Spleen (Chinese medicine)
Zàng organ in traditional Chinese medicine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Pí, 脾; is one of the zàng organs stipulated by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).[1] Often translated as the biomedical term for formative viscera called the Spleen. Within the theory of TCM the Pí is a organ-related functional concept that is built on a cultural view or belief system that has been influenced by Daoism, Confucianism and Chinese folk religion. In this view the Pí occupies a fundamentally different conceptual position than in Western evidence based biomedicine, instead as stated previously instead of being a formative visceral structure, it is a relationship or pattern based observations In this traditional theory [2][3][4]
In the context of the zang-fu concept
Within the context of traditional Chinese medicine the Pí is considered to be a yin in nature, and is paired with its yang partner the associated yang organ is the Wèi,胃. Both of these concepts are attributed to the Earth element within the five phase or element, wuxing theory of the Earth element.
Regarding its stipulated functions, the Pí is said to
- govern "transportation and transformation" (运化; yùn-huà), i.e. the extraction of jīng weī (精微), lit. "essence bits", usually translated as food essence or gu qi (谷氣), sometimes also called jīng qì (精氣; "essence qi")[5] – and water – from food and drink, and the successive distribution of it to the other zàng officials.
- the jīng weī constitutes a large part of the body's acquired qì (the other part coming from respiration by facilitation of Fèi, 肺 zàng). In this spirit, the Pí is also called "root of the postnatal" (后天之本; hoùtiān zhī běn)[6] – as opposed to the congenital qì, which is stored by the Shèn,腎 zàng. The Pí absorbs jīng weī from the food after it has been preprocessed by the Wèi and the Xiǎo Cháng 小肠 and then distributes it to the whole body, especially upwards to the Fèi and Xīn 心 , where jīng weī is transformed into qì and xuě (blood). Thus, TCM also describes the Spleen as the source of "production and mutual transformation" (生化; shēng-huà)[7] of qì and xuě.
- the Pí distributes the water extracted from the food and distributes it to the whole of the body, especially to the Lung and Kidney zàng, and thus assists the body's water metabolism.
- "contains" (统; tǒng)[8] the blood inside the vessels (this is also one of the functions of pì[9])
- governs muscles and limbs
- opens into the lips (and mouth)
- houses the yì (意; "thinking")
- governs intellect, pondering (思; sī)[10]
Within this traditional Chinese theory it is also associated body fluid is saliva,
Its holding function the Gu qi is said to be strongest between 9 and 11am.
It is said when functioning well, digestion will be good, the muscles will be strong and circulation will be efficient. Dysfunction typically presents as diarrhea, malnutrition, edema, weak/atrophic muscles, greasy taste in the mouth, or excessive bleeding and prolapse.[11] The Spleen is especially weakened by Damp one of the Six Excesses and overthinking.[12]
