ZANG FU fafa
The Organ Systems of Traditional
Chinese Medicine
Functions, Interrelationships and Patterns of
Disharmony in Theory and Practice
Jeremy Ross
Doctor of Acupuncture
CAc(Nanjing) BAc(MBAcA) BSc CEd MNIMH
Second Edition
A
Q
Oy
C7
CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE
EDINBURGH LONDON MELBOURNE AND NEW YORK 1985
noDnv
novContents
Introduction xi
List of Chinese Words xiv
Part 1 The Background
1 Chinese and Western Thought
Patterns of Change 3
Interrelationship 4
Analysis and Synthesis 4
Yin Yang 5
Structure and Function 6
Precision and Ambiguity 7
Harmony and Disharmony 7
Summary 7
2 The Framework
Substances 9
Jing Luo 9
Zang Fu 11
Tissues 11
Summary 11
3 Substances
The Five Substances and their
Functions 12
‘Yin Yang and the Substances 13
Formation of the Substances 14
Ambiguities 17
Patterns of Disharmony of the
Substances 20
Further Ambiguities 21
Summary 24
4 Origins of Disease
Origins of Disease 25
Disease Factors 27
External Factors 27
Internal Factors 40
Miscellaneous Factors 40
Summary 44
5 Patterns of Disease
Terminology 45
Classification of Patterns of Disease 45
Patterns of Disharmony of the Eight
Principles 46
Combinations of the Patterns of the
Eight Principles 27
Apparent Contradictions 55
Qualifications of the Eight Principles
Classification 56
Common Disease Patterns 57
Summary 57
viiCONTENTS
Part2 Zang Fu
6 Zang Fu
Origins of Confusion 61
‘The Twelve Zang Fu 63
Zang and Fu 63
Zang Fu Pairs 64
Summary 64
7 Shen (Kidneys) and Pang Guang
(Bladder)
Shen
Functions 65
Patterns of Disharmony 70
Deficient Shen Jing 72
Deficient Shen Yang 73
Deficient Shen Yin 76
Summary 78
Pang Guang
Functions 80
Patterns of Disharmony 80
Damp Heat In Pang Guang 80
8 Pi (Spleen) and Wei (Stomach)
Pi
Functions 83
Fluids, Damp and Phlegm 84
Patterns of Disharmony 85
Deficient Pi Qi 86
Deficient Pi Yang 88
Inability of Pi to Govern Xue 89
Sinking of Pi Qi 90
Invasion of Pi by Cold & Damp 90
Damp Heat Accumulates in Pi 92
‘Turbid Phlegm Disturbs the Head 93
Summary 94
Wei
Functions 96
Patterns of Disharmony 96
Retention of Fluid in Wei due to
Cold 97
Retention of Food in Wei 98
Deficient Wei Yin 98
Blazing Wei Fire 99
Other Wei Disharmonies 99
Summary 100
viii
9 Gan (Liver) and Dan (Gall
Bladder)
Gan
Functions 101
Patterns of Disharmony 103
Depression of Gan Qi 105
Deficient Gan Xue 107
Hyperactive Gan Yang 109
Blazing Gan Fire 112
Stirring of Gan Wind 113
Damp Heat in Gan and Dan 118
Stagnation of Cold in Gan Jing
Luo 119
Summary 120
Dan
Functions 121
Patterns of Disharmony 121
10 Xin (Heart) and Xiao Chang
(Small Intestine)
Xin
Functions 122
Patterns of Disharmony 124
Deficient Xin Qi 125
Deficient Xin Yang 125
Stagnant Xin Xue 128
Deficient Xin Xue 129
Deficient Xin Yin 130
Blazing Xin Fire 131
Phlegm Fire Agitating Xin 132
Cold Phiegm Misting Xin 133
Summary 134
Xiao Chang
Functions 136
Patterns of Disharmony 136
Obstructed Xiao Chang Qi 136
Excess Heat in Xiao Chang 136
11 Fei (Lungs) and Da Chang
(Large Intestine)
Fei
Functions 138
Patterns of Disharmony 140
Deficient Fei Qi 142
Deficient Fei Yin 143CONTENTS
Dryness of Fei 144
Invasion of Fei by Wind 144
Retention of Phlegm in Fei 146
Summary 147
Da Chang
Functions 149
Patterns of Disharmony 149
Intestinal Abscess 149
Damp Heat Invading Da Chang
Constipation and Diarrhoea 150
Summary 151
150
12. Xin Bao (Pericardium) and
San Jiao (Triple Burner)
Xin Bao
Functions 152
Patterns of Disharmony 152
San Jiao
San Jiao as the Three Divisions of the
Body 153
San Jiao as the Fu System 154
San Jiao as the Jing Luo 158
San Jiao as the San Jiao Points
‘Treatment of San Jiao
Disharmonies 159
Summary 159
158
13 Review of the Five Zang
Functions 162
Interrelationships of the Main Zang
Functions 162
Origins of Patterns of Disharmony 163
Part3_ Interrelationships
14 Zang Fu Interrelationships
Yin Yang 169
Substances 170
Pathology of the Substances 171
Jing Luo 172
Tissues 172
Zang Fu 178
Zang Fu and the Origins of
Disease 179
Summary 182
15 Emotions
Emotions and Behaviour 183
Classification of the Emotions
‘The Five Feelings and the Five
Zang 185
‘The Five Feelings and the Five
Phases 187
Emotions and Yin Yang
Emotions and Substances 188
Emotions and Jing Luo 189
Mental Faculties and Emotions
Clinical Importance of Emotional
Disharmony 190
‘Treatment of Emotional
Disharmony 191
‘Treatment of Severe Mental
Illness 192
Summary 194
184
188
190
16 Disharmonies Involving More
than One Zang
Disharmonies of Two Zang
Together 195
Disharmonies of Three or More Zang
Together 201
Interrelationships in Some Common
Disease Patterns 207
Summary 210
Part 4 Clinical Practice
17 Clinical Methods
Diagnosis 214
Treatment 221
Education of the Patient 225
Sequence of Clinical Procedures
230
Summary 233
18 Case Histories
Chronic Otitis Media 234
Tinnitus and Balance 235
Angina Pectoris 236
Chest Pain 238
Urticaria and Stomach Pain 240
Back, Shoulder, Breasts and Respiratory
System 242CONTENTS
ity and Insomnia 244 Appendix: List of Zang Fu Functions
Arthritis and Stress 246 and Disharmonies 254-255
Summary 249
19 Conclusion Bibliography 256
Review 250
General 251
Teaching TCM 251 Index 258Introduction
The practice of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture is largely based on a framework
of three interwoven categories:
Jing Luo
Eight Principles
Zang Fu
The Eight Principles have been clearly dealt with in recent texts, and their
fundamental importance is now beginning to be understood.
The importance of Jing Luo, the system of channels and collaterals, is one of the
few things that has been appreciated in Western Acupuncture from its beginnings.
The theory of Zang Fu forms the core of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
and yet has received the least attention and has been subject to the grossest
misconceptions.
This text deals with the Zang Fu, their functions, Origins of Disease, and Patterns
of Disharmony. It studies their interrelationships with each other, with the
Substances, Jing Luo, and Tissues, and with the Origins of Disease. It views them
in the context of the Body as a whole, in its interactions with the environment.
The Purpose of This Book
This book aims to:
L Provide a clear, well organized foundation for a theoretical understanding of
Zang Fu.
2.Explore the interwoven complexities of Zang Fu interrelationships, and to clarify
areas of difficulty and ambiguity.
xiINTRODUCTION
3.Show how Zang Fu theory is applied in practice, and to provide a basic sequence
of clinical procedures.
‘This book is an advanced acupuncture text. It is written for students and
practitioners of TCM, and is not meant for the complete beginner. It assumes
some degree of familiarity with the theory and practice of TCM, and is meant to
be used in conjunction with such excellent texts as ‘Essentials of Chinese
Acupuncture’ (9), ‘Acupuncture A Comprehensive Text’ (18), and ‘The Web That
Has No Weaver’ (12).
It is concerned with one main topic, the application of the Theory of Zang Fu in
clinical practice. It deals with other topics, for example, Substances, only in
sufficient detail to give an adequate background to the Theory of Zang Fu, and
assumes that the reader either has knowledge of these other topics or has access to
the textbooks mentioned above.
How This Book is Organized
‘The main body of this book is divided into four parts:
Part 1 The Background
Part 2 Zang Fu
Part 3 Interrelationships
Part 4 Clinical Practice
The whole purpose of this book would be defeated if the reader were to omit
Part 1, and go straight to Part 2. The Zang Fu can only really be understood in
the context of the basic principles of TCM.
Part 1
This section looks at the fundamental differences between Chinese and Western
thought, and at the main theoretical principles of Chinese medicine. It considers
Zang Fu in the context of the basic organizational framework of the Body:
Substances, Jing Luo and Tissues; and in terms of the Origins of Disease.
Part 2
‘This part is of course the core of the book, but meaningless out of the context of
Part | and Part 3.
After a general introduction to Zang Fu, Part 2 discusses each Zang Fu pair in a
separate chapter; and studies the functions, Origins of Disease, and Patterns of
Disharmony of each Zang in detail, with many examples, tables and diagrams.
Part 3
Interrelationship is the basic theme of this book, and this vital section explores
the interrelationships of Zang Fu with Yin Yang, Jing Luo, Tissues, emotions and
behaviour, and Origins of Disease. It investigates the interrelationships between
Zang Fu in disharmonies involving two, three or more Zang Fu together.