because the Heart is the seat of insight and feelings and although each emotion affects its
relevant organ, it also affects the Heart which alone feels it. Secondly, the tip becomes red
because every emotion, after some time, causes some stagnation of Qi and this, in turn, often
produces Fire. Hence the Chinese medicine saying: "All emotions lead to Fire". It is important to
remember that "tip" here means the very tip of the tongue. If a larger area in the front part of the
tongue is red, it usually indicates Lung-Heat.
There are a few other signs on the tongue which show emotional or mental problems. For
example, severe mental problems such as manic depression or psychosis can manifest with a
grossly abnormal shape of the tongue as in shown in Figure 9.5(242) and Plate 9.1(243).
If such a shape is seen in people who do not apparently have any mental problems, it still
indicates that they have a tendency to develop such problems if the inner balance is suddenly
upset, such as by a shock or by a traumatic childbirth. These people are nearly always sad; even
if they do experience happiness, it lasts only a few minutes. If such a tongue is combined with
very dull eyes, this is a very bad sign, indicating the possibility of severe mental illness.
Anger very often manifests with red sides of the tongue indicating Liver-Yang rising or
Liver-Fire (Figure 9.6(244)).
If both sides and tip are red, it usually indicates severe emotional problems from anger and
frustration affecting both Liver and Heart (Figure 9.7(245)).
Yet another tongue sign in mental problems is a combined Stomach and Heart crack with a
sticky, rough, brush-like yellow coating inside the crack. Such a crack with sticky coating
indicates that Phlegm and Fire obstruct the Stomach and the Heart, misting the Mind. It is often
seen in manic-depression (Figure 9.8(246)).
A midline crack that extends almost to the tip is related to the Heart and its meaning depends on
other findings (see Figure 9.4(247)).
If the tongue-body colour is normal and the crack is not too deep, then it only indicates a
constitutional weakness of the Heart. This may never manifest with a Heart problem. However,
such a crack does indicate that the person will be more likely to develop emotional-mental
problems if he or she is subject to emotional stress in life. Or, in other words, such a person will
be less resistant to emotional stress.
If there is such a crack and the tip of the tongue is red, it indicates that the person has already
developed some emotional problems. If the whole tongue is Red and the tip redder and with red
points, the emotional problems are of a more serious nature.