The Relationship Among the Fu Organs

The main function of the six fu organs is transportation and transformation. They play a major role in a series of functional activities of digestion, absorption and excretion. When food enters the stomach, it is digested and sent down to the small intestine for further digestion - separating the clear from the turbid. The clear is the nutrient substance nourishing the whole body, of which the water - fluid part seeps into the bladder. The turbid is the waste matter entering the large intestine. The fluid seeped into the bladder is excreted as urine by the action of qi, and the waste matter in the large intestine is discharged as faeces through the transportation and transformation function. This process of digestion, absorption and excretion mainly relies on :

• the function of the liver and gallbladder in maintaining the free movement of the digestion,

• the function of the sanjiao in distributing yuanqi and circulating water fluid, and

• the unified functions of the six fu, which transport and transform water and food and continuously receive, digest, transmit and excrete, alternating between emptiness and fullness.

They are " favorable " when they are clear and open, and " unfavorable " when they are obstructed. This is stressed in the ancient sayings : " the fu organs are favorable when they are unblocked, " and " treatment to remove obstruction in diseases of them plays the same role as the reinforcing method. " The close physiological connections between the six fu organs are also reflected pathologically. For instance, excessive heat in the stomach may consume body fluid, lead to dysfunction of the large intestine in transportation, and result in constipation. Constipation due to dryness in the intestines may affect the stomach ' s descending function, leading to upward rebellion of stomach qi and hence nausea and vomiting. Hyperactivity of fire in the gallbladder may invade the stomach, giving rise to upward rebellion of stomach qi and hence nausea, vomiting and regurgitation of yellow fluid