The five elements in pathology.

Since the five organs are interrelated, both physiologically and pathologically they interfere with each other. An attack on one organ has repercussions on another.

This connection of the five organs on the pathological level is called “transmission-conformity-relationship” in the five-element theory; the transmission of the attack on the five organs is made concrete by:

– Transmission by the production relationship.
– Transmission through the relation of domination.
-Transmission by the production relationship:
a) The attack on the mother is transmitted to the child: the attacked mother organ transmits its affection to the child (this state is less serious at the pathological level than in the case of it being the child that that transmits to the mother).

Example:
Water (kidney) is attacked this is the mother of wood (liver). In the transmission of the disease from the mother to the offspring we observe the non-nutrition of the wood by the water. That would be the same as saying that the insufficiency of the essence of the kidney has repercussions on the liver, this produces an emptiness of blood from the liver, producing an insufficiency of essence and blood from the kidney-liver.

Other examples:
– The liver (mother) affects the heart (child): this occurs when the liver cannot nourish the heart, i.e. when the blood of the liver is insufficient it affects the blood of the heart, which becomes insufficient.

– The heart (mother) affects the spleen (child): the mind (Shen) of the heart needs to support the mental faculties and the capacity of concentration that belong to the spleen (reflection-concentration).
 Another characteristic of this relationship is when the heart fire is insufficient and thus loses the ability to warm the spleen yang (keep in mind that the heart fire comes from the spleen).
(we should keep in mind that the heart fire comes from the kidney yang).
– The spleen (mother) affects the lung (child): if the spleen’s function of transporting and transforming liquids is disturbed, dampness will form and settle in the lungs, causing respiratory problems.

– The lung (mother) affects the kidney (child): under normal circumstances the Qi of the lung descends to the kidney. The lung also sends fluids to the kidney. If the Lung Qi is
insufficient, the Qi and fluids cannot flow down to the kidneys causing respiratory insufficiency (“kidney not receiving Qi” syndrome) and dryness in the kidneys.
b) The attack of the son is transmitted to the mother: in other words, the son steals, pulls the energy of his mother. This indicates that the origin of the disease starts in the son.
Example:
– The heart (son) affects the liver (mother): if the blood of the heart is insufficient it can lead to a general insufficiency of blood which can affect the function of storage of blood in the liver.
– Spleen (child) affects the heart (mother): the spleen generates Qi and blood, the heart needs an important blood supply. If the spleen does not generate enough blood, the heart will weaken  (empty of blood).
– The lung (child) affects the spleen (mother): if the Qi of the lung is insufficient, the Qi of the spleen will be affected (Qi emptiness).
– Kidney (child) affects the Lung (mother): if the Kidney Qi is insufficient, it will not fulfil one of its functions, that of keeping the Qi down, the Qi will rebel upwards obstructing the lung and causing respiratory problems.
– The liver (child) affects the kidney (mother): the blood of the liver nourishes the essence of the kidney. If the liver blood is insufficient, it can lead to insufficiency of the kidney essence.