Tongue Body Colors
Tongue body colors in Chinese medicine diagnosis.
The crimson tongue is a further exasperation of the red
tongue. It indicates pathogenic heat invasion in the nutritive
or blood level, latent heat in the Heart and Stomach,
or heat transmission into the pericardium.
yin deficiency leading to hyperactivity of fire
Crimson
dry
This blue looks like the blue in veins beneath the skin and
indicates excessive cold accumulation or blood stagnation.
Liver blood stagnation
excess cold accumulation
Blue
all
sides
The purple tongue indicates blood stagnation caused
by a variety of pathogenic factors.
stagnation with, or due to a deficiency of bloodpale
stagnation alone or due to an accumulation of excess cold
stagnation due to yin exhaustion cloying the blood
Purple
dark red
blue
The red tongue is a deeper red than the normal pink tongue.
It indicates various heat syndromes.
Yin deficiency heat
excess heat or yang qi excess
Red
dry
scanty coat
The pale tongue is less red than a normal tongue.
It indicates syndromes of deficiencies of qi, blood or yang.
Spleen and Stomach impairment with
qi and blood deficiency
qi deficiency fails to distribute body fluids
Spleen and Kidney yang deficiency prevents the proper
transformation of water and so creates dampness
Pale
IndicationsColors and Coats
moist
dry
no coat
tongue. It indicates pathogenic heat invasion in the nutritive
or blood level, latent heat in the Heart and Stomach,
or heat transmission into the pericardium.
yin deficiency leading to hyperactivity of fire
Crimson
dry
This blue looks like the blue in veins beneath the skin and
indicates excessive cold accumulation or blood stagnation.
Liver blood stagnation
excess cold accumulation
Blue
all
sides
The purple tongue indicates blood stagnation caused
by a variety of pathogenic factors.
stagnation with, or due to a deficiency of bloodpale
stagnation alone or due to an accumulation of excess cold
stagnation due to yin exhaustion cloying the blood
Purple
dark red
blue
The red tongue is a deeper red than the normal pink tongue.
It indicates various heat syndromes.
Yin deficiency heat
excess heat or yang qi excess
Red
dry
scanty coat
The pale tongue is less red than a normal tongue.
It indicates syndromes of deficiencies of qi, blood or yang.
Spleen and Stomach impairment with
qi and blood deficiency
qi deficiency fails to distribute body fluids
Spleen and Kidney yang deficiency prevents the proper
transformation of water and so creates dampness
Pale
IndicationsColors and Coats
moist
dry
no coat
More tongue diagnosis charts:
Tongue coatings
- Tongue coating colors
- Tongue coating – thickness, moisture, viscosity
- Tongue coating – distribution and root
Tongue body flexibility
- Tongue body movement – limp, stiff, trembling
- Tongue body movement – deviated, short, licking, curving
Tongue body color
- Tongue body color – pale, red, crimson, purple, blue
- The pale tongue body, and the pink tongue body
- The red tongue body
- The crimson (red-purple) tongue body
- The purple (and green-purple) tongue body
This page links to sample charts from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis Study Guide by Yi Qiao, L.Ac., and Al Stone, L.Ac., DAOM. Buy it now or check out the sample pages at Eastland Press.
Last modified: August 16, 2009 
Tags: Diagnosis, Observation В· Posted in: Tongue-Observation
