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The doctrine of five periods and six qì by which incidence of sickness is related to climate. The five periods are the five phases, i.e., wood, fire, earth, metal and water. The six qì are wind, heat, dampness, fire, dryness, and cold. The periods are calculated in terms of the ten heavenly stems, whereas the qì are calculated in terms of the twelve earthly branches. The doctrine aims, by means of the complementary opposition of yīn and yáng and the engendering and restraining relationship between the five phases, to calculate meteorological features and changes for each year and their effects on the human body.

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