| Question | Answer |
| The deep branch of which meridian goes to the root of the tongue? | Heart Meridian of the Hand Shaoyin |
| Which meridian TRAVERSES the ROOT of the tongue and SPREADS over its LOWER surface? | The Spleen Meridian of the Foot Taiyin |
| Which meridian terminates at the root of the tongue? | The Kidney Meridian of Foot Shaoyin |
| The 4 qualities of a normal tongue are: | ● Proper size
● Soft in Quality
● Free in Motion
● Slight red in color with a thin layer of
white coating which is neither dry nor
over moist. |
| The tip of the tongue often reveals: | The pathological changes of the heart and lung |
| The border reveals: | The pathological changes of the liver and
gallbladder |
| The central part reveals: | pathological changes of the spleen and stomach |
| The root reveals: | Pathological changes of the kidney |
| A pale tongue indicates: | ● Syndromes of Deficiency Type
● Insufficiency of Qi and Blood
● Cold syndromes caused by Deficiency of
Yang Qi |
| A red tongue indicates: | Various heat syndromes including:
○ interior heat syndromes of excess
type
○ interior heat syndromes of deficiency due to yin deficiency |
| A deep red tongue indicates: | Extreme heat conditions:
○ Exogenous febrile diseases:
■ Invasion of the Yin and Xue
(blood) systems by pathogenic
heat.
○ Endogenous febrile diseases:
■ Indicates yin deficiency leading
to hyperactivity of fire. |
| A blue purple tongue indicates: | Stagnation of blood which is related to
either cold or heat. |
| Deep blue purplish tongue, dry and
lusterless | Blood stag related to heat |
| Pale purplish and moist tongue | Blood stag related to cold |
| Purplish spots on the tongue surface | Stagnation of blood |
| Swollen tongue description | Larger than normal, delicate in quality and
pale in color, and with tooth prints on the
border |
| Swollen tongue indicates | Yang deficiency of the Spleen and Kidney
○ This condition is due to IMPAIRED
CIRCULATION of BODY FLUIDS
producing:
■ Harmful water
■ Retained Fluid
■ Phlegm
■ Damp |
| A swollen tongue that is larger than normal, deep red in color occupying the entire space of the mouth. | Excessive heat in the Heart and Spleen |
| A swollen tongue that is larger than normal, is blue purplish and dark. | Toxicosis |
| Thin tongue description | Smaller and thinner than normal |
| Thin & pale indicates: | Deficiency of Qi and Blood |
| Thin, dry & deep red indicates | Hyperactivity of fire due to deficiency of
yin in which body fluid is consumed. |
| Cracked and Deep Red tongue indicates: | Excessive heat consuming body fluid |
| Cracked and pale indicates: | Deficiency of blood if the tongue is pale. |
| Cracks that are not deep and remain there all the time unchanged indicate | Normal |
| Thorny tongue description | Papillary buds over the surface of the
tongue swell up like thorns. |
| Thorny and red tongue indicates | Accumulation of pathogenic heat in the
interior.
○ The more severe the pathogenic heat,
the more enlarged and profuse the
thorns will be. |
| Deviated tongue indicates | ● Wind-stroke
● Early threatening signs of wind-stroke. |
| Rigid tongue description | Lacks flexibility and is difficult to
protrude, retract, or roll. |
| Rigid tongue indicates | ● Exogenous febrile diseases:
○ Invasion of the pericardium by heat
○ Retention of turbid phlegm in the
interior
○ Excessive Pathogenic heat consuming
body fluid
● Endogenous febrile diseases:
○ Wind-stroke
○ Early threatening signs of wind-stroke |
| Flaccid tongue description | Weak in motion |
| Flaccid tongue indications | Extreme deficiency of qi and blood
● Consumption of yin fluid depriving the
tongue of the nourishment |
| Flaccid, pale tongue indicates: | ● Deficiency of Qi and Blood |
| Flaccid, deep red tongue indicates: | Collapse of yin |
| Thin coating indicates | the superficial portion of the body is
affected in a disease
● the disease is due to deficiency of the
antipathogenic qi |
| Thin coating description | If the tongue proper can indistinctly be
seen through it |
| Thick coating description | If tongue proper cannot be seen through it |
| Thick coating indicates | Retention of:
○ damp
○ phlegm
○ food in the interior
○ Inward transmission of the pathogenic
factor from the exterior |
| Dry coating indicates | Consumption of body fluid due to
excessive heat
● Consumption of yin fluid not allowing it to nourish upwards |
| Dry coating desc. | Looks coarse and feels lacking moisture |
| Slippery coating desc | Excessive moisture over the tongue
surface and the saliva dribbles when the
tongue is stuck out in a severe case |
| Slippery coating indicates | Upward flooding of harmful water and
cold damp |
| Sticky coating desc | The tongue is covered by a turbid layer of
fine greasy substance which is HARD to
be SCRUBBED. |
| Sticky coating indicates | Syndromes resulting from:
○ Retention of turbid damp
○ Phlegm
○ Retention of Food |
| Granular coating desc | Coarse, loose and thick like residue of
making soy bean curds, and easily
scrubbed. |
| Granular coating indicates | Excessive Yang heat bringing the turbid qi
in the Stomach upwards
● Syndromes caused by:
○ Retention of turbid phlegm
○ Retention of food |
| Geographic tongue coating desc | Tongue with a part of its coating peeling
off |
| Geographic tongue coating indicates | Consumption of Qi and Yin of the
Stomach |
| Glossy coat desc. | The entire coating peels off leaving the
surface mirror smooth |
| Glossy coat indicates | ● Exhaustion of the Stomach Yin
● Severe damage of the Stomach Qi |
| White tongue coat indicates | ● Normal
● Exterior syndromes
● Cold Syndromes |
| Thin and white coating: | Present in exterior cold syndromes |
| Thick and white | Interior cold syndromes |
| Yellow coating: | ● Interior syndromes
● Heat syndromes |
| Deeper yellow coating | More severe pathogenic heat |
| Light yellow coating | Mild heat |
| Burnt yellow coating: | Accumulation of heat |
| Grey coating: | Interior syndromes |
| Grey coating that is yellowish and dry: | Consumption of body fluid due to
excessive heat |
| Grey coating that is whitish and moist | ● Retention of cold damp in the interior
● Retention of phlegm
● Retention of fluid |
| Black coating description | The outcome of the further development of
a yellow coating or a grey coating. |
| Black coating indicates | Interior syndromes due to:
○ Extreme heat
○ Excessive cold |
| Black coating is yellowish and dry, possibly with
thorns: | Consumption of body fluids due to extreme heat |
| Pale black and slippery coating | Excessive cold due to yang deficiency |
