• The Journal of the Society of Korean Medicine Diagnostics
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.215-223
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• 2013

Objectives Although tongue diagnosis is one of major diagnostic methods in east Asian traditional medicine, the standard of normal tongue color have not established. So we tried to suggest the method to establish the standard of normal tongue color range and the pilot data about the normal range. Materials and methods: 22 precedent study papers that presented the numerical data of normal (light red) tongue color were analyzed. At the same time, 46 adult people tongue color data were also collected and analyzed. Results Precedent studies showed remarkable fluctuations of the range of normal tongue color. Collected tongue color data of the 46 people showed mean Hue value 2 and standard deviation 14 in HSB system. Additionally, 3 ways of standard establishment for normal tongue color were suggested. Conclusion We suggest statistical method as a reasonable method for tongue color standard establishment and $2{\pm}14$ as a reference Hue value for normal tongue color.

• The Journal of the Society of Korean Medicine Diagnostics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.149-158
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• 2011

Objectives: The objective of this study is to compare the colour intensity of tongue body and that of tongue coat under the visible light and the ultraviolet light. Methods: We selected 7 subjects with completely or partially peeled tongue coat among the recruited 94 adults for the experiment. We took each tongue picture under the visible light and the ultraviolet light (315-400 nm) and then extracted sample images from the tongue body and tongue coat regions. Mean, median and mode of colour intensity from the sample images were calculated in 256 RGB system. Results: The green and the blue colour intensities of the tongue coats were significantly higher than those of the tongue bodies under the visible light. In all channels, the red, green and blue, the colour intensities of the tongue coats were significantly higher than those of the tongue bodies under the ultraviolet light. The colour differences between tongue coats and tongue bodies under the ultraviolet light were significantly higher than the colour differences under the visible light. Especially the colour difference under the ultraviolet light was highest in the green channel. Conclusions: We suggested that green colour image of the RGB system taken under the ultraviolet light could be used for more easy separating tongue coat region from tongue body.

• The Journal of the Society of Korean Medicine Diagnostics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2011

In traditional Korean medicine, inspection of the tongue is an important method of making medical diagnoses and determining prognosis. We surveyed the fluorescence characteristics of the tongue coat in the ultraviolet light. The tongue coat comprises micro-organisms, blood metabolites, leukocytes from periodontal pockets, large amounts of desquamated epithelial cells released from the oral mucosa and different nutrients. In the ultraviolet light tissues of the oral cavity generally emit weak red or green fluorescence, which is not easily seen by the human eye, but is readily detected. This fluorescence has been proved to be due to the production of porphyrins by oral micro-organisms. While the composition of motile micro-organisms on the dorsum of the tongue is not constant, variations also occur persistingly in the fluorescence characteristics of the tongue coat. But because live bacteria contain a variety of intracellular biomolecules that have specific excitation and emission wavelength spectra characterizing their intrinsic fluorescence, the tongue coat emits fluorescence. the tongue itself, on the other hand, emits very weak or not fluorescence. In conclusion, we suggests that the uncoated tongue area be eliminated from the coated tongue area with the difference between the fluorescence characteristics of the tongue and that of the tongue coat.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.112-120
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to analyze whether quantitative evaluation of the color of the tongue substance using $L^*a^*b^*$ color coordinates system could minimize the problems arising from the different illuminating conditions or not. In controlled 4 different illuminating conditions (by natural light, flashlight, f-number, shutter speed),12 healthy subjects were photographed of their tongue substance through a digital camera (C-2100uz, Olympus Co.), both on the top surface and on the bottom surface of the tongue substance by two examiners, twice at 3 day intervals. Clinician evaluation was also performed grading the redness of the tongue substance in the form of 5-points scale by 6 clinicians. As a result, there was no significant difference in color differences between the color of the tongue substance and the reference red card in the 4 different illuminating conditions. Intra-rater reliability was satisfied and even though limitedly, inter-rater reliability was satisfied. Color differences were significantly correlated with the results by the clinicians, although they were applicable limitedly to specific illuminating conditions. Our results indicate that the application of the color differences in tongue diagnosis could not only evaluate the color information quantitatively, but also minimize the problems arising from the different illuminating conditions and that there was the significant difference in the visual evaluation of the red color of the tongue substance, both between the clinicians and between the illuminating conditions.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.23-37
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• 2002

We have plenty of study of adults diseases, but not much has been said about children. 79 children who had visited in the weak children of Dongeui Oriental Medical Hospital from March, 2002 to October, 2002, were the respondents of the Weak Child Questionnaire. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Their symptoms have been observed with sequences of respiratory diseases, Digestive diseases, Psycho-neurological diseases. 2. Distribution of sex and ages : male 38 cases, female 41 cases. $0{\sim}6$ years 60 cases, $7{\sim}12$ years 17 cases, $13{\sim}18$ years 2 cases. 3. The texture of complexion was resulted in face color and the region of the face : whitish-2/ cases. yellowish-27 cases, darkish-22 cases, blue-2 cases, flushed face-l case. Sangeun(山根)-blue : 59 cases, a lower eyelid- dark or light brown : 54 cases. the rests of color on face region didn't mean. 4. The texture of tongue was ended in tongue state : tongue form-not plump not haggard patten(57 cases), a pricky patten(12), a map patten(7), a fissured patten(3). tongue color- pink (57 cases), red(16), light white(6). coating color- thin white(61 cases), thin yellow(l0), lack(6), deep and white(2). tongue coating substance-thin(72 cases), moisten(5), dry(1), deep(1).

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.12 no.3 s.18
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• pp.69-77
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• 2006

Background and Purpose The purpose of this study was to confirm that what symptoms are adequated indicator in the Gi-Deficiency patients. Methods In the time period July. 2005 to Sep. 2006, 136 patients with a first-ever stroke admitted in the department of Internal Medicine of Daejeon University Oriental Medical Hospital in Daejeon city, Wonkwang Oriental Medical Hospital in Iksan, JeonJu city were included. Patients were hospitalized within 3 months after the onset of stroke. Stroke patients had been interviewed by resident who studied standard operation procedures in Fundamental Study for Standardization and Objectification of Differentiation and Pattern Identification of Syndrome of Oriental Medicine for Stroke. Gi-deficiency patients was confirmed by medical specialist diagnosis, resident diagnosis, case report form analysis without a dissenting voice. Results Gi deficiency group included 23 case, Non Gi deficiency group 47 case out of 136 patients. Fatigue, weakness purse, somnolence, low voice, difficulty of uprise, pale face, pale tongue were higher among Gi deficiency group. Gi deficiency and Non Gi deficiency patients do not significantly differ in white coating tongue, light-red tongue, poor appetite, frequent sweating, teeth printed tongue. Conclusions This study was insufficiency because sample size very small. More data from prospective cohort studies will help to Korean Standard Differentiation of the Symptoms and Signs for the stroke.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.982-989
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• 2004

The following is the conclusion drawn from a review on the clinical cases cured by Jaeumkangwha-tang in perspective of Hyungsang medicine. Jaeumkangwha-tang originated from the modified Jibaiksamul-tang in 'Manbyunghuichun(萬病回春)' and applied to the diseases induced by flaming fire due to deficiency of Yin. In 'Donguibogam', there are two kinds of Jaeumkangwha-tang. One in the chapter of kidney is mainly prescribed to replenish the Jung of kidney and applicable to the cases with configuration and symptom of kidney along with fire. The other one in the chapter of fire is applied to the symptoms of flaming fire due to deficiency of Yin. The characteristics of the patients treated by Jaeumkangwha-tang from the viewpoint of Hyungsang medicine can be classified as follows : ① configuration: Dam type, Shin type, inverted triangular type(:天垂象), bird type, round eyes, thin lips, slender waist, thin leg, pretty face, sparkling eyes, prominent upper lip and upward eyes and nose. ② color : dark red complexion, red cheek bone, red lips and red glabella. ③ pulse : fine and fast pulse and pulsation on the Chuk(尺) in man and so forth. ④ symptoms: agility, talkativeness, pimpled face, crooked back, weakness to the heat of summer, light eating, timidity, blood-shot eyes, night sweat, cough, abundant phlegm, hemoptysis, bloody spittle, enervation, emaciation, back pain, flaccidity of lower limbs, involuntary emission, nocturnal emission, heat sensation in the chest palms and soles, anger, flush on cheek bone, red lips and dry mouth, reddish tongue, stiff excrement, scanty yellow urine, etc.