Chinese tongue diagnosis diagram: 'Spotted tongue'

Woodblock illustration of 'Spotted tongue' (sheng ban she) from Yuan Ao Shi shanghan jinjinglu (Mr Yuan Ao's Golden Mirror of Cold Damage), a treatise on tongue diagnosis -- original text by Ao Jiweng (Song period, 960-1279); additional material by Du Ben (Tao Hua) (Yuan period, 1206-1368 ); continuation by Xue Ji and Ma Chongru (Ming period 1368-1644). This edition was published in 529 (8th year of the Jiajing reign period of the Ming dynasty).

The text states: The tongue image of 'Spotted tongue' (sheng ban she) is bright red with black spots. This tongue image shows that heat poisons have entered the stomach, taking advantage of a deficiency, so that fire rages in the stomach and rashes appear. Appropriate treatments are Decoction of Figwort Root (xuanshen, radix scrophulariae) and Cohosh (shengma, cimicifuga), Kudzu Vine Root (ge gen, radix puerariae), and Spot Transforming Decoction (hua ban tang) to dispel the heat poisons.

IMAGE TITLE: Spotted tongue' (sheng ban she) LABEL: Brigh red