THE THEORY OF ZANG-FU
Here the Zang means "solid organ", and Fu means "Hollow organ."
In human body, the diffrent internal organs are described as having the division of labour exhibited by a properly run state. This is know as the state of analogy:
Here is the organs and there Official Functions:-
The Heart : The supreme Controller or Emperor.
The Small intestine: The separator of the pure and impure.
The Pericardium: The protector of the Emperor.
The Sanjiao: The controller of temperature.
The Liver: The official for judgement and planning.
The Gall Bladder: The official for decision making.
The Lung: The Receivar of Vital energy from the heavens.
The Large Intestine: The official for the drainage of the dregs.
The Stomach: The official for rotting and ripening.
The Spleen: The official for transport and distribution.
The Kidney: The controller of the storage of vital energy.
The Urinary Bladder: The controller of water.
Another analogy is the Universe analogy:
The upper half of man, including the heart and the brain, represents heaven; the lower half, including the stomach and genitalia , represents the earth. Man is the son of heaven and earth.
The ancient traditional medicine related the body functions into twelve Organ system, which are classified according to their characteristics into Zang(yin) and Fu(Yang), and into the five elements.
The Zang organs have the functions of storing and are known as the "SOLID ORGANS".
They are YIN character.
The Fu Organs have the functions of digesting and absorbing food and excreting wastes, and are known as the " HOLLOW ORGANS"
They are YANG in character.
Although the diffrent Organs have separate functions , they work in close co-ordination with each other to preserve the unity of the organism and to carry its vital functions.
The classification of the Twelve Organs into Yin and Yang and into five Elements is correlated as follow:-
1. Each Yin organ(Solid organ) is coupled to a Yang Organ(Hollow Organ) and they are both identified with one of the five Elements.
Heart, Pericardium, Sanjiao, Small Intestine- Fire element.
Stomach and Spleen- Earth Element.
Lung and Large Intestine- Metal element.
Kidney and Urinary Bladder- Water element.
Liver and Gall Bladder - Wood Element.
2. Each pair of these coupled Organ relate to other such pairs of coupled organ in generative and in destructive cycle that govern the relationship of the Five elements.
Each of the Zang(Solid) and Fu(Hollow) organs relates to a vital functions of the body.
The Zang(Solid) and Fu(Hollow) organgs are connected to certain areas of the body in such manner that pathological changes in in Zang and Fu organ also brought about corresponding changes in related area or tissue. Some of these changes could be related to the Five colour. This made it easy to ascertain which set of Zang(Solid) and Fu(Hollow) organ needed treatment. These relationships are as follow:
Lung and Large Intestine- WHITE, and connected to the tissues of SKIN, BODY HAIR.
Heart,pericardium and Small intestine, Sanjiao- RED colour, Tissue- Brain, Blood vessels.
Spleen and Stomach- YELLOW colour, Tissues- Soft tissues, four extremitis.
Liver and Gall Bladder: GREEN colour, Tissues- Muscle, Tendon
Kidney and Urinary Bladder- BLACK colour, Tissues- Bone, Cartilage, Nails, Teeth, Head hair.
The relationships of the five human emotions to the Zang- Fu :-
Lung and Large Intestine - Sadness.
Heart and Small Intestine- Joy.
Spleen and Stomach- Anxiety.
Liver and Gall Bladder- Anger.
Kidney and Urinary Bladder - Fear.