Tcm Tongue

Front 1

red tongue

Back 1

various heat syndromes-
interior excess
interior heat due to yin def

Front 2

pale tongue

Back 2

def and cold syndromes
def yang qi
or insufficient qi and blood

Front 3

deep red tongue

Back 3

extreme heat condition
in exogenous febrile disease- invasion ying n xu by pathogenic heat
in endogenous disease- yin def leading to hyper fire

Front 4

blue purple tongue

Back 4

stag of blood by cold or heat

Front 5

deep purple tongue dry and lusterless

Back 5

related to heat stag

Front 6

pale purple moist tongue

Back 6

related to cold stag

Front 7

purple spots

Back 7

blood stag

Front 8

swollen delicate pale tongue w teeth marks on border

Back 8

yang def of sp & kd
due to impaired circ body fluid producing harmful water, retained fluid, phlegm, & damp

Front 9

swollen deep red tongue
occupies entire space of mouth

Back 9

excess heat in ht & sp

Front 10

blue purple dark tongue

Back 10

toxicosis

Front 11

thin pale tongue

Back 11

def qi & blood

Front 12

thin dry deep red tongue

Back 12

hyper fire due to yin def in which body fluid is consumed

Front 13

cracked tongue deep and red

Back 13

excess heat consuming body fluid

Front 14

pale cracked tongue

Back 14

def of blood

Front 15

thorny red tongue

Back 15

pathogenic heat in interior

Front 16

deviated tongue

Back 16

windstroke or early signs of windstroke

Front 17

rigid tongue in exogenous febrile disease

Back 17

pc heat, retention turbid phlegm in interior, excess pathogenic heat consuming body fluids

Front 18

rigid tongue in in endogenous disease

Back 18

windstroke or early signs of windstroke

Front 19

flaccid tongue

Back 19

extreme def of qi & blood or
consumption of yin fluid

Front 20

pale flaccid tongue

Back 20

def of qi & blood

Front 21

deep red flaccid tongue

Back 21

yin collapse

Front 22

thin tongue coat

Back 22

superficial stage of disease
or def of pathogenic factor

Front 23

thick tongue coat

Back 23

retention of damp, phlegm or food in the interior, or inward transmission of pathogenic factors

Front 24

excess moist tongue coat and or dribbling

Back 24

upward flood of harmful water & cold damp

Front 25

sticky tongue coat covered by fine greasy hard to be scrubbed

Back 25

retention of turbid damp, and phlegm, or food

Front 26

granular tongue coat (like soy bean curd residue) easy to be scrubbed

Back 26

excess yang heat bringing the turbid st qi upwards, retention of turbid phlegm or food

Front 27

peeled tongue coat geographic

Back 27

consumption of qi and yin of st

Front 28

whole tongue coat peeled (glossy tongue)

Back 28

exhaustion of st yin/severe damage of st chi

Front 29

white tongue coat

Back 29

in illness exterior and cold syndromes

Front 30

dry tongue coat

Back 30

consumption of fluid due to excess heat or consumption of yin

Front 31

yellow tongue coat

Back 31

interior and heat syndromes
deeper the more severe

Front 32

burnt yellow tongue coat

Back 32

accumulation of heat

Front 33

grey tongue coat

Back 33

interior syndromes of heat or cold and damp syndromes

Front 34

grey yellow dry tongue coat

Back 34

consumption of body fluids due to excess heat

Front 35

grey white and moist coat

Back 35

retention of cold damp in interior or retention of phlegm and fluid

Front 36

black coat

Back 36

interior syndromes due to extreme heat or cold
often further development of yellow or grey coat

Front 37

black yellowish dry with possible thorns

Back 37

consumption of body fluids due to extreme heat

Front 38

pale black and slippery coat

Back 38

excess cold due to yang def