3 The relation between the viscera relationship in the heart theory and modern medicine

    3.1 The heart and the small intestine form a relationship of exterior and interior, which means that the heart and small intestine constitute the relationship between exterior and interior through the system of channels and collaterals. It is said by Lingshu·Benshu that the heart is connected, in functional, with the small intestine which receives both transformation and absorption of the food contents. The containing of the small intestine is divided into two types: one type is to receive contents from the stomach, the other type is to receive circulation volume of the body with the blood vessels of the intestine wall. The heart has overloaded when congestive heart failure. In this condition, the small intestine may receive circulation volume of the body and reduce overload of the heart, since the heart and small intestine constitute the relationship between exterior and interior. This view is exactly consistent with thinking of modern medicine that the one of therapeutic methods of heart failure is to reduce heart load. The small intestine of adult is 7-9 m in length and has the enormous surface area, which is the main part of the systemic capacity vessels and is also the main part of the buffering returned blood volume ......