The Relationships Among the Fu-Viseera
The physiological functions of the six fu-viscera vary, but their main function is to transform and convey matter. They are inter-connecting in function and harmonious in coordination, and play a major role in the process of digesting, absorbing food and drink, and discharging waste.
Food and drink enter the stomach, and are turned into chyme after the initial decomposition of the digestate is carried out by the stomach. The chyme is sent down to the small intestine for further digestion, and is divided into the essential substances of drink and food, the waste of digestate, and unwanted water-fluid by the small intestine's function of separating the clear and turbid. Nutrient substance is transported and distributed to all parts of the body by the spleen and other internal organs. The waste of digestate passes into the large intestine, changes into faeces through transformation and conveyance, and is excreted via the anus. The unwanted water-fluid part seeps into the bladder, then turns into urine to be discharged from the body by the transformative function of kidney-qi. This process of digestion, absorption, and excretion relies on the function of the gallbladder in the excretion of bile to aid digestion, and the function of the triple-
jiao in distributing yang-qi and circulating water-fluid, so that the normal digestive process is maintained. While the six fu-viscera transport and transform drink and food, they have to incessantly perform the reception, digestion, transmission and excretion, as well as alternating between emptiness and fullness. Thus there are sayings in TCM that "the six fu-viscera are favorable when they are clear and open, and unfavorable when obstructed," and "the six fu-viscera function well when unobstructed. "
The six fu-viscera are characterized by transforming and conveying matter without storing them, and motion without rest. Drink and food are favorable in the fu-viscera when they go downwards. Retention of food may lead to pathogenic changes. Pathologically, disorders among the six fu-viscera often affect and transform each other. For example, excessive heat in the stomach may consume body fluid, and cause dysfunction of the large intestine in transportation, resulting in constipation. A disturbance of the large intestine in transmission and transformation not only leads to obstruction of the fu-viscera-qi, but also affects the stomach's descending function, leading to upward rebellion of stomach-qi and hence nausea and vomiting. Hyperactivity of fire in the gallbladder may often invade the stomach, producing vomiting of bitter fluid. Damp-heat accumulated in the stomach and spleen suffocate and steam the liver and gallbladder, potentially causing overflow of bile, resulting in jaundice. In therapy, there is a saying that "Removing obstruction in disorders of the fu-viscera plays the same function as the reinforcing method. " This emphasizes the point that the method of removing fu-viscera and purging stagnation should be taken as important principles of treatment for fu-viscera disorders.
In recent years, in accordance with the principle of flexible application of "the six fu-viscera function well when unobstructed," a method combining TCM with modern medicine has been used to treat acute abdominal problems, such as intestinal obstruction, appendicitis, and cholelithiasis, by "administration of laxative and purgative for removing retention of wastes in the fu-viscera," and "dispersion of blood stasis, and elimination of accumulation in the fu-viscera. " Such treatments produce good results. A large amount of clinical data has proven that these principles of treatment have effects in maintaining the gay of the fu-viscera-qi, enhancing the curative effects, shortening the course of treatment, rapidly improving acute symptoms, and alleviating the patient's suffering so as to open up a new prospect for treating syndromes of acute abdominal problems.
