Six Excesses

The Six Excesses (六淫, pinyin: liù yín,[90] sometimes also translated as "Pathogenic Factors",[91] or "Six Pernicious Influences";[92] with the alternative term of 六邪, pinyin: liù xié, - "Six Evils" or "Six Devils"[93]) are allegorical terms used to describe disharmony patterns displaying certain typical symptoms.[94] These symptoms resemble the effects of six climatic factors.[92] In the allegory, these symptoms can occur because one or more of those climatic factors (called 六气, pinyin: liù qì, "the six qi"[95]) were able to invade the body surface and to proceed to the interior.[96] This is sometimes used to draw causal relationships (i.e., prior exposure to wind/cold/etc. is identified as the cause of a disease),[97] while other authors explicitly deny a direct cause-effect relationship between weather conditions and disease,[98][99] pointing out that the Six Excesses are primarily descriptions of a certain combination of symptoms[100] translated into a pattern of disharmony.[92] It is undisputed, though, that the Six Excesses can manifest inside the body without an external cause.[96][101] In this case, they might be denoted "internal", e.g., "internal wind"[101] or "internal fire (or heat)".[102]

The Six Excesses and their characteristic clinical signs are:

Wind (风, pinyin: fēng): rapid onset of symptoms, wandering location of symptoms, itching, nasal congestion, "floating" pulse;[103] tremor, paralysis, convulsion.[96]
Cold (寒, pinyin: hán): cold sensations, aversion to cold, relief of symptoms by warmth, watery/clear excreta, severe pain, abdominal pain, contracture/hypertonicity of muscles, (slimy) white tongue fur, "deep"/"hidden" or "string-like" pulse,[104] or slow pulse.[105]
Fire/Heat (火, pinyin: huǒ): aversion to heat, high fever, thirst, concentrated urine, red face, red tongue, yellow tongue fur, rapid pulse.[106] (Fire and heat are basically seen to be the same)[107]
Dampness (湿, pinyin: shī): sensation of heaviness, sensation of fullness, symptoms of Spleen dysfunction, greasy tongue fur, "slippery" pulse.[105]
Dryness (燥, pinyin: zào): dry cough, dry mouth, dry throat, dry lips, nosebleeds, dry skin, dry stools.[108]
Summerheat (暑, pinyin: shǔ): either heat or mixed damp-heat symptoms.[109]
Six-Excesses-patterns can consist of only one or a combination of Excesses (e.g., wind-cold, wind-damp-heat).[103] They can also transform from one into another.[103]