The Spleen in Chinese Medicine

Source: Institute for Traditional Medicine

The philosophy that informs Chinese Medicine is very different from the science that determines Western medicine. These two cultures do not start from the same assumptions about what it means to be healthy.

Those who dismiss Asian medicine as being of no value fail to take this into account. You can’t compare an apple to an orange and conclude that the apple is superior because the orange is not an apple.

Some Western medical practitioners are vehemently opposed to alternative therapies, including Chinese medicine. I can understand why. Chinese Medicine is about prevention: Keeping the body healthy, preventing disease before it begins. If you have cancer, you need to avail yourself of all the resources Western medicine can offer. You don’t put your faith in an alternative therapy when there is no scientific evidence that it can cure cancer.

Unfortunately, some people do. Those who could be helped by modern, Western medicine postpone getting the treatment they need until it’s too late. This makes Western doctors sad and infuriated. Their response is to discredit Chinese medicine so this can’t happen.

With that in mind, consider the following advice on what it takes for the Spleen to function as it should. Chinese medicine is not about curing disease once it’s too late to prevent it. It’s about how to live a long and healthy life.

The healthy person maintains the inside; the unhealthy person maintains the outside

Ancient practitioners of Chinese and other Asian medicines, out of respect for their ancestors, did not practice autopsies. They did not observe the internal organs, except perhaps on rare occasions. When Traditional Chinese Medicine discusses the Spleen system of the body, the functions of this system are actually more closely related to functions that Western medicine attributes to the pancreas.

The following quotation illustrates the idea of prevention in connection with the functions of the Spleen. It includes passages that date back to the 11th century, and yet the advice is still relevant today. I’ve added the emphasis.

As soon as there is irregular intake of food and drink or overexertion of any kind, the spleen qi [energy] will be harmed. As soon as the spleen and stomach suffer damage, food and drink stagnate and do not transform: the mouth loses its ability to distinguish flavors, the extremities feel limp and tired, discomfort and distention is felt in the stomach and abdominal regions, symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea appear, and there may be dysentery or a host of other symptoms …

If we therefore force ourselves to eat when we are not hungry, the spleen will suffer. If we force ourselves to drink when we are not thirsty, the stomach will bloat. If we eat beyond capacity, the vessels in which the qi circulates will become obstructed, and the body’s center (stomach region) will become jammed and shut off. If we eat too little, on the other hand, the body will become emaciated, the stomach will grow anxious, and our thoughts will become unsteady. If we eat contaminated food, the heart’s ability to differentiate will become blurred, and we will grow more and more restless. If we eat things that we should not eat, the four great upheavals will occur and bring along disease. None of these types of behavior represents the way of good health.
Therefore, it is most important to consume our food at the appropriate time, to drink our fluids in regular intervals, and to avoid both overeating and hunger pains. If we eat and drink according to these simple guidelines, then not only the spleen/stomach network itself will remain unspoiled and function perfectly, but also the five zang [Heart, Spleen, Lung, Kidney, Liver] and the six fu [Small Intestine, Stomach, Large Intestine, Bladder, Gall Bladder, Triple Warmer] organ networks will all be in a harmonious state of health. …

The Classic states: “When the spleen is healthy it can generate all living things. If it becomes depleted, it can bring about the hundred diseases.” The ancient poet, politician, and medical scholar Su Dongpo (1037-1101) used to harmonize the spleen by moderating food intake, even when there was enough money to eat lots. Therefore, I wish to extend the following advice to people who are in the habit of throwing lavish banquets: derive happiness from internal peace; always leave room in your stomach, so you can nourish your qi; and spend less if you wish to increase your material wealth.

The healthy person maintains the inside, while the unhealthy person maintains the outside. The person who maintains the inside pacifies his/her zang and fu organ networks, and thus causes the blood in the vessels to flow smoothly and uninhibited. The person who maintains the outside indulges in dazzling flavors and luxuriant culinary delights; albeit at first glance the body of such a person may appear strong and sturdy, a fierce verminous qi is corroding the zang and fu organs inside.

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