taste and speech and TCM with case study

[Guest guest]

, Eti Domb <etidomb>

wrote:

> Al,

> I did not know that taste can be affected by the heart as well as

the spleen, I read it was only the spleen.

>

> Eti

>

Hi Al, Eti:

 

Here's another source for info about taste; Ht vs. Sp: The

Foundations of , G Maciocia as follows in Chapters 6

and 9.

The Heart " opens into the tongue " ...It " controls the sense of taste.

If the Heart is normal, the tongue will have a normal pale-red

colour and the sense of taste will be normal.

If the Heart has Heat, the tongue may be dry and dark red, the tip

may be redder and swollen and there may be a bitter

taste....The " Spiritual Axis " in chapter 17 says: " Heart-Qi

communicates with the tongue, if the Heart is normal the tongue can

distinguish the five tastes " . " Of course the Heart also affects

speech--the tongue's mechanics as well as through the relationship

to the mind.

The Spleen " opens into the mouth and manifests in the lips....When

Spleen Qi is normal, the sense of taste is good and the lips are

moist and rosy. If Spleen-Qi is abnormal, there may be impairment of

the sense of taste or the presence of an abnormal taste ( " flat "

(absense of taste?) or " sticky " ), lack of appetite and the lips may

be pale and dry. In particular, if the Spleen has Heat, the lips

will tend to be dry and the patient may complain of a sweet

taste;....The " Spiritual Axis " in chapter 17 says: " Spleen Qi

connects with the mouth, if the Spleen is healthy, the mouth can

taste the five grains " . "

I think the confusion is about 2 organs sharing in a function which

is quite common in and part of what makes it so

important to be very precise and well informed in the differential

diagnostic procedure. The Spleen and Heart's functions are related

in other ways such as the Heart " houses the Mind " and the

Spleen " houses Thought " . The Heart is the " monarch " so its effects

tend to be more general and encompassing I think.

I had an interesting case recently of a tough, portly 62 year old

woman with a hx of polio, hysterectomy @19 due to " pus " in her

ovaries, concussion, stroke, and premature birth (2lbs at birth)

among counless other lifelong complaints. She presented with neck,

shoulder and arm pain and recent numbness (LI merdian) and said she

had not been able to taste food or drink water (it made her " sick " )

for about 8 months. She didn't want needles so we did tui na for a

couple of weeks and got good, instantaneous results with the pain.

The numbness lingered. She consented to trying a bulk formula. Since

the taste was involved, and the LI meridian (yang ming connection to

St and therefore Sp), tongue coat was greasy, she felt cold, and had

somnolence as well, I chose Ping Wei San ( w/ modifications 1/2 bai

zhu, 1/2 cang zhu, added a little hunag lian, huang qin). She

recovered her sense of taste (almost overnight), ability to drink

water, somnolence subsided and even the tingling in her arm went

away (damp in the yang ming channels?). We'll be moving on next

formulas which more directly affect the root and her constitution in

general. Although she still isn't interested in needles, she's

totally sold on Chinese Herbs and complies with cooking and drinking

the raw formulas. Herbs rule!!!

Thanks, Shanna

> Al Stone <alstone@b...> wrote:

> Hola Herbalistas!

>

> I've been trying to position something in my mind for a few years

now.

> Perhaps someone here can help clarify something for me...

>

> The Heart opens to the tongue (or the tongue is the sprout of the

> Heart) and so speech and taste sense can be effected by a

disharmony of

> the Heart.

>

> The Spleen opens to the mouth, and so appetite and taste can be

> effected by a disharmony of the Spleen.

>

> I would much rather think that the Heart is in charge of speech

while

> the Spleen is more about the taste sense, but the books don't

> articulate it as such.

>

> My question is this: what's the difference between the Spleen's

sense

> of taste and the Heart's sense of taste?

>

> Any ideas?

>

> --

>

> Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.

> -Adlai Stevenson

>

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>

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