Spirit
From a Medical viewpoint, Spirit is the non-physical part of the person, related to the Mental and Emotional aspect. The Spirit is generally strongly associated with Mental function, clarity of consciousness and the Emotions. The Spirit is said to be seated in the Heart, but can be thought of rising to the Head while we are awake, and returning to the Heart when we fall asleep.If the Spirit is affected by Heat, there is Insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, agitation, irritability and palpitations. Mania and Mental disorders may also occur. Phlegm or Damp obstructs clarity of consciousness and can cause confusion or mental dullness. When Melancholy affects the Heart and Spirit, there is a sense of dread, depression, preference for solitude, with a generally dark mental outlook, and worry and fear without good reason. If the Heart Blood or Yin is deficient, the Spirit is not stable. Therefore medicines that nourish the Heart are often combined with Medicines that settle the Spirit.
When the Spirit is overwhelmed, the person may be despondent, easily frightened or anxious, with a tendency to stress or depression. When the Spirit is subject to a shock, it may ‘return to the Heart’ and the person faints.
Cardiacs and Cordials are the traditional classes of medicine used to soothe and benefit the Heart which thereby settles the Spirit. Medicines appropriated to the Spirit include Pearl, Coral, Amber and the Gems, and many of the Traditional formulas for the Spirit contain some of these types of medicines.
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Western Tradition | TCM Classifications |
| Simples |
Simples |
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Rose Borage Balm Sandalwood Basil seed Pearl Gold Burnt Silk |
Violet Bugloss Saffron Aloeswood Gems Red Coral Lapis Lazuli Bone of a Stag’s Heart |
Zizyphus Suan Zao Ren Polygonum Ye Jiao Teng Polygala Yuan Zhi Pearl Magnetite Fossil Bones |
Platycladus Bai Zi Ren Ganoderma Ling Zhi Albizzia He Huan Pi Amber Cinnabar Oyster shell |
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Brighten and Refresh the Spirit Cordial Syrup Exhilarative Syrup Syrup of Balm (Fernelius) Tincture of Balm Tincture of Life (Mynsichts) Powder of Happiness (Letificans) Letificans Almansoris (Rhasis) Aromatic Rose Compound (Aromaticum Rosatum) Powder of Ambergis (Diambra) (Mesue) Temperate Cordial Powder of Gems Warming Powder of Gems (Mesue) Restorative of Nicholas (Pleres Arconticon) (Nicholas) Pearled Sugar of Rose (Manus Christi Perlata) Electuary of Gems (Mesue) Pills to Aggregate Greater (Pil Aggregative) (Mesue) Troches of Musk (Mesue) Troches of Gallia Muscata (Mesue) Troches for Heart Weakness Gold powder Silver powder Settle and Calm the Spirit Cordial Decoction Syrup of Cinnamon The Heavenly Cardiac Syrup of Rose Water Syrup of Dried Rose (Fernel) Tincture of Amber Cordial Powder Cooling Powder of Gems Cooling Pearl Powder (Diamargariton Frigidum) (Nicholas) Troches for Heart Weakness Confection of Hyacinth (Confectio de Hyacintho) |
Nourish the Heart and Calm the Spirit i. Apprehensive, easily frightened, worries, palpitations, forgetfulness, dizziness, pale tongue Ding Zhi Wan ii. irritable, upset, restlessness, poor sleep, talking to oneself, behaving irrationally as if possessed, talking rubbish Gan Mai Da Zao Tang iii. Anxiety, forgetful, excessive dreams, insomnia, palpitations, thirst, dizziness, night sweating, dry mouth, red tongue, thin and rapid pulse Suan Zao Ren Tang iv. irritability with Heat in the chest, insomnia, dream disturbed sleep, palpitations with anxiety, red tongue with a yellow coating and a thin rapid pulse. Huang Lian E Jiao Tang Cool the Heart and Sedate the Spirit Ci Zhu Wan Zhu Sha An Shen Wan Heart Wind Tibetan Medicine recognises Heart Wind as a disease. Wind in the upper body affects the Heart, Mind and Spirit. There will be chest pain and oppression, poor memory and concentration, nervousness, fatigue, mental unrest, shortness of breath, insanity Bi Ma La (Tibetan Medicine) |