五行学说　Theory of the Five Elements/Phases

五行学说［wǔ xíng xué shuō］

five-element/phase theory: one of the basic theories in traditional Chinese medicine, introduced from ancient natural philosophy concerning the composition and evolution of the physical universe

五行［wǔ xíng］

five elements/phases: wood, fire, earth, metal and water with their characteristic properties and their generating and restricting relationships – an ancient natural philosophical concept to explain the composition and phenomena of the physical universe, used in traditional Chinese medicine to expound the correspondence between man and the universe, and the physiological and pathological relationships among the internal organs

五行归类［wǔ xíng guī lèi］

categorization according to the five elements/phases: classification or grouping of things and phenomena into five categories by comparing their structures, properties and actions with those of the five elements/phases, e.g., the liver, heart, spleen, lung, and kidney are classified into the categories of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, respectively. The relevant methods usually include analogy and deduction.

五行相生［wǔ xíng xiāng shēng］

generation among the five elements/phases: the relationship among the five elements in which each element/phase or its associated phenomena give rise to or promote another element/phase in the following sequence – wood generating fire, fire generating earth, earth generating metal, metal generating water and water generating wood

木生火［mù shēng huǒ］

wood generating fire: The category of wood generates or promotes the category of fire. In medicine, this saying usually refers to the physiological process in which normal liver (wood) function supports healthy activities of the heart(fire).

火生土［huǒ shēng tǔ］

fire generating earth: The category of fire generates or promotes the category of earth. In medicine, this saying usually refers to the physiological process in which normal functioning of the spleen(earth) relies upon sound activities of the vital fire (fire of the life gate).

土生金［tǔ shēng jīn］

earth generating metal: The category of earth generates or promotes the category of metal. In medicine, this saying refers to the physiological process in which the spleen (earth) sends food essence to nourish the lung (metal).

金生水［jīn shēng shuǐ］

metal generating water: The category of metal generates or promotes the category of water. In medicine, this saying refers to the physiological process in which the lung (metal) distributes fluids to nourish the kidney (water).

水生木［shuǐ shēng mù］

water generating wood: The category of water generates or promotes the category of wood. In medicine, this saying refers to the physiological process in which sufficient kidney yin (water) guarantees normal functioning of the liver (wood).

五行相克［wǔ xíng xiāng kè］

restriction among the five elements/phases: the relationship in which each element/phase or its associated phenomena restrict or suppress another element/phase in the following sequence – water restricting fire, fire restricting metal, metal restricting wood, wood restricting earth, and earth restricting water

木克土［mù kè tǔ］

wood restricting earth: The category of wood restricts or suppresses the category of earth. In medicine, this saying refers to:（1）the physiological relationship between the liver (wood) and the spleen and stomach (earth);（2）a pathological condition, also called wood overrestricting earth (木乘土 [mù chèng tǔ]).

土克水［tǔ kè shuǐ］

earth restricting water: The category of earth restricts or suppresses the category of water. In medicine, this saying usually refers to the physiological process in which the function of the spleen (earth) controls water metabolism.

水克火［shuǐ kè huǒ］

water restricting fire: The category of water restricts or suppresses the category of fire. In medicine, this saying refers to:（1）the physiological process in which the function of the kidney yin (water) restricts the heart fire to prevent the latter's over-exuberance;（2）the pathological process in which excess water in the body impairs the function of the heart (fire).

火克金［huǒ kè jīn］

fire restricting metal: The category of fire restricts or suppresses the category of metal. In medicine, this saying refers to:（1）the physiological process in which the function of the heart (fire) regulates the activities of the lung (metal);（2）the pathological process in which excessive liver fire aggravates a disease of the lung(metal).

金克木［jīn kè mù］

metal restricting wood: The category of metal restricts or suppresses the category of wood. In medicine, this saying refers to the physiological process in which the function of the lung (metal) prevents hyperactivity of the liver.

五行制化［wǔ xíng zhì huà］

inhibition and generation among the five elements/phases: the generating and restricting relationships among the five elements/phases which form a self-limiting balanced process, e.g., wood restricting earth which generates metal that will restrict wood in turn, and so forth

五行相乘［wǔ xíng xiāng chèng］

over-restriction among the five elements/phases: abnormally severe restriction of the five elements/phases in the same sequence as ordinary restriction

五行相侮［wǔ xíng xiāng wǔ］

counter-restriction among the five elements/phases: restriction opposed to that of the ordinary restricting sequence of the five elements/phases

五行母子相及［wǔ xíng mǔ zǐ xiāng jí］

“mother-child” relationship in the five elements/phases: Disease of the “mother”may involve the “child”, and vice versa.

母［mǔ］

mother (element/phase): the element/phase that generates in the sequence of the five elements/phases, e.g., wood being the“mother” of fire

母气［mǔ qì］

mother (element/phase) qi: qi of a zang organ that generates in the sequence of the five elements/phases, e.g., the liver (wood)qi being the mother qi of the heart (fire), and the kidney (water) qi being the mother qi of the liver (wood), and so forth

子［zǐ］

child (element/phase): the element that is generated in the sequence of the five elements/phases, e.g., fire being the “child”of wood, and so forth

子气［zǐ qì］

child (element/phase) qi: qi of a zang organ that is generated in the sequence of the five elements/phases, e.g., the spleen(earth) qi being the child qi of the heart(fire), and the lung (metal) qi being the child qi of the spleen (earth), and so forth

木乘土［mù chèng tǔ］

wood overrestricting earth: pathological condition in which a hyperactive liver impairs the functions of the spleen and stomach

木旺乘土［mù wàng chèng tǔ］

exuberant wood overrestricting earth: pathological change bringing about disharmony between the liver and the spleen and stomach, in which hyperactivity of the former is primary while insufficiency of the latter is secondary (cf. 土虚木乘 [tǔ xū mù chèng])

土虚木乘［tǔ xū mù chèng］

wood overrestricting asthenic earth: pathological change of disharmony between the liver and the spleen and stomach, in which hyperactivity of the former is secondary, while insufficiency of the latter is primary (cf. 木旺乘土 [mù wàng chèng tǔ])

木火刑金［mù huǒ xíng jīn］

wood fire tormenting metal: pathological change expressed in the light of the five-element/phase theory that excessive liver fire consumes lung yin, causing dry cough and chest pain or even hemoptysis accompanied by irritability, bitterness in the mouth and blood-shot eyes

火不生土［huǒ bù shēng tǔ］

fire failing to generate earth: pathological change expressed in the light of the five-element/phase theory that fire of the life gate (i.e., kidney yang) is insufficient to warm the spleen and stomach, bringing on such symptoms as diarrhea, indigestion, intolerance of cold and edema

土不制水［tǔ bù zhì shuǐ］

earth failing to control water: pathological change expressed in the light of the five-element/phase theory that a weak spleen unable to control the water flow may lead to edema or retained fluid

土虚水侮［tǔ xū shuǐ wǔ］

reversed restriction of water on asthenic earth: expression for insufficiency of the spleen with anasarca according to the five-element/phase theory

金寒水冷［jīn hán shuǐ lěng］

coldness of metal and water: figurative expression for deficiency-cold of both the lung and kidney

水不涵木［shuǐ bù hán mù］

water failing to nourish wood: pathological change expressed in the light of the five-element/phase theory that kidney yin deficiency deprives the liver of its nourishment, resulting in insufficiency of liver yin with stirring of liver wind

五时［wǔ shí］

five seasons: collective term referring to spring, summer, late summer, autumn and winter

五气［wǔ qì］

five qi:（1）collective term referring to five climatic factors, i.e., wind, summerheat, dampness, dryness, and cold;（2）collective term for the qi of the five circuits, i.e., qi of wood, fire, earth, metal and water

五化［wǔ huà］

five evolutive phases: collective term referring to the generating, growing, changing, collecting, and storing phases of evolution

五声［wǔ shēng］

five voices: collective term referring to shouting, laughing, singing, crying and moaning

五官［wǔ guān］

five (sense) organs: collective term referring to the eyes, tongue, mouth, nose and ears

五方［wǔ fāng］

five directions: collective term referring to east, south, middle, west and north