Categorization and Deduction of Things in Terms of Five Elements

proper-ties. For example, if a thing is similar to wood in property, it pertains to wood; if it is similar to fire in property, it pertains to fire. Accordingly, all the things in the natural world can be analyzed into five categories at varied levels. In TCM, histological structure, physiological and pathological phenomena of the human body are classified in terms of the properties of Five Elements, and thus formulate a zang-organ centered system of Five Elements. The macro system of Five Elements in the natural world and the micro system of Five Elements in the human body are interrelated, and things that pertain to the property of the same element are interrelated, interpromoting and interrestricting. There are two specific ways to categorize things in an analogy with Five Elements: direct analogy, and indirect inference and induction.

• Direct Analogy

Direct analogy can be made between specific things and the attributes of Five Elements.

First, direction is categorized in terms of Five Elements. East pertains to wood for it is where the sun rises, having the property of rising up like wood; west pertains to metal, for it is where the sun sets, having the properties of depuration, astringency, and descent like metal; south pertains to fire, for it is hot in the south, having the properties of warmth, ascending, and brightness like fire; north pertains to water, for it is cold in the north, similar to the coolness of water.

Second, seasons can also be categorized in the properties of Five Elements. Spring, char-acterized by the resuscitation of all things, is similar to wood in property and thus pertains to wood. Summer, characterized by hot weather and the luxuriant growth of all things, is similar to fire in property, and thus pertains to fire. The rainy season in summer is called late summer, which is characterized by high temperature and humidity, which is beneficial to the maturity of fruits, and similar to the earth in property, and therefore pertains to the earth. Autumn, characterized by the decline of all things, is similar to metal in property, and that is why autumn pertains to metal. Winter, characterized by cold weather and animal hibernation, is similar to water in property, and for this reason winter pertains to water.

Third, qi, transformation, color, and the like all can be classified according to the proper-ties of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, which is easier to be understood in the Chinese natural conditions. China lies in the North Temperate Zone, and climates vary with di-rections. In spring, the gentle wind mostly blows easterly, trees sprout and the earth is decorated with green, so east, spring, wind, warm, germination, and green are related. Sim-ilarly, in the hot summer, wind mostly blows southerly, the sun shines like red fire, plants and animals fully grow, and thus south, summer, heat, red, and growth are related. In cool and dry autumn, leaves begin to fall due to westerly winds, crops are harvested and the earth turns white, and therefore west, autumn, dry, cool, white, and reaping are related. In cold winter, the brisk northerly winds and the icy earth force creatures to hide themselves, and the short day and long night make sunlight weak, so north, winter, cold, black, and storing are related.

Fourth, various zang-fu organs, tissues, and organs are categorized in terms of the prop-erties of Five Elements. The liver governs shu xie (dredging and regulating), so it pertains to wood; the heart warms the whole body, and thus pertains to fire; the spleen carries and

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transforms food nutrients, and therefore pertains to earth; lungs function to depurate and descend, and they pertain to metal; kidneys control the metabolism of body fluid, so pertain to water.

In the above aspects, direct categorization of things according to the properties of Five Elements is made on the basis of only some partial properties of things. Therefore, it has certain limits, which can be overcome by indirect inference and deduction.

• Indirect Inference and Deduction

By indirect inference and deduction, we mean when one thing is categorized as one prop-erty, other related things are also categorized into the same category.

Based on long-term observation and clinical practice, ancient Chinese doctors classify the human body into the categories of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water through inference and deduction. For example, dampness in late summer tends to impair the spleen, bringing on poor appetite, chest oppression, nausea and vomiting, greasy taste in the mouth, lassitude of the muscles; the spleen prefers sweet, and modest sweet taste invigorates the spleen but superabundant sweet taste obstructs the function of the spleen and stomach. Therefore, interrelated late summer, dampness, sweet, yellow, spleen, stomach, mouth, and muscles all pertain to earth.

Various histological structures and functional activities can be categorized into five func-tional systems centering around five zang-organs according to the properties of Five Elements (Table 5-4). These are the taxonomic basis for the establishment of zang-xiang theory.

Each element in Five Elements, as the table shows, is externally related to the things and phenomena in nature and internally relative to various viscera, tissues, organs, functions, and pathological changes. Take the element of wood for example. Wood, characteristic of flexing and extending, has the property of growth, development, and freedom. In spring, the warm weather, easterly winds, resuscitation of all things, propagation of grass and trees, verdant earth and sour fruits are similar to the properties of wood, so “east” in five directions,

“spring” in five seasons, “wind” in five kinds of qi, “germination” in five transformations,

“wheat” in five grains, “sour” in five flavors, and “green” in five colors all pertain to wood.

In the human body, the liver prefers freedom to stagnation, so liver pertains to wood. In physiology, the liver and gallbladder are of internal and external relation, and the liver opens into the eyes, governs the tendons, and is associated with the emotion of anger; in pathology, the dysfunction of the liver will bring on susceptibility to rage, and the insufficiency of liver-blood fails to nourish the tendons, leading to spasm. Thus, the tissues, organs, physiological functions, and pathological changes which are closely related to the liver also pertain to wood in Five Elements.

Zang-organs can be expounded in terms of the properties of Five Elements. The liver governs the ascending qi of spring and prefers freedom to stagnation, so it pertains to wood; the heart dominates the growing qi of summer and can warm the whole body, and thereby pertains to fire; the spleen controls the transforming qi of late summer and governs the transformation and transportation of food nutrients, and thus pertains to earth; lungs dominate the descending qi of autumn and govern descent, and therefore pertain to metal;

kidneys dominate the storing qi of winter and store essence, and so pertain to water.

Second, the categorization elucidates the systematization of the human body. The human body is divided into five physiological systems centering around five zang-organs. And the relationship between the physiological and pathological changes of five physiological systems can be explained with the laws of the interpromotion and interrestraint among Five Elements.

Third, categorization based on Five Elements expounds the unity of man and nature.

According to the theory, nature and the human body are two similar structural systems,

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Table 5-4 The Categorization of the Human Body and Nature according to the Properties of Five Elements Nature

Five Smells Five Notes Five Colors Five Flavors Five Grains Five Five Kinds Five Five Five Transformations of qi Seasons Directions Elements

Foul Jue Green Sour Wheat Germination Wind Spring East Wood

Empyreumatic Zhi Red Bitter Broomcorn Millet Growth Heat Summer South Fire

Fragrant Gong Yellow Sweet Proso Millet Transformation Dampness Late Summer Center Earth

Fishy Shang White Pungent Rice Reaping Dryness Autumn West Metal

Rancid Yu Black Salty Bean Storing Cold Winter North Water

The Human Body

Five Zang Organs Five Fu-Organs Five Sensory Five Five Spirits Five Emotions Five Five Kinds Five Five

Organs Constituents Sounds of Liquids Activities Elements

Liver Gallbladder Eye Tendon Ethereal Soul Anger Shout Tear Hold Wood

Heart Small Intestine Tongue Vessel Spirit Joy Laugh Sweat Worry Fire

Spleen Stomach Mouth Muscle Mind Contemplation Sing Saliva Keck Earth

Lung Large Intestine Nose Skin & Hair Corporeal Soul Grief Cry Snivel Cough Metal

Kidney Urinary Bladder Ear Bone Will Fear Groan Spittle Tremble Water

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not only with the corresponding elements related horizontally, but also related in the change of elements vertically.