To analyze the essentials of the differentiation and standardization of syndromes for male impotence in Xu Fu-song's clinical practice.We conducted a randomized survey of 183 cases of male impotence diagnosed and treated at Professor Xu Fu-song's Clinic. We collected the data on the four diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), namely, observation, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry, and pulse feeling and palpation, and subjected them to principal component and factor analyses.Eleven common factors were extracted in the principal component and factor analyses, which were in accordance with Xu Fu-song's clinical practice. Based on the results of the analysis of the 11 factors, male impotence is differentiated as 11 syndrome types as follows: damp-heat syndrome, with the manifestations of bitter taste, scrotal moisture, reddish yellow urine, dribbling urination, frequent urination, urgent urination, sticky stool, red tongue, yellow greasy fur, rapid pulse, slippery pulse, and soggy pulse; kidney-yin deficiency syndrome, featured by polyhidrosis of hands and feet, night sweating, cold drink preference, dry mouth, red tongue, less fur, thready pulse, and rapid pulse; liver-qi stagnation syndrome, presented as depression, anxiety, introvert, dark tongue, and stringy pulse; phlegm turbidity syndrome, shown as sticky mouth, phlegmy mouth, throat discomfort, chest congestion, gastric fullness, low sexual desire, white greasy fur, and slippery pulse; kidney-yang deficiency syndrome, manifested as intolerance of cold, mental fatigue, lower abdominal cold, nocturnal enuresis, hot drink preference, pale tongue, and deep pulse; lung and spleen deficiency syndrome, with the presentations of cough, easy cold, spontaneous sweating, nasal stuffiness, pale tongue, and thready pulse; qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, characterized by lower abdominal pain, perineal or testicular prolapse, purple tongue, and deep pulse; heart-kidney disharmony syndrome, distinguished by insomnia, gonobolia, premature ejaculation, red tongue, and thready pulse; heart and spleen deficiency syndrome, featured by palpitation, amnesia, pale complexion, pale tongue, and deep pulse; spleen and kidney deficiency syndrome, manifested as dizziness, pale complexion, pale tongue, deep pulse, and thready pulse; lung and kidney deficiency syndrome, characterized by five-center dysphoria, tinnitus, general heaviness, pale tongue, less fur, and thready pulse.The syndromes of male impotence are regularly differentiated and standardized in Xu Fu-song's clinical practice, each with its core symptoms and typical tongue and pulse manifestations.
