Owl of Minerva Herbal Advisory
Basic Alchemy and Healing
Chinese Alchemy:
In ancient Chinese alchemy, five important elements, or factors, which have an inter-relationship which must be kept in balance. The Five Elements are: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood.
The ancient physicians used the Five Elements theory to study extensively the connections between the physiology and pathology of the zang-fu organs and tissues and the natural environment. By adopting the methodology of "comparing similarity to expose phenomenon," the ancient Chinese attributed different phenomena to the categories of the five elements. On the basis of the phenomena's different characteristics, functions, and forms, the complex links between physiology and pathology as well as the correlation between the human body and the natural environment were explained.
The chart below describes some of the common categorizations which fall under each element:
Categorization of Zang, Fu, Flavours and Senses according to the Five Elements
Categorization of Objects, Nature and Phenomena according to the Five Elements
Five Elements theory assigns each of the five elements a series of abstract generalizations and then applies them to the classification of all phenomena. Wood, for example, involved the aspects of germination, extension, softness, and harmony. It is then inferred that anything with those characteristics should be included in the category of the wood element. As for the rest of the five elements: fire involves the aspects of heat and flaring; earth involves the aspects of growing, nourishing, and changing; metal is associated with cleaning up, killing, strength, and firmness; and water is associated with cold, moisture, and downward flowing. As in the case of wood, the aspects of the other five elements are used to categorize all material objects in terms of one of the particular five elements. The above table shows the five categories of objects and phenomena according to five elements classification.
The Mutual Generation, Mutual Subjugation, Extreme Subjugation, and Counter Subjugation Relationships of the Five Elements
The Five Elements theory asserts that between each of the elements there exists the close relationships of mutual generation, mutual subjugation, extreme subjugation, and counter subjugation. The theory explains the interrelatedness of all things through the use of those close relationships.
Mutual generation means multiplication and promotion, while mutual subjugation means mutual restriction and restraint. The order of mutual generation among the five elements is that wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal, metal generates water, and water generates wood. In this way generation is circular and endless. In the mutual generating relation of the five elements, each of the elements has the property of "being generate" and "generating." The one which generates is the "mother," the one which is generated is the "son." This is known as the "mother-son relationship." Each of the five elements has this type of mutual generating relationship with the other.
According to the order of mutual subjugation, however, wood subjugates earth, metal subjugates wood, etc. Each of the five elements also shares this subjugation relationship with the other. This relationship has the properties of "being subjugated" and of "subjugating." The former means that my ability is inferior to the object, while the later denotes my superiority to the object. Therefore, the mutual subjugating relationship among the five elements is also known as the relationship of "being superior to" and "being inferior to" another element.
Mutual generation and mutual subjugation are two aspects which cannot be separated. If there is no generation, then there is no birth and growth. If there is no subjugation, then there is no change and development for maintaining normal harmonious relations. As the Leijing tuyi says, "If there is no generation, then there is no growth and development. If there is no restriction, then endless growth and development will become harmful." Thus the movement and change of all things exists through their mutual generating and subjugating relationships. These relationships are the basis of the never ending circulation of natural elements.
Extreme subjugation and counter subjugation are the pathological conditions of the normal mutual generation and subjugation relationships. Extreme subjugation denotes that the subjugation of one of the five elements to another surpasses the normal level. For example, if there is hyperactivity of the wood element, it will subjugate the earth element. The latter elements is made weak and insufficient.
Counter subjugation means that one of the five elements subjugates the other opposite to the normal mutual subjugation order. For example, when metal is weak and insufficient, it leads to the hyperactivity of wood. The latter will then counter subjugate the former.
In the Suwen it says:
When the qi of one of the five elements is excessive, it will subjugate its subjugated element (such as wood subjugating earth) and counter subjugate the subjugating element (such as wood counter subjugating metal).
Moreover, the Five Elements theory recognizes a correlation between those things which are related to a particular element. As the Suwen points out, "The East generates wind, wind generates wood, wood generates sour, sour generates liver, liver generates tendons....". According to Five Elements theory, each element has its own repertory of relationships among the objects that compose the physical world. The theory of Five Elements is therefore the theoretical basis of the unique bond between man and natu
In addition to, and embedded within the Five elements portrayed in this table, there are other elements which are not so well understood: effects from planetary and dark and light matter from our, and other universes or galaxies. Fire can include solar activity (solar maxim and minimum, solar flares and general radiation and light emitted from the sun). Earth, metal and water can include all planetary influences. Earth includes the effects of any planetary body (eg moon, venus, mars ) including Earth. Metal reflects the effects from planetary bodies, including meteorites, and and in particlar magnetic potential from space and of earths magnetosphere. Water relects hydrogen and oxygen from this any any other planet, including ice from comets. Wood includes influences from sources of carbon. The effects of planetary influence on plants properties on earth can be manifested by a) genetic alteration from past catastrophies embedded into the DNA of plants b) current and past solar, lunar or other planetary or plasmic activity. Moreover, sympathic effects from planetary and galactic, universal and magnetic entities can cause reactions in their counterparts on Earth which influences living things. Meteorite hits on Venus, for example, could cause a reactive response to elements on Earth from Venus (dust layers in craters on Earth), and in particular in those with similar properties as Venus (eg Silicate minerals containing silicon and oxygen). Degrees of radiating energy in plants and herbs can be affected by such influences.
There are two main relationships which you must be familiar with to understand the application of the Five element theory. First is the Mother-Son relationship (also known as the sheng, generation, production or creation cycle) and the Grandparent-Grandchild relationship (also known as the ke, ko or control cycle). See the two figures below.
The Generating Cycle shows that Fire, for example, helps support Earth and the Control Cycle shows that Fire controls the growth of Metal. Thus, the herbs growing (or seed generated) under a solar maxim would be different in some way to those grown (or generated) under a solar minimum. Fire might control metal as during a solar maxim, or during volcanic eruptions, excess lava is produced. Volcanic lava bursts in different time and space sequences create different signatures of crysal and soil compositions which eventually influence plant growth. Earthquakes which happen often as a result of volcanic activity, create sources of earth energy which affect plants. If an astral collision happened in space, eletro-magnetic puluses emitted from the source could initially affect metal and fire. Deep sea cores and tree rings (dendrochronology) provide good examples of the environmental effects of intra and extra planetory climates and contexts on geological structures and plant growth. Thin and thick layers in each denote water, fire, metal, earth and wood past influences.
To understand how this might be applied to herbal medicine, take a person experiencing problems with cancer. Cancers are Metal (Lung, Large Intestine), Wood (Liver, Gall Bladder), Water (Kidney, Urinary Bladder), Earth (Spleen, Stomach), Fire ( Heart, Pericardium, small intestine, triple heater meridian) conditions. From a Five elements perspective, cancer may present as any of the elements. Sourcing the cancers initial location will help shed light on the route to follow for healing.
Cancer of the lung may present as a phlegm-damp condition or as a dry-hot condition (Fire). Following the five element theory, then, we see that the
Earth
(Spleen) may be weak (phlegm-damp coming from poor digestion, etc.) and not supporting
Metal
(Lung) resulting in a lung condition. The Earth vibration may be weak on account of diet type or of influences of chemicals (atmospheric , elemental, or minerals) on earth generating products, affecting the spleen. Toxic river water near agricultural lands is an example of an individual eating contaminated Earth products. The
Water
(kidney, bladder) may be weak (coming from coughing, restriction coming from inflammation which is hot) and not supporting Wood. The feedback from either spleen or kidney/bladder to lung could become disharmonious with disease then occuring. In the same way, smoking cigarettes affects digestion (being thinner is a side effect) and eating an acidic diet could lead to lung cancers. To correct this disharmonious condition, herbal medicines taken from herbs which are of correct Earth or Water vibration coupled with those with correct Metal/Wood vibrations could help to heal. The condition would need to be neutralised by all these effects.
ALCHEMY OF BLOOD TYPES
Your blood types can have alchemaic implications for herbal medicine and
responses to them. Cultural variation through time and the interactions of cultures to environmental and migration pressures helped to genetically code blood types.
A, B, O, M, N and Rh +/- are examples. Kits for testing blood types can easily be bought on places such as EBay for about $10.
In Europe, there is a tendency for A in Anglo Saxons, O for West Ireland, A for East Ireland, A for Southern England, O for Scotland. The Basques in Spain have a very unique blood type and hints at a very ancient population. Australians have mostly N, Asians have mostly B. Africans have mostly cDe, S and Fy. North American Indians often have M and O.
When did the blood types evolve?
Blood Group O was the first blood type to be identified c 1900, although how we know this is anyone’s guess – we’re talking about our hunter-gatherer ancestors who were around in 50,000 B.C! Nevertheless, Dr D’Adamo believes because our type O ancestors survived and thrived on a high-protein, meat-based diet, that’s the type of diet blood group Os should follow in the 21st century.
Next came the emergence of blood type A, sometime around 15,000 B.C! By this time, our ancestors’ hunter-gathering days were over and instead they started to settle into farming-type communities. The creation of blood type A around this time meant our ancestors did well on a vegetarian-based diet. And again, Dr D’Adamo recommends that blood group A’s should today follow a veggie diet.
Blood type B supposedly evolved around 10,000 B.C thanks to our nomadic ancestors. They left their farms and started wandering the land, constantly moving from place to place. Consequently, Dr D'Adamo's theory goes, blood group B’s today can get away with eating a varied diet that consists of most foods including meat, dairy, grains and vegetables.
Finally, came blood type AB, which evolved just 1,000 years ago! Dr D'Adamo thinks this blood type helped our ancestors make the transition to modern times. Meaning that people with blood group AB can eat a mixture of the foods suitable for both blood group A and blood group B.
Historical Survey
Alexander ( 1) was probably the first researcher to correlate the blood groups to any type of pathology, giving the following frequencies for fifty patients suffering from various types of carcinoma : 0: 14, A:14, B:16, AB:6 contrasting these with 175 results from 50 normals, 50 tuberculars, 50 syphilis and 25 tetany patients, concluding that groups B and AB were especially prone to cancer; a conclusion echoed by later workers Mithra.( 2) in 1933 and Pautienis ( 3) in 1937 who both noticed a greater propensity of groups A and AB to develop cancer.
Mayo and Ferguson ( 4) summarizing the available literature were led to conclude that the most common finding amongst the investigators seemed to be that group AB is elevated in cancer populations. A corroborative finding with trophoblastic neoplasia ( 5) links group AB to rapidly progressing choriocarcinomas which are highly resistant to treatment, the highest incidence associated with gravida of group A partnered to group O mates.
Stimulated by Alexander's paper, Buchanan and Higley ( 6) analyzed the results of 2446 patients grouped at the Mayo clinic.
Disease O A B AB
Carcinoma 140 119 22 11
Pernicious anemia 189 202 46 20
Leukemia 35 22 16 1
Thyroid 23 12 2 0
Fibroid Uterus 54 64 13 6
Ulcers 102 55 8 7
Gallbladder 95 62 13 6
Jaundice 64 83 20 6
Looking at the percentage frequencies for the groups, they concluded that:
1. There is no relationship between blood type and any malignancy as suggested by Alexander.
2. There is no relationship between the blood groups and any disease in which there is sufficient data to justify a conclusion.
3. Nationality should be taken into account in the presentation of statistical studies on blood groups.
However, as Fraser Roberts illustrated in his critique ( 7) by being exceedingly conscious of racial difference between the blood types the evidence requiring heterogeneity is considerably weakened. Nevertheless, it was a shame that after looking at the figures that they did not conclude that group O was in excess with ulcers and group A with pernicious anemia. Had they done so others would have immediately made further studies on these diseases and two associations would have been discovered. Unfortunately their report served to sidetrack interest in the blood groups for a considerable period of time.
The remaining literature on carcinoma encompasses the significant through enigmatic. A number of studies were done on various cancers, with leukemia ( 8, carcinoma of the bronchus ( 9, 10, 11),and rectal carcinoma ( 12) showing a no significant associations; breast cancer having a suggested association ( 13); pituitary adenoma ( 14) and pancreatic carcinoma ( 15) having significant associations and uterine carcinoma ( 16, 17), salivary gland tumors( 18) having highly significant association.
The association of group A with higher incidences of gastric carcinoma, first demonstrated by Aird, Bentall and Fraser Roberts in 1953 signaled the resurgence of clinical interest in the blood groups during the late 1950's and. 1960's. Their combining of newer, more powerful analytic tools with the large populations required for this sort of analysis foreshadowed renewed interest in an association between group O and peptic ulcer, first postulated by Ugelli in 1937.( 19) In a paper published the following year, Aird et al ( 20) demonstrated a "strikingly high" increase (17.9%) of group O amongst ulcer populations compared to controls, with a correspondingly lower incidence of the other groups. This has been extensively corroborated by various centers ( 21, 22, 23). Reports linking group O to decreased Factor VIII concentration ( 24) would seem to tie into these findings.
The associations between group A and gastric carcinoma and group O with peptic and duodenal ulcers seem based upon variations in physiologic parameters particular to each group. The previously mentioned association of group A with pernicious anemia ( 25) can now be regarded as significant with considerable confidence, as the findings appear to relate appropriately to reports from m India ( 26) documenting differences between group A and O in acid secretion in response to test meal. Sievers ( 27), using a tubeless test meal technique found achlorhydria significantly more common amongst group A individuals with GI problems. Studies linking achlorhydria and pernicious anemia to gastric carcinoma ( 28, 29) seem to indicate a distinct "functional milieu" between the blood types, especially regarding the gastrointestinal tract, a prime depository for ABH antigens.
One fascinating finding involves intestinal alkaline phosphatase, an isoenzyme shown to be related to the concentration of lymph triglycerides ( 30); rising in response to fat or fatty acids in a meal. Arsfors ( 31) studied both fast and slow moving electrophoretic patterns of this enzyme and found the variations to be strongly under genetic control and definitely linked to the blood groups. These zones are relatively common in secretors but are infrequently seen in non secretors of any group. In secretor populations up O and B show the zone very much more frequently than group A with AB as an intermediary( 32).
This physiologic variant appears to be causal regarding the next two AB0 related associations: hypercholesterolemia and ischemic heart disease. Langman( 33) showed an inverse correlation of genetic factors associated with intestinal alkaline phosphatase and serum cholesterol and suggested that these intestinal factors may in part effect serum cholesterol levels. Oliver ( 34) in a survey of 6000 found that men belonging to groups O or B had a lower mean cholesterol level than group A, a finding that "emphasizes the genetic pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease".
The Framington Heart Study ( 35) typed 4125 survivors of an original cohort of 5209, recognizing 273 cardiac events. The most noteworthy finding was with men aged 39-72 where a lower incidence of non fatal coronary heart disease was observed with group O as compared with group A (x2=5.80, P less than 0.02), a finding corroborated in studies of 792 ( 36) and 353 ( 37). These findings appear to correlate with studies demonstrating increased incidence of venous thromboembolism in group A populations.( 38)
The evidence for portal cirrhosis, hyperthyroidism and diabetes is less strong and justifies no more than a provisional conclusion serving as a pointer towards profitable work in the future. Hyperthyroidism has been reported as being in excess in group O and D'Adamo reports hypothyroidism as being a condition common in group A ( 39). Portal cirrhosis was found to have a highly significant association with group A, but the study numbered only 111. Diabetes has been studied extensively ( 40, 41, 42) with a total cohort of 2150. Group A was found to be increased, however most reporters found the excess limited only to males whilst one researcher reported an association limited only to females.
References
1. Alexander, W: Br. J. Exp. Path 2,66:(1921) 2. Mithra, P.N. : Ind. J. Med. Res. 20:995-1004 (Apr 1933) 3. Pautienis, P.N.: Medicina Kaunas 18 1-12 (Jan 1937) 4. Mayo and Ferguson : AMA Arch. Surg. 66: 406-9 5. Bagshawe et al : Lancet 1:555 (1971) 6. Buchanan and Higley : Br. J. Exp. Path. (1921) 2;227 7. Fraser Roberts, J.A.: Br. J. Prev. Soc. Med. 11:107-25 (1957) 8. Tinney and Watson: (1941) as quoted by Buckwalter, JAMA 1 1212 (1956) 9. Buckwalter et al : JAMA 11 792-5 (1954) 10. Aird, Bentall and Fraser Roberts : Br. Med J. 1:632 (1954) 11. McConnell and Clarke : Br. J. Med. 323-26 (1954) 12. Aird et al: Br. Med J. 812-4(1954) 13. Buckwalter et al : as quoted in Fraser Roberts: Br. J. Prev. Soc. Med 11:10 17. 25 (1957) 14. Buckwalter et al : as quoted in Fraser Roberts: Br. J. Prev. Soc. Med 11:10 17. 25 (1957) 15. Mayr, Diamond, Levine and Mayr: Science vol. 12 (Nov 1956) 932-3 16. Aird, Lee and Fraser Roberts : as quoted by Fraser Roberts: Br. Med J.20. 15JI 129-32 (1959) 17. Aird et al: Br. Med J. 812-4(1954) 18. Hembold,N : Seventh Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion, Rome (Sept. 1958) page 34 (abst) 19. Beochini, Gresseri and DiMaria : Analecta Genet 0: 109 (1957) 20. Camerron : Lancet 1 530-1 (1965) 21. AIRD I, BENTALL HH, MEHIGAN JA, ROBERTS JA. The blood groups in relation to peptic ulceration and carcinoma of colon, rectum, breast, and bronchus; an association between the ABO groups and peptic ulceration. Br Med J. 1954 Aug 7;4883:315-21. 22. Ugelli,L :Policlinico (sez. Prat.) 43,1591 (1936) 23. Aird, Bentall and Fraser Roberts : Br. J. Med. (Apr. 1953) 799-801 24. Merikas : Amer. J. Dig. Dis 10: 11-16 (1966) 25. Langman : Gut, 6: 270 (1965) 26. Buckwalter: JAMA vol. 103 no. 13 1215-17 (1956) 27. Preston and Barr : Br, J. Haem. 10:238 (1964) 28. Fraser Roberts : Br. J. Med. vol. 15 2; 129-34 (1957) 29. Purohit and Shukla : Ind Med. J. 54; 14, 522-4 (1960) 30. Sievers : Amer. J. Med. 27, 246-55 (1959) 31. Hitchcock and Sullivan : J. Nat. Can. Inst. vol. 18 967-71 (1959) 32. Sievers: J. Exp. Med. 27: 246-9 (1959) 33. Blomstand : Acta Chir Scand 177-91 (1965) 34. Arsfors: Acta Genet Basel 13: 89-94 (1963) 35. Langman Leuthold : Nature (Oct. 1966) no. 5057 36. Langman : Lancet 11 607-9 (1969) 37. Oliver Geizerhova, Cummings : Lancet 11 605-7 (1969) 38. Havlick : Lancet 11 270 (1969) 39. D'Adamo, J.L.: One Mans Food, Richard K. Marek Publishers New York N.Y 40. Bronte-Stewart: Br. J. Med. 1642-4 (1962) 41. Jick: Lancet 11 539-42 (1969) 42. Fraser Roberts :Br. J. Soc. Prev. Med. 11 107-25 (1959)