Tongue covering
You are taught in your textbook Traditional
Chinese Medicine (textbook TCM) that a tongue without tongue
covering suggests Yin deficiency. Similarly, following tongues
are also believed suggesting a Yin deficiency: a tongue surface
looks as a map with irregular edges of the covering; a tongue is
red in color as dark as persimmon; or a tongue with cracks.
It is true that such clinic conditions can
been seen in patient with Yin deficiency. However, it does not
mean that such tongue will only occur in a Yin deficiency
condition. So many times, we can see such tongue in patients
with Qi deficiency or Yang deficiency too.
In Yin deficiency, such tongue is caused by
less Yin that cannot nourish the tongue with liquid so that a
kind of “Fire” burning the tongue and causes the tongue change.
Such tongue can also be due to Qi deficiency or a Yang
deficiency since it is the Qi in the body that brings water
floating up to the tongue to nourish the tongue. The function of
Qi or Yang here works just as the sunshine evaporate water to
make it into vapor in air. Therefore once we see such tongue, we
need to sear more clinic evidence to make correct TCM diagnosis.
If it is due to Qi deficiency, herbal formular of Bu Zhong Yi Qi
Tang is suggested to use. Addition of Rougui in it makes it work
better or use herbal formula of Si Ni Tang (plus Ren sheng).
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