Physiological Characteristics of the Spleen
The spleen's physiological characteristics are summarized as follows.
1) Likeness of Dryness and Dislikeness of Dampness
This phrase denotes that the transportation and transformation of water-dampness is closely related to the physiological function of the spleen. Both the spleen and stomach correspond with the earth in the five element theory. The spleen pertains to yin-earth,the stomach to yang-earth, in accordance with the yin-yang theory. Yang-qi of the spleen tends towards deficiency, while its yin-qi is exuberant. The spleen functions in dominating transportation and transformation of water dampness, when damp evil-qi invades the body, the spleen-yang is very susceptible to injury. Its deficiency leads to not only an encumbrance of damp-turbidity, but also an attack of exogenous dampness.Thus, A Guide To Clinical Practice with Medical Records states: "The spleen is susceptible to invasion by the dampness, because they pertain to the same sort in nature. " The theory of the spleen liking dryness but disliking dampness has an active guiding significance in clinical practice. In treating syndromes of deficient spleen with damp-obstruction, herbs that dry and resolve dampness should be used.
2) The Pivot Point of Ascending and Descending Qi
This is due to its location being in the middle-jiao. The heart and the lung are in the upper-jiao, the liver and kidney in the lower-jiao, therefore, the spleen is taken as the pivot governing the ascending and descending movement of the functional activities of the qi in the body. The harmony between the heart and kidney, i.e. the coordination between water and fire, and the harmony regarding which heart-yang descends, and which kidney-yin ascends, are dependent upon the pivotal role of the spleen. The essential qi of the five zang-viscera relies on a part of the spleen for transportation and transformation.Only when the spleen is vigorous, can the clear-qi be sent upwards and disseminated.Liver-qi ascends from the left, while lung-qi descends to the right; lung-qi regulates water passage, while the kidney is in charge of the transformative function of qi and evaporation. All these rely on the pivotal role of the spleen.
When the spleen and stomach work in coordination with each other, ascending and descending movement will be complementary, the distribution of qi, blood, and body fluid normal, and functional activities of growth and development will be flourishing. The malfunctioning of the spleen results in various pathological changes. In treating these disorders, the main principle lies in treating both the spleen and stomach.
3) Correspondence to Late Summer
The spring and summer correspond to yang, while the autumn and winter to yin.
The late summer is changing point between summer and autumn, between the end of
yang and the beginning of yin. The dampness-qi is active in the late summer, and the spleen is a zang-viscus of extreme yin, and flour-ishes at this time. Thus, disorders of the spleen are likely to improve, however, if the dampness-qi is excessive in the late summer, the spleen is prone towards impairment.
