Tradtional Chinese MedicineZhai JianliZhai Jianli翟建丽翟建丽2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elements2.2.1 Formation and Concepts of the Five Elements The ancient Chinese recognized that wood, fire, earth,metal,water are the five indispensable materials in human life,later, people looked to the properties of these five materials to explain the whole physical world. 2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elements2.2.2Major concepts of the Five Elements2.2.2.1Characteristics of Five ElementsPeople categorized things into wood,fire, earth,metal and water acocording to their different natures,actions,shapes or forms.2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elementsWood-flourishes and grows freely,anything that possesses this nature is attributed to wood.Fire-warm, heat and flares up,anything that possesses this nature is attributed to fire.Earth-holding and producing,anything that possesses this nature is attributed to earth.Metal-solidity and clarity,anything that possesses this nature is attributed to metal.Water-cold moist and flowing in a downward direction,anything that possesses this nature is attributed to water.2.2. 1 promotion,restriction, invasion and violation of the five element (1)Promotion and restriction promotion means promoting and improving,woodearthwatermetalfire2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elementsEach element has two aspects of being promoted andpromoting.The promoting element is the mother,the promoted element is the child,this is mother-child relationship.Example: water -wood-firewood promotes wood promotes firefireFire promotes Fire promotes earthearthearth promotes earth promotes metalmetalmetal promotes metal promotes waterwaterwater promotes water promotes woodwoodrestriction means checking and bring under control among the five elements. each element has two aspects of “being restricted” and restricting. the restricting element is the dominator,the restricted element is the subordinate.earth is restricted by woodMetal is restricted by firewood is restricted by metalTable 1.2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elements(1)Promotion and restrictionExample:metal-wood-earthPromotion and restriction keep a relative balancefor normal generation and development. 2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elements(2)Invasion by another element(abnormal relation) Invasion means encroaching on that which is weak.example:-excessive wood-invade earth-make it deficient.2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elementsviolation means using ones strength to bully another one,This is called counter restriction.For example:metal-wood,but if wood becomes excessive or metal becomes deficient,Then the wood will reverse and violate metal. 2.23Application of the five elements in TCM2.2.3.1 To explain the relationships among the five zang-viscerapromotion:kidney(water)-essence nourishes liver (wood),kidney promotes liver. The liver(wood) stores blood to assist the heart(fire),thus liver promotes heart. 2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elements Heart(fire)-yang warms the spleen (earth),so heart promotes spleen. The Spleen(earth) transforms food and water into essence and nourishes lung(metal),spleen promotes lung. The lung regulates water passage to support the kidney(water), so lung promotes kidney. 2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elements Restriction:The lung qi(metal)-check the hyperactivity of liver-yang(wood);The kidney yin(water) can prevent the raging of heart fire,thus kidney restricts heart.liver disease affect the spleen,this is wood subjugating earth. A spleen disease may involve the liver,this is earth violating wood.A liver disease may also affect the heart,that is a child disease involving the mother.To explain inter-affection of the viscera physiologically2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elements2.2.3.3 Application of the five element in Diagnosis and Treatment Because the five zang-viscera have a specific connection to the five element with color,voice,flavor and corresponding pulse.A diagnosis can be made from a patients complexion,voice,taste,pulse. 2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elementsFor example:greenish complextion-sour food-wiry pulse-(belong to wood)liver diseasereddish complextion-bitter taste-surging pulse(belong to fire)heart disease 2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elementsA spleen disease with greendish complextion implies that the wood (liver)has subjugated the earth(spleen);heart disease with darkish appearance suggests that water(kidney)has invaded fire(heart).2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elementsfor treatment:reinforcing earth(spleen) to strengthen metal(lung);replenishing water(kedney) to nourish wood(liver);checking wood(liver) to assist earth(spleen);replenishing water(kedney) to reduce fire(heart). 2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elements2.3 combined application of yin-yang and the five elements Yin-yang and five elements are mutually related,By combining these theories in TCM ,one can comprehensively understand the human physiology and pathology.2.2 The Five elements2.2 The Five elementsQuestions:1. What is the four concepts of Yin-yang Theory?2. What is excess or deficiency of yin or yang ?3 .Remember the Table 1.4. What is the order of promotion of five elements?5. What is the order of restriction of five elements?6.Try to explain promotion, restriction, invasion and violation of the five element.