Notes from Xi Yuan hospital, part 3, Facial Diagnosis + Colour

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

 

This is the second part of the facial diagnosis lecture given by Li

Zhong Wen. This second part deals with colours separately and

combined.

 

Blue

 

Pale-bluish-green (turquoise) broadly indicates blood stasis, cold,

wind (both internal and external), pain and liver disease. `Bags'

under the eyes indicate a liver disease. If blue is combined with

purple, it indicates blood stasis. If blue is combined with green it

indicates Yang deficiency with coldness. If blue is combined with

white it indicates both Yang and Qi with deficient cold. If blue is

combined with black, it indicates coldness and pain or is a serious

disease. If blue is combined with red, it indicates Qi stagnation,

changing to heat. Usually this is seen on the cheeks and the bridge

of the nose. For a female, is shows abnormal menstruation. If blue

is combined with yellow it indicates an imbalance between the liver

and the spleen.

 

Black

 

Black broadly indicates blood stasis, water retention and a disease

of the kidney. If the colour is dark black and the anatomical area

is thin with underlying flesh, it indicates a kidney Yin deficiency.

If the colour is light black and there is a little swelling, it

indicates kidney Yang deficiency and possible oedema. If the black

colour is uneven, it indicates blood stasis for a long time.

 

White

 

White broadly indicates deficiency and coldness. If the white colour

is slight and combined with an area of no moisture, it indicates

blood deficiency. If white is combined with a little bluish (paler

than turquoise) it indicates Qi deficiency, with deficient cold. If

white is shiny with no moisture it indicates Wei Qi deficiency.

 

Yellow

 

Yellow broadly indicates spleen deficiency and dampness. If the

yellow area has an abundant amount of underlying flesh, it indicates

spleen deficiency and dampness. If the yellow colour is uneven, it

indicates blood stasis with water retention. If there are

capillaries on the face that look like crab foot marks on the beach,

this indicates an excess intake of female hormones after menopause.

One kind of yellow is jaundice; if it is bright like an orange it

indicates damp and heat. If it is dark and not too shiny it

indicates damp and cold.

 

Red

 

Red broadly indicates heat and sometimes heart disease. There are

three kinds of heat, excessive, deficient and fake heat. Fake heat

goes up and around and is caused by serious Yin deficiency. If the

heat is excessive, the colour will be strong and the area is big and

consistent. If the heat is deficient, the colour will be slight,

with a fixed location and is limited and inconsistent. For example,

fixed time, every afternoon at 3pm. If it is fake heat, the colour

is pale red like terracotta, the location is limited but even, time

is not fixed.

 

Attilio

 

" " <attiliodalberto> wrote:

> Face diagnosis

>

> The doctor gave us a lecture on face diagnosis. There are four

> systems of facial diagnosis. In all systems, Five Element colours

> apply aswell as other diagnostic criteria, i.e. pale is blood

> deficient. We have been using this in diagnosing patients and have

> been very useful. This also goes back to the idea of what is a

good

> doctor. So the best doctor can simply look at the patient and know

> what's wrong, whilst we mortals have to ask questions and are so

the

> least good doctors, so it goes.

>

> 1. Ming Tang system. For adults functional disorder. No I won't

> be trying to draw any pictures of these points, sorry.

>

> Between the two eyebrows is the Lung

> Between the eyes is the Heart.

> On the high point of the nose is the Liver

> Tip of the nose is the Spleen.

> Upper third of the philtrum in females is the womb and in males

it's

> the urinary bladder.

> From the inner corner of the eye down to the Liver, the crossing

> point is the Gallbladder.

> From the pupil down to the point of the Spleen, the crossing point

> is the Small Intestine.

> From the outer corner of the eye down to the point of the Spleen,

> the crossing point is the Large Intestine.

> The chin is the Kidney.

> From the corner of the inner eye down to the point of the Spleen,

> the crossing point is the Stomach.

>

> If the disease is chronic then the area is small, if its acute

it's

> large.

>

> 2. Re Bing system. Applies mainly to children but can also be used

> for adults.

>

> Forehead is the Heart.

> The right cheek is the Lung whilst the left cheek is the Liver.

> The nose is the Spleen.

> The chin is the Kidney.

>

> 3. Wu Lun system. To observe the area around the eye.

>

> The upper eye lid is the Stomach.

> The lower eye lid is the Spleen.

> The sclera is the Lung.

> The iris is the Liver.

> The pupil is the Kidney.

> The red inner and outer areas of the eye are the Heart.

>

> 4. Wu Ti system. First, let me explain the `doorway' theory. A

> Zangfu organ is like a room with a door. If the disease is in the

> door it is in the organ. This all relates to the Nei Jing.

>

> Above the eye brows is the Lung. Between the eyebrows is the door

of

> the Lung. Any colour in the door means there is a disease of the

> Lung.

> The ear is the Kidney. A good ear is big, thick, doesn't protrude

> outwards and has large lobes. A dry ear is a chronic Kidney

disease,

> whilst a coloured area of skin that `points' towards the ear means

> disease. (I know, odd, don't know much more than that).

> The Lips and around the mouth is related to the Spleen. The mouth

is

> the doorway of the Spleen and Heart. Colour in these areas means a

> disorder with the Spleen or Heart.

> The eye is related to the Liver. Colour around the eye shows a

> disease in the Liver.

> The tongue is the Heart.

>

> I hope members find this info useful. If anyone has any info on

> these systems i'll be interested to hear of it.

>

> Attilio

[Guest guest]

Good question Brian. The doctor said that the first system, Ming

Tang, was the most commonly used one. However, i think its also

based on persoanl preferences along with which system you find most

comfortable with.

 

Attilio

 

Brian Hardy <mischievous00> wrote:

> My question is with so many different types of systems, how do we

know which is the most accurate to use in practice.

> Thanks

> Brian

>

>

> " " <attiliodalberto> wrote:

> > Face diagnosis

> >

> > The doctor gave us a lecture on face diagnosis. There are four

> > systems of facial diagnosis. In all systems, Five Element

colours

> > apply aswell as other diagnostic criteria, i.e. pale is blood

> > deficient. We have been using this in diagnosing patients and

have

> > been very useful. This also goes back to the idea of what is a

> good

> > doctor. So the best doctor can simply look at the patient and

know

> > what's wrong, whilst we mortals have to ask questions and are so

> the

> > least good doctors, so it goes.

> >

> > 1. Ming Tang system. For adults functional disorder. No I

won't

> > be trying to draw any pictures of these points, sorry.

> >

> > Between the two eyebrows is the Lung

> > Between the eyes is the Heart.

> > On the high point of the nose is the Liver

> > Tip of the nose is the Spleen.

> > Upper third of the philtrum in females is the womb and in males

> it's

> > the urinary bladder.

> > From the inner corner of the eye down to the Liver, the crossing

> > point is the Gallbladder.

> > From the pupil down to the point of the Spleen, the crossing

point

> > is the Small Intestine.

> > From the outer corner of the eye down to the point of the

Spleen,

> > the crossing point is the Large Intestine.

> > The chin is the Kidney.

> > From the corner of the inner eye down to the point of the

Spleen,

> > the crossing point is the Stomach.

> >

> > If the disease is chronic then the area is small, if its acute

> it's

> > large.

> >

> > 2. Re Bing system. Applies mainly to children but can also be

used

> > for adults.

> >

> > Forehead is the Heart.

> > The right cheek is the Lung whilst the left cheek is the Liver.

> > The nose is the Spleen.

> > The chin is the Kidney.

> >

> > 3. Wu Lun system. To observe the area around the eye.

> >

> > The upper eye lid is the Stomach.

> > The lower eye lid is the Spleen.

> > The sclera is the Lung.

> > The iris is the Liver.

> > The pupil is the Kidney.

> > The red inner and outer areas of the eye are the Heart.

> >

> > 4. Wu Ti system. First, let me explain the `doorway' theory. A

> > Zangfu organ is like a room with a door. If the disease is in

the

> > door it is in the organ. This all relates to the Nei Jing.

> >

> > Above the eye brows is the Lung. Between the eyebrows is the

door

> of

> > the Lung. Any colour in the door means there is a disease of the

> > Lung.

> > The ear is the Kidney. A good ear is big, thick, doesn't

protrude

> > outwards and has large lobes. A dry ear is a chronic Kidney

> disease,

> > whilst a coloured area of skin that `points' towards the ear

means

> > disease. (I know, odd, don't know much more than that).

> > The Lips and around the mouth is related to the Spleen. The

mouth

> is

> > the doorway of the Spleen and Heart. Colour in these areas means

a

> > disorder with the Spleen or Heart.

> > The eye is related to the Liver. Colour around the eye shows a

> > disease in the Liver.

> > The tongue is the Heart.

> >

> > I hope members find this info useful. If anyone has any info on

> > these systems i'll be interested to hear of it.

> >

> > Attilio

[Guest guest]

attilio,

 

Regarding the four types of facial diagnosis, the first three are

described in giovanni's foundations of chinese medicine (with

pictures) on p. 146-157. He references the su wen and ling shu. He

also goes on to say that recent research indicates " the sclera of the

eye can reflect lesions of the back or chest....the upper part

reflects the back and the lower part reflects the chest... also the

right eye will reflect lesions on the right side and the left eye

those on the left side "

 

--brian