Heart and Small Intestine: Sovereign Fire, Spirit, Transformation of Matter, and Blood Generation
Spleen
Section titled “Spleen”The Spleen is described as “the official of remonstrance and deliberation, from which comprehensive knowing emerges.” All flesh belongs to the Spleen, and it stores yi (intention/thought). Its trigram is Kun; in the body it corresponds to flesh; its color is yellow; its tone is Gong; its voice is singing; its emotion is pensiveness; its movement-change is retching/hiccup-like upward disturbance; its orifice is the mouth; its flavor is sweet. Its fluid is saliva, its odor fragrant, its external luster the lips, its number five, its grain millet, its domestic animal ox, its creature the naked-skinned class, its fruit jujube, and its vegetable mallow. The Spleen is paired with the Stomach and is controlled by the Liver. It dislikes Dampness; improper diet and overwork injure it. When the Spleen is diseased, the body feels heavy, the muscles may weaken, the feet fail to gather properly in walking, numbness may occur, and the soles may hurt. In deficiency there may be abdominal fullness, intestinal rumbling, undigested diarrhea, and failure to transform food.
Stomach
Section titled “Stomach”The Stomach is “the official of the granary, from which the Five Flavors emerge.” It drains rather than stores and, together with the Large Intestine, Small Intestine, Sanjiao, and Bladder, belongs to the transmitting-and-transforming fu. Its duty is to receive, discharge, and distribute, hence the name “Great Granary.” The other zang-fu depend upon it for nourishment.
The Stomach is said to have five openings, sometimes described as gate-like passages. Tang Zonghai explains: the upper opening receives food and drink; the lower opening enters the Small Intestine and passes the dregs of grain; a lateral opening enters the membranous network of the Sanjiao and conveys residual water; a central opening communicates with the Spleen and participates in transforming food and drink; an upper distributive opening reaches the Lung and spreads the refined juices. Hence the image of several gates in the Stomach.
The Stomach is Yang in body but uses Yin in function. Zhang Yinan states that Yangming Yang-Earth is settled when it obtains Yin. Ye Tianshi therefore often protected Stomach-Yin in treating Stomach disorders and, in chronic disease, first attended to Stomach qi. A classical passage states that Stomach disease may produce pain in the epigastrium beneath the Heart, extending upward to the flanks; the diaphragm and throat may feel obstructed, and food and drink may not descend.