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Yin,
Yang and the Five Elements
The
last article provided an overview on the historical background
of Chinese medicine and gave the reader an understanding of the
basics of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Before we proceed
and discuss specific information on Chinese herbal treatments,
particularly for horses, we must explain some additional fundamentals
of TCM. They are applied to all mammals. Also, the reader should
know that some of the words in Chinese cannot be translated to
facilitate worldwide use by TCM practitioners.
Chinese
medicine can be defined as a philosophical theory based
on Yin and Yang and the Five Elements
related to health.
Yin
and Yang
Yang
Yin
Yin
and Yang is a law that explains life in the universe.
To explain Yin and 
Yang
in simple terms one should consider these: Yin
is related to matter. Yang is related to spirit.
For example, blood is Yin because it is made of
matter but in order to circulate it needs some energy (Qi
- pronounced "chi") to push the blood through the vessels. Qi
is Yang in nature. It is the Qi that
moves the matter to create the form. Water (Yin)
and fire (Yang) are the perfect symbols of Yin
and Yang. The sun is Yang and the
moon is Yin. Pure Yang becomes heaven
and impure Yin becomes earth. With any mammal the
outside is Yang and the inside is Yin,
the back is Yang and the front Yin.
The day is Yang and the night Yin.
In the universal symbol of Yin and Yang there
is always some Yin (the black dot in the white half
part ) in the Yang and some Yang (the
white dot in the black half part ) in the Yin. They
are opposite and interrelated at the same time and they transform
into each other. Yin and Yang can
be considered as the negative and positive energy of the same
force. When Yin and Yang are separated,
life ceases.
In
medical and veterinarian practice Yang is often
in excess and Yin is often in shortage. The essence
and blood (Yin) of the animal body are the material
foundation of activities of life. They are continuously consumed,
easily dissipated and difficult to restore. Thus, Yin
is inclined to be deficient. Yang will become hyperactive
and Yang is related to fire and it may become out
of control due to a lack of Yin. Horses that are
in general too hyper are in need of Yin to cool
them down.
Five
Elements
The
Five Elements describe the energetic transmutation of the universe,
the WU XING (five movements). Everything in the
universe is changing, moving. Life is a very good example of something
that is not stable (birth and death). It is subject to transformation
(growth and maturity). The WU XING apply to any
phenomenon occurring in the universe and observations from clinical
and practical experience are added. In the west, we classify as
philosophical the knowledge from the mind. Chinese medicine harmonizes
both philosophy and science. The concept of the Five Elements
is as old as antiquity. It is used to explain interactions between
things and the eternal cycle of growth and decay. As with the
theory of Yin and Yang, the transformation
of the Five Elements has stood the test of time and has been refined
and developed through many ages. In Chinese medicine it assists
the practitioner in tracing the growth, movement, and location
of a disease.
TCM
practitioners and veterinarians use the same medical knowledge.
All mammals are considered the same as long as they have the five
main organs: liver, heart, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. These organs
are directly related to the WU XING and were chosen
because without them a body cannot survive. The brain is considered
an extra organ.
In
simple terms, the main organs are each associated with a natural
element (see diagram below). The Nourishing Cycle
When
the Five Elements are correctly assigned to their respective natural
phenomena, they may then be applied to the physiology of, in this
instance, the horse. Further classifications show that the five
main organs are associated with emotions, sense organs, and tissues.
This is illustrated as follows:
| |
Wood
|
Fire
|
Earth
|
Metal
|
Water
|
| Main
Organs |
Liver
Gall bladder
|
Heart
Small intestines
|
Spleen
Stomach
|
Lungs
Colon
|
Kidneys
Bladder
|
| Five
Emotions |
Anger |
Joy |
Reflection |
Sadness |
Fright |
| Five
Sense Organs |
Eyes |
Tongue |
Mouth |
Nose |
Ears |
| Tissues |
Tendons
Hooves
|
Blood and
vascular system |
Muscles |
Hair and
skin |
Bones and
marrow |
Giving
the names of Fire-Earth-Metal-Water-Wood to these elements is
only a crude analogy as they really are representative of five
basic energy forms or qualities. As an example, fire is the quality
of a heat, or the quality that causes a speeding up of a process.
Taken
together, these Five Elements form one complete whole; self-contained,
self-renewing and self-regulating. All things in the world belong
to one or more of these five qualities which have been termed
"The Five Elements". Balance cannot be maintained with uncontrolled
growth. Therefore, each element must also control another and
so keep growth within reasonable limits.
The
next article will explain Chinese anatomy and how it relates to
the Yin and Yang and the Five
Elements.
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