II.The Stomach
1. Receiving of Drink and Food
One's intake inters the mouth, passes through the esophagus and is received by the stomach. Therefore the stomach is known as "the sea of drink and food. " Since the physiological activities of the human body and formation of the qi, blood and body fluids,all rely on the nutrient intake of the diet, the stomach is also termed "the sea of drink and
qi and blood. " If the stomach is diseased, its function of receiving food and drink food, may be affected, and poor appetite, dyspeptic anorexia, etc. will occur.
2. Decomposition of Food and Drink
"Decomposition" refers here to the initial stage of digestion. The drink and food in the stomach are reduced to chyme by the decomposing and grinding action of the stom ach, and then the chyme is transmitted to the small intestine, setting the foundation for further digestion and absorption.
The stomach functions in dominating reception and decomposition of diets. Only
when the stomach cooperates with the spleen in transportation and transformation, can the digestive process be complete. Here, the drink and food are transformed into the essential substances, from which the qi, blood and body fluid are formed. The fulfillment of the digestive function is attributed to the joint effort of both stomach-yang and stomach - yin. If this function is abnormal, poor appetite, distention and fullness in the ab domen,acid regurgitation and nausea may occur.
3.Dominatiog Descending for Maintenance of Health
It was said: "The stomach dominates descending. When body's qi is descending,
harmony is kept". This sentence implies that the chyme which decomposed from the
stomach, must continue to proceed downwards, into the small intestine where it under-
goes further absorption and digestion. Therefore, it is the most important substance that the stomach-qi descends. Only when the stomach-qi is freely flowing downwards, can the alternation between emptiness and fullness in the stomach and intestine be maintained. The digestive function will be normal. If this condition is impaired, it not only affects the receiving and decomposing function of the stomach, but also prevents the diet from being transported downward, leading to retention of food in the stomach, halitosis,distension, fullness and abdominal pain, constipation, etc. Adverse rising of stomach-qi may cause symptoms of belching, acid regurgitation, nausea, vomiting, and hiccups.
The stomach is the sea of food and drink, which directly receives and contains different types of diets. Because of this, it is affected by the amount of food and drink intake,the temperature of the food, the temperature of the environment, as well as the food's texture. Additionally, the physiological function of the stomach-qi of dominating descending is also related to the domination of the liver's conducting and dispersing. Also,the stomach's domination of descending and the spleen's domination of ascending are complementary. Thus, failure of descending of the stomach-qi causes disharmony of the functional activity of the middle-qi as well as affects the physiological activities of other viscera. In clinical practice, special attention is given to the descending of stomach-qi,and "protecting stomach-qi" is often regarded as an important therapeutic principle.
The physiological function of the stomach in dominating reception, decomposition,and descending is often summarized as "stomach-qi" in TCM. However, the term "stomach-qi" is very extensively used, and its implication is divided into both broad and narrow senses. The latter denotes the physiological function of the stomach, and the former implies the common physiological functions of the spleen and stomach in the middle-jiao, including the functions of the digestive system. In addition, the functions of the spleen and stomach are reflected in the pulse, forming a pulse condition that is smooth, even, and forceful, with a certain frequency. This is known as the pulse of stomach-qi. TCM attaches great importance to stomach-qi, and believes that "stomach-qi is the foundation of the human body. " Sufficiency of stomach-qi ensures that the five zang-viscera are full of vigors, while its deficiency may lead to weakness. Where there is stomach-qi, there is life. There would be no life without it.
