| Symptom |
Diagnosis |
| Pale, Bright, Shiny |
Qi and Blood Deficiency, particularly of ST and SP |
| Red |
Heat in the nutritive or blood levels (w/o coating), or yin def. w/heat (w/o coating) |
| Pale and slightly dry |
Blood deficiency |
| Pale and wet |
Yang Deficiency |
| Red, dry, w/coating |
heat from excess burning body fluids |
| Red, dry, w/o coating |
heat from def. of yin & exhaustion of body fluids |
| Red and wet |
heat w/retention of dampness |
| Red and Shiny |
ST &/or KD yin deficiency |
| Red w/red points or spots |
Heat with blood stasis |
| Red w/prickles |
Heat in the nutritive level or in the upper or middle burner |
| Red & Peeled |
Heat from ST & KD yin |
| Red & Scarlet |
LU yin or HT yin deficiency |
| Reddish purple & distended |
Extreme heat w/blood stasis & poison from alcohol injuring the HT |
| Dark red w/a dry center |
ST fire blazing or ST yin def w/heat |
| Red w/a purple spot in center |
Blood stasis & heat in ST |
| Reddish Purple |
Heat & Blood stasis |
| Blue |
Severe internal cold w/blood stasis |
| Bluish Purple |
Blood stasis from internal cold |
| Bluish purple & moist |
Blood stasis from internal cold stiffening the tendons & bones |
| Blue in a pregnant woman |
danger of imminent miscarriage |
| Blue central surface |
SP yang def. w/ retention of phlegm in chest |
| Blue w/o coat |
Severe internal cold w/stasis & exhaustion of blood |
| Distended veins on underside of tongue |
Def & stagnation of Qi; blood stasis (if veins are also dark) |
| Swollen tongue |
SP &/or KD Yang Def. w/dampness |
| Swollen and red |
HT & ST heat, or poisoning (alcohol or otherwise) |
| Swollen edges |
SP Qi Deficiency |
| Swollen between tip and center |
LU Qi w/retention of phlegm |
| Swollen tip and red |
HT fire blazing |
| Swollen and normal color |
HT Qi Def. |
| 1/2 swollen |
Weakness of the channels |
| Partly swollen on side |
Def. or stagnation of Qi in chest |
| Thin and pale |
Def. of blood |
| Thin and red |
Def. of yin |
| Swollen sides |
Ascendant LV yang or LV fire |
| Swollen along central crack |
HT fire blazing (red), HT Qi Def. (normal) |
| 1/2 surface swollen |
LU Qi def. |
| Hammer-shaped |
ST, SP, KD Def. |
| Stiff and red or dark |
exterior heat invading PC |
| Stiff and red |
Heat injuring body fluids |
| Stiff |
Blazing HT fire |
| Stiff and normal color |
internal wind |
| Flaccid and pale |
Exhausted Qi & blood |
| Flaccid and red |
Extreme heat injuring fluids |
| Flaccid and deep red |
KD yin def. w/heat |
| Loose and red |
interior excess heat |
| Loose, red, w/ slippery coating |
Phlegm fire clouding HT |
| Loose and pale |
HT Qi Def. |
| Long |
Blazing HT fire or phlegm fire in HT |
| Short and pale |
SP yang def or internal cold |
| Short and red |
Heat stirring LV wind |
| Short and red w/coat |
Insuffiency of body fluids due to heat from excess |
| Short, red, w/o coat |
Heat from def. |
| Moving and red |
HT fire and internal wind |
| Moving, red and dry |
SP heat w/ exhaustion of body fluids |
| Deviated and normal |
Exterior wind invading channels |
| Deviated (red or normal) |
Interior LV wind |
| Deviated and pale |
HT Qi def. |
| Numb and pale |
HT blood def |
| Numb and normal or red |
LV wind |
| Numb and slippery |
Wind phlegm |
| Quivering and pale |
SP Qi Def. |
| Quivering and red |
Extreme heat generating internal wind |
| Quivering and pale |
Collapse of HT and SP Qi |
| Quivering, pale, and thin |
Collapse of Yang |
| Ulcerated and red |
Blazing HT fire or SP & KD heat |
| Ulcerated, red and peeled |
HT heat from KD yin Def. |
| Tip rolled over |
Heat from Excess |
| Tip rolled under |
Heat from Def. |
| Tooth marked |
SP Qi Def. |
| Sore-covered and red |
Hot poison in HT channel |
| Sore-covered, red and peeled |
Heat from Def |
| White or White & thin tongue coat |
Wind, cold, or dampness in the exterior |
| White, thin & slippery tongue coat (TC) |
Exterior attack of cold dampness |
| White, thick and slippery |
Dampness in the middle burner or cold w/retention of food in ST |
| White, thin, dry TC and pale body |
Blood def or yang def. |
| White, thin, dry TC |
Exterior attack of wind cold or wind heat; LU fluids injured; Exterior attack of dryness |
| White, thick and wet (normal) |
Exterior attack of wind cold |
| White, thick and wet (pale or normal) |
Interior cold dampness in middle burner |
| White, thick and dry |
Dirty fluids in the interior w/heat |
| White, thick and greasy |
Yang def. w/ retention of food or dampness |
| White, thick, greasy & slippery |
SP yang def w/ cold dampness or phlegm |
| White, thick, greasy and dry |
Dampness w/ exhaustion of body fluids or heat |
| White, rough & cracked |
Attack of summer heat injuring the Qi (Qi level) |
| White, sticky & greasy |
Dampness or phlegm in the middle burner; exterior attack of dampness at the Qi level |
| White like powder, body red slightly red on tip or sides |
Exterior heat |
| White like powder adn red or dark red body |
Interior poison |
| White like powder and red body |
Heat in the triple burner |
| White like snow |
SP yang exhaustion w/cold dampness in the middle burner |
| White & moldy |
KD & ST yin def or poison in the interior |
| Yellow or pale yellow TC |
exterior attack of wind heat; wind cold turning to heat; damp heat in the chest & middle burner |
| Yellow and slippery TC |
Damp heat |
| Dry Yellow TC |
Heat-injured fluids |
| Yellow, sticky & greasy TC |
Heat & phlegm |
| Right 1/2 white and slippery |
Pathogenic factor half in the exterior and half in the interior |
| Left 1/2 white and slippery |
Heat in the LV |
| Dirty yellow TC |
Damp heat in the ST & intestines |
| Bilateral yellow strips (remainder white) |
EPF penetrating to the interior; Heat in the ST and intestines |
| Bilateral yellow strips (reaminder yellow) |
Heat in LV & GB |
| Yellow root, white tip |
EPF just changing into heat & penetrating into the interior |
| 1/2 yellow and 1/2 white (longitudinally) TC |
Heat in LV and GB |
| Gray and dry TC |
Heat from excess |
| Gray or gray, wet & slippery TC |
Cold dampness in the SP |
| Bilateral black on white and wet TC |
Cold Def. in middle burner |
| Bilateral black on7 white and dry TC |
Excess heat in the ST & SP |
| White coating, black points |
EPF penetrating to the interior & transforming into heat |
| Black or black, slippery & greasy |
Cold dampness in the ST and intestines |
| Black in the center, white & slippery on sides |
SP Yang def. w/ cold dampness in the interior |
| Black, dry & cracked |
Exhaustion of KD; Yang def. w/ interior cold |
| 1/2 white and slippery, 1/2 yellow and black |
LV or GB heat |
| White coating, black prickles |
True cold, false heat cold turned into heat |
| White & black TC |
Dampness in the SP |
| White in center, yellow around |
PF just penetrating the interior & changing into heat |
| Yellow in center and white around |
Interior heat just starting to clear |
| Yellow in center, black, slippery, & greasy around |
Damp heat in the SP |
| Yellow sides, black prickles in center |
Heat in the yang brightness stage |
| Yellow, dry & black center to tip |
Heat in the ST and intestines |
| Yellow in center & gray around |
Damp heat w/ heat-injured fluids |
| Yellow sides, black & greasy center |
Damp heat in SP & ST |
| White, gray, and moist TC |
Cold dampness in the interior |
| White, gray & dirty TC |
Cold dampness or phlegm of long standing |
| 1/2 white, 1/2 gray |
Cold 1/2 exterior, 1/2 interior |
| White in center and gray & black around |
Dampness in the SP |
| Irregular cracks |
ST yin Def. |
| Horizontal cracks |
Yin Def |
| Transverse cracks on sides |
SP Qi Def |
| Cracks like ice floes |
Yin def. from old age |
| Transverse cracks behind tip |
LU yin Def. |
| Very deep central crack w/ other small cracks |
KD yin Def. w/ heat |
| Vertical crack in center |
HT yin def. or blazing HT fire |
