Guiding clinical diagnosis
Since the five zang-organs pair with the five elements, the five colors (五色), the five flavors (五味) and the five pulses (五脉) respectively, and because the disorders of the internal organs can manifest on the surface of the body, clinically the theory of the five elements can be used to analyze the changes of complexion, taste and pulse in order to decide which viscus and meridian are involved.
Diagnosis according to complexion, taste and pulse
The five colors, the five flavors and the five pulses correspond to the liver, the heart, the spleen, the lung and the kidney respectively. So they can be directly used to diagnose disease. For example :-
= bluish complexion, preference for sour flavor or sour taste in the mouth and taut pulse indicate liver disease;
= reddish complexion, bitter taste in the mouth and full pulse indicate heart disease;
= yellowish complexion, sweet taste in the mouth and slow pulse indicate spleen disease;
= whitish complexion, acrid taste in the mouth and floating pulse indicate lung disease; and
= blackish complexion, salty taste in the mouth and deep pulse indicate kidney disease.
The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another,
until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.
- Frederick Buechner
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