Five Elements Theory

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The theory of yin and yang. The theory of five elements (Wu Xing). The concept of zang- fu organs. The concept of Qi Xue and Jin ye. The concept of Jing Luo. Six exogenous pathogenic factors. Seven endogenous pathogenic factors. Concept of pathogenesis. Methods of diagnosis. Bian Zheng & Lun Zhi. Other minor concepts.

• The theory of five elements holds that “every thing in the Universe is composed by five elements.” • Every in this world consists five great elements and they exist by the constant motion and change of that elements. • These elements are – Wood.

– Fire. – Earth. – Metal. – Water.

• The physiology. • The pathology. • Interaction of the human body with the. environment. • The correct diagnosis. • The prognosis and, • An ideal treatments.

• Characteristic of five elements. • Classification of the things according to five elements. • Law of inter-promotion and interaction among the five elements.

•

The five elements represents the peculiar function in the nature or related phenomenon and events of natural worlds. – Wood:– represents growing, ascending, Flourishing, and harmonious. – Fire:– represents warm and hot evaporating and flaring up. – Earth:- represents reproducible change and receiving. – Metal :– represents dispersing, descending, firm solid and astringents. – Water:- represents cold and cool moistening and running downwards.

• TCM classifies the things according to their nature matched with five elements quality. • The classification has analogous relation with the quality of five elements. • eg.. The east classified as wood because the sun rises from east and which is similar to the ascending and flourishing characters of the wood.

S N

Things

Wood

Fire

Earth

Metal

Water

1.

Five seasons

Springs.

summer

Late summer

Autumn.

winter

2.

Five directions

East

south

Middle

West

north

3.

Five type of weathers

Wind

Summer Dampness heat

Dryness

Cold

4.

Five colors

Blue/ green

Red

Yellow

White

Black

5.

Five tastes

Sour

Bitter

Sweet

Acrid

Salty

6.

Five tones

Jiao

Zhi

Gong

Shang

Yu

7.

Fives smells.

Smell of urine

Brunt smell

Fragrance

Fishy

Rotten/ foul

8.

Five numbers.

Eight

Seven

Five

Nine

Six

9.

Five types of development

Germination

Growth

Transformation

Raping

Storing

S N

Things

Wood

Fire

Earth

Metal

Water

1.

Five zang organs

Liver

Heart

Spleen

Lung

kidney

2.

five Fu organs

Gallbladder

Smell intestine

Stomach

Large intestine

Urinary bladder

3.

Five tissue of the body

Tendon

Vessels

Muscle

Skin

Bones

4.

Five sense organs

Eyes

Tongue

Mouth

Nose

Ear

5.

Five kinds of secretion

Tears

Sweat

Serous saliva

Nasal discharge

Mucus saliva

6.

Five manifestations

Nails

Face

Lips

Body hair

Hair

7.

Five voices

Shouting

Laughing

Singing

Crying

Moaning

8.

Five emotions

Angry

Joy

Over thinking

Grief

Fear

9.

Five actions

Gripping

Restlessness

Vomiting

Coughing

Shivering

10

Five shu points

Jing/ well

Ying/ spring Shu/ stream

Jing/ river

He/ sea

CLASSIFICATION OF YIN VISCERA • LIVER:- corresponds wood because it is concerned with ascendance. • HEART:- corresponds fire because it is concerned with warms. • SPLEEN:-corresponds earth because it is concerned with nourishments. • LUNG:- corresponds metal because it is concerned with descending. • KIDNEY:- corresponds water because it regulates the water.

• The law of inter-promotion and interaction explains correlative relation of the five elements. • Inter-promotion means the mutual production and generation. • Interaction means mutual resistance and resistance. • Both of them (Inter-promotion and Interaction) requires to maintain ecological balance in nature and physiological balance in human body.

• • • • •

Wood promotes fire. Fire promotes earth. Earth promotes metal. Metal promotes water. Water promotes wood.