- Kidney-related disorders
- Poor memory and concentration
- Constitutional weakness
- Low libido.
Shen
Shenis both mind and spirit. It is based in the heart and governs spiritual,
mental and emotional health. It has been described as responsible for ‘the
sparkle in one’s eyes’.
If there is a shendisharmony human thought may be disturbed and the
eyes may be cloudy with insomnia, forgetfulness and, in the worse case,
incoherent speech. With extreme shendisharmony the condition may lead
to unconsciousness.
Blood
In TCM blood is much more than simply a physical transport system, as in
western medicine. It is closely linked to qiand is considered to have the
following important functions:
- It nourishes the body by carrying nutrients to all tissues and structures
and in so doing it helps to fulfil the nutritive functions of qi. - It has a moistening and lubricating action. It aids clear and stable
thought processes.
Disharmony may arise from three imbalances:- Deficiency shows in pale face, dry skin, light-headedness and
emaciation. - Stagnation produces stabbing pains, and purple lips and tongue.
- Excessive heat in the blood can cause bleeding, skin conditions and
fever.
Body fluids(jin ye)
Body fluids include external light and watery fluids, such as saliva and tears
(known as jin), and the dense thicker fluids that circulate inside the body,
e.g. gastric juices and joint fluids (known as ye). The function of all the body
fluids is to nourish and lubricate the body. They are essential for the main-
tenance of healthy qi.
Disharmony due to deficient body fluids results in dryness of the eyes,
lips and hair, a dry cough and excessive thirst. Excess body fluids can lead
to problems known as dampness and phlegm, characterised by productive
coughs, weeping skin rashes and vaginal discharge.
The five substances are summarised in Table 6.2.
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