Pi-xu-zheng, a Spleen deficiency pattern, is a very important syndrome of cattle and goats in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM). It is often the result of dysfunction of the digestive, autonomic nervous, endocrine and immune systems. Clinical signs include inappetence, reluctance to move, reduced rumination and eructation with gastric distention, constipation, diarrhea, malabsorption and generalized cachexia. Pi-xu-zheng can be further divided into Pi-weixu-ruo, Pi-wei-xu-han, Pi-xu-wei-shi and Pi-wei-shi-kun based on the severity of clinical signs, additional signs of cold or heat and differences observed on examination of the tongue and pulses. The electrogastrogram (EGG), a measure of gastric motility, was recorded from electrodes placed on the skin over the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasums of
normal cows and goats and those affected by Pi-xu-zheng. The purpose of the study was to determine the efficacy of the EGG to diagnose the disorder and acquire objective indices before and after therapeutic interventions. The EGG of affected animals had lower frequency and amplitude indices than normal control animals. The frequency, amplitude range, activity index, reactive region and phase position of the EGG of goats and cows with Pi-xu-zheng was significantly different than normal controls and changed significantly back toward normal after treatment with the Chinese herbal medication, Si Jun Zi Tang or Four Gentlemen.