capacities and memory. On a physical level, it will cause dizziness, tinnitus, night-sweating,
5-palm heat, backache, deafness, a Red tongue without coating and a Floating-Empty pulse.
Lung-Yin
Lung-Yin is the residence of the Corporeal Soul. Emotional problems that affect Lung-Yin will
cause tiredness, depression, itching, slight breathlessness, an uncomfortable sensation of the
chest, night-sweating, 5-palm heat, a dry throat, a Red tongue without coating and a
Floating-Empty pulse. On a mental level, the patient may be prone to be influenced by outside
psychic forces, will tend to weep a lot and will feel very dispirited and lonely.
Spleen-Yin
Spleen-Yin is the residence of the Intellect and emotional problems affecting Spleen-Yin may
cause a dry mouth with no desire to drink, dry lips, dry stools, poor appetite, a slight epigastric
pain, a tongue without coating in the centre and a Floating-Empty pulse in the Right-Middle
position. From a mental point of view these people will suffer from poor memory and
concentration, and will find it very difficult to apply themselves to study. The imbalance may
also work in the opposite way and may lead to obsessive ideas.
Thus the effects of emotional stress on the body's vital substances are summarized in Table
9.3Table 9.3 which shows the effects of emotional stress on the vital substances under the
column headed "Effect". These conditions themselves become, with time, a cause of further
disharmony and the effects are in the column headed "Consequence". For example, Blood-Heat
may easily lead to the formation of Phlegm-Fire because Heat condenses the body fluids into
Phlegm. Or Qi deficiency of the Spleen, Lungs or Kidneys easily leads to the formation of
Phlegm as Qi fails to transform, move and excrete fluids which therefore accumulate into
Phlegm. Qi stagnation easily leads to Blood stasis and Yin deficiency may lead to Empty-Heat or
internal Wind.
All these pathogenic factors, Phlegm, Phlegm-Fire, Empty-Heat and internal Wind, further
disturb the Mind. We shall now discuss their effects and symptomatology. Blood stasis has
already been discussed above.
Phlegm
Phlegm obstructs the Mind (the Heart's orifices) and may cause dullness of thought, a fuzzy
head, a confused mind and dizziness. In severe cases it may cause mental retardation or even
coma. Phlegm obstructs the Mind and thinking but it does not agitate the Mind. Thus the person
will not be restless but, on the contrary, tired, subdued, depressed and quiet.