- - - - - Heart - -Spleen - - - - -

- - - - Lung - -Liver Gall-bladder - Kidney - - -

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) does not have a term or definition that specifically refers to the current understanding of hepatitis. In modern medicine, hepatitis is often caused by different viruses, which result in acute or chronic liver problems. Infection of the hepatitis A, B and C viruses are the most common forms of viral hepatitis. The disease is characterized by fever, dry mouth, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, weakness and skin that appears yellow in color (jaundice).

Despite the fact there is no specific classification of hepatitis in TCM, the clinical features of viral hepatitis share similarities to TCM syndromes including "jaundice," "liver-stagnation," "hypochondria pain," "abdominal distention" and "abdominal mass." "Jaundice" is when the skin and eyes develop a yellow appearance "Hypochondria pain" is caused by a depletion of vital energy (qi) and stagnation of blood flow in the meridians of the liver and gallbladder. "Abdominal distention" is characterized by distention of the abdomen with visible superficial veins covering the skin's surface.

As early as the Han Dynasty (206-220A.D.), these syndromes were already mentioned in TCM medical texts. For example, "liver-stagnation syndrome" and "abdominal mass" were first described in the famous Chinese medical book Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic . This book defined "liver-stagnation syndrome" as a disease caused by stagnation of vital energy (qi) and blood in the liver, and "abdominal mass" was defined as a formation of a mass in the abdomen accompanied by distention or pain.

According to TCM theory, the liver is mainly responsible for regulating the flow of qi as well as storing and regulating the amount and flow of blood. It is also linked to part of the central nervous system, and the autonomic nervous system (the part of the nervous system over which a person does not have voluntary control), the circulatory system and eyes. Moreover, the liver controls emotions, digestion, tendon movement, and female menstruation. As a result, symptoms or signs of liver problems will occur in these related organs when a person falls ill.