Zang-fu

The ''zangfu'' () organs are functional entities stipulated by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). These classifications are based on east Asian cosmological observations rather than bio medical definitions that are used in Western evidence based medical models. In TCM theory they represent the energetic representation of the internal organs rather than the anatomical viscera that is referred to in Western medicine.

Each ''zang'' is paired with a ''fu'', and each pair is assigned to one of the '' wuxing''. The ''zangfu'' are also connected to the twelve standard meridians – each yang meridian is attached to a ''fu'' organ and each yin meridian is attached to a ''zang''. They are five systems of Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung, Kidney.

To highlight the fact that the ''zangfu'' are not equivalent to the anatomical organs, their names are often capitalized.

Anatomical organs

To understand the ''zangfu'' it is important to realize that their concept did not primarily develop out of anatomical biological considerations but from cosmological patterns and influences. The need to describe and systematize the bodily ''functions'' was more significant to ancient Chinese physicians than opening up a cadaver (dead body) and seeing what morphological formal structures there actually were. For example traditionally viewing the Heart of pericardium was forbidden. Thus, the ''zangfu'' are ''functional relational entities'' first and foremost, and only loosely tied to (rudimentary) anatomical assumptions.

The ''zangfu'' were originally considered to represent physical organs in '' Suwen''. A few rare waves of human dissection throughout Chinese history have contributed some refinements to the rough anatomical assumptions in traditional Chinese medicine, though no fundamental errors were corrected (blood vessels remain mistaken as "thin meridians"). In this context, the influx of western anatomical knowledge lead to a crisis for TCM. This was resolved by 's introduction of ''Zangxiang'' () theory in the 1920s, which decoupled the ''zangfu'' from anatomical organs.

Yin/yang and the Five Elements

Each ''zangfu'' organ has a yin and a yang aspect, but overall, the ''zang'' organs are considered to be yin, and the ''fu'' organs yang.

Since the concept of the ''zangfu'' was developed on the basis of ''wuxing'' philosophy, they are incorporated into a system of allocation to one of five elemental qualities (i.e., the Five goings or Five Phases). The ''zangfu'' share their respective element's allocations (e.g., diagnostics of colour, sound, odour and emotion etc.) and interact with each other cyclically in the same way the Five Elements do: each ''zang'' organ has one corresponding ''zang'' organ that it disperses, and one that it reinforces or tonifying and sedative.

The correspondence between ''zangfu'' and Five Elements are stipulated as:

* Fire () = Heart () and Small Intestine () (and, secondarily, Sanjiao ‘’Triple Burner‘’and Pericardium [])
* Earth () = Spleen () and Stomach ()
* Metal () = Lung () and Large Intestine ()
* Water () = Kidney () and Bladder ()
* Wood () = Liver () and Gallbladder ()

Details

The ''zang'' organs' essential functions consist in manufacturing and storing '' qi'' and blood (and, in the case of the Kidney, essence). The hollow ''fu'' organs' main purpose is to transmit and digest (传化, ) substances (like waste, food, etc.).

''Zang''

Each ''zang'' has a corresponding "orifice" it "opens" into. This means the functional entity of a given ''zang'' includes the corresponding orifice's functions (e.g. blurry vision is primarily seen as a dysfunction of the Liver ''zang'' because the Liver channel "opens" into the eyes).

In listing the functions of the ''zang'' organs, TCM regularly uses the term "governing" ( zh, c=主, p=zhǔ, labels=no) – indicating that the main responsibility of regulating something (e.g. blood, ''qi'', water metabolism etc.) lies with a certain ''zang''.

Although the ''zang'' are functional entities in the first place, TCM gives vague locations for them – namely, the general area where the anatomical organ of the same name would be found. One could argue that this (or any) positioning of the ''zang'' is irrelevant for the TCM system; there is some relevance, however, in whether a certain ''zang'' would be attributed to the upper, middle or lower '' jiao''.

Heart

The Heart:
*"Stores" (, ) the '' shen'' (usually translated as "mind"), paired with '' small intestines''
*Governs xuě (blood) and vessels/ meridians
*Opens into the tongue
*Reflects in facial complexion

=Pericardium

=

Since there are only five ''zang'' organs but six yin channels, the remaining meridian is assigned to the Pericardium. Its concept is closely related to the Heart, and its stipulated main function is to protect the Heart from attacks by Exterior Pathogenic Factors. Like the Heart, the Pericardium governs blood and stores the mind. The Pericardium's corresponding yang channel is assigned to the San Jiao ("Triple Burner").

Spleen

The Spleen:
*"Stores" ( zh, c=藏, p=cáng, labels=no) the ''yi'' ( zh, c=意, p=yì, l=intent, labels=no)
*Governs "transportation and transformation" ( zh, c=运化, p=yùnhuà, labels=no), i.e. the extraction of ''jing wei'' ( zh, c=精微, p=jīng weī, l=essence bits, links=no, usually translated with ''food essence'', sometimes also called ''jing qi'' c=精气, p=jīng qì, labels=no, ''essence qi'' – and water – from food and drink, and the successive distribution of it to the other ''zang'' organs.
*Is the source of "production and mutual transformation" ( zh, c=生化, p=shēnghuà, labels=no) 2006, chapter 3, lead of ''qi'' and ''xue'' (blood)
*"Contains" ( zh, c=统, p=tǒng, labels=no) the blood inside the vessels
*Opens into the lips (and mouth)
*Governs muscles and limbs

Liver

The Liver:
*"Stores" ( zh, c=藏, p=cáng, labels=no) blood, and the '' hun'' (, Ethereal Soul) and is paired with the gall bladder.
*Governs "unclogging and deflation" ( zh, c=疏泄, p=shūxiè, labels=no) primarily of qì. The free flow and harmony of qì in turn will ensure the free flow of emotions, blood, and water.
*Opens into the eyes
*Governs the tendons
*Reflects in the nails

Lung

Yin Metal. Home of the '' po'' (, Corporeal Soul), paired with the yang organ the ''Large Intestine''.

The function of the Lung is to disperse and descend '' qi'' throughout the body. It receives ''qi'' through the breath, and exhales the waste and helps the peristaltic action of the gastrointestinal tract.The Lung governs the skin and hair and also governs the exterior (one part of immunity) and the closing of the skin pores. A properly functioning Lung organ will ensure the skin and hair are of good quality and that the immune system is strong and able to fight disease. The normal direction of the Lung is defending, when Lung ''qi'' "rebels" it goes upwards, causing coughing and wheezing. When the Lung is weak, there can be skin conditions such as eczema, thin or brittle hair, and a propensity to catching colds and flu. The Lung is weakened by dryness and the emotion of grief or sadness.

Kidney

Water. Home of the ''zhi'' (, Will), paired with the '' Bladder''.

The Kidneys store '' jing'' Essence, govern birth, growth, reproduction and development. They also produce the Marrow which fills the spinal cord, brain and control the bones. The Kidneys are often referred to as the "Root of Life" or the "Root of the Pre-Heaven Qi".

''Fu''

Large intestine

Gall bladder

Urinary bladder

Stomach

Small intestine

San Jiao (Triple Burner)

Criticism

The concept of the ''zangfu'' is not identified by evidence based medicine – the underlying assumptions and theory have not been verified or falsified by controlled experiments. As the study and practice of Traditional Chinese medicine's mechanisms are comparatively new in the west it has been criticized as pseudoscientific.

See also

* Traditional Chinese medicine
*'' Wuxing''

References

Citations

Sources

* (2006-07-18)
""
, retrieved 2010-12-16
** Cultural China (2007)

"Kaleidoscope → Health", retrieved 2010-12-21
* Kaptchuk, T. (2000). "The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine, 2nd ed." Mcgraw-Hill

* Oguamanam C. (2006). "International Law and Indigenous Knowledge: Intellectual Property, Plant Biodiversity, and Traditional Medicine" University of Toronto Press
* Agnes Fatrai, Stefan Uhrig (eds.). ''Chinese Ophthalmology – Acupuncture, Herbal Therapy, Dietary Therapy, Tuina and Qigong.'' Tipani-Verlag, Wiesbaden 2015, .

External links

The Zang Fu
– Information on the functions of the Zang Fu Organs.

– Chinese medicine diagnosis on organ diseases.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zangfu
Traditional Chinese medicine