Greasy and putrid tongue fur

         Greasy and putrid tongue fur. Tongue fur compact and difficult to exfoliate which is thick on the center and thin on the margins is called greasy tongue fur (see colour Fig. 12). While the tongue fur loose, sparse and easy to exfoliate with thickness on both the center and margins is called putrid tongue fur.

The greasiness and putridity of the tongue fur reflect the decline and development of yangqi and turbid dampness. Greasy tongue fur is usually caused by internal exuberance of dampness and obstruction of yangqi, often seen in syndromes due to dampness, phlegm, retention of food and damp-febrile factors. Putrid tongue fur is usually caused by fumigation of excess of yang-heat, often seen in syndromes due to retention of food in the stomach and intestines or accumulation of phlegm and turbid substance.