Tongue coating over the course of an illness

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For students:

 

" If in the course of a disease the tongue coating suddenly disappears (even

if only partically), it indicates that the SToamch yin is becoming exhausted

and that the conditon is taking a sudeen turn for the worse. This is true

whether the coating disappears suddenly or slowly, but it is all the more

serious if it disappears suddenly. In the latter situation, measures must

be taken to treat and tonigy the Stomach and Kidney yin quickly and

vigorously. For example, the sudden, partial disappearance of coating in a

patient with cancer may indicate a metastasis to another organ. This can be

correlated to the area of the tongue where the coating has disappeared;

e.g., if it is on one side, it might be the liver.

 

" On the other hand, if in the course of a disease there is no tongue coating

and one suddenly appears, it indicates that there is turbid dampness in the

STomach or that pathogenic (ingerior) heat is increasing. "

 

" It must be emphasixed that this rule applies only if the coating appears

suddenly, i.e., in the course of a few days. If a tongue at first has lost

its coating, but the coating reappears slowly, the restoration and recovery

of Stomach qi is indicated. This is a very favorable prognostic sign. "

(Maciocia, Tongue Diagnosis in , p. 95.)

 

Victoria

 

 

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