The Large Intestine is one of the fu organs stipulated by Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...

 (TCM). As distinct from the Western medical concept of Large Intestine

Colon (anatomy)

The colon is the last part of the digestive system in most vertebrates; it extracts water and salt from solid wastes before they are eliminated from the body, and is the site in which flora-aided fermentation of unabsorbed material occurs. Unlike the small intestine, the colon does not play a...

, this concept from TCM is more a way of describing a set of interrelated parts than an anatomical organ. It is a functionally defined entity and not equivalent to the anatomical organ of the same name.

Functions

The Large Intestine Meridian

Meridian (Chinese medicine)

The meridian is a path through which the life-energy known as "qi" is believed to flow, in traditional Chinese medicine. There is no physically verifiable anatomical or histological basis for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians.- Main concepts :...

 communicates with the Lung (肺), with which it is externally-internally related. The two paired organs are associated with the Metal element (金) and the emotion of grief. The main function of the large intestine is to receive the waste material sent down from the small intestine

Small intestine

The small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract following the stomach and followed by the large intestine, and is where much of the digestion and absorption of food takes place. In invertebrates such as worms, the terms "gastrointestinal tract" and "large intestine" are often used to...

, absorb its fluid content, and form the remainder into faeces to be excreted. Pathological changes of the large intestine will lead to dysfunction in this transportation function, resulting in loose stools and constipation. The Large Intestine's function is said to be the strongest between 5am-7am.

Large intestinal disease

Large intestinal disease (dà cháng bìng) is attributable to evils such as heat, cold, stagnation, dampness, and wind, or to vacuity. Rumbling intestines or pain around the umbilicus

Umbilicus

Umbilicus may refer to:*Umbilicus , a feature of gastropod, Nautilus and Ammonite shell anatomy*Umbilicus, a synonym for the navel or belly button*Umbilicus , a genus of over ninety species of perennial flowering plants, including:...

, constipation or diarrhea, bloody stool or tenesmus

Tenesmus

Rectal tenesmus is a feeling of incomplete defecation. It is experienced as an inability or difficulty to empty the bowel at defecation...

with blood and pus in the stool, and prolapse of the rectum are signs of large intestine disease. The main patterns are listed below:

• Large Intestinal Vacuity Cold (dà cháng xü hán)
• Large Intestinal Humor Depletion (dà cháng yè kuï)
• Large Intestinal Damp-Heat (dà cháng shï rè)
• Large Intestinal Heat Bind (dà cháng rè jié)
• Large Intestinal Cold Bind (dà cháng hán jié)