Essence,Qi,Blood

and Body Fluids

Xiang Ting
Department of TCM
The first affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-sen University
E-mail:xiangting85@126.com
 Essence
Essence: the basic material to form and sustain life
activities of the human body, consisting of innate
essence from parents and acquired essence.

The generation of essence is of two sources,

namely the innate essence and acquired essence
 Case of disease
Case.1 female, 74y
Chief Complain: lumbago pain for 10 years, aggravate 1 week
Other Symptom: sore or dull pain, extremely thin, pale
complexion, hearing loss, thin hair , red tongue with light cover,
thready and rapid pulse

Case. 2 male 35y

Chief Complain: lumbago pain for 3 days
Other Symptom: severe pain and aggravate when
movement, dark red tongue with thin white cover, string
pulse
 Case of two disease

Case. 1 diagnosis lumbago(kidney essence defiency)

osteoporosis()
Case. 2 diagnosis lumbago(blood stasis)
Acute lumbar sprain
 Innate essence(prenatal essence )

the refined material before birth.

Inherited from the parents.
An original substance of life, mainly stored in
the kidney.
Acquired essence(postnatal essence )

Foodstuff essence: the acquired essence

comes from foodstuffs.
 Two kinds of essence

The innate essence is the innate reproductive

essence from parents, the origin of life, and the
material basis of growth and reproduction of
the body mainly stored in kidneys.

The acquired essence refers to food essence

generated by the spleen and stomach. Food
essence is generated after birth, so it is known
as acquired essence.
 Relationship of two Essence
Innate essence and acquired essence
depend on each other and promote mutually.

Innate essence must be constantly

replenished by acquired essence.

Production of acquired essence must

depend on the vitality of the innate essence.
 Generation of essence
Essence

From parents From food

The embryo The spleen and stomach

Innate essence Acquired essence

Combination

Essence of the whole body

 Functions of essence

1.Production offspring
2.Promoting growth and development
3.Transforming inself into marrow and blood
4.Moistening and nourishing the viscera,
tissues, sense organs and orifices.
5.Producing qi and spirit
 Functions of essence
1.Production offspring
Combining the reproductive
essence of the couple can
produce a new life .
Pathology:infertility, malfunction of
reproductive organs
 Production offspring
Couples suffer from infertility.

couples failed in the assisted reproductive

technology( artificial insemination, in vitro
fertilization and embryo transfer )

POF(premature ovarian failure)

azoospermia
Radix Rehmanniae Preparata rhizoma polygonati

(Semen Cuscutae ) Deerhorn Gelatin

Patent medicine of TCM

Liuwei Dihuang Wan

Guilu Erxian paste

 Functions of essence

1.Production offspring
2.Promoting growth and development
3.Transforming inself into marrow and blood
4.Moistening and nourishing the viscera,
tissues, sense organs and orifices.
5.Producing qi and spirit
Promoting growth and development
The essence stored in the kidney has
the function of promoting growth and
development.
Pathology:developmental disorders, and
degenerative diseases
 Functions of essence

1.Production offspring
2.Promoting growth and development
3.Transforming inself into marrow and blood
4.Moistening and nourishing the viscera,
tissues, sense organs and orifices.
5.Producing qi and spirit
 Transforming into marrow and blood
Essence stored in the kidney can transform
itself into the marrow including brain
marrow and bone marrow.

Brain marrow can nourish brain.

Bone marrow can nourish the bone and
skeleton.
 Bone marrow

Sufficient deficient

Skeleton loses its

Skeleton is firm nourishment,
Powerful becomes fragile.

Teeth will firm and Loss of teeth,

lustrous
Becomes lackluster
Bone marrow
 brain marrow

Sufficient deficient

Mental weakness
Alert mind
agile thinking Retarded intelligence
Clear speech

dizziness
Vertigo
amnesia
brain marrow

22
 Functions of essence

1.Production offspring
2.Promoting growth and development
3.Transforming inself into marrow and blood
4.Moistening and nourishing the viscera,
tissues, sense organs and orifices.
5.Producing qi and spirit
 Functions of essence
4.Moistening and nourishing the
viscera, tissues, sense organs and
orifices.
PathologyTinnitus and deafnessSkin
haggard unclear vision
 Functions of essence

Dendrobium nobile tortoise plastron Cordyceps sinensis

Patent medicine of TCM

Compound E-Jiao slurry

glue of tortoise plastron

 Functions of essence

1.Production offspring
2.Promoting growth and development
3.Transforming inself into marrow and blood
4.Moistening and nourishing the viscera,
tissues, sense organs and orifices.
5.Producing qi and spirit
 Producing qi and spirit

Qi is sufficient
Essence is sufficient
Spirit is sound

Qi is deficient
Essence is deficient
Weariness of spirit, even
loss of spirit
 Functions of essence

Essence

Growth and Generating marrow Nourish the body

reproduction
developent And blood Producing qi and spirit

Generating marrow Generating blood

Kidney essence Food essence

generating blood generating blood