I. The Law of Medicinal Manifestations
The method of using medicine is based on the principle of first distinguishing between yin and yang
Five Flavors and Four Qi, profound principles lie within.
Heaven possesses Yin and Yang: wind, cold, summer heat, dampness, dryness, and fire are governed by the three Yin and three Yang above. Cold, heat, warmth, and coolness are the four qi phenomena of heaven. Warmth and heat are the Yang of heaven; coolness and cold are the Yin of heaven. This is the Yin and Yang of heaven.
The Earth has Yin and Yang: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth correspond to growth, transformation, and storage. Pungent, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty—the five flavors all correspond to the Earth. Pungent, sweet, and bland are the Yang of the Earth; sour, bitter, and salty are the Yin of the Earth. This is the Yin and Yang of the Earth.
Qi is yang. Qi that is thick is yang within yang; thick qi generates heat, as seen in pungent, sweet, warm, and hot properties. Qi that is thin is yin within yang; thin qi promotes dispersion, as seen in pungent, sweet, bland, neutral, cool, and cold properties.
Flavor pertains to yin. Thick flavors are yin within yin, and thick flavors cause purgation, such as sour, bitter, salty, and cold flavors. Thin flavors are yang within yin, and thin flavors promote flow, such as sour, bitter, salty, and neutral flavors.
Taste thin and light, forming an image, like tea, responding to heaven and being close to the above
Taste heavy and turbid forming shape, such as rhubarb class, should be close to the earth below.
Pungent and sweet flavors that disperse are yang, sour and bitter flavors that cause vomiting and diarrhea are yin.
The clear yang is distributed in the striae and interstices, which is the clear within the clear; the clear yang strengthens the four limbs, which is the turbid within the clear.
Turbid yin returns to the six fu organs, which is the turbid within the turbid; turbid yin moves to the five zang organs, which is the clear within the turbid.
II. Brief Introduction to Medicinal Use for the Five Zang Organs
Each of the five viscera has its own priorities in medication.
Generation and Restriction, Tonification and Purgation, Appropriate for the Four Seasons.
Liver: The virtue of the liver lies in dispersion (desiring to disperse). The liver suffers from urgency, and sweet foods should be consumed to soothe it. Sourness drains it, while pungency tonifies it.
The qi of the liver emerges in spring. The spring weather is warm and gentle, a time when yang qi is spreading. Therefore, the liver has a nature that favors free flow and smoothness, and its virtue is said to lie in dispersion.
To disperse, urgently consume pungent to disperse, Chuanxiong. For bitter urgency, urgently consume sweet to moderate, Gancao. For sour purging, Shaoyao. For pungent tonifying, Xixin.
Deficiency, supplement with ginger, tangerine peel, and the like. When deficient, supplement its mother; the kidney is the mother of the liver, water can generate wood, supplement with prepared rehmannia root and phellodendron bark.
In cases of excess, it is purged with White Peony Root. For excess conditions, purge the child organ. The heart is the child of the liver, so purge the heart with Licorice Root.
Heart: The virtue of the heart lies in softness (desiring softness). The heart suffers from slackness, urgently use sourness to gather it. Bitterness purges it, saltiness tonifies it.
The qi of summer is hot, which is the nature of fire. The heart qi follows the pattern of summer and belongs to fire. The essence of fire is fierce and dry, with a tendency to rise rapidly and burn intensely, which is precisely used to harmonize the virtues of softness, moisture, and nourishment.
To soften, urgently consume salty to soften it, Mirabilite. To relieve bitterness, urgently consume sour to astringe it, Schisandra. To supplement with salty, Alisma. To purge with sweet, Ginseng, Astragalus, Licorice.
Deficiency is treated by supplementing with fried salt. When there is deficiency, supplement its mother. The liver is the mother of the heart, as wood can generate fire, and it is supplemented with ginger.
In cases of excess, purge with licorice root.
Spleen: The virtue of the spleen lies in moderation (desiring moderation). The spleen suffers from dampness, urgently consume bitter foods to dry it. Use pungent foods to purge it, use sweet foods to tonify it.
The spleen and stomach belong to earth, following the qi of the four seasons and long summer. The qi of spring is damp and soft, reaching its peak of dampness and softness by the time of long summer. The qi of summer is hot and soft, and by long summer, the accumulation of heat also reaches its peak. Therefore, the qi of long summer is abundant in both dampness and heat, which is referred to as summerheat. The spleen possesses the virtue of slowness, which is reflected in the characteristics and functions of the nutrient qi it stores.
To slow down, quickly consume sweet to slow it, licorice. For bitter dampness, quickly consume bitter to dry it, white atractylodes. To supplement with sweet, ginseng. To purge with bitter, coptis.
Deficiency is treated by supplementing with herbs such as licorice root and jujube. The heart is the mother of the spleen, and thus fried salt is used to supplement the heart.
If it is excess, then use Zhi Shi to drain it. The lung is the child of the spleen, so use Sang Bai Pi to drain the lung.
Lung: The virtue of the lung lies in gathering (desiring to gather). The lung suffers from the upward reversal of qi, urgently consume pungent flavors to disperse it, opening the interstices to facilitate the flow of qi. Use salty flavors to drain it, and sour flavors to supplement it.
The qi of the lungs follows the laws of autumn. The qi of autumn inherits the damp heat from late summer. When autumn arrives, the qi turns cool and dry, and the damp heat is drawn inward. Therefore, it is said that the virtue of the lungs lies in gathering. The qi of the lungs also descends as its natural tendency. If the qi mechanism rebels upward, the breath cannot descend and be received below, leading to symptoms of lung qi stagnation and obstruction in the upper body. In treatment, acrid dispersing herbs can be used to open the blockages in the pores, muscles, and textures, allowing the lung qi to flow freely and descend, thereby resolving the various symptoms of "rebellious qi."
To restrain, urgently consume sour to restrain it, white peony root. Bitter qi rising counterflow, urgently consume bitter to drain it, chebula fruit peel, scutellaria root. Use acrid to drain it, mulberry root bark. Use sour to supplement it, schisandra fruit.
Deficiency is supplemented by Schisandra. The spleen is the mother of the lung, and licorice is used to tonify the spleen.
In cases of excess, mulberry root bark is used to purge it. The kidney is the child of the lung, so alisma is used to purge the kidney.
Kidney: The virtue of the kidney lies in firmness (desiring firmness). The kidney suffers from dryness, so it is urgent to consume salty foods to moisten it, thereby promoting the production of body fluids. Use sweet to purge it, and use bitter to tonify it.
The kidney qi follows the qi of the four seasons, specifically the qi of winter. In winter, yang qi is hidden internally, leading to cold weather and frozen ground. Yin water solidifies into ice due to the cold, and the earth cracks due to water freezing. Therefore, the virtue bestowed by kidney qi upon the human body lies in firmness.
To firm, urgently consume bitter to firm it, Anemarrhena. Bitter drying, urgently consume pungent to moisten it, Anemarrhena, Phellodendron. Use bitter to supplement it, Phellodendron. Use salty to drain it, Alisma.
Deficiency is treated by supplementing with Rehmannia and Phellodendron. The lung is the mother of the kidney, and Schisandra is used to supplement the lung.
In reality, the kidney is inherently not excessive and cannot be purged. Therefore, there are no purgative medicines for it.
Three, Viscera Fire-Purging Medicinals
Clearing fire from the viscera and bowels each has its principal medicinal.
Intense heat toxin accumulation, each has its own unique efficacy,
Coptis chinensis clears heart fire, Akebia clears small intestine fire
Scutellaria baicalensis clears lung fire with Gardenia jasminoides assisting it, Scutellaria baicalensis clears large intestine fire
Bupleurum drains liver fire with Coptis assisting, Bupleurum drains gallbladder fire with Coptis assisting;
White Peony Root drains the fire of the spleen, Gypsum drains the fire of the stomach
Anemarrhena drains kidney fire, Phellodendron drains bladder fire
Bupleurum clears fire from the triple burner and Scutellaria assists it.
The above medicines each purge their respective fires, not only can they do this, but they also have the ability to treat diseases when combined as sovereign, minister, assistant, and envoy. Use them according to their specific suitability, and do not adhere rigidly to a single approach.
