness. Early autumn may still have residual summer heat, while prolonged sunny weather can lead to warm dryness. Late autumn, with the approach of winter, may lead to cool dryness. Dry Evil tends to injure body fluids, easily affecting the upper jiao and manifesting as dry cough, little phlegm, dry throat, aversion to cold, fever, and headache without sweating.
6. Fire Evil: Warmth, heat, and fire are all pathogenic evils of the same nature, arising from excessive Yang. Heat is the primary Qi of summer, and diseases caused by Heat Evil are referred to as warm diseases. However, warm diseases can occur in any season, such as spring warmth, summer heat, autumn dryness, and winter warmth. Although often collectively referred to as warm or fire evils, there are differences in severity; generally, heat is considered a gradual increase from warmth, while fire represents the extreme of heat. In terms of pathogenic evils, heat often refers to external evils, such as Wind-Heat, Dry-Heat, and Damp-Heat, while fire often arises internally, such as heart fire or liver fire. Fire Evil easily consumes Qi, injures body fluids, and stirs blood, manifesting as dry throat, short and red urination, mouth sores, and high fever with confusion.
Wind, Cold, Heat, Dampness, Dryness, and Fire are the Six Evils of external pathogenic factors. To treat Wind-Cold, one should dispel wind and scatter cold, using formulas like Ma Huang Tang (Ephedra Decoction); for Wind-Heat, one can use Sang Ju Yin (Mulberry Leaf and Chrysanthemum Decoction) or Yin Qiao San (Honeysuckle and Forsythia Powder); for Wind-Dryness, Sang Xing Tang (Mulberry Leaf and Apricot Kernel Decoction) or Xiang Bei San (Sichuan Pepper Powder) may be chosen; for Summer Dampness, Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San (Agastache Powder) or Xiang Ru San (Elsholtzia Powder) can be used; for Damp-Heat, herbs like Huang Qin (Scutellaria), Huang Lian (Coptis), Zhi Mu (Anemarrhena), and Da Huang (Rhubarb) are effective. Ban Lan Gen (Isatis Root), Qing Dai (Indigo), Da Qing Ye (Big Blue Leaf), Da Huang (Rhubarb), Shan Dou Gen (Sophora Root), Huang Bai (Phellodendron), Huang Lian (Coptis), Huang Qin (Scutellaria), and Bai Tou Weng (Pulsatilla) can all clear heat, detoxify, and drain fire.
Ba Sui Kang is a highly alkaline multifunctional food with a pH of 14. Since the human body is slightly acidic, consuming Ba Sui Kang neutralizes the acid and base, producing salt and water, which are then excreted, effectively clearing waste and toxins from the blood vessels and body. Additionally, it supplements the body with essential nutrients and various amino acids, promoting metabolism and enhancing immunity. As immunity improves, the body’s self-healing system becomes stronger, leading to better health. Thus, it is not just about curing diseases but changing the acidic environment of the body, resolving issues of blockage and toxins, and consequently alleviating a series of health problems.
As the saying goes: “A smile can take ten years off your age; worry can turn your hair white.” This illustrates the impact of emotions on physiology. When a person’s mental state is good, they will have a strong appetite and abundant energy, allowing the body’s potential to be fully realized and improving learning efficiency. Contemporary medical and psychological research indicates that poor mental states can trigger a series of adverse physiological changes, leading to symptoms such as insomnia, constipation, indigestion, angina, arrhythmia, and menstrual disorders.
Joy, Anger, Worry, Thought, Sadness, Fear, and Shock are seven emotional activities. TCM believes they are physiological responses of the body to external environmental changes and generally do not directly cause illness. However, if emotional activities are intense, excessive, and persistently unsettled, they will inevitably affect the functions of the organs and Qi and blood, leading to systemic Qi and blood disorders. As stated in the Suwen (Plain Questions): “Anger causes Qi to rise, Joy causes Qi to relax, Sadness causes Qi to dissipate, Fear causes Qi to descend, Shock causes Qi to become chaotic, Thought causes Qi to stagnate.” Additionally, “Anger harms the liver, Joy harms the heart, Thought harms the spleen, Worry harms the lungs, Fear harms the kidneys,” all indicate that excessive and extreme emotions can damage the Qi and blood and organs.
Among the Seven Emotions, “Joy” is the expression of a happy mood. As the saying goes, “A person in joy is spirited.” Good news can invigorate a person. However, excessive joy can harm the “heart”; TCM believes that “the heart governs the spirit,” and the heart is the center of emotional and cognitive activities. Excessive joy can lead to restlessness of the spirit, even causing incoherence and erratic behavior. For instance, the story of Fan Jin in Rulin Waishi illustrates how he, after years of hardship, became ecstatic upon passing the imperial examination, leading to madness and loss of recognition. This exemplifies the TCM saying, “Excessive joy harms the spirit; when the spirit is harmed, one becomes mad, and madness leads to loss of intention.” Furthermore, excessive joy can cause rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and loss of control; some patients with coronary heart disease may even experience angina or myocardial infarction due to excessive excitement. Therefore, joy should be moderate. Joy promotes harmony and smoothness of Qi, but excess can lead to the opposite.
“Anger” refers to the phenomenon of anger arising from unreasonable situations or unfulfilled desires. TCM teaches that liver Qi should be smooth and free-flowing; when the liver is soft, blood is harmonious, but when the liver is stagnant, Qi reverses. When anger arises, it disrupts the normal psychological environment, causing liver Qi to become rebellious. After an outburst of anger, people often feel pain in the sides or discomfort under the ribs; they may lose their appetite, experience abdominal pain, or even vomit blood in severe cases. TCM refers to this as “liver Qi rebelling against the spleen.” Modern medicine also recognizes that extreme mental tension can lead to gastrointestinal dysfunction or peptic ulcers; it can also cause elevated blood pressure, leading to sudden death from coronary heart disease. Historical examples, such as Zhou Yu from the Three Kingdoms period, who died from anger-induced blood vomiting, illustrate that such occurrences can happen in daily life. Therefore, from a health perspective, the best approach is to avoid anger, as it benefits both oneself and others.
“Worry” refers to feelings of anxiety and depression, manifesting as a furrowed brow and sighing, leading to a gloomy demeanor. The Ling Shu (Spiritual Pivot) states: “Worry causes Qi to stagnate and not flow.” Excessive worry not only damages lung Qi but also affects spleen Qi, impacting appetite. A saying goes: “Worry can turn your hair white.” Legend has it that Wu Zixu turned gray overnight due to excessive worry.
“Thought” refers to concentrating on problems. Thinking relies entirely on subjective will. If overthinking occurs, it can affect the spirit and lead to more chaotic thoughts. Conditions such as insomnia, vivid dreams, and neurasthenia are often related to excessive thinking. TCM believes that excessive thinking harms the spleen; when the spleen is harmed, appetite decreases, sleep quality worsens, and over time, Qi stagnation leads to various diseases. Therefore, when faced with certain issues in life, if one finds it difficult to understand, it is best not to dwell on it, as overthinking can lead to further complications.
“Sadness” arises from grief and pain, manifesting as a pale complexion, lack of energy, and tears at the slightest provocation. TCM believes that sadness is a further development of worry, both damaging the lungs (referring to lung Qi), hence the saying, “Excessive sadness harms the lungs; when the lungs are harmed, Qi dissipates.” This indicates that excessive sorrow can damage internal organs. Therefore, when unfortunate events occur in the family, it is essential to grieve moderately to maintain health.
“Fear” refers to feelings of dread caused by extreme mental tension.
“Shock” refers to sudden encounters with extraordinary events that lead to mental tension. For example, encountering danger, sudden crises, witnessing strange occurrences, or hearing loud noises can cause shock. Shock differs from fear; shock is unexpected, while fear is known. Those who experience unfounded fear often have kidney Qi deficiency and insufficient Qi and blood; those who are shocked into a stupor often suffer from rebellious heart Qi and blood damage, leading to a lack of mental stability. Therefore, treating fear requires tonifying the kidneys, while treating shock requires calming the spirit.
In summary, to maintain relative calm in emotional activities, one should focus on mental cultivation and emotional regulation, objectively addressing changes in the surrounding environment, and keeping a positive, joyful, calm, and peaceful mental state, which is beneficial for health.
Ba Sui Kang is a highly alkaline multifunctional food with a pH of 14. Since the human body is slightly acidic, consuming Ba Sui Kang neutralizes the acid and base, producing salt and water, which are then excreted, effectively clearing waste and toxins from the blood vessels and body. Additionally, it supplements the body with essential nutrients and various amino acids, promoting metabolism and enhancing immunity. As immunity improves, the body’s self-healing system becomes stronger, leading to better health. Thus, it is not just about curing diseases but changing the acidic environment of the body, resolving issues of blockage and toxins, and consequently alleviating a series of health problems.
