Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen: An Annotated Translation of Huang Di’s Inner Classic – Basic Questions: 2 volumes 9780520948181

Table of contents :
Acknowledgment
Contents Volume I
Prolegomena
Annotated Translation of Su wen 1 through 52
Chapter 1. Discourse on the True [Qi Endowed by] Heaven in High Antiquity
Chapter 2. Comprehensive Discourse on Regulating the Spirit [in Accordance with] the Qi of the Four [Seasons]
Chapter 3. Discourse on how the Generative Qi Communicates with Heaven
Chapter 4. Discourse on the True Words in the Golden Chest
Chapter 5. Comprehensive Discourse on Phenomena Corresponding to Yin and Yang
Chapter 6. Discourse on the Division and Unity of Yin and Yang
Chapter 7. Further Discourse on Yin and Yang
Chapter 8. Discourse on the Hidden Canons in the Numinous Orchid [Chambers]
Chapter 9. Discourse on the Six Terms [of a Year] and on Phenomena [Associated with the Condition] of the Depots
Chapter 10. The Generation and Completion of the Five Depots
Chapter 11. Further Discourse on the Five Depots
Chapter 12. d Discourse on Different [Therapeutic] Patterns Suitable [for Use in Different] Cardinal Points
Chapter 13. Discourse on Moving the Essence and Changing the Qi
Chapter 14. Discourse on Decoctions and Wines
Chapter 15. Jade Tablet Discourse on the Essentials
Chapter 16. Discourse on The Essentials of Diagnosis and on Exhaustion in the Conduits
Chapter 17. Discourse on the Essentials of Vessels and the Subtleties of the Essence
Chapter 18. Discourse on Phenomena [Reflecting the Status of] Qi in a Normal Person
Chapter 19. Discourse on the Jade Mechanism and the True [Qi of the] Depots
Chapter 20. Discourse on the Three Sections and Nine Indicators
Chapter 21. Further Discourse on the Conduit Vessels
Chapter 22. Discourse on How the Qi in the Depots Follow the Pattern of the Seasons
Chapter 23. Wide Promulgation of the Five Qi
Chapter 24 Blood and Qi, Physical Appearance and Mind
Chapter 25. Discourse on Treasuring Life and Preserving Physical Appearance
Chapter 26. Discourse on the Eight Cardinal [Turning Points] and on Spirit Brilliance
Chapter 27. Discourse on the Division and Union of True [Qi] and Evil [Qi]
Chapter 28. Discourse Thoroughly Deliberating upon Depletion and Repletion
Chapter 29. Discourse on the Major Yin and on the Yang Brilliance [Conduits]
Chapter 30. Explanation of the Yang Brilliance Vessel
Chapter 31. Discourse on Heat
Chapter 32. To Pierce Heat
Chapter 33. Discourse Deliberating upon Heat Disease
Chapter 34. Discourse on the Assessment of Movements Contrary [to their Regular Course]
Chapter 35. Discourse on Malaria
Chapter 36. To Pierce Malaria
Chapter 37. Discourse on Qi Recession
Chapter 38. Discourse on Cough
Chapter 39. Discourse on Pain
Chapter 40. Discourse on Abdomen and Center
Chapter 41. To Pierce Lower Back Pain
Chapter 42. Discourse on Wind
Chapter 43. Discourse on Blocks
Chapter 44. Discourse on Limpness
Chapter 45. Discourse on Recession
Chapter 46. Discourse on Disease Manifestations
Chapter 47. Discourse on Strange Diseases
Chapter 48. Discourse on Very Strange [Diseases]
Chapter 49. Explanations on the Vessels
Chapter 50. Discourse on the Essentials of Piercing
Chapter 51. Discourse on the Restrictions of Piercing
Chapter 52. Discourse on Prohibitions in Piercing
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Front matter 2
Contents Volume II
Prefatory notes to vol. 2
Annotated translation of su wen 53 through 71, 74 through 81
Chapter 53. Discourse on the Aims of Piercing
Chapter 54. Explanations on the Needles
Chapter 55. Discourse on Rules of Extended Piercing
Chapter 56. Discourse on Skin Sections
Chapter 57. Discourse On Conduits and Network [Vessels]
Chapter 58. Discourse on Qi Holes
Chapter 59. Discourse on Qi Palaces
Chapter 60. Discourse on Bone Hollows
Chapter 61. Discourse on Holes [to treat] Water and Heat.
Chapter 62. Discourse on Regulating the Conduits
Chapter 63. Discourse on Misleading Piercing
Chapter 64. Discourse on Opposition and Compliance in Piercing in [the Course of] the Four Seasons
Chapter 65. Discourse on Tip and Root and on the Transmission of Disease [Inside the Organism]
Chapter 66. Comprehensive Discourse on Arrangements of the Principal [Qi] of Heaven
Chapter 67. Comprehensive Discourse on the Progression of the Five Periods
Chapter 68. Comprehensive Discourse on the Subtle Significance of the Six [Qi]
Chapter 69. Comprehensive Discourse on Changes [resulting from] Qi Interaction
Chapter 70. Comprehensive Discourse on the Five Regular Policies
Chapter 71 Comprehensive Discourse on the Policies and Arrangements of the Six Principal [Qi]
Chapter 74. Comprehensive Discourse on the Essentials of the Most Reliable
Chapter 75. Discourse on Making Known the Perfect Teachings
Chapter 76. Discourse on Demonstrating a Natural Approach
Chapter 77. Discourse on Expounding the Five Faults
Chapter 78.Discourse on Evidence of the Four Failures
Chapter 79. Discourse on Yin and Yang Categories
Chapter 80. Discourse on Comparing Abundance and Weakness
Chapter 81 Discourse on Explaining the Subtleties of Essence
BIBLIOGRaphy

Citation preview

Huang Di nei jing su wen Volume I

Huang Di nei jing su wen An Annotated Translation of Huang Di’s Inner Classic – Basic Questions

Volume I

Chapters 1 through 52

Paul U. Unschuld and Hermann Tessenow in Collaboration with Zheng Jinsheng

University of California Press Berkeley

Los Angeles

Acknowledgment This annotated translation of the Su wen was made possible by a long-term commitment from the Volkswagen Foundation, following up an initial pilot phase funded by the German Research Association (DFG). It is with utmost gratitude that we acknowledge this generous support and an understanding of the complexities of our project.

University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2011 by the Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Unschuld, Paul U., 1943–.   Huang Di nei jing su wen: an annotated translation of Huang Di’s Inner Classic — Basic Questions / Paul U. Unschuld and Hermann Tessenow in collaboration with Zheng Jinsheng. — 1st ed.   p.    cm.   Includes bibliographical references.   ISBN 978-0-520-26698-8 (set)   1.  Su wen.   2.  Medicine, Chinese—Early works to 1800.   I. Unschuld, Paul U. (Paul Ulrich), 1943-   II. Tessenow, Hermann, 1945-   III. Zheng, Jinsheng, 1946-   IV. Su wen. English.  V. Title: Annotated translation of Huang Di’s Inner Classic — Basic Questions.  R127.1.S93H7  2011  616’.09—dc21 2010039378 Manufactured in the United States of America 19  18  17  16  15  14  13  12  11  10 10  9  8  7  6  5  4   3  2  1 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R 1997) (Permanence of Paper).

Contents Vo l u m e I

P r ol e g ome n a I. On the Significance of the Huang Di nei jing Su wen  /   10 II. Principles of Translation 1. On Methodology  /   12 2. Individual Terms as Examples of Uncertainties as to which Translation Is Most Appropriate  /   14 2.1. jing 經  /   14 2.2. du mai 督脈 and ren mai 任脈  /   15 2.3. fu 府 and zang 臧  /   16 2.4. mu 募 and shu 俞   /   18 2.5. rong 榮/ying 營  /   18 2.6. ji 肌  /   19 2.7. Names of Needle Insertion Holes, xue 穴  /   19 3. Individual Terms as Examples of Translation Difficulties: Alternative Meanings of the Same Term   /   19 3.1. qi 氣  /   19 3.2. bing 病  /   20 3.3. mai 脈  /   21 3.4. Identical Terms Used for a Morphological Structure and an Insertion Point (“hole”)   /   21

III. Textual Structures in the Su wen Translation 1. Textus Receptus and Predecessors  /   22 2. Structural Markers in the Translation  /   23 IV. Italics, Upper Case and Lower Case Writings of Titles and Terms  /   24 V. Footnotes  /   24 Annotated Translation of Su wen 1 through 52

Chapter 1 Discourse on the True [Qi Endowed by] Heaven in High Antiquity   /  29 Chapter 2 Comprehensive Discourse on Regulating the Spirit [in Accordance with] the Qi of the Four [Seasons]   /  45 Chapter 3 Discourse on how the Generative Qi Communicates with Heaven  /  59 Chapter 4 Discourse on the True Words in the Golden Chest  /  83 Chapter 5 Comprehensive Discourse on Phenomena Corresponding to Yin and Yang  /  95 Chapter 6 Discourse on the Division and Unity of yin and yang  /  127 Chapter 7 Further Discourse on Yin and Yang  /  137 Chapter 8 Discourse on the Hidden Canons in the Numinous Orchid [Chambers]  /  155 Chapter 9 Discourse on the Six Terms [of a Year] and on Phenomena [associated with the Condition] of the Depots  /  163 Chapter 10 The Generation and Completion of the Five Depots  /  185 Chapter 11 Further Discourse on the Five Depots  /  203 Chapter 12 Discourse on Different [Therapeutic] Patterns Suitable [for Use in Different] Cardinal Points   /  211 Chapter 13 Discourse on Moving the Essence and Changing the Qi   /  219 Chapter 14 Discourse on Decoctions and Wines  /  233 Chapter 15 Jade Tablet Discourse on the Essentials  /  247 Chapter 16 Discourse On The Essentials of Diagnosis and On Exhaustion in the Conduits   /  257 Chapter 17 Discourse on the Essentials of Vessels and the Subtleties of the Essence  /  273

Chapter 18 Discourse on Phenomena [Reflecting the Status of ] Qi in a Normal Person  /  301 Chapter 19 Discourse on the Jade Mechanism and the True [Qi of the] Depots  /  323 Chapter 20 Discourse on the Three Sections and Nine Indicators  /  351 Chapter 21 Further Discourse on the Conduit Vessels   /  369 Chapter 22 Discourse on How the Qi in the Depots Follow the Pattern of the Seasons   /  383 Chapter 23 Wide Promulgation of the Five Qi  /  401 Chapter 24 Blood and Qi, Physical Appearance and Mind  /  413 Chapter 25 Discourse on Treasuring Life and Preserving Physical Appearance  /  419 Chapter 26 Discourse on the Eight Cardinal [Turning Points] and on Spirit Brilliance  /  433 Chapter 27 Discourse on the Division and Union of True [Qi] and Evil [Qi]  /  447 Chapter 28 Discourse Thoroughly Deliberating upon Depletion and Repletion  /  459 Chapter 29 Discourse on the Major Yin and on the Yang Brilliance [Conduits]  /  479 Chapter 30 Explanation of the Yang Brilliance Vessel  /  487 Chapter 31 Discourse on Heat  /  491 Chapter 32 To Pierce Heat  /  499 Chapter 33 Discourse Deliberating upon Heat Disease  /  515 Chapter 34 Discourse on the Assessment of Movements Contrary [to their Regular Course]  /  527 Chapter 35 Discourse on Malaria  /  535 Chapter 36 To Pierce Malaria  /  553 Chapter 37 Discourse on Qi Recession  /  567 Chapter 38 Discourse on Cough  /  575 Chapter 39 Discourse on Pain  /  583 Chapter 40 Discourse on Abdomen and Center  /  599 Chapter 41 To Pierce Lower Back Pain  /  613 Chapter 42 Discourse on Wind  /  625 Chapter 43 Discourse on Blocks  /  639 Chapter 44 Discourse On Limpness  /  653 Chapter 45 Discourse on Recession  /  665 Chapter 46 Discourse on Disease Manifestations  /  677 Chapter 47 Discourse on Strange Diseases  /  689 Chapter 48 Discourse on Very Strange [Diseases]  /  705 Chapter 49 Explanations on the Vessels  /  719 Chapter 50 Discourse on the Essentials of Piercing  /  733

Chapter 51 Discourse on the Restrictions of Piercing  /  737 Chapter 52 Discourse on Prohibitions in Piercing  /  741

Bibliography

1. Dictionaries and Encyclopedias  /   754



2. Monographs  /   755



3. Articles  /   761

P rolegomena

This is the first of two volumes of an annotated English translation of the ancient Chinese life sciences text Huang Di nei jing su wen (short: Su wen). In contrast to the available translations, this version is the outcome of a full application of rigorous philological principles. Furthermore, as shall be indicated in detail below, it takes the views of numerous Chinese and Japanese scholarly and clinical authors into consideration so that readers of these volumes will always have a choice between our interpretation of debatable text passages, and the views of others. This translation was not prepared primarily with an eye on the contemporary clinical applicability of its physiological and pathological views, as well as the text’s therapeutic advice, provided by the authors of the Su wen two millennia ago. Rather, it has been the task of this translation to introduce readers to ideas, and their linguistic expression, developed in the context of the manipulation of the length and the quality of human life in such a way that it lasted as long as possible with minimal physical and mental suffering. If these ancient ideas are restored to life by our translation they will serve various useful purposes. First, these ideas will lend themselves to a comparison with similar traditions from the beginning of European medicine and may help us to gain a better understanding of “what is medicine”. For us to appreciate the basic differences and parallels between the more than two millennia of Western and Chinese medical traditions, access to English translations of the seminal life science texts of Chinese antiquity, unadulterated by modern biomedical concepts   Paul U. Unschuld, What is Medicine? Eastern and Western Approaches to Healing. University of California Press. Berkeley and Los Angeles, 2009.

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and, is essential. Second, it is only on the basis of such translations that the later development of Chinese medicine can be traced, in particular its recent redefinition as Traditional Chinese Medicine in contemporary China and abroad. The creative reception of so-called TCM in many Western countries has led to a conceptual and clinical reality that is rather distant from its beginnings in Handynasty China. It is through a comparison of today’s realities with these beginnings that a real awareness may emerge of the process that Chinese medicine has undergone in its adaptation to the values and requirements of modern times. Our project of preparing the first philologically rigorous English translation of the Su wen began in 1988. Two volumes have now been published by University of California Press; the first examines the origins and the history of the Su wen, and offers a survey of its contents. The second is the first dictionary in Western Chinese studies devoted to a single life science text of Chinese antiquity. It gives the meanings of all 1866 Chinese characters in more than 81000 positions forming the text. It includes, as an appendix, the complete Chinese reference text, and on a CD, a concordance.

I. On the Significance of the Huang Di nei jing su wen During the 4th to 3rd centuries BCE a new view on nature emerged in China. Comparable to the emergence of a science in the Eastern Mediterranean only a few hundred years earlier, some Chinese philosophers began to perceive regularities in the daily workings of the universe that appeared to be governed by natural laws rather than numinous beings such as gods, ancestors, or ghosts. The assumption that such laws existed became closely tied to a vision of patterned relationships among all phenomena in the world, be they tangible or not. In China, the new world view found its most obvious expression in the theories of systematic correspondence known as Yin-Yang and Five-Agents doctrines respectively. Soon enough, the validity of these theories was extended to an understanding of the human organism. This was the origin of a medicine that developed in sharp contrast to earlier modes of interpreting and manipulating health and illness. There was a novel attempt at health management designed to rely exclusively on natural science in the construction of physiological and patholo See also, Paul U. Unschuld, Nan-ching. The Classic of Difficult Issues. University of California Press. Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1976.

  Paul U. Unschuld, Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen. Nature, Knowledge, Imagery in an Ancient Chinese Medical Text. University of California Press. Berkeley and Los Angeles, 2003.   Hermann Tessenow and Paul U. Unschuld, A Dictionary of the Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen. University of California Press. Berkeley and Los Angeles, 2008.

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gical theories, that is, in understanding what came to be considered normal and abnormal functions of the human organism. For ancient Europe, the emergence of such a medicine is associated with the generation of texts that are widely known as the Corpus Hippocraticum. For ancient China, it is seen in the context of writings that were gathered into the textual corpus of the Huang Di nei jing and a few parallel compilations, during the first through third centuries CE. The early history of these ancient Chinese literary monuments of a new medicine needs not be recounted here; it has been elucidated in detail in the first volume of our Huang Di nei jing su wen project. The Huang Di nei jing su wen constitutes, judged from a perspective of both historians and clinicians, the most valuable source available today, enabling readers to appreciate the intense intellectual dynamics in health care characteristic of the time of the earlier and later Han dynasties, and beyond. With an unclear history of transmission until the sixth century CE, when Quan Yuanqi 全元起 compiled a first commentated edition, the textus receptus has been identified by Chinese historians as a work of the Zhou-Qin-Han era since at least the 14th century; Chinese researchers of the 20th century see the original text as a product of the Han dynasty. Wang Bing in the ninth century rearranged the text, added commentaries, and amended it by another long text the origins of which have not been clearly identified to this day, i.e., the seven comprehensive discourses on the doctrine of the five periods and six qi. Finally, in the 11th century, an imperial editorial office added further comments and published a printed version of the Huang Di nei jing su wen that has remained the authoritative textus receptus to this day. As early as the 14th century, the renowned literary critic Lü Fu 呂復, had realized that the Suwen was not the work of a single author. Rather, he stated, it combines texts written by numerous authors over an extended period of time. However, this “extended period of time” may, as we recognize today, have lasted for no more than two centuries. In the course of a most productive era, stimulated by the new yin-yang and five-agents outlook on the world, countless scholars, their names lost to posterity, sat down to apply the doctrines of systematic correspondences to many issues requiring an explanation. Many different schools appear to have sprung up, each with their own attempts at reconciling perceived reality with the new doctrines, and it may have been only in a second phase that these schools, confined to oral tradition at first, generated written texts to be distributed over larger geographical distances. The Huang Di nei jing su wen, much like the Hu­ang Di nei jing ling shu (short: Ling shu), owes its existence to compilators who, beginning in the Han dynasty, excerpted text passages from a large pool of separate writings. They chose quotations that they considered representative of specific medical traditions or simply interesting and transformed them into textual corpora, each with its own characteristics and emphasis. The Huang Di nei jing su wen is worth special attention because more

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than all other compilations of the time it has retained its nature as an anthology. The compilators of the Su wen, as the title is generally abbreviated, avoided a complete obfuscation of the diverse origins of the many textual pieces they brought together. As a consequence, today’s reader, even without much philological scrutiny, easily recognizes many of the “breaks” separating historical levels, or just indicating the transition from one author’s text piece to the next. Conceptual contradictions, such as those between the holistic interpretation of nue 瘧 disease (malaria) in treatise 35 and an organ-centered interpretation in treatise 36, as well as differences in dialogue partners, and an oscillation between dialogue and non-dialogue chapters, all point to the compilers’ reluctance to generate a monolithic, homogenous text. The application of philological expertise has brought to light many more such breaks and transitions. The heterogeneity and homogeneity of text parts are often obscured by editorial devices linking different text parts, by the intended as well as unintended re-arrangement of textual segments, by the integration of formerly separate commentaries into the main text, and by changes in pronunciation over time which makes it difficult to recognize the rhyming structure of text passages, to name the most common elements contributing to the internal structure of the Su wen. No attempt has ever been made to prepare a philologically correct English translation of the Su wen, nor has an attempt been made to make the hetero­ geneous structure of the Su wen visible. The two volumes of an annotated English version of the Su wen presented here are meant to change this and to offer a quality of translation and annotation that will enable, for the first time, a wide range of readers without command of classical Chinese to conduct a comparative research on ancient Chinese and European medical classics. The following are the basic principles we have observed in the pursuance of our task.

II.  Principles of Translation 1. On Methodology It is a perfectly legitimate approach to re-examine the concepts and practices of health care of Chinese or European antiquity in the light of a 21st century understanding of human biology, and hence to rewrite ancient medical texts with a vocabulary based in modern biomedical notions. Such an attempt at recontextualization may be helpful to those who are convinced of the truth of their current views and are eager to verify these views in the sources of the past. It is equally legitimate to strive to bring to light the ideas, theories and facts held and expressed by ancient authors on their own terms. For historians of ideas, and even for some clinicians of so-called Traditional Chinese Medicine, it should be of primary interest to reconstruct the perceptions of health and

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disease held by intellectuals of two millennia ago, and to ask what it was that shaped their thoughts and knowledge. This approach takes ancient literary (and other) sources seriously as such. It does not isolate them from their literary and cultural environments. Rather, it interprets them as indicators of an environment to which one otherwise has no access. It is only through such an approach that the history of culture in general, and of ideas and knowledge in particular can be written. And in the case of Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is only through this approach that the divergence of the present from the legacy of the past can be identified clearly. This second approach lies at the basis of the translation of the Su wen as presented here. In fact, a translation, in our view, is worth its name only if it strives to reproduce a text in a target language as close to its original format and meaning as possible, without omissions and anachronistic interpretations and additions. We believe that an application of this principle is particularly justified in dealing with a text like the Su wen. Its origin lies more than two thousand years in the past. Many of its passages allow for different interpretations as to what the authors may have meant to say and what facts they were actually referring to. A translation such as ours demands a reader interested in obtaining a most faithful (albeit occasionally incomplete) image of the contents and structure of the original text. Our aim is to make the ideas, theories, and practices laid out in the text fully visible and conceivable again. However, it is not the translator’s primary task, instead it is the reader’s task, to reconstruct the ideas, theories, and practices laid down in the text. Where necessary, the translator may, of course, based on an intimate understanding of the text and its original cultural environment, offer his or her own views, separate from the translation, in footnotes or appendices. While this may be the ideal approach, no translation that is intended to be readable can do without interpretative definitions and additions, and even if one intends to focus exclusively on the material and conceptual background of the time when the text was written, such definitions and additions will be projections that can never be entirely free of modern knowledge and concepts. We are fully aware of this dilemma and have identified as many such projections as possible in our translation. This includes the juxtaposition, in the footnotes, of our final translation with possible alternatives as seen by ourselves, or offered by Chinese and Japanese scholars. The identification and translation of the technical terms of the text posed particular difficulty. It was our intention to use English equivalents intended to be as close as possible to the images conveyed by the original Chinese terms. That is, concomitant with the approach outlined above, we have not attempted to replace ancient Chinese technical terminology with modern biomedical terminology. For one thing, ancient Chinese technical terms are by no means so sufficiently well-defined for us to succeed with a one-to-one translation. Second, such an approach would obscure the original notions that determined the emergence of

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Huang Di nei jing su wen

certain Chinese technical terms out of every-day language, most often through a metaphorical expansion of their initial meaning. The Chinese term jing 經, to be further discussed below, may serve as an example. The original literal meaning: warp of a loom, had already been long left behind in the usage of jing as a medical technical term. Hence we did not deem it suitable to recreate in our translation the earliest known significance of the term. In a few cases, no English equivalent matches a Chinese original. This is either because the Chinese original has too many meanings to be expressed by a single English term, or because the original meaning remains too nebulous. Examples are qi 氣, but also Yin 陰 and Yang 陽. In these cases, we have chosen a pinyin transliteration based on current standard pronunciation. We are aware of a widespread hesitation to translate certain anatomical terms, such as xue 血 or gan 肝, with their English morphological equivalents blood or liver, respectively. The different physiological and pathological functions assigned to these and other fluids and tissues in ancient China have led many to prefer a pinyin transliteration over a literal translation. Our approach here takes a different path. If a morphological-anatomical unit has been identified as such in the Chinese text, it is translated with its vernacular equivalent in English. Functions assigned do change over time, and it is to be expected that a reader of a historical text will be aware of this. Hence bi 鼻, mu 目, er 耳are translated with their vernacular English counterparts nose, eye, and ear, and the same applies to gan 肝 liver, xue 血blood, and nao 腦 brain. The ancient Chinese naturalists had a very clear perception of nose and eyes and of liver and blood as distinct morphological/physical entities. But even a cursory reading of the text shows that the functions assigned to these entities in the ancient Chinese interpretation of the organism differ from today’s understanding. It cannot be the task of a translation to reflect these dynamics by modifying the morphological terminology. The physiological concepts we associate with blood at the beginning of the 21st century differ greatly from the established knowledge of even as short a time ago as the 19th century. Still, we continue to speak of blood as far as the morphological fact is concerned. The same should apply to a translation of ancient Chinese morphological designations. The following may serve to elucidate how we arrived at our choices in view of some particularly problematic instances.

2.  Individual Terms as Examples of Uncertainties as to which Translation Is Most Appropriate 2.1.  jing 經 As pointed out above, the original meaning of jing 經, warp, had already given way in literature contemporary with the Su wen to metaphorical expansion expressing the notion of “passing through” and “main supporting structure“, as well

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as “vertical“. In the ancient Chinese view of human morphology and an assumed network of vessels as the foundation of organism’s physiology and pathology, the term jing 經 appears to have been chosen to denote the “main vessels”, jing mai 經脈, passing through the body (seen from a standing position) vertically. These are distinguished from the so-called “network vessels”, luo mai 絡脈, that were believed to mostly permeate the body horizontally. This is attested by many Su wen passages where the terms jing mai 經脈 and luo mai 絡脈 serve to denote these two types of vessels. Five times in Su wen 62 and six times in different chapters of the Huang Di nei jing ling shu, a term jing sui  經隧 is used. Seen together with jing mai 經脈, jing 經 appears here merely as an adjective “main” (or “vertical”). Jing mai, then, would read “main (or: vertical) vessel”; jing sui would read “main (or: vertical) tunnel”. The latter term is of particular interest as it seems to clearly express a notion of tube-like structures in the body where qi and blood are assumed to flow. Nevertheless, a meaning of jing 經 as “path” is attested since the Late Han era too. This suggests that an expression such as shi yi jing 十一經 is not merely an abbreviation of shi yi jing mai 十一經脈, “11 jing-vessels”. Rather, we may read jing 經 as incorporating the meaning of the path of qi and blood. The long-established translation of jing 經 as “conduit(s)” that we continue here is an approximation. It fails to distinguish the jing 經 clearly from the luo 絡 as the latter are obviously defined as conduit-transmitters of qi and blood, too. We have chosen “conduit” in the sense of “main conduit” in our translation of jing nevertheless. This is because the Su wen does not permit a clear definition of jing 經 as meaning either “vertical” or “main structure”. It may well be that jing 經 was then perceived as combining both these meanings. A certain hierarchy is achieved by translation of luo mai 絡脈 as “network vessels”, that is, second-degree vessels serving as links between the main vessels. 2.2.  du mai 督脈 and ren mai 任脈 These terms denote vessels passing through the back and front side (i.e. the yang and yin side, respectively) of the human body in a central line from head to genital organ. Du and Ren are terms borrowed by Han dynasty medical authors from the arena of state administration. Du vs. ren is the only pairing that has been rendered in English with a complete metaphorical equivalent for some time already; as is to be expected not by Chinese but by Western authors. Birch and Felt in their Understanding Acupuncture have chosen “governing vessel” vs. “controller vessel”. The terminology chosen in our translation is “supervisor vessel” vs. “controlling vessel”. One may assume that well-established hierarchical differences between administrative positions of du and ren stimulated Han dynasty authors to select this pairing in naming two important conduit vessels.

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Huang Di nei jing su wen

Du and ren signify tasks in an administration. Charles O.Hucker identifies du as “most commonly signifying that, without giving up his regular post, an official had been delegated to take temporary charge of another post.” One may detect mobility, and hence a yang quality, in “taking temporary charge of another post”, but ren as the opposite can hardly be identified as a more stable position. Hence the choice of these terms may have been led by other considerations. Rather than choosing a pairing that suggested “movement” vs. “non-movement” to Han dynasty readers, two administrative terms were selected that reflect different echelons in a bureaucratic hierarchy. Du was definitely a higher ranking official than ren. A du could be in charge of, for example, an army division. A du was a leading position, such as a supervisor, or a general. In contrast, ren has the meaning “to shoulder”, “to shoulder a task”, “to assume an official position”. A ren could be any lower official who was simply in charge of controlling the execution of some ordinary task. Ren mai 任脈 is widely translated in TCM literature as “conception vessel”. This interpretation is based on the fact that the ren mai is associated with functions of conception and pregnancy. Also, in non-medical literature, 任 is sometimes used in place of 妊, “pregnancy.” However, the pairing of two metaphors selected from bureaucratic terminology appears to us much more convincing than the naming of one vessel after an office in bureaucracy, and the other after an alleged physiological function. The general principle in choosing terms for these pairings appears to have been to select two terms from one arena of public life known to all potential future users of these terms. The two terms chosen had to be rather close in their meanings, with a difference that enabled one to associate one of the two with a yang and the other with a yin meaning. The metaphorical rationale of juxtaposing du and ren in the context of human physiology seems to have been one of acknowledging a higher rank of yang phenomena in comparison with yin phenomena.6 2.3.  fu 府and zang 臧 Apparently, the Yin-Yang-Doctrine encouraged its followers to distinguish among functions and tangible components of the human body as being either of the yin or of the yang category. Thus, among the organs they expected to find some with a yin nature, i.e., those seen as quietly hiding their contents in the depth of the organism for a long time, and others with a yang nature, i.e., those associated with brief storage, passage, and location in the exterior of the human body. Hence, at least since the compilation of the Huang Di nei jing texts, fu 府   Charles O. Hucker, A Dictionary of Official Titles in Imperial China. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, 1985, 535.

  Paul U. Unschuld, Yin-Yang Theory, the Human Organism, and the Bai hu tong. A Need for Pairing and Explaining. Asian Medicine, in press.

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and zang 臧 (in modern writing with the radical “flesh”, 腑 and 臟) signify two groups of human/animal organs based on such reasoning. These are lung, heart, spleen, liver, and kidney(s) as the five zang, and stomach, gallbladder, small intestine, large intestine, bladder and a morphologically non-verifiable organ named san jiao (“triple burner”) as the six fu. While it is quite clear what fu 府 and zang 臧 signify in non-medical contexts, the selection of just these terms in ancient China for morphological and physiological purposes, and their translation into English as “palace(s)” and “depot(s)” may require some explanation. In late Zhou and early Chinese vernacular language, both terms were used to refer to what one might call places of storage, such as granaries, depots, or reservoirs. Fu may have been places where funds, documents, victuals, and other items required by a bureaucracy, were stored temporarily. Zang were places to hide away particularly valuable, precious items. Such a reading of non-medical usage seems to parallel the distinction provided in Su wen 11, where the 6 fu are said to receive the more solid qi which they do not store for long but quickly release. In contrast, the five zang store the finest qi, which they do not normally or easily release. That is, the terms zang 臧 and fu 府 were chosen as suitable because they carried the same basic meaning of storage but allowed a distinction to be made between alleged yin and yang natures of the organs. There are no English terms to express conveniently using two single words this fu-zang antagonism of short-term and long-term storage, of transitory storage vs. fixed storage. Zang could be translated as “treasury” or “depository”, or, as we have chosen, “depot” to approach the notion of a long-term storage. For fu, though, it is impossible to find a matching term. Also, during the late Zhou and early Han dynasty, the meaning of fu underwent an expansion from shortterm storage facility to also signify venues of administration, and subsequently a palace where an administrator resides. A hint at this expansion of the meaning of fu is given in juan 8 of Ban Gu’s 班固Bai hu tong yi 白虎通義 of 79 CE . The relevant paragraph appears to have been written to help readers to ground certain moral values in human physiology and at the same time explain the specific relations between zang and fu organs. Apparently, at the time of the Bai hu tong yi, the designations of the two groups of organs in question, and their respective functions, already required an explanation. The interpretation chosen was one of considering the five zang as fulfilling central administrative functions in the body’s economy, while the fu were seen as supporting units. The problem facing the authors of the Bai hu tong yi was how to reconcile their physiological understandings with the terms zang and fu that no longer exactly fit them. The image chosen is that of six fu as “palaces” (the text speaks of gong fu 宮府), each of which is attached to a zang. In view of this supplemental socio-metaphorical pairing and because of semantic ambiguity becoming associated with the term fu in the course of the Han era, one of us (PUU) has long ago chosen to refer

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to both metaphorical pairings by translating fu as palace and zang as depot. For want of a more convincing alternative, we have continued this choice. 2.4.  mu 募 and shu 俞 Mu 募 and shu 俞 are designations of needle insertion points on the front and on the back of the human body. In current English acupuncture literature they are commonly rendered as “alarm” and “transportation” points respectively. The original pairing of these terms reflects, in our view, once again a yin-yang distinction. Mu 募 means “to levy”, “to collect”, which is a yin function that is to be expected for needle insertion holes located on the yin side, i.e., the front of the body; shu 俞 means “to transport”, “to move” things. This is a yang function as one would expect due to its association with needle insertion holes located on the yang side, i.e., the back of the human body. 2.5.  rong 榮/ying 營 The compound ying qi 營氣, widely translated as “constructive qi” in Western TCM literature, is seen once in the Su wen; the compound rong qi 榮氣, literally “flourishing qi”, four times. More often ying qi 營氣appears in the Ling shu and in the Tai su, at locations similar or identical with those of 榮氣 in the Su wen; rong qi榮氣 does not appear in these compilations. One may assume that both writings were in use in ancient China. The question is which of these alternatives should be preferred in making a literal translation. Both rong qi 榮氣 (or simply rong 榮) and ying qi 營氣 (or simply ying 營) appear regularly in a pairing of terms with wei qi 衛氣 (or simply wei 衛). The meaning of the latter is unambiguous. Wei 衛 is a Chinese term for “to protect”, “to guard”, and “a guard”. Wei qi 衛氣, then, is a “protecting qi” or “guard qi”. In view of the pairings examined above and the parallel passages in the Ling shu and in the Tai su, we have preferred to read rong qi 榮氣 as a variant of ying qi 營氣. Further research may examine whether the former is a variant of the latter only in medical contexts, or perhaps is preferred because of a taboo on the latter. Rong qi 榮氣 and ying qi 營氣 therefore appear in our translation as “camp qi”. Both ying 營 and wei 衛 are military terms. The military here includes troops that guard through patrolling and others that wait in camps to be mobilized for action. These two functions may serve to denote two types of qi believed to exist in the human body to protect the organism and ward off intruders. The patrolling guards wei 衛 were seen as fulfilling a yang function, the stationary, walledin troops in a camp ying 營 were seen as ideal to signify a yin function. Hence the meaning denoted in the pairing of rong qi 榮氣 / ying qi 營氣and wei qi 衛氣 is “guard qi” and “camp qi”, respectively.

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2.6.  ji 肌 This term is commonly translated as “muscle(s)“. Some modern authors concluded that ji 肌 and rou 肉 refer to the same morphological entities, and suggested translating ji from ancient texts always as “flesh”. The usage of the terms in the Su wen does not confirm this view. In many passages ji 肌 and rou 肉 appear together. They may have been deemed to be closely related, and yet rather than being used as synonyms they apparently were meant to denote different entities. Su wen 1-5-6 is an example. The text states: “Sinews and bones prosper in abundance, muscles and flesh are full and strong”. To be sure, none of the four terms jin 筋, gu 骨, ji 肌 and rou 肉 is defined unambiguously, and they may not refer to the morphological structures of sinews, bones, muscles, and flesh respectively as understood today in one-to-one correspondences. Nevertheless, the vernacular English terms chosen here may come closest to what their Chinese equivalents were chosen to express in antiquity. 2.7. Names of Needle Insertion Holes, xue 穴 An enigma unsolved to this day is the origin and, in quite a few instances, the meaning of terms assigned by ancient Chinese authors to the xue 穴, that is, to holes in the skin deemed suitable for needle insertion. The Su wen offers names that appear to have been introduced prior to the Tang era. During the Tang era, Wang Bing, in his comments, mentioned further designations of xue 穴. We have not been able to identify a general rationale underlying all the pre-Tang and the Tang terms. Some of them go back to human and animal morphology, others are metaphors borrowed from geographical structures or administration, still others do not lend themselves to any meaningful categorization. We have considered various hypotheses such as, for example, that at least some of these terms are transcriptions of terms loaned from a foreign language. In our translation of these terms we have sometimes deviated from established English renderings. Nevertheless, various English readings are possible in several cases.

3.  Individual Terms as Examples of Translation Difficulties: Alternative Meanings of the Same Term 3.1.  qi 氣 It would be futile to search in Chinese for a conceptual equivalent to the European “spirit”, as there is no Chinese term that could be used to include meanings ranging from Holy Spirit to methylated spirit. Similarly, the Chinese term qi 氣 has incorporated in the course of its two-millennia-long existence numerous conceptual layers that cannot be expressed by a single European word. Its late emergence in Chinese script in the final phase of the Zhou era, and its graphical composition suggest that the character was introduced to denote vapors, possibly in an early physiological context those vapors associated with food. Soon

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enough, the significance of the new graph was extended to include a wide range of phenomena among which, at least from hindsight, a clear demarcation appears impossible. We may assume that qi, despite its many diverse applications, always referred to a vague concept of finest matter believed to exist in all possible aggregate states, from air and steam or vapor to liquid and even solid matter. In the absence of a conceptual English equivalent, qi 氣 is one of the very few Chinese terms we have chosen to transliterate rather than to translate. It should be noted that the interpretation of qi 氣 as “energy”, so widespread in TCM literature today, lacks any historical basis. Some passages in the Su wen may tempt one to assign a specific meaning to qi 氣 and translate accordingly, for example: “breath” in phrases such as shao qi 少氣 or qi shao 氣少 (“short of breath”). Even in such instances one cannot be sure to what degree such a translation is appropriate. The phrases quoted may denote shortness of breath and at the same time conditions that are associated with a shortage of qi in the organism. Hence we have avoided a more specific translation here too. 3.2.  bing 病 Bing 病 is found in the Su wen to denote two different concepts that may or may not have been recognized as such by the authors of the respective text passages. Bing appears in contexts suggesting a meaning of being ill from the perspective of a patient, and it was used in other contexts to denote what medical theory believes to be the pathological change or dynamics in an organism underlying visible or otherwise noticeable signs. These differences could be expressed through translations such as “to suffer from”, or “suffering”, “ailment”, “illness” in terms of the feelings of a patient and the assessment of his status by his lay environment. The perspective of the trained physician on the patient’s inner condition is now commonly expressed in English with the terms “disease” and “to have a (specific) disease”. Often the text mentions what we might call symptoms or “indicators”, as we have preferred to translate the Chinese term hou 候, and then offers the name of the pathological state responsible for these signs. In such cases, the translation of bing 病 as “disease” is unproblematic. In other passages, an alternative translation, “to suffer from,” is more plausible. The context of bing 病 in the Su wen does not always make it clear which of these meanings may have been intended. This is particularly true for the so-called seven comprehensive discourses developing the theories of five periods and six qi in Su wen 66-71 and 74. In these cases we have preferred the more neutral meaning of “illness” emphasizing the lay person’s perspective. It appears less imbued with theory.

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3.3. mai 脈 “Blood vessels”, Donald Harper concluded in his analysis of the Mawangdui manuscripts of the late 3rd to early 2nd century BCE, “are the obvious original referent of mai 脈. … As vessel theory developed, what held vapor was not clearly distinguished from what held blood”. By the time that the Su wen texts were written, beginning with the 2nd and 1st century BCE, Chinese medical physiology and pathology had passed through its most creative and dynamic initial phase of conceptualization. The Yin-Yang and Five-Agents Doctrines of systematic correspondence had entered, at least on the level of theory, diagnosis and treatment. The simple mechanical diagnostic criteria recorded in the Mawangdui manuscripts for assessing the status of the vessels gave way to complicated parameters requiring a detailed examination of the flow of qi and blood in and along these vessels. Apparently, the use of the term mai 脈 was extended to embrace a second referent to meet the new requirements. In the Su wen, mai 脈 denotes two related but nevertheless separate concepts. These are, first, assumed diverse morphological structures believed to be passage-ways of blood and qi, and, second, certain attributes of movements in, or associated with, the vessels to be discerned through vessel diagnosis. In most instances, context and also early commentaries leave little doubt as to which of these two referents is meant in the usage of mai 脈. We have translated mai 脈accordingly either as “vessel(s)” or as “[movement(s) in the] vessels”. In a few passages even early readers could not be certain as to which of the two meanings was intended. An example is the beginning of Su wen 7 where the text speaks of se mai 澀脈, “rough [movements in the] vessels” or “rough vessels”. Any translation choice here will remain debatable. 3.4.  Identical Terms Used for a Morphological Structure and an Insertion Point (“hole”) In some cases, the designations assigned by ancient Chinese authors to needle insertion holes are identical with the designations of morphological structures that are used in other contexts too. In most instances it is clear whether a compound term is meant, in a particular statement, to designate a specific needle insertion point. In such cases we have capitalized these designations. Where we were not so sure, we have preferred to identify such terms as designations of morphological structures, and have refrained from capitalization. Finally, we wish to point out that we have striven to always use the same word in English for translating a Chinese term. We have chosen different English words only if we were certain that one and the same Chinese term was used in different contexts of the Su wen to signify clearly distinguishable meanings.

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III.  Textual Structures in the Su wen Translation 1. Textus Receptus and Predecessors The present translation of the Su wen is based on a version of the received Chinese text derived from different ancient and more recent editions of the Huang Di nei jing su wen. Where necessary, notes attached to the translation explain our textual choices. The currently available Chinese edition closest to our reference text is the Huang Di nei jing su wen 黃帝內經素問 published by Ren min wei sheng chu ban she 人民衛生出版社, Beijing 1963, 5th printing, 1983. For easy reference and comparison of the Chinese with our English version, the entire Chinese reference text is reprinted and available in Hermann Tessenow and Paul U. Unschuld, A Dictionary of the Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen, published by University of California Press in 2003 as the second volume of the Huang Di nei jing su wen project. To permit a rapid location, in the Chinese reference text, of any given section of our translation, we have divided the English text and the Chinese reference text by numbers referring to the pages and lines of the 1983 edition of the Huang Di nei jing su wen by Ren min wei sheng chu ban she 人 民衛生出版社. The Chinese reference text is printed, except for its division into chapters and sometimes paragraphs, without further significant structuring. In contrast, our translation has introduced numerous structural indicators leading quite often to very short lines. Large parts of the Su wen were originally transmitted as rhymed couplets. Others have been compiled in rather schematic repetitions of identically or similarly structured statements; one may even speak here of tables in a modern sense. Both rhymed and tabular structures were presumably intended to facilitate oral transmission through memorization of the many rather brief individual texts that were later entered into the Su wen. Because of changes in character pronunciation over time the verses were not always recognizable as such in the received text of the Su wen. In many places, we have intended to recreate the spirit of the rhymed and tabular structures through the lengths of sentences and the wordwrap. The resulting visual appearance of the printed text permits greater clarity than an unstructured text and, hence, better comparability, for example, in cases where textual pieces written by different authors using different metric systems were added one upon the other by the compilers of the Su wen. Most important, though, such a structuring puts an end to one of the more serious misconceptions associated with previous attempts at providing an English version of the Su wen, that is the notion of a text written from begin to end as a more or less homogenous narrative.

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Naturally, our translation has aimed at the textus receptus, not its textual predecessors. Nevertheless, at times it appeared feasible to us to hint at what we assume to be an earlier structure of a given segment of the text.

2.  Structural Markers in the Translation We have made use of markers in our translation to indicate, first, where we consider lacunae to be resulting from the loss of portions of the original text; second, where we believe there to be later additions to the original text, and third, where our translation has added wording without an exact correspondence in the Chinese text. In detail, these markers are as follows: Assumed lacunae resulting from the loss of portions of the original text are marked by square brackets with blanks in between: [ …. ]. Assumed additions to the original text are passages that obviously do not fit into their contexts. They may be regarded as later supplements. These are of three kinds. First, there are additions introduced by the compilators of the Su wen. That is, these changes were intended. We have, wherever we believe to have identified such additions, marked them with pointed brackets: < …>. Additions to the original text may, second, be commentaries originally appearing separately from the main text (for example, by being written with smaller characters, in a different color, or between the columns of the main text). In the course of time, some of these commentaries appear to have been more or less unintentionally included in the main text. Wherever we believe this to have been the case, we have marked the passages with curly brackets: { … }. In addition, at times, such commentaries have been commented upon themselves, and these second generation commentaries later were included in the primary commentary. In these cases we have marked the secondary commentaries with double curly brackets: {{ … }}. Finally, the received text of the Su wen includes shorter or longer phrases that appear not to be connected to their contexts at all. These may be copy errors, or unintentional doublings of passages, or they result from an erroneous sequencing of whatever pieces of wood or other materials this portion of the text was originally written on. Such passages have been marked with reverse pointed brackets: > … Multiple disease [develops] at winter solstice.As for the [qi] generated by the yin, its harmonious basis are the flavors.The complexion, how it appears above and below, on the left and on the right, all this [can be found] in these essentials.60 17-103-1 Hence, to feel [the movement in] the vessels has a Way: emptiness and quietude are to be treasured.61 On spring days, it floats at the surface, like a fish swimming in a wave.62 On summer days, it is in the skin, overflowing;63 the myriad beings are present in surplus On autumn days, it descends into the skin. The hibernating creatures will soon go [into hiding].64 On winter days, it is at the bones; the hibernating creatures are firmly sealed in.65 60  Wang Bing: “When long worms move, then there is no peace inside [the body]. When there is no pe­ace inside, then the spirit races in disturbance. Hence one has such dreams.” Lin Yi et al.: “These two sentences should not appear here. They constitute a text moved here from somewhere else in the classic.”

61 Lin Yi et al.: “The Jia yi jing has 寶, ‘to treasure,’ instead of 保.” Wang Bing: “Above, [the text] has elucidated the correspondences between [the movements in] the vessels [and the seasonal movement of yin and yang qi]. Here now it raises the issue of the origins of feeling the [movement in the] vessels. Now, the Way of feeling the [movement in the] vessels requires that one keeps one’s heart empty (i.e., open) and that one keeps one’s mind quiet. This way one secures gain and loss and does not lose anything.” Fang Wenhui/74: “保 stands for 寶, ‘precious.’ ‘An unprejudiced mind and quietude are most valuable.’ ” 951/768: “Li Zhongzi comments: ‘虛 is 空心, ‘openminded,’ ‘unbiased.’ 靜 is: the body should be still and one should refrain from noise and movement.’ ” 65/8: “虛 is ‘without desires.’ ” 62  2284/60: “在波 should be 在皮, ‘in the skin.’ In ancient times, 皮 and 膚 were used separately. 皮 referred to the surface [skin] and 膚 to the deeper [skin].” Jiang Yongao: “在皮 is a later addition. The original rhyme ends with 游.” 63  Wang Bing: “泛泛乎 is to describe a great abundance of yang qi, which is reflected by the qi in the vessels. ‘The myriad beings are present in surplus’ [is to say: the movement in the vessels] is to obtain easily; it is vast and big.” 64  Wang Bing: “They follow the gradual descent of the yang qi. Hence [the text] states ‘descent into the skin.’ How does one know that the yang qi descends gradually? Because the hibernating creatures go into hiding.” 668/72: “去 has the meaning here of 藏, ‘to conceal,’ ‘to remove.’ ”

65  Wang Bing: “ ‘In the bones’ is to say: the [movement in the] vessels is in the depth. ‘The hibernating creatures are firmly sealed in’ is to say: the yang qi is hidden away.”

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66 17-103-4 Hence it is said: Those who know the interior, they press [the vessels] and sort out their [inner mo­vements]. Those who know the exterior, having ended they begin it.67 These six [patterns], [they constitute] the grand law of feeling the [movement in the] ves­sels: When the beating in the vessels of the heart is firm and extended,68 [the patient] must suffer from a curled tongue and from an inability to speak. Gu dian yi zhu xuan bianxiezu /53: “That is to say, the [movement in the] vessels is hidden in the depth. One has to press the fingers down to the bones to feel it.” 66 From 持脈有道 to 君子居室 the text is worded in rhymes. For an analysis, see 1131/39. 67  Wang Bing: “ ‘To know the interior’ is to say: to know the qi in the vessels. Hence one presses [the vessels] and makes [the qi] the guiding principle. ‘To know the exte­ rior’ is to say: to know the complexion as reflection [of internal conditions]. Hence one ends with the five colors and begins anew.” Zhang Jiebin: “ ‘Interior’ refers to the qi of the depots. The [external] manifestation of the [qi in the] depots occurs at [definite] lo­cations. Hence one can press [the vessels at these locations] and record [the status of the movement passing through them]. ‘Exterior’ refers to the qi of the conduits. The [movement in the] conduit vessels follows a [definite] sequence. Hence it is possible to reach its end and begin it anew.” Gao Shishi: “One heavily presses the vessels and records the arrival frequency [of the movement inside of them]. One begins with light pressure and ends with heavy pressure. From the heavy [pressure] one returns to the light [pressure]. This way one knows the [movements in the] exterior vessels. Hence, once one knows the exterior, one stops and begins it [anew]. When this pressing and recording of the interior and the exterior has ended and begun six times, one has acquired the grand pattern of grasping the [movement in the] ves­ sels.” Wu Kun: “The Way of feeling the [movement in the] vessels has end and has be­ginning. At the beginning, one takes the [movement] at the surface; in the end one takes it in the depth. The [movement] at the surface serves to indicate the [condition in the] exterior; the [movement] in the depth serves to indicate the [condition in the] interior. 終而始之 is to say: take its [movement in the] depth and then ex­amine again at the surface.” Wang Hongtu et al. /200-201: “ ‘Inner’ refers to the conduit vessels here; ‘outer’ refers to the network vessels here.” 68  Wang Bing: “搏 is to say: to beat against the hand. Whenever the beating of the vessels is firm and extended, the heart is overtaxed, and the qi in the depots and vessels is extremely depleted. The hand minor yin vessel of the heart rises from the heart

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When it is soft and dispersed, he must [suffer from] wasting circle. [The disease] will end by itself.69 When the beating in the vessels of the lung is firm and extended, [the pati­ent] must suffer from spitting blood.70 When it is soft and dispersed, he must suffer from profuse sweating. {Until this day71 it did not break out again.}72 connection and moves on both sides of the throat. Hence it causes the tongue to curl up and shorten, with the result that [the patient] cannot speak any longer.” 69  475/42: “In the wording 當消環自已, there seems to be an erroneous omis­sion. All the examples above and below have 當病; in accordance with the Mai jing, [the character 病] should be supplemented. Also, Lin [Yi] in his commentary (Lin Yi et al.) points out: the Jia yi jing has 渴, ‘thirst,’ instead of 環. Ch.4 of the Jia yi jing, ch. 6 of the Mai jing, and ch. 15 of the Tai su, all have 消渴. This is evidence enough that following the character 消 the character 渴 is missing. However, in the Jia yi jing, the Mai jing, and the Tai su, following the character 渴 the character 環 was left out. This sentence should read as follows: 當病消渴, 環自已, ‘one should suffer from wastingand-thirst; it heals by itself after a short while.’ ” This suggestion is difficult to follow. If one assumes that wasting-and-thirst was used to designate diabetes in Chinese antiquity already, one may also assume that it was known that this disease does not heal by itself. Neither an explanation of 環 as “circulation” nor its interpretations as “immediate” make sense here. Hence we may leave the term as it is and hypothesize that it reflects an ancient disease term, comparable to 肺消, “wasting of the lung” and 消中, “wasting center”, the meaning of which had been forgotten by the time of the Mai jing, the Jia yi jing, etc. It is therefore that we prefer a literal translation. Wang Bing: “Whenever the [movement in the] vessels is soft and dispersed, the qi is replete while the blood is depleted. 消 is to say: 消散, ‘to disperse.’ 環 is to say: 環周, ‘circle.’ That is to say, the flow of the qi in the conduits resembles a circular [movement]. It should disperse by itself when the fire rules.” 70  Wang Bing: “In the case of an extreme depletion in the lungs, the [movement in the] network [vessels] is reverted. When this is the case, blood flows away. Hence [the patient] spits blood.” 71  The Lei jing has 令 , “to let,” instead of 今. Hence Zhang Jiebin: “Sweating is to lose large amounts of yang [qi]. Hence it cannot be dispersed further.” − The reference edition used by us also has 令 instead of 今. However, the Renmin weisheng chubanshe edition with unabbreviated characters on which the reference edition is based has 今. Obviously, this sentence was written in antiquity as a commentary, a fact later editors were not aware of. Perhaps they modified the character to make this sentence fit better into its context.

72  Wang Bing: “When sweat flows away through the dark palaces, the bodily liquids rush to the interstice structures. When [a person] is washed in that cold water is poured over him, his skin closes tightly and the sweat will be kept inside. When because of that pouring the sweat is kept inside, the [text] states: ‘Pouring [has caused]

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When the beating in the vessels of the liver is firm and extended and when the complexion is not green-blue, [the patient] must suffer from a fall as if he had been beaten. .73 When it is soft and dispersed and when the complexion is glossy, he must suffer from spillage drink. {‘Spillage drink’ is: one is extremely thirsty and drinks a lot and [the liquid] easily enters74 the muscles and the skin and the region outside of the intestines and the stomach.}75 When the beating in the vessels of the stomach is firm and extended and when the complexion is red, [the patient] must suffer from a broken thigh bone. When it is soft and dispersed, he must suffer from food block.76 sweat not to effuse until to now.’ 灌 is to say: 灌洗, ‘to pour out to wash.’ When summerheat abounds this is done quite often.” In contrast, Yao Shaoyu: “灌汗 refers to a profuse sweating, as if sweat had been poured over [a person].” 73  Wang Bing: “In all cases where the presence of the qi of the respective conduit itself exhibited in the [movement in the] vessels fails to correspond to the complexion, in all these cases the disease has not originated inside but has come to dominate from outside. Now, the vessel of the liver depot is straight and long/extended. Hence [the text] states: ‘When the complexion is not green-blue, [the patient] must suffer from a fall, as if he had been beaten. The liver rules the two flanks. Hence [the text] states: ‘Hence there is blood below the flanks.’ The ceasing yin vessel of the liver spreads through the flanks and follows the back of the gullet. Its branches leave the liver, penetrate the diaphragm in separate courses and rise to pour their contents into the lung. In the present case, blood is below the flanks. Hence the blood qi rises and steams the lung. Hence it lets the patient pant because of reversely moving [qi].”

74 Lin Yi et al.: “The Jia yi jing has 溢, ‘spillage,’ instead of 易.” 1126/9: “易 is 溢, ‘to spill.’ ” 75  Wang Bing: “When the facial complexion reveals drifting moisture, this is a case of being struck by dampness. When one is struck by dampness while the blood is depleted, the water-liquid fails to dissipate. Hence [the text] states ‘must suffer from spillage drink.’ Because one is full of water that one has drunk, [this water] spills over into the muscles, the skin, as well as into [the regions] outside the intestines and the stomach.” 76  Wang Bing: “痺 is 痛, ‘pain.’ The yang brilliance vessel of the stomach .. enters the broken basin, moves down to the diaphragm, ties up with the stomach and winds around the spleen. Hence when eating one feels pain. [The patient] experiences chest

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17-104-4 When the beating in the vessels of the spleen is firm and extended and when the complexion is yellow, [the patient] must suffer from being short of qi.77 When it is soft and disper­sed and when the complexion is not glossy, he must suffer in his feet and shins78 from swelling. {Resembling water} When the beating in the vessels of the kidneys is firm and extended and when the complexion is yellow and red, [the patient] must suffer from a broken lower back.79 When it is soft and dispersed, he must suffer from diminished blood.” 80 {Until this day81 it did not [break out] again.} 17-105-1 [Huang] Di: “When in diagnosis one notices a tense [movement in the] vessels of the heart, which disease is that? What manifestation does this disease assume?”

pressure; the qi fails to disperse.” Lin Yi et al.: “If 痺 is explained as 痛, ‘pain,’ this passage makes no sense.” Zhang Jiebin: “食痺 indicates the following: food is consumed but not digested; when it is consumed one has chest pressure with pain and spits liquid. One must vomit to stop [this feeling].” 538/38: “痺 is a mistaken character and should be 痞. The Shuo wen states: 痞 is 痛, ‘pain.’ 痺 is a dampness disease; [the character] does not carry the meaning of ‘pain.’ ” 77  Wang Bing: “When the spleen is depleted, then the lung has nothing that nourishes it. The lung rules the qi. Hence the qi is diminished.”

78  SWJZ: “胻 is 脛耑, ‘the [upper] end of the lower leg.’  ” NJCD agrees and regards 胻 and 䯒 as conveying identical meanings.

79  Wang Bing: “When the color of the qi is yellow-red, then this is a sign that heart and spleen attack the kidneys. The kidneys [as a result] receive visitor yang. Hence the lower back feels as if broken.” 80  Wang Bing: “The kidneys rule water to generate and transform the bodily liquids. Here now the kidney qi is not transformed. Hence [the patient] must suffer from diminished blood.” 81 See note 71. Here the Tai su has 今, too.

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Qi Bo: “The name of the disease is ‘heart elevation illness.’ The lower abdomen will exhibit its manifestation.” [Huang] Di: “How is this to be explained?” Qi Bo: “The heart is a male depot; the small intestine serves as its messenger. Hence one says: The lower abdomen will exhibit its manifestation.”82 17-105-4 [Huang] Di: “When in diagnosis one notices a stomach [movement in the] vessels; what manifestation does the disease assume?” Qi Bo: “If the [movement in the] vessels of the stomach is replete, then this is di­ stension. When it is depleted, then this is outflow.” [Huang] Di: “ ‘When a disease is fully developed83 a change occurs.’ What is that to say?” Qi Bo: “When wind is fully developed, it causes [fits of ] cold and heat.84 82  Wang Bing: “The heart is a male depot; its qi should be yang. Here now the [movement in the] vessels, in contrast, [indicates] cold. Hence this results in elevation disease. All [movements in the] vessels that are forceful and urgent, are cold. ‘Manifestation’ is to say: manifestation of the disease.” Gao Shishi: “The yang in the yang, that is the heart. Hence the heart is a ‘male depot.’ The heart connects with the small intestine; hence the small intestine serves as its messenger. In the case of ‘heart elevation disease,’ the small intestine does not serve as its messenger. Hence the lower abdomen should have a manifestation [revealing this].” 83  475/42: “The following five characters 成 should all be read as 盛, ‘to abound.’ In ancient times, 成 was often used to substitute 盛.” 84  Zhang Jiebin: “In some cases the [wind] accumulates in the interior and, as a consequence, the yang is depleted. When the yang is depleted, then external cold is felt. In other cases the [wind] accumulates in the exterior and, as a consequence, the yang

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When the solitary [heat] disease is fully developed, it causes a wasting center.85 When a recession is fully de­veloped, it causes peak illness.86 Wind staying for long causes outflow of [undigested] food.87 Fully developed wind in the vessels causes li.88 The changes and transformations caused by diseases are innumerable.” [Huang] Di: “Yong-abscesses, swelling, sinew cramps, and bone pain, how does all this emerge?”

is re­plete. When the yang is replete, this generates external heat.” Ma Shi: “When stomach wind is fully developed, this results in a disease of alternating fits of cold and heat.” Tanba: “ ‘Cold and heat’ refers to the cold and heat of depletion and taxa­tion. This is what was called later on ‘wind taxation.’ ” Li Guoqing agrees: “The [following] text speaks of ‘..wasting center,’ ‘.. peak illness,’ ‘.. food outflow,’ and ‘li,’ always referring to names of diseases. Accordingly, ‘cold and heat’ men­tioned here does not refer to symptoms but to a ‘cold heat disease.’ This is con­sumption.”

85  Wang Bing: “ ‘Dan-disease 癉’ is dampness with heat. The heat accumulates internally; hence it changes to ‘wasting center.’ The signs of ‘wasting center’ are desire to eat and emaciation.” Gao Shishi: “ ‘Dan-disease’ is a fire-heat disease. When the dan-disease is fully developed, then the internal liquids are exhausted. Hence a change towards ‘wasting center’ occurs.” Yan Hongchen & Gao Guangzhen/113: “ ‘Dan-disease’ is an accumulation of heat evil. 消 refers to excessive digestion of liquid and solid food. 中 refers to the central burner, spleen and stomach. 消中 is to say: one eats much and urinates fre­quently.” For a detailed discussion of the term 癉 see Suwen 35, note 35. 86  Wang Bing: “ ‘Recession’ is to say: qi moving in a reverse direction. When the qi moves in a reverse direction, it rises and fails to move down again. When this is completed it changes into a peak illness above.” Gao Shishi: “ ‘Recession’ refers to cold hands and feet because of receding [qi]. When the recession is complete, yin and yang are no longer in harmony. The qi rises but does not move down again. Hence there is a change to headache and peak illness.” 87  Wang Bing: “Wind staying for long does not undergo a change. But the food in the sto­mach is not transformed and flows off in diarrhea.” Gao Shishi: “If one was harmed by wind in spring, in summer this changes to food outflow.”

88  Wang Bing: “Su wen 42 states: ‘When wind cold settles in the vessels and does not leave, this is called li-wind.’ ” Gao Shishi: “When wind harms the conduit vessels, it changes into the li abscesses of the lai disease 癩. Hence vessel wind develops into li.” Gao Jiwu/25: “癘 is the ancient version of today’s 癩, ‘leprosy.’ ” Zhang Yizhi et al.: “Wang Bing’s comment in Su wen 42 has 脈風盛為癘. Obviously, 成 and 盛 were used interchangeably in ancient times.”

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Qi Bo: “These are swellings [caused] by cold qi;89 changes of the eight winds are [responsible].” 17-106-1 [Huang] Di: “How are they treated?” Qi Bo: “These are diseases [associated with the course] of the four seasons. One heals them with a treatment relying on that by which they are dominated.”90 [Huang] Di: “When there is an old disease which is activated in the five depots, and when, as a result, harm [is manifested in the movement in the] vessels and in the complexion,91 how can one know, in each such case, whether it is a chronic [disease], or one that came about all of a sudden?”92 17-106-4 Qi Bo: “An encompassing question, indeed! If it is verified that the [movement in the] vessels is diminished and that the complexion is not lost, it is a new disease.93 89  538/38: “腫 is a mistake; it should be 鍾. 鍾 has the meaning of ‘to gather.’ 寒氣 之鍾 is to say: accumulations of cold qi.” 90  Wang Bing: “勝 is 勝克, ‘to subdue.’ Like, metal overcomes wood; wood overcomes soil; soil overcomes water; water overcomes fire; fire overcome metal. This then is [the order of ] mutual overcoming.” 91  In contrast: Gao Jiwu/454: “Huang Di asked: there are old diseases and there are new diseases because the five depots were affected by some external evil. As a result, the pulse and the complexion show harm. How can one distinguish in each case whether it is an old disease or one that was acquired recently.” 92  538/38: “The character 至 is an erroneous insertion. Yang [Shang shan] in his commentary on Tai su 15 states: ‘How does one know the difference between an old disease and a recent onset.’ It appears as if the version of the Tai su on which Yang relied did not have the character 至; hence he did not mention it in his commentary.” 93  Wu Kun: “徵 is 驗, ‘to examine.’ ”

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If it is verified that the [movement in the] vessels is not lost and that the complexion is lost, it is a chronic disease. If it is verified that both the [movement in the] vessels and the five complexions are lost, it is a chronic disease. If it is verified that both the [movement in the] vessels and the five complexions are not lost, it is a new disease. When liver and kidney [movements in the] vessels arrive simultaneously and when the complexion is greenish-red, [the patient] must suffer from injuries, [although] no blood is visible. If blood is already visible, there is dampness as if struck by water.94 17-106-8 {The inside of the foot-long section, on both sides, this is [the region of ] the free ribs.}95 94  Wang Bing: “The complexion [associated with the] liver is green; the complexion [associated with the] heart is red. When a red complexion appears, the correspon­ding [movement in the] vessels is vast. If a kidney [movement in the] vessels ap­pears, the corresponding complexion is black. Here now a kidney [movement in the] vessels arrives but, in contrast [to what is appropriate] one observes a heart complexion. The reason is an injury, but no blood is visible. If blood is visible, then dampness qi and water are in the abdomen.” Zhang Jiebin: “Whenever the sinews and bones are injured, regardless of whether blood appears or not, the blood will coagulate and the conduits will become blocked. When the qi and the blood are coagulated and blocked, the physical appearance will swell and show fullness as if there were dampness qi in the conduits and this will be similar to being struck by water.” Tanba believes that the entire passage from 帝曰: 有故病 to 若中水也 does not fit with the preceding and the following text. Hence he assu­mes that some text was erroneously omitted. Zhang Qi: “The six character passage begin­ning with 不見血 is an erroneous insertion.” 2855/54: “What connection could exist between ‘blood is already visible’ and ‘dampness?’ 濕 may be an error for 澀, ‘rough.’ For instance, Ling shu 36 has 氣濕不行 and this is 氣澀不行 in the Tai su. Also, 已 has the meaning of ‘to eliminate.’ There should be a stop behind 已, with the entire sentence reading as follows: 當病毀傷, 不見血, 已, 見血, 澀若中水也, ‘he should suffer from an injury. If no blood is visible, this can be healed. If blood is visible this may reach a situation where the passage of qi and blood is rough, similar to being hit by water qi.’ ” 95  Wang Bing: “ ‘Inside the foot-long section’ is to say: inside the foot marsh [region]. ‘Both sides’ is to say: the outer sides of the foot [marsh region]. The ‘free ribs’ are close to the kid­neys. The foot-long section rules them. Hence inside the foot-long section,

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The exterior of the foot-long section serves to examine the kidneys; the interior of the foot-long section serves to examine the abdomen. On the central instep,96 on the left, the exterior serves to examine the liver; the interior serves to examine the diaphragm. On the right, the exterior serves to examine the stomach; the interior serves to examine the spleen.97 17-107-2 On the upper instep on the right, the exterior serves to examine the lung; on both sides, are the free ribs.” 950/716: “Li Zhongzi comments: ‘季脅 is 小肋, ‘the free ribs.’ ” Zhang Yizhi et al.: “ ‘Inside the foot-long section’ refers to the inner side of the arms; it has nothing to do with the ‘foot-long section’ of the inch-gate-foot region [at the wrists] of later times.” Mori: “This paragraph beginning with 尺內兩傍 differs greatly from the text in the Tai su; it may be an insertion by Wang Bing.” The meaning of this statement remains unclear. It may make sense as an isolated statement pointing out that the lower arm (the foot-long distance between elbow and wrist) touches on the free ribs if held in front of the chest. Such a meaning, though, if correct, appears to be rather unrelated to the subsequent references to points inside and outside the “foot-long section” where the conditions of the kidneys and of the abdominal center can be examined. 96 According to Chinese dictionaries, this is the only known use of 附 in the sense of 跗, “instep”. The recent Tai su editions have 腹中. 跗上. The 1983 edition by Ren min wei sheng chu ban she offers the same punctuation but includes the commentary of Shou Shange 守山閣 who in contrast would read this passage 以侯腹. 中附上. We follow this reading which is in accordance with the structure below (missing in the Tai su version): 以侯脾. 上附上. It remains unclear wether the diagnostic technique outlined in these paragraphs refers to an examination of pulses, or to an inspection of the condition of the skin. The latter possibility appears plausible in view of the distance of the “central instep” region from the wrists. Also, such ancient terms as 看脈, ‘to inspect the vessels,’ as well as some terms associated with the condition of the vessels, including 澀, “rough”, and 滑, “smooth”, suggest that feeling the condition of the skin above the vessels may have played a significant role in ancient diagnosis. “Rough” and “smooth” are primarily descriptions of a surface, not of a movement in the vessels. 97  Wang Bing: “The spleen is located in the center. Hence it is examined through the interior. The stomach is the market place. Hence it is examined through the exterior.”

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the inte­rior serves to examine the chest center.98 On the left, the exterior serves to examine the heart; the interior serves to examine the dan zhong.99 The front serves to examine the front; the back serves to examine the back.100 102 17-107-5 When [the movement in the vessels] is rough and big, the yin is insufficient and the yang has surplus. This is a heated center. When [the movement in the vessels] comes hastily and leaves slowly, with repletion above and depletion below, this is recession with peak illness.

98  Wang Bing: “The lobes of the lung hang down towards the outside. Hence they are examined through the exterior. The chest center rules the qi pipe. Hence it is examined through the interior.”

99  Wang Bing: “The dan zhong is the sea of qi; it is the throat.” Lin Yi et al.: “Wang Bing considered the dan zhong to be the throat. He was wrong.” 2755/11: “Dan zhong is in fact an old name for the throat.” For a detailed argument, see there. See also Su wen 08, where Wang Bing interpreted dan zhong as a reference to the “see of qi” in the center of the chest. Yang Shangshan, too, had interpreted dan zhong as “chest center.” Later commentators agreed to identify dan zhong as heart enclosure, heart enclosing network. 100  Wang Bing: “The upper front is to say: the left inch opening. The lower front is to say: the front of the chest, as well as the sea of qi. Upper back is to say: the right inch opening. Lower back is to say: the back of the chest, the spine, and the qi pipe.” 101  Wang Bing: “上竟上 is: up to the fish line. 下竟下 is to say: the entire location of the foot-long section where the movement in the vessels appears.” 102 See 950/716 for an explication of these locations and for an explanation of their rationale in terms of systematic correspondence.

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When [the movement in the vessels] comes slowly and lea­ves hastily, with depletion above and repletion below, this is [being struck by] bad wind. {The fact is, when one is struck by bad wind, the yang qi receives it.}103 When all [the movements in the] ves­sels are in the depth, fine, and frequent, this is minor yin recession.104 When they are in the depth, fine, frequent, and dispersed, [this causes alternating fits of ] cold and heat.105 When they are near the surface and dispersed, this causes dizziness106 and they fall to the ground.107 17-107-8 Whenever [the movement in the vessels] is near the surface and does not race, [the evil] is always in the yang. This then causes heat. When it races, it is in the hand.108 Whenever [the movement in the vessels] is fine and in the depth, [the evil] is always in the yin: 103  Wang Bing: “Because the upper regions are depleted; hence the yang qi receives it.” 104  Wang Bing: “When the [movement in the] vessels in the foot-long section is in the depth, fine, and frequent, this is a receding movement of the minor yin qi of the kidneys. Why? Because the [movement in the] vessels in the foot-long section must not be frequent. Here now it is frequent. Hence [the text] states: 厥, ‘recession.’ ” 105  Wang Bing: “The yang attacks the yin; the yin qi is insufficient. Hence [the patient experiences] cold and heat.” 106  916/53: “眴 is identical with 眩, ‘confused vision.’ ” 107  Wang Bing: “When this [movement in the] vessels is at the surface, that is [a sign of ] depletion. When it is dispersed, that is [a sign of ] insufficiency. When the qi is depleted and the blood is insufficient, the head experiences dizziness and [the patient] falls to the ground.” 108  Wang Bing: “That is to state the grand pattern. When [the movement in the vessels] is at the surface and does not race, then the disease is inside the foot yang vessels. When it races, the disease is in the hand yang vessels. Yang is fire. Hence it causes heat.”

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This then causes pain in the bones. When it is quiet, it is in the feet.109 When it is frequent and stops once in a while, the disease is in the yang vessels.110 [There is] outflow; the stool [carries] pus and blood. In all cases of excess, squeeze the [vessels]. In the case of rough [movements in the ves­sels], the yang qi is present in surplus; in the case of smooth [movements], the yin qi is present in surplus. When the yang qi is present in surplus, the body will be hot without sweating; when the yin qi is present in surplus, one will sweat profusely and the body will be cold. When yin and yang [qi] are present in surplus, one will be cold without sweating. 17-108-4 If one pushes it into the exterior and if it remains in the interior and does not move into the exterior, [then the patient] has accumulations in the heart and in the abdomen. If one pushes it into the interior and if it remains in the exterior and does not move into the interior, then the body has heat. If one pushes it upwards and if it moves upwards and does not move into the lower [part], then the lower back and the feet are cool. If one pushes it downwards and if it moves downwards and does not move into the upper [part], then head and nape ache.111 109  Wang Bing: “When it is fine and in the depth and races, then the disease has emerged from within the hand yin vessels. When it [is fine and in the depth and] is quiet, the disease has emerged from within the the foot yin vessels. The yin [qi] rules the bones. Hence the bones ache.” 110  Wang Bing: “代 is 止, ‘to stop.’ When it moves frequently and stops once in a while, that is a disease ruled by yang qi.” SWJZ: “代 is 更, ‘to replace.’ ”

111 Yang Shangshan: “If one pushes upwards what is below, the qi cannot move down. Hence one knows that lower back and feet are cold. If one pushes downwards what is above, the qi cannot rise. Hence one knows that head and nape ache.” The Jia yi jing has 下而不上 instead of 上而不下 and it has 上而不下 instead of 下而不上. Yu Yue: “The Jia yi jing version is correct. Earlier the text says 推而外之, 內而不外, 有心腹積. 推而內之, 外而不內, 身有熱也. In these statements, 內而不外 as well as 外而不內 refer to states of disease. Hence the present two statements should follow the same structure. Otherwise, ‘if one pushes it down, so that it moves down and does

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If one presses [the vessels] down to the bones and if the qi in the vessels is diminished, then the lower back and the spine ache and the body experiences a block.”  112

not move up,’ etc., why should there be a disease? Wang Bing’s comment is based on a corrupt version of the text; his interpretation is forced.” 112  Wang Bing: “This is so because of excessive yin qi.”

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Discourse on Phenomena [Reflecting the Status of ] Qi in a Normal Person 18-109-2 Huang Di asked: “What is [the movement in the vessels of ] a normal person [like]?” Qi Bo responded: “In man, during one exhalation, the vessels exhibit two movements. During one inhalation, the vessels exhibit two movements too. Exhalation and inhalation constitute one standard breathing period. If the vessels exhibit five movements, this is an intercalation [of a fifth movement] because of a deep breathing.   Wang Bing: “A ‘normal person’ is to say: someone whose qi signs are balanced.” Gao Jiwu/483: “Following the character 人 a character 脈 was omitted. It should be 平人 之脈何如, ‘what is the [movement in the] vessels of a normal person like?’ ”   300/42: “再 is not 又, ‘again,’ but 兩, ‘twice.’ ”   Zhang Jiebin: “To emit qi is called 呼, ‘to exhale.’ To take in qi is called 吸, ‘to inhale.’ One exhalation and one inhalation together are called one breathing. 動 is 至, ‘to arrive.’ 再動 is 兩至, ‘to arrive twice.’ A normal person’s [movement in the] vessels arrives twice during one exhalation and it arrives twice again during one inhalation. 呼吸定息 is to say: the moment when one breathing is completed while the next breathing has not commenced yet. [At this moment] the [movement in the] vessels arrives another time. Hence [the text] speaks of five movements/arrivals. 閏 is 餘, ‘surplus.’ Just as one says 閏月, ‘an intercalary moon.’ That is to say, a normal person among his regular breathing, exhibits one very long breathing. This is [meant by] 閏 以太息, ‘insertion of a great breathing.’ Still, the arrival [of movements in the vessels] is not restricted to just five. This is just the status of a normal person without disease. However, if one counts the moments between breathings and the deep breathings, roughly the [movement in the] vessels should arrive six times during one breathing. Hence Ling shu 15 says: During exhalation and inhalation, the movement in the vessels proceeds by six inches. Hence one arrival corresponds to one inch.” Tanba: “閏 is 餘, ‘excess.’ Zhang Jiebin’s comment is quite detailed and corresponds to the contents of the Nan jing. However, the Nan jing states: ‘One exhalation, two movements. One inhalation, two movements. Between exhalation and inhalation, one movement. That is, during a standard breathing period: five movements.’ Zhang Jiebin states that there are four movements during one breathing period and with another movement in between two breathing periods, this makes altogether five movements. This is slightly different [from the Nan jing].” Mori: “One breathing period with four movements [in the vessels], that is one standard breathing period. Between each exhalation and

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That is called ‘normal person.’   {A ‘normal person’ is not ill.} As a rule, one takes [someone] who is not ill [as a standard] to assess a patient‘s [condition]. The physician is not ill. Hence one takes the normal breathing [of the healthy physician] as a pattern for assessing the patient’s [condition]. 18-109-5 When man exhales once and his vessels exihibit one movement and when he inhales once and his vessels exhibit one movement, that is called ‘short of qi.’  When man exhales once and his vessels exhibit three movements and when he inhales once and his vessels exhibit three movements and are racing, with heat appearing in the foot-long section,

inhalation there is one [additional] movement. This accounts for five movements during one standard breathing period. 閏餘 has the same meaning as the 閏 in the term 閏月, ‘intercalary month.’ Hence, because in addition to the standard breathing period there is an additional breathing, it is called ‘intercalary.’ With this intercalary breathing added, [a person] is normal and exhibits five movements in the vessels during one breathing period. If one were to speak only of exhalation and inhalation, then there are four movements during one breathing period.”   Wang Bing: “The total length of the conduit vessels for one circulation through the body is 162 feet. Both during exhalation and during inhalation two movements in the vessels [can be felt]. During a standard breathing period, [because] yet another movement in the vessels [arrives], there are altogether five movements. After altogether 270 standard breathing periods, the qi can complete one circulation. Fifty circulations, then, cover 13 500 standard breathing periods. [In this time], all the qi passes over a distance of 8100 feet. If this is the case, [the movement of the qi] corresponds to the regular measures of heaven and the qi in the vessels is neither insufficient nor greatly excessive. The phenomena [reflecting the status] of the qi are balanced and adjusted. Hence [the text] speaks of a ‘normal person.’ ” The first chapter of the Wai ke jing yi 外 科精義 quotes this passage, but has 為, ‘constitutes,’ instead of 閏.   We read this passage as 以平息調之為法.   Wang Bing: “If both during exhalation and inhalation the vessels exhibit one movement, this is less one half of [the status of ] a normal person. During 270 standard breathing periods, the qi proceeds by 81 feet, that is 4050 feet during 13500 standard breathing periods. Hence the reason for speaking of ‘diminished qi’ is obvious.”

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that is called ‘to suffer from warmth.’  If the [skin in the] foot-long section is not hot and if the [movement in the] vessels is smooth, that is called ‘ill from wind.’   If the [movement in the] vessels is rough, that is called ‘block.’   18-109-7 When man exhales once and his vessels exhibit four movements or more, that is called ‘fatal.’ If the [movement in the] vessels is interrupted and fails to arrive, that is called ‘fatal.’  If at times it is spaced, at times frequent,10 that is called ‘fatal.’   18-109-8 The regular qi of a normal person is supplied by the stomach. {The stomach [qi] is the regular qi of the normal person.} When someone has no stomach qi, that is called ‘movement contrary [to a   Wang Bing: “躁 is 煩躁, ‘perplexed.’ ” Gao Jiwu/162: “Wang Bing’s comment is a misrepresenta­tion of the ancient meaning [intended here]. The character 躁 in the present text should be interpreted as 急躁有力, ‘racing with force.’ ”   Wang Bing: “If both during exhalation and inhalation the vessels exhibit three movements, this exceeds [the status of ] a normal person by one half . During 270 standard breathing periods, the qi proceeds by 243 feet. The signs of the disease become apparent because of this [status]. Now, the foot-long section is a yin section, while the inch section is a yang section. When both the yin and the yang sections are hot, this is warmth. If only the yang section exhibits a hasty and abounding [movement], then this [is a sign of ] wind hitting the yang. ‘Smooth’ is to say: yang abundance. Hence the disease is wind. ‘Rough’ is to say: absence of blood. Hence the disease is numbnessblock.” Beijing zhongyi xueyuan et al./106: “ ‘Block’ is a disease where the passage of blood and qi are blocked.” 1484/388: “Symptoms of pain and numbness in the muscle flesh and joints re­sulting from disharmonies in qi and blood caused by affections by wind, cold, or dampness evil.” For a comprehensive discussion of the meaning of 庳 in the Nei jing, see 1801/10.

  Wang Bing: “When the [movement in the] vessels is interrupted and fails to arrive, the true qi of heaven is completely absent.” 10  Wang Bing: “When the [movement in the] vessels is alternatingly spaced and frequent, the essence of the grain in the stomach has perished too. Hence these are all signs of [imminent] death. Hence the following statement.” Gao Jiwu/236: “數 is to be interpreted as 細密, ‘fine and close meshed.’ It is to be read as cu.”

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regular course].’  11 A movement contrary [to a regular course results in] death. When in spring [the vessels have] stomach [qi and exhibit a] slightly string[-like movement],12 that is called ‘normal.’   If it is mostly string[-like] with diminished stomach [qi present], that is called ‘liver disease.’   If it is only13 string[-like] with no stomach [qi present], that is called ‘fatal.’  14 If stomach [qi is present] and if [the movement] is hair[-like], that is called ‘autumn disease.’ 15 If it is very hair[-like], that is called ‘present disease.’  16

18-110-4 When in summer [one feels] stomach [qi together with a] slightly hook[-like movement in the vessels],18 that is called ‘normal.’   If it is mostly hook[-like] with diminished sto­mach [qi present], that is called ‘heart disease.’   If it is only hook[-like] with no sto­mach [qi present], that is called ‘fatal.’   If stomach [qi is present] and if one has a stone[-like movement in the vessels], 11  Wang Bing: “逆 is to say: in opposition to the signs exhibited by a normal person.” Gao Jiwu/162: “According to the Shuo wen 無 is 亡, in the sense of 失去, ‘lost.’ That is to say, originally stomach qi was present. Because of some reason it is ‘lost’ now.” 12  Wang Bing: “This is to say: it appears slightly string[-like]; it does not say: it is feeble and string[-like].” 13  917/44: “但 is to be interpreted as 只, ‘only,’ here.”

14  Wang Bing: “That is to say, it is tight and strong like a new bow string.” 15  Wang Bing: “ ‘Hair[-like]’ is the [movement in the] vessels of metal qi [associated with] autumn.” 16  Wang Bing: “[In this case] the wood receives metal evil. Hence the disease is present now.” 17  Wu Kun: “In spring, the liver-wood is active. Hence the true heavenly qi of the five depots is all dispersed into the liver.” Yao Shaoyu: “The five depots require the stomach qi as their foundation. This stomach qi is the true qi of the five depots. Hence [the text] speaks of [stomach qi as] true [qi of the] depots.” 18  Wang Bing: “[Hook-like] is curved at first and settled afterwards, like the hook holding a belt.”

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that is called ‘winter disease.’  19 If [the movement is] very stone[-like], that is called ‘present disease.’  20

18-110-6 When in late summer [one feels] stomach [qi together with] a slightly soft and weak [movement in the vessels], that is called ‘normal.’   If [the movement is] mostly weak, with diminished stomach [qi present], that is called ‘spleen disease.’   If it is only intermittent with no stomach [qi present], that is called ‘fatal.’  21 If [the movement is] soft and weak and also stone[-like], that is called ‘winter disease.’ 22 If it is very weak, that is called ‘present disease.’  23

18-110-9 When in autumn [one feels] stomach [qi together with] a slightly hair[-like movement in the vessels], that is called ‘normal.’   If [the movement is] mostly hair[-like] with di­minished stomach [qi present], that is called ‘lung disease.’  

19  Wang Bing: “ ‘Stone[-like]’ is the [movement in the] vessels [associated with] winter. It is the water qi.” 20  Wang Bing: “Fire is invaded by the water. Hence the disease is present now.” 21  Wang Bing: “That is to say, it moves and stops in the middle. It is [so weak that it is] unable to return by itself.” For a more detailed discussion of different interpretations of 代, see Su wen 23.

22  Wang Bing: “ ‘Stone[-like]’ is the [movement in the] vessels of water qi [associated with] winter. In accordance with the sequence of [mutual] overcoming [among the five agents], stone[-like] should be string[-like]. In late summer the soil is cut (i.e., the movement of the qi associated with soil/stomach/spleen is interrupted). Hence [the text] states: ‘stone[-like].’ ” 23  Wang Bing: “If it is very weak, the soil [qi] is insufficient. Hence the disease is present now.” Lin Yi et al.: “The Jia yi jing has ‘stone[-like]’ instead of ‘weak.’ ”

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If it is only hair[-like] with no stomach [qi present], that is called ‘fatal.’  24 If [the movement is] hair[-like] and if there is also a string[-like movement], that is called ‘spring disease.’ 25 If it is very string[-like], that is called ‘present disease.’  26 27 18-111-2 When in winter [one feels] stomach [qi together with] a slightly stone[-like movement in the vessels], that is called ‘normal.’ If [the movement is] mostly stone[-like] with diminished stomach [qi] present, that is called ‘kidney disease.’ If it is only stone[-like] with no stomach [qi present], that is called ‘fatal.’ If [the movement is] stone[-like] and if there is also a hook[-like movement], that is called ‘summer disease.’ 28 If it is very hook[-like], that is called ‘present disease.’  29 24  Wang Bing: “[‘Hair-like’] is to say: like a floating item, like hair blown by the wind.” 25  Wang Bing: “ ‘String[-like]’ is the [movement in the] vessels [associated with] spring; it is wood qi. In accordance with the sequence of [mutual] overcoming [among the five agents], ‘string[-like]’ should be ‘hook[-like].’ [Here now,] metal qi presses against the liver. As a result, the arrival of the [movement in the] vessels appears string[-like]. Hence it is not hook[-like] but string[-like].” 26  Wang Bing: “If the wood qi moves contrary [to its normal course] and invades the [region of ] metal, then the disease is present now.” 27  Wang Bing: “The lung is situated in the upper burner. Hence the true [qi of the] depots rises high. The Ling shu states: Inside the path of the camp qi, the grains cause repletion. The grains enter the stomach; its qi is transmitted to the lung. It flows into the center and disperses to the outside. The pure essence moves in the conduits. Because its distribution starts from the lung, hence [the text] states: ‘it stimulates the passage ...’ ” 28  Wang Bing: “ ‘Hook[-like]’ is the [movement in the] vessels [associated with] summer; it is fire [qi] combined with soil qi. In accordance with the sequence of [mutual] overcoming [among the five agents], ‘hook[-like]’ should be weak. The soil rules in late summer but its true appearance does not show. Hence [the movement in the vessels] is stone[-like] and there is also a hook[-like] movement. It appears together with the [qi of ] soil.” 29  Wang Bing: “The water receives evil [qi] of fire and of soil. Hence the disease is present now.”

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30 18-111-4 The large network [vessel] of the stomach is called xu li.31 It penetrates the dia­phragm and connects with the lung. It surfaces below the left breast. The movement in this [vessel] is reflected by [movements of ] the garment.32 {This is [caused by] the basic qi in the vessels.}33 30  Wang Bing: “The kidneys are located in the lower burner. Hence [the text] states: ‘the true [qi of the] depots descends.’ The kidney [qi] transforms into bones and marrow. Hence ‘they store the qi of bones and marrow.’ ” 31 Yang Shangshan: “虛理 is a location like a city or district. This large network [vessel] of the stomach is the location where the five depots and six palaces receive their supplies. Hence it is called xu li.” 2269/37-38: “虛里 is not only ‘a location like a city or district,’ it is a general reference to human habitats which are summarily called 墟 里. In his poem Gui yuan tian ju 歸園田居, Tao Yuanming 陶淵明 stated: 暖暖遠人 村, 依依墟里烟. Obviously, 墟里 is a general designation for 里巷, ‘villages and lanes.’ Earlier commentators have adopted this usage in their interpretations of xu li in the present context. When in this paragraph the large network [vessel] of the stomach is called xu li, that is to say: the large network [vessel] of the stomach penetrates the xu li. In reality this designation refers to the heart. The ancients named the heart xu li because the heart has a left cham­ber and a right chamber, where it stores large amounts of blood. It constitutes a hollow pathway for the circulation of the entire body. Like ‘villages and lanes,’ [the blood] can enter and leave [the heart]. Hence it is called xu li.” (For details, see there) Gao Shishi: “The [movement in the] vessels depends on the stomach. The stomach is the center, the soil. Its qi penetrates the four sides. Hence the large network [vessel] of the stomach is called xu li. 大絡 is the network vessel of the stomach. 虛理 has the meaning of 四通, ‘penetrating the four [sides].’ ” Wang Qi: “The xu li is located below the left breast; this is the location of the apex beat.” Gu dian yi zhu xuan bianxiezu /55: “Other names are 乳根, ‘breast root,’ and 氣眼, ‘qi eye.’ ” See also 1720/14. We consider xu-li to be a transliteration of a foreign term, possibly related to the Greek xulos. See introductory section. 32  The Jia yi jing has 其動應手, “its movement can be felt by [one’s] hand.”

33  Wang Bing: “宗 is 尊, ‘honorable,’ or 主, ‘ruler.’ That is to say, this is the honorable ruler of the twelve conduit vessels.” Gao Shishi: “This is to say, the balanced qi of the stomach network [vessel].” Zhang Zhicong: “This is to say, the [movement in the] vessels of the five depots depends on the stomach. And the stomach qi that penetrates the five depots, that is the ‘venerable qi.’ ” Gu dian yi zhu xuan bianxiezu /55: “宗 has the meaning of 根本, ‘basic.’ The heart rules the blood vessels. Hence the ‘basic’ qi of

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If it is abundant, panting,34 frequent, and interrupted,35 then the disease is in the center.36 In case of transverse knottings, the [qi] has accumulations.37 If it is interrupted and does not arrive at all, that is called ‘fatal.’  38 {As for the movement reflected by the garments below the breast, [if it is interrupted and does not arrive, in this case] the basic qi leaks.}39 the vessels is located in the heart.” 701/4: “脈 is used as a verb here in the sense of ‘to examine the pulse.’ 脈宗氣 is: ‘to examine the venerable qi.’ ” For details, see there. 2269/38: “The ‘venerable qi’ refers to the yang [qi] of the heart and to the qi of the lung.” For details, see there.

34  Gao Jiwu/179: “The Shuo wen states: ‘喘 is 疾息, ‘rapid breathing.’ The Su wen employs 喘 in its original meaning of 喘症, ‘condition of panting.’ In addition, the meaning of 喘 is employed metaphorically to denote the running movement of the heart depot, to denote a run­ning movement in the abdomen, to denote sounds in the intestines, and to denote a [movement in the] vessels indicating a disease of the heart.” 2855/53: “喘 is 疾, ‘fast,’ it does not have the meaning of 喘息, ‘panting,’ here. 盛喘 數絕 is to say: the [movement in the] vessels comes with abundant force, it is fast and frequent, and stops once in a while.” 35  Wang Bing: “絕 is to say: 暫斷絕, ‘temporarily cut off.’ ” 36  Wang Bing: “中 is to say: 腹中, ‘in the abdomen.’ ” 37  Zhang Canjia: “結 is to say: the [movement in the] vessels comes retarded and stops at ti­mes. 橫 describes the extended and firm [nature] of the [movement in the] ves­sels.” 682/28: “All previous commentaries suggest the following structure of this passage: 盛喘數絕者. 則病在中. 結而橫. 有積矣. 絕不至曰死. .. It should be: 盛喘 數絕者, 則病在中結而橫有積矣; 絕不至曰死, ‘if it is abundant, panting, frequent, and interrupted, then the pa­tient suffers from knottings in the center, and there are transverse accumulations. If it is interrupted and does not arrive at all, that is called death.’ ” For details, see there. 114/40: “結 indicates that the movement comes to a halt now and then. 橫 is to indicate that the location shifts transversely. Tanba assumed: ‘橫 is to say: the movement shifts towards the left side.’ In fact, this transverse shifting may be directed towards the upper left or towards the right in direction of the scrobicu­lus cordis.” 38  Wang Bing: “All these are types of movements in the vessels [that can be felt] below the left breast.” 39 Lin Yi et al.: “The Quan Yuanqi edition does not have these eleven characters. The Jia yi jing does not have them either. Given the meaning of the preceding and of the following text, these eleven characters should be omitted.” 475/42 suggests to change the se­quence of the characters as follows: 胃之大絡, 名曰虛里, 貫膈絡肺, 出 于左乳下, 其動應手, 脈宗氣也, 其動應衣, 宗氣泄也, “The large network [vessel] of the stomach is called xu li. It penetrates the diaphragm and connects with the lung. It

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18-111-8 If one wishes to know [the diseases associated with] great excess and inadequacy: If the [movement in the] vessels at the inch opening strikes the hand as a short [movement], that is called: ‘headache.’   If the [movement in the] vessels at the inch opening strikes the hand as an extended [movement], that is called: ‘foot and shin pain.’  40 If the [movement in the] vessels at the inch opening strikes the hand as pressingly beating upwards,41 that is called: ‘shoulder and back pain.’  42 If the [movement in the] vessels at the inch opening is in the depth and firm, that is called: ‘disease in the center.’   If the [movement in the] vessels at the inch opening is at the surface and abundant, that is called: ‘the disease is in the outer [regions].’  43 If the [movement in the] vessels at the inch opening is in the depth and weak, that is called: ‘cold and heat’ and ‘elevation conglomeration ill,’ with pain in the lower abdomen.44 surfaces below the left breast. When its movement can be felt by [one’s] hand, this is the base qi in the vessels. When its mo­vement is reflected by [a movement of one’s] garments, [this is a sign that] the basic qi leaks.” 40  Wang Bing: “ ‘Short’ means insufficient yang qi. Hence the disease is in the head. ‘Extended’ means greatly excessive yin qi. Hence the disease is in the legs.” 41  Wang Shaozeng & Xu Yongnian/104: “In front of 上擊者 a character 而 is missing.” 42  Wang Bing: “The yang abounds above. Hence shoulders and back have pain.” 43  Wang Bing: “ ‘In the depth’ and ‘firm’ are yin [qualities], hence the disease is in the cen­ter. ‘At the surface and abundant’ are yang [qualities], hence the disease is in the outer [regions of the body].” 44  Wang Bing: “ ‘In the depth’ is cold; ‘weak’ is heat. Hence [the text] states ‘cold and heat.’ Also, ‘in the depth’ is yin abundance; ‘weak’ is yang surplus. If abundance and surplus hit each other, there should be cold and heat. There should be no elevation illness with conglomerations and pain in the lower abdomen. This [passage] must been

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If the [movement in the] vessels at the inch opening is in the depth, with transverse [knottings], that is called: ‘accumulations below the flanks.’   There are transverse accumulations in the abdomen, with pain.45 If the [movement in the] vessels at the inch opening is in the depth and pants, that is called: ‘cold and heat.’ 18-112-4 If the [movement in the] vessels is abundant, smooth, and firm, that is called: ‘disease in the outer [region].’ If the [movement in the] vessels is diminished, replete, and firm, the disease is in the interior.46 If the [movement in the] vessels is diminished, weak, and rough,47 that is called ‘chronic disease.’  48 If the [movement in the] vessels is smooth, at the surface, and hasty, that is called ‘new disease.’  49 If the [movement in the] vessels is tense, that is called: ‘elevation conglomeration ill’ with pain in the lower abdomen. mistakenly placed here in former times.” Lin Yi et al.: “The Jia yi jing does not have these 15 characters. Also, the text further down has 寸口脈沈而喘曰寒熱, 脈急者曰 疝瘕, 少腹痛. The passage here is super­fluous and should be deleted.” 964/1-2: “The Shuo wen states: 疝 is 腹痛, ‘abdominal pain.’ Mr.Yan’s (顏) commentary is: ‘疝: The qi moves quickly up and down in the abdomen. 瘕 stands for 症, ‘disease.’ That is, 疝瘕 is a con­glomeration in the abdomen that can move around and causes pain.” 45  Wang Bing: “These, again, are internal knottings of yin qi.” 46  Wang Bing: “ ‘Abundant’ and ‘smooth’ are yang; ‘diminished’ and ‘replete’ are yin. In case of a yin disease, the disease is in the interior. In case of a yang disease, the disease is in the outer [region].” 47  Gao Jiwu/353: “The character 以 is identical here with 而, ‘and.’ ” 48  Wang Bing: “ ‘Diminished’ means the qi is depleted. ‘Rough’ means there is no blood. Because blood and qi are depleted and weak, [the text] speaks of an old disease that has gone far.” 49  Wang Bing: “ ‘Smooth’ and ‘near the surface’ are yang sufficiency. A fast [movement in the] vessels is qi wholeness. Because there is yang sufficiency and qi wholeness, the [text] speaks of a new disease that has not penetrated deeply.”

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18-112-7 If the [movement in the] vessels is smooth, that is called: ‘wind.’   If the [movement in the] vessels is rough, that is called: ‘block.’  50 If it is relaxed and smooth, that is called: ‘heated center.’ If it is abundant and tight, that is called: ‘distension.’ 51 If the [movement in the] vessels follows the yin and yang [nature of the disease], the disease is easy to bring to an end. If the [movement in the] vessels runs counter to the yin and yang [nature of the disease], the disease is difficult to bring to an end.52 If the [movement in the] vessels agrees with the four seasons, that is called: ‘disease without other [damage].’ 53

50  Wang Bing: “Smooth is yang. When the yang receives a disease, then this is wind. Rough is yin. When the yin receives a disease, then this is block.” 51  Wang Bing: “緩 refers to a relaxed appearance; it is not the slowness of a mo­ vement. The yang [qi] abounds in the center. Hence the vessels are smooth and relaxed. Cold qi causes blocks and fullness. Hence the vessels are abounding and tight. 盛緊 is 盛滿, ‘full with abounding [qi].’ ” 52  Wang Bing: “When the [movement in the] vessels and the [nature of the] disease corre­spond to each other, that is called 從, ‘coinciding.’ When they oppose each other, that is called 逆, ‘moving contrary to a regular course.’ ” 53  Zhang Jiebin: “If in spring one feels a string[-like], in summer a hook[-like], in autumn a hair[-like], and in winter a stone[-like movement in the vessels], that is called ‘in accordance with the four seasons.’ Even though one may say [the person] has a disease, there is no other problem present.” Ci yuan 辭源: “無他 is 無害, ‘no damage.’ ” See Hou Han shu 後漢書 13, biography of Wei Ao 隗囂.

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If the [movement in the] vessels contradicts the four seasons,

that is called: ‘difficult to bring to an end.’  54 18-113-1 When the arms have many green-blue vessels, that is called: ‘lost blood.’ 55 When the vessel [movement] in the foot-long section is relaxed and rough,56 54  Nan jing 53 states: 間藏者傳其所生也, “[Diseases] that skip a depot [in their transmission through the organism] are transmitted to those [depots] which are ge­ nerated [by the transmitting depot].” This refers to a transmission, for instance, from the lung to the kidneys. Since the lung [i.e., metal] is the mother depot [i.e., agent] of the kidneys [i.e., water], such diseases will not take the patient’s life. The four characters 及不閒藏 appear to be a later insertion here, possibly as a comment. The structure of the present statement corresponds to that of a passage further below: 脈有逆從四 時, 未有藏形 (see 18-114-3). In that case, too, the latter four characters appear to be a commentary inserted into the main text. 55  Wang Bing: “If there is only a little blood, the vessels are empty and as a consequence visitor cold enters. Cold makes the blood liquid coagulate. Hence the color of the vessels is bluish.” 56  Wang Bing: “The foot-long section is a yin region; [the movement in the vessels there] is ru­led by the abdomen and the kidneys. ‘Relaxed’ is heated center. ‘Rough’ is absence of blood.” Yao Shaoyu: “There are two interpretations of 緩. One is 和緩, ‘peaceful.’ This applies to the situation called ‘the vessels have stomach qi.’ Another is 緩弱, ‘tardy.’ This is a situation where the principal qi is harmed and the [movement in the] vessels is insufficient. If seen from this perspective, ‘rough’ is to say: decreased blood, and ‘relaxed’ means, without any doubt, ‘qi depletion.’ Even though each of the three sections of the vessels has its characteristics, the foot-long section is often considered the ‘root and basis.’ Hence if [the movement in the vessels] is relaxed and rough in the foot-long section, one knows that the qi is depleted and the blood is decreased and that their root and basis has already received harm.” Cheng Shide et al.: “ ‘Foot length’ refers to the skin of the foot-long section; when the [movement in the] vessels of the foot-long section is relaxed and rough, the skin of the foot-long section is relaxed and rough [too].” Li Guoqing: “尺脈緩澀 should be 尺緩脈澀. This is to say, the skin and the muscle flesh in the foot-long section are relaxed without any strength and the [movement in the] vessels arrives rough, blocked, [i.e.] not unimpeded. All this is the result of insufficiencies of qi and blood.” 475/43 agrees. The structure of the combination of 尺 and 脈 varies in the present and in the subsequent statements. Given the wording 寸口脈 above, 尺脈 may be the original, correct wording here. The wordings 尺濇, “the foot length is rough’ and 尺寒, “the foot length is cold”, below may be reminiscences of early difficulties to leave skin diagnosis completely in favor of pulse diagnosis.

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that is called: jie-yi.57 [The patient] longs for sleep.58 When the [movement in his] vessels is abundant, that is called: ‘lost blood.’  59 When the [skin in the] foot-long section is rough, while [the movement in the] vessels is smooth, that is called: ‘profuse sweat.’  60 When the [skin in the] foot-long section is cold, while the [movement in the] vessels is fine, that is called: ‘outflow behind.’ 61 57  Wang Bing: “A cold which is not cold, a heat which is not hot, a weakness which is not weak, a strength which is not strong. That is, diseases that cannot be named, they are called 解㑊.” Hua Shou: “懈倦之極, ‘extremely remiss.’ ” Gao Shishi: “懈㑊 is like 懈怠, ‘remiss.’ ” 2269/38: “㑊 is an alternative for 亦 and this 亦 is an ancient version of 腋, ‘armpit.’ .. The ancients named [diseases] after their symptoms. Because [in all the cases just mentioned] the two armpits and the four extremities appear as if loosened, they were named 懈㑊.” Yang Shangshan: “懈㑊 is 怠懈運動難, ‘lazy,’ ‘to have difficulties to move.’ ” In this case, the pinyin transliteration would be xie-yi. The term jie-yi/xie-yi may be a transliteration of a technical term of non-Chinese origin, the meaning of which was lost subsequently. See Su wen 37-214-1 for a similar term 食亦 which may likewise be a transliteration of a foreign term. 58  Gao Shishi: “安臥 is 嗜臥, ‘one wishes to lie down.’ ” 475/43: “the two characters 安臥 are read linked to the preceding characters in Tai su 15. Following the style of the phrases 謂之 .. below, it may be that 安臥 is an ancient commentary to 謂之解 㑊.” 59  Wang Bing: “To sleep for long [indicates:] the qi is harmed. When the qi is harmed, dia­gnosis should reveal a feeble [movement in the] vessels. If now the [movement in the] vessels is abundant, not feeble, then the blood has left and the qi has nothing it could rule..” 60  Wang Bing: “That is to say, the skin in the foot-long section is rough, with the [movement in the] vessels in the foot-long section being smooth. When the skin is rough, the blood is dried up inside. When the [movement in the] vessels is smooth, the yang qi abounds internally. With the blood being dried up and the yang qi being present in surplus, [the patient] sweats a lot and the [movement in the] vessels is as is described here.” 61  Zhang Jiebin: “When the skin in the foot-long section is cold, the yang of the spleen is weak, because the spleen rules the muscle flesh and the four extremities. When the [movement in the] vessels of the foot-long section is fine, the yang of the

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When the movement [in the vessels in] the foot-long section62 is coarse, with regular appearance of heat, that is called: ‘heated center.’  63 18-113-4 If a liver [movement] appears, [the patient will] die at geng and xin.64 If a heart [movement] appears, [the patient will] die at ren and kui.65 If a spleen [movement] ap­pears, [the patient will] die at jia and yi.66 If a lung [movement] appears, [the patient will] die at bing and ding.67 If a kidney [movement] appears, [the patient will] die at wu and ji.68

When the neck vessel moves and [the patient] is panting fast and coughs, that is called: ‘water.’ 69 kidneys is weak, because the kidneys rule the two yin [openings] and the lower section [of the body]. Hence there is ‘outflow behind.’ ” 62 Another interpretation might render “When the [movement in the] vessels and [the skin in] the foot-long section are rough, ..” 63  Wang Bing: “That is to say, in the lower burner.” Gao Shishi: “常熱 is 膚熱. The [movement in the] vessels is coarse and the skin is hot. This is an indication of a surplus of yang qi. Hence, it is called ‘heated center.’ ”

64  Wang Bing: “Geng xin is metal; it fells the wood of the liver.” Ma Shi: “This is to say, when a [movement of the] true [qi of a] depot appears, the date of death is determined [on the basis of the order of ] mutual overcoming [among the five agents]. Geng xin is a metal day. If a [movement of the] true [qi of the] depot of the liver appears and has absolutely no stomach qi, death will follow on the geng xin day because metal dominates wood.” 65  Wang Bing: “Ren gui is water; it inundates the fire of the heart.”

66  Wang Bing: “Jia yi is wood; it subdues the soil of the spleen.”

67  Wang Bing: “Bing ding is fire; it melts the metal of the lung.”

68  Wang Bing: “Wu ji is soil; it punishes the water of the kidneys.”

69  Wang Bing: “When the water qi rises to overflow, then the lung is steamed by heat and the yang qi rises contrary [to its normal course]. Hence the [movement in the] neck vessels drums in abundance and [the patient] coughs and pants. ‘Neck vessels’ re­fers to the ren-ying vessels below the ears to the side of the throat.” The Tai su has 頸脈動疾喘咳, “the neck vessel moves fast and [the patient] pants and coughs.” Hence, Mori: “The Tai su has 疾喘. That is correct. This statement refers to vessels and pathoconditions alike. 動疾, ‘moves fast,’ refers to the [movement in the] vessels;

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When the eye lids are slightly swollen, resembling a silkworm rising from sleep, that is called: ‘water.’  70 When the urine is yellow-red and one longs for sleep, this is ‘yellow solitary [heat] disease.’ 71 If after finishing one‘s meal [one has a feeling] as if one were hungry, that is ‘stomach solitary [heat] disease.’ 72 When the face is swollen, that is called: ‘wind.’  73 When the feet and the shins are swollen,

喘咳, ‘pants and coughs,’ refers to the pathoconditions.” Zhang Yizhi et al.: “Wang Bing’s commentary, too, refers to [movement in] the vessels and to pathoconditions. Hence he must have based his comments on a correct version.” 70 Yang Shangshan: “目裹 is 目上下瞼, ‘the lids above and below the eye.’ ” Wang Bing: “Su wen 33 states: ‘Water is yin; [the region] below the eyes is also yin. The abdomen is where the extreme yin resides. Hence water in the abdomen will necessarily cause swelling below the eyes.” Zhang Jiebin: “目裹 is the lid below the eyes. The stomach ves­sel reaches here and the spleen qi rules here. When one notices a slight swelling resembling silkworms rising from sleep, the [reason] is that water qi has inundated spleen and stomach.” 916/53 identifies 裹 as 窠, “nest,” “indentation,” and in­terprets 目裹 as “socket of the eyeball.” The Tai su does not have the character 蠶, “silkworm.” Ling shu 74 has 如新臥起狀, “as if rising after just having fallen asleep.”

71  Wang Bing: “疸 is 勞, ‘taxation.’ When the kidneys are taxed and the uterus is hot, one’s urine is yellow-red. The Zheng li lun 正理論 states: ‘One calls this 勞癉 because one gets it from taxing [intercourse] with women.’ ” Lin Yi et al.: “In his commentary, Wang Bing considers 疸 to be 勞. This is not the meaning. When it is said: one gets 疸 from taxing [intercourse] with women, this is admissible; [but] if one considers 疸 to be 勞, then this is not correct.” SWJZZ: “The pronunciations of 癉 and 疸 are identical; the meanings, though, differ. As the commentary by Kuo 郭 to the Shan hai jing 山海經 and the Shi Gu 師古 commentary to the Han shu 漢書 state: 癉 is 黃病, ‘yellow disease.’ ” Zhang Yizhi et al.: “The Shuo wen states: 疸 is 黃病, ‘yellow disease’; 癉 is 勞病, ‘taxation disease.’ ” 72  Wang Bing: “If this is so, then one’s stomach has heat. If it has heat it digests the grain. Hence after finishing a meal, one feels as if one were hungry.” Gu dian yi zhu xuan bianxiezu /51: “疸 is 癉, ‘weariness.’ ” Tanba: “This is what was called 消中, ‘wasting center,’ in the preceding treatise.” 73  Wang Bing: “If, in addition, the face is swollen, then the diagnosis is ‘stomach wind.’ Why? The yang brilliance vessel of the stomach emerges from the intersection of the nose with the central point between the eyebrows. It moves down outside the nose. Hence this [situation emerges].”

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that is called: ‘water.’  74 When the eyes are yellow, that is called: ‘yellow solitary [heat] disease.’ 75 When the hand minor yin vessels of women have a very [pronounced] movement, that is [a sign of ] pregnancy.76

74  Wang Bing: “This is to say: the lower burner has water. The minor yin vessel of the kid­neys emerges from the sole of the foot and moves upwards along the shinbone. It passes the groin and rises from the kidneys to penetrate the liver and the dia­phragm. Hence when there is water in the lower burner, the feet and the shins swell.” 75  Wang Bing: “When yang flames upwards, heat accumulates in the chest. When yang qi burns above, the eyes become yellow.” 76 Yang Shangshan: “The hand minor yin vessel is the heart conduit vessel. The [movement in the] vessels associated with the heart is ruled by the blood. When a woman is pregnant, her monthly blood is closed in and cannot leave towards outside. Hence there is an abundance in the hand minor yin vessel which [in turn] causes this type of a movement.” Wang Bing: “The hand minor yin vessel is one whose movement can be felt with the little finger in the fold behind the palm. 動 is to say: 動脈, ‘moving vessel.’ A ‘moving vessel’ is as big as a bean.” Lin Yi et al.: “The Quan Yuanqi edition has ‘foot minor yin.’ ” Ma Shi: “The inch section of the left [hand] is associated with the hand minor yin [vessel] of the heart conduit and it is outside and inside with the hand major yang vessel of the conduit of the small intestine. The Mai fu 脈賦 states: A big [movement in the] major yang [conduit indicates] a pregnancy with a male [child]. Hence one knows: when the [movement] in the hand minor yin vessels is very [pronounced], this is a pregnancy with a male child.” Gao Shishi: “ ‘Minor yin’ is the [movement in the] vessels in the foot-long section. From examining the [movement in the vessels in the] foot-long section one knows the location of the disease and one can also know whether a woman is pregnant. When there is an exces­sive movement in the hand minor yin vessels in both hands of a woman, one knows that [her] kidney qi has a surplus, [because] it was affected by the qi generated by Tian yi 天一. Hence she is pregnant.” Zhang Jiebin: “Su wen 17 states: ‘On the outside on the left of the upper [region] of the upper instep, one examines the heart.’ Hence the he­art should be examined at the inch [section] on the left. A ‘very [pronounced] mo­vement’ is a movement of a free and smooth flow. The heart generates the blood. When the blood increases the womb may become pregnant. In case the movement in the heart vessel of a woman is very [pronounced], this is so because the blood is increased. Hence she should be pregnant.” Yao Shaoyu: “The Quan Yuanqi edition has ‘foot mi­nor yin,’ and here it is written ‘hand minor yin.’ The meaning of both [statements] is the same. Now, the hand minor yin is the heart; the foot minor yin is the kidney. The kidneys rule the essence; the heart rules the blood. When essence and blood mix, one may have a child. Hence a very [pronounced] movement of the minor yin is a [movement in the] vessels [indicating] pregnancy.”

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18-114-3 The [movement in the] vessels may be contrary to or in compliance with the four seasons. When their physical appearance fails to [reflect the condition of ] the depots, [i.e.]77 when the vessels are lean in spring and summer, or when they are at the sur­face and big in autumn and winter, that is called: ‘[movement] contrary to the four seasons.’ 78 If [one suffers from] wind79 and heat while the [movement in the] vessels is quiet, or [if one suffers from] outflow and loss of blood while the [movement in the] vessels is replete;80 if the disease is in the center while the [movement in the] vessels is depleted; if the disease is in the exterior, while the [movement in the] vessels is rough and firm, all these [situations] are difficult to cure.81 {That is called ‘[movement] contrary to the four seasons. ’} 18-115-1 Man requires water and grain as his basis. Hence, 77  The 53 character passage beginning with 未有藏形 and ending with 皆難治 appears almost identically in Su wen 19.

78  Wang Bing: “ ‘A lean [movement in the] vessels in spring and summer’ is to say: in the depth and fine. If the movement is at the surface and big in autumn and winter, this is not in correspondence with these seasons. The grand pattern is such that in spring and summer it should be at the surface and big; instead, it is in the depth and fine. In autumn and winter it should be in the depth and fine, instead it is at the sur­ face and big.. Hence [the text] states: it does not correspond to the seasons.” 79 Lin Yi et al.: “Su wen 19 has 病, ‘to suffer from,’ instead of 風.”

80 Lin Yi et al.: “Su wen 19 has 泄而脈大, 脫血而脈實, ‘outflow and a big [movement in the] vessels; loss of blood and a replete [movement in the] vessels.” 81  Wang Bing: “In case of wind heat, the [movement in the] vessels should be running, but, on the contrary, it is a quiet [movement]. In case of outflow and loss of blood, the [movement in the] vessels should be depleted, but, on the contrary, it is a replete [movement]. In case of evil qi in the interior, the [movement in the] vessels should be replete, but, on the contrary, it is a depleted [movement]. When the disease is in the exterior, [the movement in] the vessels should be depleted and smooth, but, on the contrary, it is a firm and rough [movement]. Hence all these [are situations which] are difficult to cure.”

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once man is cut off from water and grain, he will die. Once the vessels contain no stomach qi, death [is imminent] too. {What is referred to here as ‘contain no stomach qi’ is [a situation] where one can feel a [movement in the] vessels of only the true [qi of a] depot, but does not feel any stomach qi.} {{When it is stated ‘in [feeling the movement in] the vessels one does not feel any stomach qi,’ [then this refers to situations where] a liver [movement] is not string[-like], a kidney [movement] is not stone[-like, etc.]}}82 The arrival of a major yang [movement in the] vessels, it is vast, big, and extended.83 The arrival of a minor yang [movement in the] vessels, it is at times frequent, at times spaced, at times short, at times extended.84 The arrival of a yang bril­liance [movement in the] vessels, it is at the surface, big, and short.85 18-115-6 Now, the arrival of a vessel [movement indicating a] normal heart is [as follows]: strung together, re­sembling a string of pearls;86 82  Zhang Jiebin: “Human life depends on water and grain. Hence the stomach has water and grain as its basis. And the five depots, in turn, have the stomach qi as their ba­sis. If a [movement in the] vessels [shows] the absence of stomach qi and if only the [movement in the] vessels of true [qi of the] depots is apparent, [the patient] will die. This resembles what was called in the preceding treatise ‘only string[-like] with no stomach [qi]; only stone[-like] with no stomach [qi].’ But even though ‘only string[-like]’ and ‘only stone[-like]’ indicate the true [qi of the] depots, if the liver has no qi then there is no string[-like movement] and if the kidneys have no qi there is no stone[-like movement]. This, too, is the result of a failure of the sto­mach to supply the five depots with qi. It is the same as [in a situation where there is only] the true [qi of the] depots with no stomach [qi] present.” 83  Wang Bing: “When the qi abounds [the movement in the vessels] can be like this.” 84  Wang Bing: “Because the passage of the qi is at times free and at times it is not free.” 85  Wang Bing: “Because [the vessels] are filled to abundance with grain qi.” 86 Yao Shaoyu: “ ‘String of pearls’: It arrives continuously without intervals, and it has the slipperiness of jade.”

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[it feels] as if [one’s fingers] passed over lang gan [jade]. That is called: the heart is normal. 87 The arrival of a diseased heart [movement in the] vessels is [as follows]: panting in sequence; in between it is slightly curved. That is called: the heart has a disease. The arrival of a dying heart [movement in the] vessels is [as follows]: curved in front and straight behind, as if one grasped a hook holding a belt.88 That is called: the heart dies. 18-116-3 The arrival of a normal lung [movement in the] vessels is [as follows]: faded, like the murmur (of trees)89 resembling the falling of elm seeds. That is called: ‘the lung is normal.’ 90 87  Wang Bing: “When there is stomach qi in the vessels, the [movement] is strung together and slightly reminiscent of a string of pearls.” 88  Wang Bing: “居 is: not moving.” Wu Kun: “When the [movement in the] vessels arrives curved and not stretched at first and is later settled and immobile, its appearance is vast and big and not smooth and free.” Zhang Jiebin: “前曲 is to say: under light pressure [the movement appears] firm, strong, and not soft. 後居 is to say: under heavy pressure [the vessels appear] unyielding, replete, and not moving.” The Tai su, ch.15, has 初曲后直, ‘curved in front and straight behind.’ ” Li Guoqing: “A ‘hook[like movement in the] vessels’ is the manifestation of a heart [movement in the] vessels. No matter whether it is a [movement in the] ves­sels indicating balance, disease, or death, in each case it should be hook[-like]. The Shuo wen states: ‘句 is 曲..’. 居 is identical with 倨. In ancient scripts 句 and 倨 do often appear together. .. From this one knows 句 (曲) and 倨 (居) both have the meaning of 彎曲, ‘curved.’ ” For philological-ety­mological details, see there. 2051/58 agrees. 1454/54: “居 is 倨, in the sense of 直, ‘straight.’ Wang Bing’s commentary ‘居 is: not moving’ is wrong.”

89  915/56: “厭厭 (yān yān) is ‘faded color.’ The biography of Li Xun 李尋 in the Han shu has 列星皆失色, 厭厭如滅, ‘all the stars have lost their color; they are sallow, like fading light.’ 聶聶 (she she) refers to weak sounds.”

90  Wang Bing: “When there is stomach qi in the vessels, the [movement] is slightly remi­niscent of the light and hollow [nature of ] elm seeds.”

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The arrival of a diseased lung [movement in the] vessels is [as follows]: neither rising nor descending; [it feels] as if [one‘s fingers] passed over chicken feathers. That is called ‘the lung has a disease.’  91 The arrival of a dying lung [movement in the] vessels is [as follows]: resembling a floating item; it is like body hair blown by the wind. That is called ‘the lung dies.’   18-116-5 The arrival of a normal liver [movement in the] vessels is [as follows]: soft and weak and waving, as if one were raising the tip of a long bamboo cane.92 That is called ‘the liver is normal.’   93 The arrival of a diseased liver [movement in the] vessels is [as follows]: abundant, replete, and smooth, as if [one‘s fingers] passed along a long bamboo cane.94 That is called ‘the liver has a disease.’ The arrival of a dying liver [movement in the] vessels is [as follows]: tense, with increasing force, 91  Wang Bing: “That is to say: it is firm in the center and depleted on both sides.” 92  Wang Bing: “That is to say, extended and soft.” Ma Shi: “招 is identical with 迢. The extreme tip of a long cane is 迢迢, that it, it is very soft and weak.” 915/56: “招 招: to call someone with one’s hand is 招.” Fang Wenhui/61: “招 is used for 迢; its original meaning is ‘elevated and remote.’ Here it is to be interpreted as ‘soft, weak, and pliant.’ ” 93  Wang Bing: “When there is stomach qi in the vessels, the [movement] is extended and soft like the tip of a bamboo cane.” 94  Wang Bing: “It is long but not soft.” Yu Chang: “The characters 竿 and 滑 do not rhyme. A bamboo cane is hollow inside, it is not ‘abundant and replete/solid.’ Also, it is not ‘smooth.’ Because the appearances of the two characters are very similar, 竿 must be a corrupted writing of the character 笄, ‘hairpin.’ Such hairpins are made either from jade or from ivory. This corresponds to the meaning ‘abundant and replete, as well as smooth.’ The ancients used two types of hairpins. One type was employed to fix the hair, the other to fix a cap. Those to fix the hair were short, those to fix the cap were long. Hence, a ‘long hairpin’ refers to a hairpin used to fix the cap.”

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like a bow string that is just being pulled.95 That is called ‘the liver dies.’   The arrival of a normal spleen [movement in the] vessels is [as follows]: harmonious, soft, and distanced, resembling chicken stepping on the earth.96 That is called ‘the spleen is normal.’   97 The arrival of a di­seased spleen [movement in the] vessels is [as follows]: replete, abundant, and frequent, resembling chic­ken raising their legs. That is called ‘the spleen has a disease.’   The arrival of a dying spleen [movement in the] vessels is [as follows]: pointed and firm, like a crow‘s beak, like a bird‘s spur, like [water] dripping into a house, like the flow of water. That is called ‘the spleen dies.’  98 18-117-3 The arrival of a normal kidney [movement in the] vessels is [as follows]: panting and strung together, like a hook. 95  Wang Bing: “勁 is to say: 勁強, ‘unyielding and strong.’ This is the highest degree of tightness.” 96  Wu Kun: “相離 is: the [movement in the] vessels arrives unconnected.” 2268/35: “According to the Zhou li, 離 is 麗, ‘to be connected with.’ Hence this 離 is to be interpreted as 附麗, ‘joined to.’ In the present passage 和柔相離 is to say: ‘harmonious and soft [movements] are closely connected.’ ” 97  Wang Bing: “When there is little stomach [qi], the [movement in the] vessels is replete and frequent.” 98  Wang Bing: “ ‘[Like] a crow’s beak, [like] a bird’s spur’ is to say: pointed and firm. ‘[Like] the flow of water, [like water] dripping into a house’ is to describe the nature of its arrival. ‘[Like] the flow of water’ is to say: the arrival is balanced, there is no drumming. ‘[Like water] dripping into a house’ is to say: at times it moves, then it rests.”

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When one presses it, it is firm. That is called ‘the kidneys are normal.’ 99 100 The arrival of a diseased kidney [movement in the] vessels is [as follows]: as if one pulled a creeper. When one presses it, it increases in firmness. That is called ‘the kidneys have a disease.’ 101 The arrival of a dying kidney [movement in the] vessels is [as follows]: it manifests itself as if a rope was pulled away,102 [it sounds like] bi-bi as if a stone was hurled.103 That is called ‘the kidneys die.’ ”104

99  Wang Bing: “Like a [movement in the] vessels associated with the heart, but formed like a hook [rather than being straight]. Upon pressure it turns small and firm.” 100  Wang Bing: “When there is little stomach [qi], the [movement in the] vessels [feels] hard even without being pressed.”

101  Wang Bing: “The physical appearance resembles ‘pulling ge-beans’ is to say: without pressing it it is obviously hard already. When pressed it is particularly hard.” 102  Wang Bing: “ ‘Emerging as if a rope was pulled’ is like the movement of a snake.” Wu Kun: “When two persons pull [the ends of ] a rope, it is drawn long and becomes firm and tense.”

103  Wang Bing: “ ‘Bi-bi as if a stone was hurled’ is to say: pressing and firm at the same time.” Gao Shishi: “辟辟 is: the co­ming and the going [of this movement] is irregular. ‘Like a pellet’ is: round and firm, not soft.” 2165/39: “彈 is used here as a verb, ‘to hurl.’ 辟辟如彈石 is a pulse quality resembling in its firmness the ‘pipi’ sound produced by a hurled stone.” 104 For a table including all the information on the various movements in the vessels in relation to the seasons and to the different states of health of the five depots, see Wan Lanqing et al./20.

Chapter 19

Discourse on the Jade Mechanism and the True [Qi of the] Depots 19-118-2 Huang Di asked: “In spring, the [movement in the] vessels resembles a string. How can it be string[-like]?” Qi Bo responded: “In spring, the [movement in the] vessels is a liver [movement]. The East is wood; this is whereby the myriad beings come to life first. Hence, when this qi comes, it is soft, weak, light, depleted, and smooth. It is straight and ex­tended. Hence, it is called ‘string[-like].’ [A movement] contrary to this [indicates] disease.” [Huang] Di: “How can it be contrary?” 19-118-5 Qi Bo: “When this qi comes replete and strong, this is called ‘greatly ex­cessive.’ The disease is in the exterior. When this qi comes not replete and is feeble, this is called ‘inadequate.’ The disease is in the center.” [Huang] Di: “When in spring the [movement in the] vessels is greatly ex­cessive or inadequate, what are all the respective diseases like?”   Wang Bing: “In the case of qi surplus, the disease assumes shape in the exterior. In the case of being short of qi, the disease is in the interior.” Wu Kun: “When the evil enters from the outside, then the disease is ‘great excess.’ When the evil emerges from within, then the disease is ‘insufficiency.’ ”

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Qi Bo: “When it is greatly excessive, then this causes a person to be forgetful; he experiences vertigo and suffers from peak illness. When it is inadequate, then this lets a person have chest pain pulling [also] on the back. When it is below, then there is full­ness in the lower and upper flanks on both [sides].” [Huang] Di: “Good! In summer, the [movement in the] vessels resembles a hook. How can it be hook[-like]?” 19-119-1 Qi Bo: “In summer, the [movement in the] vessels is a heart [movement]. The South is fire; this is whereby the myriad beings abound and grow. Hence, when this qi comes, it is abundant; when it leaves, it is weak. Hence, it is called ‘hook[-like].’ A [movement] contrary to this [indicates] disease.” [Huang] Di: “How can it be contrary?”

  Su wen 69 has 忽忽善怒. Su wen 22 has 肝病者, 兩脅下痛引少腹, 令人善怒. Hence Wang Bing: “忘 is most likely a mistake for the character 怒, ‘anger.’ ” Lin Yi et al., Zhang Jiebin, Ma Shi, Wu Kun, and Tanba agree. In contrast, Gao Shishi and Zhang Zhicong accept 忘, “to forget.” 965/40: “忘 is 恍, ‘confused.’ The following passage serves as proof.” For a detailed discussion, see 959/42.

  SWJZ: “忽 is 忘, ‘to forget.’ ” Hence 1588/45 reads this passage: 令人善忘忽忽, 眩 冒而..” In contrast, Wang Bing: “忽忽 is 不爽, ‘not in good health.’ 眩 is 目眩, ‘giddiness.’ One sees things as if they were revolving. 冒 is to say 冒悶, ‘chest pressure.’ ” Cheng Shide et al.: “忽忽 is 恍忽, ‘confused,’ and ‘the spirit is not clear.’ ” 1588/45: “忽忽 is to describe forgetfulness.” Zhang Jiebin: “ ‘Peak illness’ is a disease in the top [of the head].” Wu Kun: “ ‘Peak illness’ is: to fall.”   Wang Bing: “胠 refers to the ribs below the armpits.” Tanba Genken 丹波元堅: “Yang Shangshan states: ‘Three inches below the armpits, these are the 腋. Below the 腋 down to the outer side of the 8th vertebral intersection, these are the 胠.”

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19-119-3 Qi Bo: “When this qi comes abounding and leaves abounding, too, this is called ‘greatly excessive.’ The disease is in the exterior. When this qi comes not abounding and lea­ves, on the contrary, abounding, this is called ‘inadequate.’   The disease is in the center.” [Huang] Di: “When in summer the [movement in the] vessels is greatly excessive or inadequate, what are all the respective diseases like?” 19-119-5 Qi Bo: “When it is greatly excessive, then this lets a person‘s body be hot and his skin be painful. This is soaking. When it is inadequate, then it lets a person have a vexed heart.

  Wang Bing: “When the [movement in the] vessels comes abounding and leaves abounding, too, that is yang abundance. The heart qi is present in surplus. Hence this is ‘greatly excessive.’ ”   Zhang Jiebin: “This ‘when it leaves, in contrast, it is abundant’ does not refer to an abun­dance in strength. All [movements in the] vessels emerging from the section of the bones and of the flesh to the borderline of the skin, they are called ‘coming.’ Those returning from the borderline of the skin to the section of the bones and of the flesh, they are called ‘leaving.’ When their coming is not abundant while their lea­ving, in contrast, is abundant, this is to say: their coming is insufficient and when they leave they have a surplus.”   The Tai su has 骨, ‘bone,’ instead of 膚, ‘skin.’ Gao Shishi: “When the [movement in the] heart vessels is greatly excessive, then the fire qi comes to the surface outside. Hence it causes the body to be hot and the skin to have pain. The heat harms the exterior of the skin. Hence this causes ‘soaking’ and results in ulcers.” Wu Kun: “ ‘Soaking’ is: the heat does not leave; it saturates [the body] and leads to excess. [‘Soaking’] is a name for evil heat gradually penetrating deeper and deeper.” Ma Shi: “ ‘Soaking’ is: the pain flows through the entire body.” Yao Shaoyu: “ ‘Soaking’ is sweat. The fire presses on the lung and causes sweating.” Su wen 69 has: 身熱骨痛, 而為浸淫.

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Above there appears coughing and spitting; below it is qi out­flow.” [Huang] Di: “Good! In autumn, the [movement in the] vessels is like [something] floa­ting. How can it be floating?” Qi Bo: “In autumn, the [movement in the] vessels is a lung [movement]. The West is metal; this is whereby the myriad beings are gathe­red after they have reached maturity. Hence, when this qi comes, it is light, depleted, and floating. It comes tense and leaves dispersed. Hence, it is called ‘floating.’ 10 A [movement] contrary to this [indicates] disease.” [Huang] Di: “How can it be contrary?” 19-119-10 Qi Bo: “When this qi comes hair[-like] and if it is firm in the center and depleted on both sides, this is called ‘greatly exces­sive.’ 11 The disease is in the exterior. When this qi comes hair[-like] and is feeble, this is called ‘inadequate.’   The disease is in the center.”   Wang Bing: “The heart minor yin vessel emerges from the center of the heart. It is tied to the heart connection, moves down through the diaphragm and encloses the small intestine. Also, another branch moves upwards from the heart connection into the lung. Hence, in the case of greatly excessive heart [qi], the body is hot, the skin aches, and soaking overflow spreads into the physical appearance section.” Cheng Shide et al.: “ ‘Qi outflow’ is: breaking a wind.”   951/769: “Li Zhongzi: ‘floating’ is another term for ‘light and depleted.’ ” 10  Wang Bing: “The [movement in the] vessels arrives light and depleted. Hence it is called ‘floating.’ When it comes tense, this is because the yang [qi] had not penetrated into the depth. When it leaves dispersed, this is because the yin qi rises.” 11  81/37: “虛 means: depleted 空, soft and no strength.”

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[Huang] Di: “When in autumn the [movement in the] vessels is greatly excessive or insufficient, what are all the respective diseases like?” 19-119-13 Qi Bo: “When it is greatly excessive, then this lets a person‘s qi move contrary [to its regular course] and [causes] back pain. [The person] feels uncomfortable.12 When it is inadequate, then this lets a person pant; he exhales and inhales being short of qi and coughs. There is rising qi; blood appears. Below one hears the disease sound.”13 [Huang] Di: “Good! In winter, the [movement in the] vessels is as if en­camped. How can it be encamped?” Qi Bo: “In winter, the [movement in the] vessels is a kidney [movement]. The North is water; 12  SWJZ: “慍 is 怒, ‘anger.’  ” According to SWJZZ, the SWJZ should be read as: “慍 is 怨, ‘grievance.’ ” Tai su, ch. 14, 四時脈形, has 溫溫, “warm,” instead of 慍慍. Cheng Shide et al.: “慍慍 means 郁悶不舒, ‘uncomfortable with chest pressure.’ ” 915/56: “慍 is 蘊, ‘to collect.’ ” See 2764/22 for a detailed discussion of 溫 and 慍. 13  Wang Bing: “ ‘Below one hears the disease sound’ is to say: When the breathing is panting, there are sounds in the lung.” Zhang Jiebin: “In the case of insuffi­ciency, one pants, coughs and is short of qi. ‘Below one hears the disease sound’ is to say: If one’s breath is panting, then there is a sound below the throat.” Yao Shaoyu: “ ‘The disease sounds’ is: the qi flows out below and one frequently breaks wind.” Hua Shou: “上氣 見血, 下聞病音 is to say: one pants and throws up blood and one coughs again and again. 下 is identical with 次, ‘a series,’ and 復, ‘repeatedly.’ ” Gao Shishi: “When the coughing injures the network vessels of the lung, blood appears when the qi moves upwards. When the qi moves upwards but fails to move downwards, then one hears disease sounds below. ‘Disease sounds’ refers to groaning; this is [a sign of ] depletion below.” Wu Kun has changed 下聞病音 to 及聞病音, ‘and one hears pathological sounds.’ ”

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this is whereby the myriad beings are brought together and stored. Hence, this qi co­mes in the depth and is beating.14 Hence, it is called ‘encamped.’  15 A [movement] contrary to this [indicates] disease.” [Huang] Di: “How can it be contrary?” 19-120-4 Qi Bo: “When this qi comes like a hurled stone,16 this is called ‘greatly excessive.’   The disease is in the exterior. When this [qi] leaves like [a movement that is] fre­quent,17 this is called ‘inadequate.’ The disease is in the center.” 14 Lin Yi et al.: “The Jia yi jing has 潤, ‘to moisten,’ instead of 搏. One should follow the Jia yi jing and change it here to 潤.” Wu Kun: “搏 is 伏鼓, ‘hidden drumming.’ ”

15  Wang Bing: “That is to say, it strikes against the hands from the depth.” Nan jing 15 has 石, “stone,” instead of 營. Gao Shishi: “營 is like 石, ‘stone.’ It means ‘stored in the depth.’ ” Hua Shou: “營 is like the 營 in 營壘, ‘entrenched camp.’ It is a location of assemblance. In the winter months, the myriad living beings are concealed. Hence [the text] says ‘encamped.’ ” Cheng Shide et al.: “營 is a military camp. Here it is a metaphor for a concealed [movement in the] vessels during win­ter time. Even though it is in the depth, hidden in it are nevertheless vital activi­ties.” Zhang Zhicong: “營 is 居, ‘to dwell,’ ‘to rest.’ That is to say, in winter the qi dwells peacefully in the interior.” 951/770: “Li Zhongzi: 營 is ‘to return to seclusion.’ ” 238/401: “Mr. Yü comments: 營 is to say: 回繞, ‘to encircle.’ The charac­ter is identical with 縈, ‘to wind around.’ In winter, the [movement in the] vessels is in the depth, as if it were wrapped.” Zhang Yizhi et al.: “營 is identical with 旬 16 See the comments on this phrase in Su wen 18.

17  Zhang Yizhi et al.: “The Tai su, ch.14, has 毛, ‘hair[-like],’ instead of 數. Yang Shangshan commented: ‘The kidney qi is insufficient. Hence when this qi leaves, pressing it feels like pressing on hair. .. Another version has 如數.’ Presumably, 數 stands here for 縮. In his commentary on the Zhou li 周禮, Chun gong 春宮, Zheng 鄭 stated: ‘In ancient texts 數 was written for 縮. Du Zichun 杜子春 said: 數 should be 縮. The Shuo wen states: 縮 is 亂.” Cheng Shide et al.: “如數 does not refer to a frequent [movement in the] vessels as it is caused by repletion heat.” Zhang Jiebin: ‘Actually, a frequent [movement] is associated with heat. Here, though, is a [movement in the] vessels of destroyed true yin and it should also be tight and frequent. The

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19-120-6 [Huang] Di: “When in winter the [movement in the] vessels is greatly excessive or inadequate, what are all the respective diseases like?” Qi Bo: “When it is greatly excessive, then this lets that person experience jie-yi.18 The vessels in the spine ache and being short of qi one does not wish to speak. When it is inadequate, this lets a person’s heart become suspended. {As if one suffered from hunger.}19 The lateral abdomen is cool.20 There is pain in the spine. The lower ab­domen is full. The urine changes [its nature].”21 [Huang] Di: “Good!” 19-120-10 [Huang] Di: “In the sequence of the four seasons, there are differences in the changes between opposition and compliance. greater the depletion is, the more frquent [is the movement in the ve­ssels]. Actually this is not the frequent [movement] of strength, yang, repletion and heat. Hence [the texts] states: ‘like frequent.’ ” 18 For comments on the term jie-yi, see 18-113-1.

19 Yang Shangshan: “The kidney vessels extend upwards into the skin. When, there­ fore, the kid­neys are depleted, the heart is as if suspended.” Zhang Jiebin: “In the case of this insufficiency, the true yin is depleted. With this depletion, heart and kidneys cannot interact. Hence this causes that person to have his ‘heart suspended’ and become fearful, as if he suffered from hunger.” 20  Wang Bing: “䏚中 is the soft and hollow region below the small ribs on both sides of the spine. It is located outside of the kidneys. Hence it should be cool.” 21  Wu Kun: “ ‘Change’ means it changes its normal appearance. It may become clear in color, or it may be blocked, or it may flow incessantly.” Yao Shaoyu: “ ‘The urine chan­ges’ [is to say:] the color is yellow red; the water dries up and becomes turbid.”

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This being so, the spleen [movement in the] vessels alone, how is it ruled?”22 Qi Bo: “The spleen [movement in the] vessels is [associated with] the soil. [The spleen] is a solitary depot23 serving to pour [qi] into the four sides.”24 [Huang] Di: “This being so, whether the spleen is in good or bad [condition], can this be seen?” Qi Bo: “A good [condition] cannot be seen; a bad [condition] can be seen.”25 [Huang] Di: “How can a bad [condition] be seen?” 22  Wang Bing: “ ‘Ruled’ is to say: ‘ruling season and months.’ ” 23  Wang Bing: “It receives water and grain, transforms [them] into the body li­quids and pours [these liquids] into the liver, the heart, the lung, and the kidneys. Because it does not rule officially during [any of ] the four seasons, it is called ‘solitary de­pot.’ ” Zhang Jiebin: “The spleen is associated with the soil. The soil is the origin of the myriad beings. Hence it moves water and grains and transforms [them into] li­quids which it pours into the four depots liver, heart, lung, and kidneys. The soil has no definite location of its own; its rule is distributed over the four seasons. Hence it is called ‘solitary depot.’ ” Cheng Shide et al.: “ ‘Solitary depot’ is not a designation spe­cifically applied to the spleen; in Su wen 34 it refers to the kidneys.” 24 Shen Zumian: “灌 is a mistake for 權, ‘to weigh.’ 四旁 refers to the four weft cords, 四維, mentioned in Guan zi 管子, You gong pian 幼宮篇. 灌四旁 should be 權四旁.”

25  Wang Bing: “[The spleen] does not rule officially during [one specific] season, but extends its government over all four terms. Hence its goodness cannot be seen; its badness can be seen.” Gao Shishi: “A good [condition] of the spleen [movement in the] vessels af­fects all depots; hence when [the spleen] is in good [condition] this can not be per­ceived. When the spleen [movement in the] vessels lacks moisture, then all the de­pots have either great excess or insufficiency. Hence when it is in bad [condition], this can be seen.” Zhang Jiebin: “When the spleen has no disease, then it pours out [liquids] everywhere, the four depots are in peace and one does not know the strength of the spleen involved here. Hence its ‘good’ condition cannot be seen. When the spleen has a disease then, as a consequence, the four depots have diseases, too. Hence bad signs appear.”

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Qi Bo: “If [the spleen movement in the vessels] comes like the flow of water, this is called ‘greatly excessive.’ The disease is in the exterior. If it resembles the beak of a bird, this is called ‘inadequate.’ The disease is in the center.”26 19-121-4 [Huang] Di: “Sir, you say that the spleen is a solitary depot; it is the center, [i.e.,] soil, from which [qi] is poured into the four sides. When its [movement] is greatly ex­cessive or inadquate, what are all the respective diseases like?” Qi Bo: “When it is greatly excessive, then this lets a person be unable to lift his four limbs;27 when it is inadequate, then this let a person‘s nine orifices be­come impassable.” {This is called “heaviness and stiff­ness.”}28 26  In accordance with Su wen 18, Zhang Qi: “ ‘Flowing water’ and ‘crow’s beak’ are spleen [movements in the] vessels indicating death. There may be a mistake here.” Yao Shaoyu agrees. In contrast, Zhang Jiebin: “The terms are identical, but the meaning is different.” Gao Shishi: “When the outpour [from the spleen] is greatly excessive, the spleen qi comes like a flow of water. In this case, dampness qi has occupied [the spleen] and this is called ‘greatly excessive dampness in the soil.’ The disease should be in the exte­rior. When the outpour [from the spleen] is insufficient, the spleen qi does not spread. ‘When [the movement in the vessels] resembles the beak of a crow’ then it is firm and stops by itself.  This is called ‘the qi of the soil is insufficient.’ The disease should be in the center. All these [situations] can be seen.” 27  Wang Bing: “Because [the spleen] rules the four limbs, when it has a disease, one cannot lift them.” 28 Yang Shangshan: “When the spleen is depleted and receives a disease, it cannot pass qi to the nine orifices. Hence they are impassable. [The spleen] does not pass qi through the body. Hence the body becomes heavy (重) and is stiff (強).” Wang Bing: “The solitary depot of the spleen pours [liquid] into the four adjacent [depots]. In the case of disease [in the spleen], the five depots lose their harmony and, as a result, the nine orifices are impassable. 重 is to say: the qi of the depots is duplicated. 強 is to say: the qi is not in harmony.” Gao Shishi: “重 is read in the second tone. 強 is read in the fourth tone. When the spleen [movement in the] ves­sels is out of harmony and when the nine orifices are impassable, then the spleen has a disease and above and below and all the four sides, all have a disease. Hence this is called ‘repeated loss of harm­ony.’ 強 is 不和, ‘out of harmony.’ ”

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19-121-7 When [Huang] Di rose he was startled.29 He paid reference twice knocking his head on the ground and said: “Good! I have received [your teachings on] the great essentials of the [movements in the] vessels and on [the great essentials of ] the perfect numbers in the world. [And I have also heard that as far as the texts] The Five Complexions, The Changes in the [Movements in the] Vessels, To Estimate and Measure, and The Strange and the Normal [are concerned], the Way [expounded in all these texts] is one.30 The spirit turns around, it does not go backwards. When it goes backwards, then it no [longer] turns around. In this case [one] has lost [one’s vital] mechanism.”31 The essentials of the perfect numbers are at hand and yet subtle. He had them inscribed on jade tablets,32 and he had them stored in the depots and palaces.33 He read them every morning. 29  Wang Bing: “瞿 is 忙, ‘in haste.’ ” Gao Shishi: “瞿 is 驚顧, ‘startled.’ ” 30  210/43 does not accept the interpretation of these terms as titles of ancient scripts: “揆 means 揣測, ‘to measure.’ 奇恆 is ‘normal and changed.’ [This passage] points out: For [interpreting] the changes of the five complexions and of the five [movement in the] vessels it is essential to know their normal state and to measure their changes.” 31  Wang Bing: “When the five qi continue their circulation in due time, this is [a si­tuation where] the spirit qi flows in circulatory movement and does not return. If it turns backward, weakens and opposes the [passage of the] normal qi of heaven, then this [is a situation where] it turns back and fails to continue its circulatory mo­vement. Because it turns back and fails to continue its circulatory movement, the dy­namics of the vital qi are lost.” 32 See Han shu, biography of Zhang Heng 張衡, for a use of the term 玉版 to designate an instrument employed in prognostication.

33  Gao Shishi: “藏府 is 密室, ‘private quarters.’ ” Han shu 49, biography of Chao Cuo 晁錯, has 刻于玉版, 藏于金匱, “inscribe them on jade tablets and store them in the golden chest.” In the introduction to the Shi ji, Si-ma Qian states: “故明堂石室, 金 匱玉版, 圖籍散亂, ‘the maps and scripts of the an­cient Hall of Brilliance and Stone Chamber, of the Golden Chest and of the Jade Tablets were [all] scat­tered in chaos.’ ”

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Their title is Jade Mechanism.”  34 19-121-11 [Each of ] the five depots receives qi from the [depot] which it generates; it trans­mits it to the one which it dominates. The qi rests in [that depot] by which [the transmitting de­pot] is generated. Death results [when it is] in that [depot] which [the transmitting depot] cannot dominate. 35 {This is to say ‘passage of qi contrary [to a regular course].’   Hence death [follows].}36 34 See Su wen 15 and 63 for parallel passages. The Tai su has 生機, ‘mechanism of life’, instead of 玉機. 2868/28 emphasises that such parallel passages must not necessarily be interpreted as duplications of original Nei jing passages within the Nei jing. Rather, these appear to be fragments of third texts quoted in similar or different contexts in various treatises of the Nei jing. For details, see there. 138/19: “There may have been a text of this title in ancient times. 玉機 is an in­strument. In the same way as the ‘jade board’ it served as a measure.” 35  Wang Bing: “受氣所生 is to say: they receive disease qi from [a depot] which they themselves generate. 傳所勝 is to say: they transmit [it to a depot] which they themselves dominate. 氣舍所生 is to say: [the qi] rests in [a depot] by which [the transmitting depot] itself is gene­rated. 死所不勝 is to say: death oc­curs at [a depot] by which [the transmitting depot] itself is dominated.” Gao Shishi: “收 should be 授, ‘to give.’ The same applies to [the usages of 收] below. The qi given by the five depots to those [depots] which they generate, this is the proper qi. It is given to the son one generates. If it is transmitted to [a depot] which [the transmitting depot] dominates, this is the disease qi of the five depots. [A depot] transmits it to [the depot] which it dominates. I generate [something else] and [something else] generates me. Both are [instances of ] ‘that which generates.’ The qi which rests in the [depot] which generates/is generated, this is the proper qi of the five depots. It rests in the mother [depot] which generates [the transmitting depot]. Death occurs at [a depot] by which [the transmitting depot] is dominated, [this refers to] the fatal qi of the five depots. Death occurs where one is subdued. This is the depot which [the transmitting depot] itself cannot dominate. When a disease leads to death, this is not a sudden death. It must first be transmit­ted to all the other depots. When it finally reaches the depot which [the depot af­fected first] cannot dominate, then the disease will end in death.” 36  969/61: “This is a ‘reverse passage’ of ‘son transmits to the mother.’ After a transmission through three [depots the qi] has reached [the depot] which cannot be dominated and death follows.”

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The liver receives qi from the heart. It transmits it to the spleen. The qi rests in the kidneys. Death occurs when it reaches the lung. The heart receives qi from the spleen. It transmits it to the lung. The qi rests in the liver. Death occurs when it reaches the kidneys. 19-122-3 The spleen receives qi from the lung. It transmits it to the kidneys. The qi rests in the heart. Death occurs when it reaches the liver. The lung receives qi from the kidneys. It transmits it to the liver. The qi rests in the spleen. Death occurs when it reaches the heart. The kidneys receive qi from the liver. They transmit it to the heart. The qi rests in the lung. Death occurs when it reaches the spleen. ” {All these are cases of death from a [passage] contrary to [a regular course].}37 19-122-6 {One day and one night, this [period] is divided by five.

37  969/61: “This is an ancient commentary which was later mixed up with the text.”

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It is by this that one predicts whether death or survival38 will be early or late.}39 Huang Di:40 “The mutual communications and the transmissions [of diseases] among the five depots, they all follow a [specific] sequence.41 When [one of ] the five depots has a disease, it is always transmitted to the [depot] which [the transmitting] can dominate.42 If it is not cured [there], the law is that after three months or six months, or after three days or six days, [the disease] is [further] transmitted among the five depots and then must result in death.”43 38 Lin Yi et al.: “The Jia yi jing has the character 者 instead of 生.” (In this case the pas­sage reads as: “One may predict whether death will be early or late.”) Wang Shao­ zeng & Xu Yongnian/45: “死生, the meaning emphasized here is 死, ‘death.’ ” 39  Wang Bing: “[A disease transmitted initially by] the liver will end in death [when it has reached the position of ] the lung; i.e., in autumn [or during the period of ] geng xin. The same applies to the remaining four [possibilities]. Also, the morning is ruled by [the term] jia yi; the day­time is ruled by bing ding; the four periods, soil, (some editions have 上; this is a mistake for 土, ‘soil’) are ruled by wu ji; late afternoon is ruled by geng xin; night is ruled by ren gui. From these [relationships] it is possible to know whether death or survival will be early or late.” Gao Shishi: “The five divisions are: yin mao is ruled by [the agent] wood; si wu is ruled by [the agent] fire; shen you is ruled by [the agent] metal; hai zi is ruled by [the agent] water; chen xu and chou wei are ruled by [the agent] soil. When [a disease transmitted by] the liver reaches the lung, [the patient] dies. Death occurs in the period shen you. When [a disease transmitted by] the heart (i.e., fire) reaches the kidneys (i.e., water), [the patient] dies. Death occurs in the period hai zi (i.e., water). When [a disease transmitted by] the spleen (i.e., soil) reaches the liver (i.e., wood), [the patient] dies. Death occurs in the period yin mao (i.e., wood). When [a disease transmitted by] the lung (i.e., metal) reaches the heart (i.e., fire), [the patient] dies. Death occurs in the period si wu (i.e., fire). When [a disease transmitted by] the kidneys (i.e., water) rea­ches the spleen (i.e., soil), [the patient] dies. Death occurs in the pe­riods chen xu and chou wei (i.e., soil).”

40  Zhang Qi and others consider the three characters 黃帝曰 to be erroneous insertions. 41  2215/28: “相通 is 相互貫通, ‘mutual penetration.’ 次 is 次序, ‘sequence.’ ”

42  Wang Bing: “Because the text above has stated that death occurs as a result of reverse transmission, here it states that this is a move contrary to the sequence of transmission to the [depot] which can be dominated.” 43  Wang Bing: “ ‘Three months’ is to say: [the period required by] one single depot for further transmission of a qi. ‘Six months’ is to say: [the period required by the qi]

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This is in accordance with the sequence of transmission to the [depot] which can be dominated.44 19-122-10 Hence, when it is said: ‘By differentiating at the yang, one knows where the disease co­mes from. By differentiating at the yin, one knows the time of death and survival,’45 to reach the position of [that depot which is] dominated [by the transmitting depot]. ‘Three days’ refers to the number of the three yang [conduits] to match them with the days [of transmission]. ‘Six days’ counts them together with the three yin [qi]. Su wen 31 states: ‘A harm caused by cold, within one day it is received by the great yang [conduit]. Within two days it is received by the yang brilliance [conduit]. Within three days it is received by the minor yang [conduit]. Within four days it is received by the major yin [conduit]. Within five days it is received by the minor yin [conduit]. Within six days it is received by the ceasing yin [conduit]. That is meant here.” 44 Lin Yi et al.: “These seven characters follow the preceding commentary [by Wang Bing]. They were erroneously incorporated into [the main text]. They are absent from the Quan Yuanqi edition and from the Jia yi jing.” 458/12: “There is no doubt, [the seven characters 是順傳所勝之次] must be a commentary by Wang Bing, because Wang Bing has writ­ten in a commentary on the previous paragraph the following sentence: 是逆傳所勝之次, ‘this is a move contrary to the sequence of transmission to the [depot] which can be dominated.’ ” 45 Lin Yi et al.: “An examination of an older [version] shows that a commentary was written here as [main text of ] the classic. It should be reverted to a commentary.” For an almost iden­tical passage, see Su wen 07. Zhang Jiebin: “ ‘Yang’ refers to the outside; this is to say: the external indicators. ‘Yin’ refers to the inside; this is to say, to the qi in the depots. Whenever an evil hits the body, it must assume physical appearance in the exterior and through examining the external signs one can know in which conduit the disease is located. Hence through differentiating at the yang one knows the origin of the disease. When a disease harms the qi in the depots, it must destroy its true [qi] and through examining its basis one can know on which day there will be a crisis. Hence through differen­tiating at the yin one knows the date of death or survival.” Ma Shi: “If one differentia­tes at the yang conduits, one knows the origin of the disease, that is, from which yang conduit it has arrived at its present location. From differentia­ting at the yin conduits one knows the date of death or survival. This is what is said in Su wen 05: ‘if next one treats the six palaces,’ [the disease] must not necessarily end in death; ‘if next one treats the five depots,’ the chances of death or survival are half and half. Hence one can know the date of death or survival.” Wu Kun: “ ‘Yang’ is a [movement in the] vessels arriving in harmony; it has stomach qi. ‘Yin’ is a [movement in the] vessels arriving without harmony. Here the true [qi of a] depot dominates and no stomach qi is present. That is to say, that what can differentiated in a harmonious yang [movement in the] vessels, this is: one knows the origin of the disease if one section

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this is to say: one knows that he will die once it reaches that [depot] where it meets distress.46 19-123-1 Hence, the wind is the chief [cause] of the one hundred diseases.47 Now, when wind and cold settle in a person, they let [this] person‘s entire finest body hair [stand up] straight. The skin closes and develops heat. At this time, [the wind and the cold] can be effu­sed through [induced] sweating.48 In some cases block, numbness, swelling, and pain [result].49 At this time, it can be removed through hot water and poultices, as well as through fire cauteriza­tion and piercing.50 If no cure is achieved, the disease enters the lung and lodges there.

is not in harmony. Through distinguishing the true [qi in the] depots in the five yin [movements in the] vessels one can know the date of death or survival in advance.” 46  Wang Bing: “困 is: to reach [a depot] which cannot be dominated.” Gao Shishi: “困 is 受剋, ‘to be subdued.’ ”

47  Su wen 03 has: “The wind is the beginning of the hundred diseases.” Fu Weikang & Wu Hongzhou/280: “長 is 首, ‘head,’ ‘begin.’ ” Zhang Jiebin: “As for 客, [the wind and the cold] arrive from outside like visitors; where they settle is not their permanent [residence].”

48  Wang Bing: “客 is to say: 客止於人形, ‘it settles in the physical appearance of man.’ The wind strikes against the skin; the cold dominates the interstice structures. Hence the fine hair stands up straight, the dark palaces close and heat emerges.” 49  Wang Bing: “These states result because the disease undergoes changes. When the heat strikes blood and qi, then blockage and numbness result. When the coldness qi harms the physical appearance, this causes swelling and pain.” 50  Wang Bing: “That is to say, to disperse the cold evil and to spread the proper qi.” Fu Weikang & Wu Hongzhou/280: “ ‘Hot water’ means: by washing with hot water. ‘Poultice’ means: by ap­plying hot drugs on the skin. 火灸 is 用火燻灼, ‘to cauterize with hot fu­mes.’ ”

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It is [now] called ‘lung block.’  51 It develops cough and rising qi. 19-123-5 If no cure is achieved [at this stage], then the lung will transmit [the disease] further and pass it to the liver. The disease is [now] called liver block. Another name is ‘recession.’  52 The flanks ache and food is thrown up. At this time, one can press as well as pierce.53 If no cure is achieved, the liver transmits it to the spleen. The disease is [now] called ‘spleen wind.’ [The patient] develops solitary [heat] disease and has heat in the abdomen. The heart is vexed and the discharge is yellow. At this time, one can press, one can give drugs, and one can bathe. 19-124-1 If no cure is achieved, the spleen transmits it to the kidneys.54 The disease is [now] called ‘elevation conglomeration ill.’  55 51  Cheng Shide et al.: “痺 is 閉, ‘closed.’ ” Zhang Zhicong: “The skin and the qi section are the yang [section]; the five depots are the yin [section]. When the disease is in the yang [section], it is called ‘wind.’ When it is in the yin [section], it is called ‘blockage.’ The disease has settled in the lung; hence it is called ‘lung blockage.’ 痺 is 閉, ‘closed.’ The evil is en­closed in the lung. Hence one coughs and [suffers from] ri­sing qi.” 52  Wang Bing: “The metal of the lung fells the wood. The qi moves down into the liver. Hence [the text] states: ‘If no cure is achieved, [the lung] transmits it to the liver. The qi of the liver communicates with the gallbladder. The gallbladder tends to develop anger. In the case of anger, qi moves contrary [to its proper course]. Hence another name [of the disease] is ‘recession.’ ” 53  Zhang Zhicong: “按 is 按摩導引, ‘massage and physical exercise.’ ” 54  Gao Jiwu/557: “Some authors interprete 之 as 到, ‘to reach.’ In reality, though, 之 is identical with 于, ‘to.’ It may also be interpreted as 之于, ‘[transmit] it to.’ ”

55  964/2: “The Shuo wen states: 疝 is ‘abdominal pain.’ 疝瘕 is a disease of ‘having lumps in the abdomen that can move and cause pain.’ ” For details, see there.

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The lower abdomen feels pressed,56 is hot and has pain. One‘s discharge is white. Another name is ‘bug poison.’  57 At this time, one can press and one can give drugs. If no cure is achieved, the kidneys transmit it to the heart. One suffers from sinews and vessels pulling each other and becoming tense.58 The disease is [now] called ‘spasms.’ 59 At this time, one can cauterize and one can give drugs. If no cure is achieved, after [the disease] has lasted for ten days, the law is that death must occur. 19-124-5 After the kidneys have transmitted [the disease] to the heart, if the heart transmits it back to the lung, [the patient] develops [feelings of ] cold and heat.60 The law is that after three years one must die.61 56  692/41: “冤 is the same principle as 郁, ‘to feel pressed.’ ” 1574/70: “寃熱 is like 郁 熱, ‘to feel pressed with heat.’ ” 970/4 has a detai­led discussion on the meaning of 寃 in the present context and in­terprets 寃熱, in accordance with Su wen 35 and other treatises, as 煩悗 , “annoyed, vexed.” 57  Wang Bing: “This is as if one’s flesh was eaten by some bug. It wastes away day by day. Hence another name is 蠱, ‘bug poison.’ ” 58  Wang Bing: “When the [qi of the] kidneys is insufficient, then no water is generated. When no water is generated, then the sinews desiccate and become tense. Hence they pull each other. When the yin qi is weak internally and when the yang qi flames up in the outer regions, the sinews and the vessels receive heat and cramp. Hence [the disease] is named ‘spasm.’ ” 59  1790/58: “瘈 is 拘攣 or 拘急, ‘contraction,’ ‘to seize.’ ” 60  Wang Bing: “Because the kidneys transmit [the evil] to the heart and because the heart cannot receive a disease, [the heart] transmits it back again to the metal of the lung. The lung, now, is harmed a second time. Hence [the patient] experiences cold and heat.” Gao Shishi: “The heart rules the spirit-brilliance and usually does not receive evil. Hence when the kidneys transmit the [disease] to the heart, the heart in turn transmits it back and has it pass to the lung.” 61  Wang Bing: “The [transmission from the] lung reaches the kidneys within one year. [The transmission from] the kidneys reaches the liver within one year. [The

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This is the sequence of the [transmission of ] diseases.62 However, those [diseases] that develop all of a sudden,63 they must not necessarily be treated [in accordance with the sequence of ] transmission.64 In some cases, it happens that transmission and transformation [of the disease through the depots] do not follow the [normal] sequence.65 Those that enter [the body] without following the se­quence [of transmission], are anxiety, fear, sadness, joy, and anger. They are the cause that [diseases] are unable to follow this sequence [of transmission]. Therefore they let a person have a serious disease.66 19-124-8 Hence, if a massive depletion [results from] joy, then the qi of the kidneys takes advantage [of this depletion];67 [from] anger, then the qi of the liver takes advantage [of this depletion];68 transmission from] the liver reaches the heart within one year. The fire then avails itself of the lung. Hence [the text] states: ‘three years.’ ” Hua Shou: “ ‘Three years’ should be ‘three days.’ ” Wu Kun has 三噦, “three belches,” instead of 三歲. 62  Wang Bing: “That is to say: transmission [by a depot] to that [depot which is] dominated [by the former].” 63  Gao Shishi: “卒 is to be read as cu [in the sense of ] ‘suddenly.’ ”

64  Wang Bing: “They do not necessarily occur following a sequence of transmission. Hence it is not necessary to treat them in accordance with the [sequence of ] transmission.” 65  Gao Jiwu/562: “以 is used here in the sense of 按照, ‘in accordance with.’ ” 66  Wang Bing: “An outbreak of anxiety, fear, sadness, joy, or anger is not tied to any regular division [of time]. As soon as one encounters [these emo­tions], an outbreak fol­lows. Hence their generation of disease qi does not follow any order either.” Yao Shaoyu: “Harm caused by [any of ] the five emotions accumulates for long and then breaks out all of a sudden. In the beginning it does not come in accordance with [an esta­blished] or­der. Hence the disease does not follow any sequence [of depots].” 67  Wang Bing: “In the case of joy, heart qi is transferred to the lung. The heart qi is not protected. Hence the kidney qi occupies/takes advantage of [the depletion].” 68  Wang Bing: “In the case of anger, the qi moves contrary [to its proper course]. Hence the liver qi occupies the spleen.” The character 怒, “anger”, appears to be a

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[from] sadness, then the qi of the lung takes advantage [of this depletion];69 [from] fear, then the qi of the spleen takes advantage [of this depletion];70 [from] anxiety, then the qi of the heart takes advantage [of this depletion].71 This is the Way of this.72 Hence, there are five diseases. Five [diseases per] five [depots results in] 25 changes, as well as in transformations [occurring in the process of ] transmission. {‘Transmission’ is the term [used here] for ‘taking advantage.’}73 19-125-3 When the major bones have dried and when major [masses of ] flesh have sunk down,74 when the qi in the chest is full and when the breath is panting and does not flow unimpeded, while the qi moves one‘s physical appearance, mistake for 思, “pensiveness.” The qi of the liver, i.e., of wood, takes advantage of the void left by a depleted qi of the spleen, i.e., of soil. Pensiveness is the emotion associated with the agent soil. 69  Wang Bing: “In the case of sadness, the lung qi is transferred to the liver. The liver qi receives the evil [qi]. Hence the lung qi has occupied it.” Zhang Zhicong: “ ‘Lung’ should be ‘liver.’ ‘Sadness’ should be 思, ‘pensiveness.’ ” The character 悲, “sadness”, appears to be a mistake for 怒, “anger.” The qi of the lung, i.e., of metal, takes advantage of the void left by a depleted qi of the liver, i.e., of wood. Anger is the emotion associated with the agent wood. 70  Wang Bing: “In the case of fear, the kidney qi is transferred to the heart. The qi of the kidneys is no longer protected. Hence the spleen qi occupies [the kidneys].” 71  Wang Bing: “In the case of anxiety, liver qi is transferred to the spleen. The liver qi is no longer protected. Hence the heart qi occupies [the liver].” 72  Wang Bing: “That is the normal path/way of [a transmission that does] not follow the [regular] sequence.” 73  252/39: “This appears to be a commentary which later became mixed with the text.” 74  Wang Bing: “When the skin is desiccated and sticks to the bones and when the flesh has sunk in, this is called ‘the major bones have dried and the major [masses of ] flesh have sunk down.’ ” Gao Shishi: “ ‘The major bones’ and ‘the major [masses of ] flesh’ refer to the bones and to the flesh of both arms and thighs.”

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death is to be expected within six months.75 If one notices a [movement of the] true [qi of a] depot [in the vessels], one [can] inform [the patient] of the expected day [of his death]. When the major bones have dried and when major [masses of ] flesh have sunk down, when the qi in the chest is full and when one‘s breath is panting and does not flow unimpeded and when internal pain pulls on the shoulders and the nape, death is to be expected within one month.76 If one notices a [movement of the] true [qi of a] depot in the vessels, one [can] inform [the patient] of the expected day [of his death]. 19-125-6 When the major bones have dried and when major [masses of ] flesh have sunk down, when the qi in the chest is full and when one‘s breath is panting and does not flow unimpeded, when internal pain pulls on the shoulders and the nape and when the body is hot, with the flesh wasting away and the protuberant muscles being destroyed and 75  Wang Bing: “When ‘the qi in the chest is full and when one’s breath is panting and does not flow unimpeded,’ then the lung has lost control. The lung is responsible for or­der and regulation; the qi and the breathing originate from it. When its qi moves the physical appearance, then this is [to say] the qi does not flow in succession. Hence one raises shoul­ders and back to draw in the required qi from afar. In such a situa­tion, all the physical depots have already received harm and the spirit depots are injured, too. When such signs appear, death can be predicted to occur within 180 days. If the true [qi of the] depot ap­pears in the vessels, then the [exact] day of death can be given.” Gao Shishi: “When ‘the major bones have dried out,’ this is a kidney disease. When ‘the great flesh has sunk down,’ this is a spleen disease. When ‘qi fills chest and center and when one’s breath is panting and does not flow unimpeded,’ this is a lung disease. 便 is like 利, ‘unimpeded.’ ‘The qi moves the physical appea­rance’ is to say: the qi does not leave or enter the body unimpeded, hence it causes the body to shake.” 76  Wang Bing: “When the fire essence leaves towards outside and when the yang qi flames above, the metal has been affected by a fire disaster. Hence there is internal pain and shoulders and nape are as described here. Death can be predicted within 30 days. The depot [referred to here is that] of the heart.” Gao Shishi: “Following the kidney disease, the spleen disease, and the lung disease mentioned above, [here now the text] speaks of internal pain affecting shoulders and nape. In this case the disease has pro­ceeded along the conduits and has arrived in the wind palace now. Hence death follows within one month.” (The “wind palace” is a location at the back of the skull, above the nape)

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if one notices a [movement of the] true [qi of a] depot [in the vessels], death [follows] within ten months.77 When the major bones have dried and when major [masses of ] flesh have sunk down, when the shoulders [draw] inwards and when the marrow dissolves, when one‘s movement and ac­tivities weaken increasingly and if one notices the arrival of the true [qi of a] depot, death is to be expected within one year.78 If one notices the true [qi of a] depot, one [can] in­form [the patient] of the expected day [of his death]. 19-126-1 When the major bones have dried and when major [masses of ] flesh have sunk down, when the qi in the chest is full and when there is pain in the abdomen, when one feels un­easy in the heart and when the shoulders, the nape and the body are hot, when the protuberant [muscles] are destroyed and when the flesh has wasted away, when the sockets of the eye have sunk in and when one notices a true [qi of the] depots and when [the patient‘s] eyes do not perceive anybody, death is imminent. If [the patient still] per­ceives someone, he will die when the time is reached that cannot be dominated.79 77  Wang Bing: “The yin qi is weakened and the yang qi flames internally. Hence the body is hot. 䐃 are the tips of the flesh. The spleen rules the flesh. Hence when the flesh looks as if it had fallen off entirely, the 䐃 appear as if destroyed. When such signs appear, death follows after 300 days. 䐃 refers to the flesh behind elbows and knees resembling lumps.” Gao Shishi: “The fat is called 䐃.” Zhang Jiebin, Hua Shou, and Wu Kun suggest “ten days” instead of “ten months.” 78  Wang Bing: “肩髓內消 is to say: the broken basin (i.e., the supraclavicular fossa) is deep. ‘The activities weaken’ is to say: the intercourse [with the other depots] weakens gradually. But the other depots have not been affected yet. Hence death is to be predicted within 365 days. The depot [referred to] is that of the kidneys.” Lin Yi et al.: “The Quan Yuanqi edition and the Jia yi jing have 真藏未見 instead of 真藏來見. 來 is an error for 未, ‘not yet.’ ” Wu Kun, Zhang Zhicong, and others agree. 79  Wang Bing: “The wood generates this fire; the liver qi passes through the heart vessel to reach the lower abdomen. Above it spreads through the flanks and proceeds along the back of the throat into the nape and into the forehead. Hence there is ab-

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In case an acute depletion arrives in the body suddenly, the five depots are closed, [because] they are cut off [from circu­lation], the vessel paths are impassable and the qi fails to come and go. This is like falling or drowning; one cannot determine the time [of death].80 19-126-5 When a [movement in the] vessels is interrupted and fails to arrive, or when it arri­ves five or six times while a person breathes once,81 even if the flesh of his physical appearance has not wasted away and 82 even if one does not notice a true [qi of a] depot [in the movement in the vessels], [that person] must die nevertheless.83

dominal pain and uneasiness in the heart. Shoulders, nape, and the body are hot; the muscle lumps are destroyed and the flesh has fallen off. The liver rules the eyes. Hence the sockets of the eyes have sunk in. When [the patient] cannot see other persons any longer, death follows immediately. ‘At a time which cannot be dominated’ refers to the geng xin month. The depot [mentioned here is that] of the liver.”

80  Wang Bing: “That is to say: When the five depots transfer [a disease] among each other, in cases [the disease] is transmitted to a depot which the transmitting depot cannot dominate, one can wait for the true qi of the depot [to arrive] in the vessels. Once it arrives, the day of death can be predicted. In case an acute depletion evil hits the interior of the body, the five depots are cut off [from circulation] and close [their entrances and exits]. The vessel paths are no longer passable and the qi does not move back and forth. Hence [the text] compares this with a fall or death from drowning; i.e., the days of death cannot be predicted here either.” 81 Lin Yi et al.: “Why should a person die if the [movement in the] vessels arrives five or six times during one breathing period? The character 息 is a mistake for 呼, ‘to ex­hale.’ ” 82 Yu Chang: “The first character 不 may be an erroneous insertion linked to the second character 不. Because the flesh of the physical appearance has fallen off, death is inevitable even though the true qi of that depot does not appear. If the statement were to say ‘the flesh of the physical appearance has not fallen off,’ there should be a 雖, ‘even though,’ in this sentence. It should be worded: ‘Even though the flesh has not fallen off and even though the true qi of the depot does not appear.’ Another [commentator] has stated the character 不 should be 已, ‘completely.’ Su wen 20 has a parallel wording: 形肉已脫, 九侯雖調, 猶死.” 83  Wang Bing: “This is a [movement in the] vessels of ‘dramatic depletion’ and ‘sudden ar­rival [of evil qi].’ ”

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When a [movement of the] true [qi of the] liver arrives in the vessels, which is tense in the center and in the outside as if [one’s fingers] passed along the blade of a knife, giving one a cutting sensation, as if one pressed the strings of a cither,84 and when the complexion is green-white and not glossy, with [the patient‘s] body hair breaking off, then [the patient will] die. When a [movement of the] true [qi of the] heart arrives in the vessels, which beats and is firm and strung together, as if [one‘s fingers] passed along [a line of ] yi yi seeds,85 and when the complexion is red-black and not glossy, with [the patient‘s] body hair breaking off, then [the patient will] die. When a [movement of the] true [qi of the] lung arrives in the vessels, which is big and depleted, as if one touched a person‘s skin with fur or feathers and when the comple­xion is white-red and not glossy, with the [patient‘s] body hair breaking off, then [the pati­ent will] die. When a [movement of ] the true [qi of the] kidneys arrives in the vessels, with is beating and [occasionally] interrupted, [sounding] bi-bi as if a finger hurled a stone and when the complexion is black-yellow and not glossy, with [the patient’s] body hair breaking off, then [the patient will] die. When a [movement of ] the true [qi of the] spleen arrives in the vessels, which is weak and at times frequent, at times spaced, and when the complexion is yellow-green and not glossy, with [the patient’s] body hair breaking off, then [the patient will] die.

84  915/56: “責 is 嘖, ‘to call out.’ 嘖嘖 is the sound of the crow.” 2662/22 separates between 責責然 and 如按.

85  Possibly the seeds of Coix lacryma-jobi L.var.mayuan (Roman) Stapf.

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In all cases where one notices a [movement of the] true [qi of the] de­pots in the ves­sels, [the patients will] die and [can]not be cured.”86 19-126-13 Huang Di: “When one notices a [movement of the] true [qi of the] depots, this is cal­led ‘fatal.’ Why?” Qi Bo: “All the five depots are supplied with qi by the stomach. [Hence] the sto­mach is the basis of the five depots. The qi of the depots cannot arrive by itself at the hand major yin [conduit]; it is only because of the stomach qi that it can arrive at the hand major yin.87 Hence, [the qi of ] each of the five depots, when its time [of dominance has come], it is in its [specific] manner that it arrives at the hand major yin.88 19-127-3 Hence, when evil qi dominates, the essence qi is weakened. Hence, in the case of severe diseases, the stomach qi cannot arrive together with it at the hand major yin. 86 Lin Yi et al.: “Yang Shangshan has stated: ‘Because it is not mixed with other qi, it is called true qi.’ The qi of the five depots are all mixed with stomach qi; they are unable to operate alone. .. As long as the qi of the five depots is mixed with stomach qi one will live a long life. When the true qi [of a depot] appears alone, death is inevitable.” 87  Wang Bing: “The normal [condition] of a balanced person is supplied with qi by the stomach. The stomach qi is the normal qi of a balanced person. Hence it is because of the stomach that the qi of the depots can arrive at the hand major yin [conduit].” Lin Yi et al.: “This is main text of Su wen 18 which was moved here as a comment by Wang Bing.” 88  Wang Bing: “[‘By itself ’ means:] it arrives at the hand major yin [conduit] in its own specific manifestation.” Gao Shishi: “The [qi of the] five depots liver, heart, spleen, lung, and kidneys arrive at the hand major yin [conduit], each at its time [of dominance] and when they cause [the movement of the qi in the vessels] to be string[-like], hook[-like], hair[-like], or stone[-like].”

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Hence, the true qi of the depot appears alone. When it appears alone, the disease has dominated the depot. Hence, this is called ‘fatal.’ ” [Huang] Di: “Good!” 19-127-7 Huang Di: “For all treatments of diseases, one investigates the [patient’s] physical ap­ pearance, his qi, and whether his complexion is glossy, whether the [movement in the] vessels abounds or is weak, whether the disease is new acquired or chronic and then, in treating it, one does not act too late.89 When physical appearance and qi agree, this is called ‘curable.’ 90 When the comple­xion is glossy and [when the movement in the vessels] is at the surface,91 this is called ‘easily brought to an end.’   When the [movement in the] vessels conforms with the four seasons, this is called ‘curable.’  92 When the [movement in the] vessels is weak and smooth, then it has stomach qi. This is called ‘easy to cure.’  

89  Wang Bing: “One strives to be ahead of its time when seizing it.” 90  Wang Bing: “When the qi abounds and the physical appearance abounds; when the qi is depleted and the physical appearance is depleted, this is ‘they agree with each other.’ ” Tanba Genken 丹波元堅: “The qi referred to here is the breath. One must check the quiet or hasty nature of [a patient’s] breathing and compare it with the lean or fat status of his physical appearance, like outside and inside, and consider this as a cornerstone in diagnosis.” 91  Zhang Jiebin: “澤 is 潤, ‘moist.’ 浮 is 明, ‘clear.’ When the color is clear and moist, the disease must be easily brought to an end.” 92  Wang Bing: “When the [movement in the] vessels is string[-like] in spring, hook[-like] in summer, floating in autumn, and encamped in winter, this is called ‘coinciding with the four seasons.’ ”

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Seize the [disease] in time.93 19-128-1 When physical appearance and qi do not agree, this is called ‘difficult to cure.’ 94 When the complexion has faded away95 and is not glossy, this is called ‘difficult to bring to an end.’  96 When the vessels are replete and firm, this is called ‘increasingly serious.’  97 When the [movement in the] vessels opposes the four seasons, [the disease] cannot be cured.98 One must investigate [whether any of ] these four difficulties [is present] and clearly an­nounce them [to the patient].99 The so-called [movement] ‘opposing the four seasons’ [is as follows]: In spring one notices a lung [movement in the] vessels; in summer one notices a kidney [movement in the] vessels; in autumn one notices a heart [movement in the] vessels; in winter one notices a spleen [movement in the] vessels.

93  Wang Bing: “If one waits for the time when it can be seized and then seizes it, then in thousand cases treated a myriad cures will be achieved. That is, one treats according to the location of blood and qi in the course of the four seasons.” Gao Shishi: “In treatment, one must not act too late. Hence [the text] states: ‘seize it in time.’ ” Wu Kun: “ ‘Seize it in time’ is: in spring, pierce the scattered transporters; in summer, pierce the network transporters; in autumn, pierce the skin; in winter, pierce the transporter holes of the interstices.” 94  Wang Bing: “When the physical appearance abounds while the qi is depleted, or when the qi abounds while the physical appearance is depleted, all these are instances of a failure to agree.”

95 On the meaning of 夭 in the Nei jing, see 240/55. SWJZ: “夭 is 屈, ‘to bend.’ ” JJZG: “夭 is 災, ‘catastrophe.’ ”

96  Wang Bing: “夭 is 不明而惡, not clear and bad. 不澤 is to say: withered and desiccated.”

97  Wang Bing: “When the vessels are replete and firm, the evil qi abounds. Hence, [the disease] is increasingly serious.” 98  Wang Bing: “The four preceding sentences are called ‘the four difficulties.’ Hence the following statement. 99  Wang Bing: “These four, it is easy for the crude practitioner to talk about them and it is difficult for the able practitioner to deal with them.”

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100 101 When the disease is heat but the [movement in the] vessels is quiet; when [the disease] is outflow but the [movement in the] vessels is big; when one has lost blood but the [movement in the] vessels is replete; when the disease is in the center but the vessels are replete and firm; when the disease is in the exterior but the vessels are not replete and firm, all these [are situations that] are difficult to cure.”102 Huang Di: “I have heard: depletion and repletion can serve to decide whether [a pati­ent] will die or suvive. I should like to hear about the circumstances [of such decisi­ons].” Qi Bo: “The five repletions are fatal and the five depletions are fatal.”103 [Huang] Di: “I should like to hear about the five repletions and about the five depleti­ons.” 100  Wang Bing: “懸絕 is like an item that was suspended and has now been cut off.” See Su wen 07 for a parallel terminology. 533/18: “懸絕 appears to have the mea­ning of 懸殊, ‘separated.’ ” 101  Wang Bing: “ ‘Does not have [the physical appearance of the depot]’ is to say: it does not have the appearance of the [movement in the] vessels associated with that depot.” 102  Wang Bing: “They all are difficult to cure, because they do not agree with their signs.” 103 For detailed discussions of the concepts of “five repletions/depletions,” see 1266/40, 1502/50, and 2840/11.

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Qi Bo: “An abounding [movement in the] vessels, a hot skin, an abdominal distension, blockage in front and behind; mental and physical pressure, these are called the five repletions.104 A fine [movement in the] vessels, a cold skin, being short of qi, unimpeded outflow in front and behind, beverages or food do not enter [the stomach], these are called the five depletions.”105 19-129-2 [Huang] Di: “Occasionally [people in such situations] sur­vive. Why?” Qi Bo: “When congee enters the stomach and when the diarrheal outpour comes to a halt,106 then those with depletion will survive. When the body sweats and when they can [relieve nature] behind fluently, then those with repletion will survive. These are the manifestations of these [survivals].”

104  Wang Bing: “ ‘Repletion’ refers to abundance and repletion of evil qi. Now, when the [movement in the] vessels abounds, [the evil is in] the heart. When the skin is hot, [the evil is in] the lung. When the abdomen is distended, [the evil is in] the spleen. When the front and the behind are impassable, these are the kidneys. In the case of chest pressure and dizziness, [the evil is in] the liver.” 105  Wang Bing: “ ‘Depletion’ refers to an insufficiency of true qi. Now, when the [movement in the] vessels is fine, [the evil is in] the heart; when the skin is cold, it is in the lung. When one is short of qi, it is in the liver. When there is outflow in front and behind, [it is in] the kidneys. When beverages and food do not enter [the body], [it is in] the spleen.” 106  Gao Jiwu/252: “Guo Aichun-92 states: 注 is a mistake; it should be 利, ‘free flow.’ ”

Chapter 20

Discourse on the Three Sections and Nine Indicators 20-129-6 Huang Di asked: “I have heard about the [art of the] nine needles from you, Sir. [Its applications] are manifold and comprehensive, they are innumerable. I should [now] like to hear the Way of the essential, to entrust it to children and grandchildren; to transmit it to later generations; to attach it to the bones and their marrow, and to store it in liver and lung. [I shall] smear blood around my mouth when [I] receive [this knowledge], [I will] not dare to let it leak [to others] carelessly.  A scroll with a fragmentary version of Su wen 20 − most likely copied during the middle of the Tang dynasty (8th century) − was discovered in the Dunhuang caves in 1899; it is now kept in the National Library in Paris (P.3287). A comparison of the Dunhuang version with the tex­tus receptus in the Su wen was published by Wang Mimi in 1987 (see 1870/38). While no principle is apparent that could have led the compiler of the Dunhuang version in abridging the Su wen version, quite a few passa­ ges in the Dunhuang version are better understandable than in the Su wen version. For details, see 1870/38. Quan Yuanqi and Wu Kun have changed, in their editions of the Nei jing, the title of Su wen 20 to 訣生死論, “Discourse on how to decide about survival and death.”

 On the various meanings of the expression ‘Nine Needles’ in the Nei jing, see 799/16. The author categorizes all usages of ‘Nine Needles’ into four meanings: 1. As a reference to the art of piercing in general. 2. As a reference to a book title. 3. As a reference to the various types of needles. 4. As a reference to the numbers one to nine found in heaven and on earth. The present passage is identified as a refe­rence to piercing in general. 802/190 grouped all usages of ‘Nine Needles’ ac­cording to three meanings: 1. As a reference to a book title. 2. As a reference to the art of piercing. 3. As a reference to the numbers constituting heaven and earth. Here, too, the present passage is identified as a reference to piercing in general.   Zhang Jiebin: “屬 is 付, ‘to hand over.’ ” Ma Shi: “屬 is identical with 囑, ‘to in­ struct.’ ” See also 916/54.

  Wang Bing: “歃血 is ‘to drink blood.’ ” This is a reference to an ancient ritual of smea­ring blood around one’s mouth when taking an oath.

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To have it conform to the Way of heaven, it must have an end and a beginning. Above, it corresponds to the luminaries of heaven, and to the calendrical arrangements of the stars. Below, it concurs with the four seasons and five agents. [Their qi] take their positions of high and low rank one after another. In winter yin [qi dominates] and in summer yang [qi]. How does man correspond to this? I should like to hear the method [to establish this correspondence].” Qi Bo responded: “A question touching the mysterious, indeed! These are the perfect numbers of heaven and earth.” 20-129-11 [Huang] Di: “I should like to hear about the perfect numbers of heaven and earth. To have them match the physical appearance, the blood, and the qi of man and to [be] always [able to] decide about [a patient’s] death or survival, how is that done?” 20-130-1 Qi Bo: “The perfect numbers of heaven and earth, they begin with one and they end with nine.

 Lin Yi et al.: “The Quan Yuanqi edition has 令合天地, ‘let it agree with heaven and earth.’ ”   Wang Bing: “天光 is to say: sun, moon, and the stars. 歷紀 is to say: the arrangement of the passage of sun and moon through the 28 [zodiacal] constellations and the 365 degrees of the sky.”   Wang Bing: “The qi of the five agents ruling during [one of ] the four seasons is of ‘high rank.’ That which assists is of ‘low rank.’ ” See Su wen 22, where the metaphor of ‘high and low rank’ is unambiguously associated with the five agents. Su wen 25 has 更 立 instead of 更互. Gu Guanguang and others consider this to have been the original wording of the present passage, too.   Wang Bing: “至數 is to say: 至極之數, ‘the numbers reaching the final limits.’ ” Wu Kun conside­red the preceding 99 characters as superfluous and omitted them from his version.

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One is heaven; two is the earth, three is man. Subsequently they are multiplied by three – three [times] three is nine – to correspond to the nine fields. Hence, man has three sections. [Each] section has three indicators. They serve to de­cide about death or survival. They serve to manage the one hundred diseases, They serve to regu­late [states of ] depletion and repletion and to eliminate evil and disease.”   20-130-5 [Huang] Di: “What is that to say: ‘three sections’?” Qi Bo: “[Man] has a lower section, has a central section and has an upper sec­tion. Each section has three indicators. The three indicators: [one] is heaven, [one] is earth and [one] is man. One must [use] one’s finger to point them out [on the body] and only then one can accept them as real.10   Wang Bing: “The so-called ‘three sections’ are the upper, central, and lower sections of the human body; they are not the inch, gate, and foot-long sections [at the wrist]. The conduit paths originate from within these three sections. Hence all examinations regarding [a patient’s] death or survival are based on these [locations]. By piercing them to achieve supplementation or drainage, evil diseases can be eliminated.” 10  Wang Bing: “That is to say, they must be taught by a teacher.” Zhang Jiebin: “指 而導之 is to say: one must receive instructions from a teacher.” Gao Shishi: “指而導 之 is to say: one must follow [the vessels] with the fingers and press them.” Tanba: “Zhang Jiebin is right. 真 should be 質.” 703/38: “A Ming manuscript edition has 質,

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The heaven [indicator] of the upper section: the moving vessels on the two [sides of the] forehead.11 The earth [indicator] of the upper section: the moving vessels on the two [sides of the] cheeks.12 The man [indicator] of the upper section: the mo­ving vessels in front of the ears.13 The heaven [indicator] of the central section: the hand major yin [locations].14 The earth [indicator] of the central section: the hand yang brilliance [locations].15 The man [indicator] of the central section: the hand minor yin [locations].16 The heaven [indicator] of the lower section: the foot ceasing yin [locations].17 The earth [indicator] of the lower section:

‘evidence,’ instead of 真, ‘true.’ Also, Wang Bing in his comment states 質 is 成. Hence it is obvious that 真 is a mistaken character.” 11  Wang Bing: “The movement of the qi of the foot minor yang vessels [can be felt] there.” 12  Wang Bing: “This is the vessel movement to be felt on both sides, next to the grand cre­vice, below the nose holes. The movement of the qi of the hand yang brilliance ves­sels [can be felt] there.” 13  Wang Bing: “The movement of the qi of the hand minor yang vessels [can be felt] there.” 14  Wang Bing: “This is to say: the lung vessels. Their movement can be felt in the ‘inch opening’ behind the palm.” 15  Wang Bing: “This is to say: the vessels of the large intestine. Their movement can be felt at the ‘union valley’ section at the junction of the bones between the thumb and the index finger.” 16  Wang Bing: “This is to say: the heart vessels. Their movement can be felt at the ‘spirit gate’ section at the tip of the prominent bone (i.e., the styloid processus) behind the palm.” 17  Wang Bing: “This is to say: the liver vessels. Their movement can be felt − it should be ta­ken while the person lies down − at the ‘five miles’ section in the hollow one and a half inches below the Sheep Droppings (羊矢) [piercing hole] outside the [pubic] hair line.”

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the foot minor yin [locations].18 The man [indicator] of the lower section: the foot major yin [locations].19 Hence, in the lower section the heaven [indicator] serves to examine the liver.20 The earth [indicator] serves to examine the kidneys.21 The man [indicator] serves to examine the qi of spleen and stomach.”22 20-131-3 [Huang] Di: “How about the indicators of the central section?” Qi Bo: “It, too, has a heaven [indicator], it, too, has an earth [indicator], it, too, has a man [indicator]. The heaven [indicator] serves to examine the lung.23 The earth [indicator] serves to examine the qi in the chest.24 The man [indicator] serves to examine the heart.”25 [Huang] Di: “Through which [indicators] is the upper section examined?” Qi Bo: “It, too, has a heaven [indicator], 18  Wang Bing: “This is to say: the kidney vessels. Their movement can be felt at the ‘big ra­vine (大溪)’ section in the hollow behind the ankle and above the heel bone.” 19  Wang Bing: “This is to say: the spleen vessels. Their movement can be felt at the ‘winnower gate (箕門)’ section directly below the ‘five miles’ [section] between the running sinews (趨筋) above the ‘fish belly (魚腹)‘.” 20  Wang Bing: “The foot ceasing yin vessel passes through here.” 21  Wang Bing: “The foot minor yin vessels passes through here.” 22  Wang Bing: “The foot major yin vessel passes through here.” 23  Wang Bing: “The hand major yin vessel is located here.” 24  Wang Bing: “The hand yang brilliance vessel is located here. The classic sta­tes: ‘intestines and stomach are examined together.’ Hence [this loca­tion] is used to ex­ amine the chest-center.” 25  Wang Bing: “The hand minor yin vessel is located here.”

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it, too, has an earth [indicator], it, too, has a man [indicator]. The heaven [indicator] serves to examine the qi at the corners of the head.26 The earth [indicator] serves to examine the qi of mouth and teeth.27 The man [indicator] serves to examine the qi of ears and eyes.28 The three sections, each has a heaven [indicator], each has an earth [indicator] and each has a man [indicator]. Being three they form heaven; Being three they form the earth; Being three they form man. Three times three, together this makes nine. Nine [serves] to divide [the earth] into the nine fields; the nine fields are the nine depots. {The fact is, the spirit depots are five, the physical depots are four. Together this makes nine depots.}29 26  Wang Bing: “[This indicator] is situated at the corners of the head. Hence it serves to examine the qi of the corners of the head.” 27  Wang Bing: “It is situated near mouth and teeth. Hence it serves to examine them.” 28  Wang Bing: “It is located exactly in front of the ears and the vessels reach to the exter­nal canthi of the eyes. Hence it serves to examine the [qi of the ears and the eyes].”

29  Wang Bing: “As for the so-called ‘spirit depots,’ the liver stores the hun-soul, the heart stores the spirit, the spleen stores the sentiments, the lung stores the po-soul, the kidneys store the mind. Because spirit qi resides in each of them, the [text] speaks of ‘five spirit depots.’ The so-called four physical depots include, first, the corners of the head, second, the ears and the eyes, third, the mouth and its teeth, and fourth the chest-center.” Lin Yi et al.: “The passage beginning with 三而成天 and en­ding with 合為九藏 is a repetition from Su wen 09. For commen­taries on its meaning, see there.” Zhang Zhicong: “The spirits of the five depots are generated by the li­quids of the intestines and the stomach. The stomach rules the transformation of water and grains to the [body’s] liquids. The large intestine rules the jin-liquids; the small intestine rules the ye-liquids; the bladder is the place where the liquids are stored. Hence these four palaces are the physical depots.” 138/20: “Wang Bing’s expla­nation is incorrect. [The

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When the five depots have been ruined, the complexion [of the patient] will fade away.30 When it has faded away, [the patient] will die.”31 20-132-5 [Huang] Di: “To conduct an examination, how to proceed?”32 Qi Bo: “One must first assess the physical appearance’s fat or lean [condition] to regulate depletion or repletion of the [patient’s] qi. In case of repletion, drain it. In case of depletion, supplement it.33 20-132-6 One must first remove [an evil from] the blood vessels, and only then one regulates any [depletion or repletion]. Regardless which disease is concerned, [the treatment is continued] until a balance is reached.”34 four physical depots] include the head with the brain, the skeletal structure, the sinews with the ves­sels, and the skin with the flesh.” 30  The Dunhuang version (see 1870/40) has a more concise wording of this passage: 九野為九藏, 神藏以敗, 刑(i.e.,形)藏以竭者, 其色必夭, “the nine fields are the nine depots. When the spirit de­pots are ruined and when the physical depots are exhausted, the [patient’s] complexion must have fa­ded.” The four characters 夭必死矣 do not appear in the Dunhuang version. 31  Wang Bing: “夭 is to say: the complexion of death. It is an indicator of an abnormality. The complexion is the signal of the spirits; the depots are the abodes of the spirits. Hence when the spirits leave, the depots are ruined. When the depots are ruined, the complexion appears as an indicator of an abnormality and this is death.” 32  Zhang Jiebin: “候 means examination (診候) of the nature of the disease.” Zhang Zhicong: “Examine the vessels at the nine indicators in the three secti­ons and needle them.” 33  Wang Bing: “度 is to say: 量, ‘to measure.’ ” Cheng Shide et al.: “調 is 調察, ‘to investi­gate.’ ” 34  Wang Bing: “When the blood vessels are full and hard, this is called: the evil has settled down. Hence they are needled first to let blood. It is only then that [any depletion or repletion] can be regulated. There is no need to enquire whether the disease is an abundance or a depletion. The goal is to balance the qi in the vessels.” Zhang Jiebin: “Whenever there is stagnating blood in the vessels and when there are

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[Huang] Di: “To decide about [a patient’s] death or survival, how is that done?” Qi Bo: “When the physical appearance abounds, while the vessels are fine and when one is short of qi [to a degree that] there is not enough for breathing, [this indicates] danger.35 When the physical appearance is lean, while the vessels are big and when there is much qi in the chest, [this indicates] death.36 When physical appearance and qi agree, [this indicates] survival. When brought together but cannot be made to fit, [this indicates] disease.37 When all the [movements in the vessels at the] nine indicators in the three sections do not conform with each other, [this indicates] death. obstructions, one must first needle [the vessels] and eliminate these obstructions and it is only then that one can regulate any depletion or repletion.” Yan Hongchen & Gao Guangzhen/260: “ ‘Remove the blood vessels’ is ‘remove the stagnations in the blood vessels.’ Ma Shi states: ‘In case of all these diseases there must be an evil. One must first remove the knotted blood inside the vessels to re­move this evil.’ ”

35 Lin Yi et al.: “The Quan Yuanqi edition and the Jia yi jing, as well as the Mai jing have 死, ‘death,’ instead of 危.” The Dunhuang version (see 1870/40), too, has 死, ‘death,’ instead of 危. Also, instead of 少氣 the Dunhuang version has 胸中氣少, “the qi is diminished in the chest,” or: “in the chest and in the center.” Zhang Jiebin: “When the physical appearance abounds while the [movement in the] vessels is fine and while the qi is dimi­nished so that it does not suffice for breathing, then the exterior has surplus and the center has an insufficiency, the branches and leaves abound, while the roots are depleted. Hence a danger of perishing is near.” 36  Wang Bing: “In this case the qi of the physical appearance is insufficient, while the qi in the vessels has a surplus.” 37  Wang Bing: “參 is to say: 參校, ‘to examine.’ 伍 is to say: 類伍, ‘to categorize.’ ” The expression 參伍 , also written參五, to be read “san wu” or “can wu”, has been a metaphor for “mismatched” and “confused” since its earliest usage in the Yi jing, in Xun zi, Han Fei zi, and Shi ji. (See CY 241 and HYDCD 2, 840.) However, the usage of 參伍 in the Su wen (Su wen 17-98-6, Su wen 26-166-9) suggest a meaning of “to bring [various parameters] together [for assessment]”.

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When the [movements in the] vessels above and below, on the left and on the right correspond to each other like the pounding in a mortar, [this indicates that] the disease is se­vere.38 When [those movements in the vessels] above and below, on the left and on the right that do not conform are innumerable, [this indicates] death.39 When the indicators in the central section − even if they alone are in agreement − do not conform with [the status of ] all the [other] depots, [this indicates] death. When the indicators in the central section show a diminished [qi] in comparison [with the remaining sections], [this indicates] death.”40 41 20-133-5 [Huang] Di: “How does one know the location of a disease?” Qi Bo: “Investigate the nine indicators. If [the vessels at] any single one [of them] are small, [this indicates] disease.42 38  Wang Bing: “參舂 is to say: a big and frequent drumming, like the up and down poun­ding of a pestle in a mortar.” For a detailed discussion, see 2496/57. 39  Wang Bing: “ ‘Cannot be counted’ is to say: [the movement in the vessels] ar­rives ten ti­mes or more during one breathing period.” 40  Wang Bing: “減 is to say: 偏少, ‘unilaterally diminished.’ ” 41  Wang Bing: “This refers to the major yang. The major yang vessel emerges from the inner canthus of the eye. When the eye sinks in, the major yang [movement in the ves­sels] has been interrupted.” Zhang Jiebin: “The essence qi of the five depots and six palaces pour all into the eyes and give them clarity. When the eyes are sunk in, the yang essence is lost. Hence [the patient] must die.” 42  Zhang Zhicong: “The [movements in the vessels at] the nine indicators [should] correspond to each other; above and below [should be] like one. They must not lose their correspondence. If one section alone differs, one knows where the disease is located and treats it according to the signs. ‘Big’ and ‘small’ refers to the appearance of the vessels themselves. ‘Hasty’ and ‘retarded’ refers to the frequency of qi [arrivals in

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If [the vessels at] any single one [of them] are big, [this indicates] disease. If [the movement in the vessels at] any single one [of them] is hasty, [this indicates] disease. If [the movement in the vessels at] any single one [of them] is retarded, [this indicates] disease. If [the skin of ] any single one [of them] is hot, [this indicates] disease. If [the skin of ] any single one [of them] is cold, [this indicates] disease. If one single [of them] has sunk down, [this indicates] disease.43 With [your] left hand on the foot, move up to a distance of five inches above the ankle and press [the vessel] there. Both at the right hand [and right] foot, flip [the vessel] exactly at the ankle.44 If the [movement] responding [to one’s finger] extends over five inches or more,45 as if there were wriggling worms, [this indicates] there is no disease.46 the vessels]. ‘Cold’ and ‘hot’ refers to the temperature of the skin in the three sections.” Tanba: “ ‘Hot’ refers to a smooth [movement in the vessels]; ‘cold’ refers to a rough [movement]. When Zhang Zhicong claims that ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ refer to the temperature of the skin, this, I fear, is wrong.” 43  Zhang Jiebin: “陷下 is: [the movement in the vessels] is hidden in the depth and does not rise.” 1990/179 and 951/767 agree, with the for­mer identifying ‘has sunk in’ as in­dicating emaciation of the flesh at the location of any of the nine indicators. For a detailed survey of the various meanings of the phrase 陷下 in the Nei jing, see 757/309. Tanba considered “hot” and “cold” as references to pulse qualities: “ ‘Hot’ is to say ‘smooth [movement in the vessels],’ ‘cold’ is to say ‘tight [movement in the vessels].’ ” See also 53/7 for a discussion of the significance of the appearance or absence of identical mo­vements at all nine indicators. 44  The Jia yi jing has the following version: 以左手于左足上去踝五寸按之, 以右手 當踝而彈之. The Dunhuang version is as follows: 以左手去足內踝上五寸, 指微案 (按)之, 以右手指當踝上微而彈之. Wang Bing: “The [movement] must be examined both at the hands and at the feet. ‘Above the ankle of the hand’ is the hand major yin [movement in the vessels], ‘above the ankle of the foot’ is the ‘foot major yin’ [movement in the] vessels. The foot major yin ves­sel rules the flesh; it is felt in the lower section. The hand major yin vessel rules the qi; it is felt in the central section. Hence the text further down states: When the flesh has wasted away and when [the patient] cannot walk [any longer], this is fa­tal.” 1126/11: “當 is 對, ‘against.’ ” For a description of this technique of pulse feeling, see 733/8.

45  Zhang Jiebin: “應 is 動, ‘to move.’ ” 46  Wang Bing: “Because the qi is harmonious.”

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If the [movement] responding [to one’s finger] is hasty and if it strikes the hand [like a] torrential [stream, this indicates] disease.47 If it strikes the hand slowly, [this indicates] disease. If [the movement] responding [to one’ finger] upwards fails to extend over [the entire distance of ] five inches, or if upon flipping [the vessels] it does not respond [to one’s finger at all, this indicates] death.48 20-134-4 Hence, when the flesh has wasted away and when the body [can] not move, [this indicates] death.49 When [the movement] in the central section arrives at times spaced, at times frequent, [this indicates] death.50 51 47  Wang Bing: “渾渾 is 亂, ‘chaotic.’ ” 915/56: “渾渾 refers to the appearance of a strong water flow.” For a detailed discussion see 1455/46. 48  Wang Bing: “The [movement of ] qi is interrupted; hence, it cannot be felt.” 49 Yang Shangshan: “去 is 行, ‘to move.’ When the flesh is lean and when the body is weak and cannot move, this results in death.” Wang Bing: “When the grain qi in the [body’s] exterior is weakened, the flesh appears as if it had fallen off entirely and the true [qi endowed by] heaven is exhausted in the [body’s] interior. Hence, the body cannot move. When the true [qi] and the grain [qi] are both weakened, death is imminent. 去 is like 行去, ‘to move.’ ” Zhang Zhicong: “This is to say, when the proper qi is depleted, when the flesh has wasted away. The evil remains in the body and does not leave (去). 2111/37: “去 is 行動, ‘to walk and move.’ 2284/60: “去 should be 夫, ‘adult man.’ That is, ‘if the body is no [longer that of an] adult man, [the patient] will die.’ ” For de­tails, see there. 50  Wang Bing: “ ‘At times spaced, at times frequent’ means that the qi is weakened and chaotic. Hence death [follows].” Zhang Jiebin: “ ‘Central section’ [refers to] the vessels of the two hands.” 51  Wang Bing: “A hook[-like movement in the vessels] is a summer [movement in the] ves­sels. In addition, summer qi is in the network [vessels]. Hence the disease is in the network vessels. When the network vessels receive an evil, then the conduit vessels are blocked. Hence [the movement in the vessels] is intermittent and stops.”

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As for the mutual correspondence of the nine indicators, above and below [should be] like one. It must not be that they do not conform with each other.52 When [the movement at] one indicator is late, then [this indicates] disease. When [the mo­vements at] two indicators are late, then the disease is severe. When they are late at three indicators, then the disease is dangerous.53 {The so-called ‘is late’ means: [the movements] responding [to one’s finger] do not arrive together.}54 When investigating the [patient’s] palaces and depots to know the time of death or survi­val,55 one must first know the regular [movement in the] vessels, and then one knows a disease [movement in the] vessels.56 When the true [qi] of a depot appears in the vessels, [the patient will] die [when the disease has reached a depot, or continued until a time] by which it is dominated. Those whose [movement of the] qi of the foot major yang [vessel] has been interrup­ted and who are unable to bend or stretch their feet, they will die with their eyeballs turned upward.”57 52  Wang Bing: “ ‘Above and below are like one’ is to say: speed [of movement] and size [of vessels] are identical.” 53  Zhang Zhicong: “If no movement can be felt at one of the indicators, then one of the qi of heaven, earth, and man is lost . Hence this indicates disease. If the movements at two of the indicators are late and cannot be felt, then two [of the qi] in the three sections are lost. Hence this indicates a severe disease. If the movements at three of the indi­cators cannot be felt, then [the qi] in all three [sections] are lost. Hence this indica­tes a critical disease.” 54  Wang Bing: “俱 is like 同, ‘identical,’ 一, ‘one.’ ” 55  Wang Bing: “When the disease enters the palaces, then it [can be] cured. When it enters the depots, then this is fatal.” 56  Wang Bing: “A ‘[normal movement in the] vessels’ is a [movement in the] ves­sels of the five depots [in accordance with] the four seasons.” 57  Wang Bing: “The foot major yang vessels start from the inner canthi of the eyes, ... they reach to the outer side of the feet. When the [movement of the] major yang qi is interrupted, death [follows] as is outlined here.”

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20-135-1 [Huang] Di: “[In] winter yin [qi dominates], in summer yang [qi]. How is that?” Qi Bo: “All [movements in the] vessels at the nine indicators that are in the depth, fine, suspended, and interrupted, they are yin and they rule in winter. Hence, [patients with such movements] die at midnight. [All movements] that are abounding, racing, panting, and frequent, they are yang and they rule in summer. Hence, [patients with such movements] die at noon. Hence, those who suffer from cold and heat disease, they die at dawn. Those who have a heated center and who suffer from heat disease, they die at noon. Those who suffer from wind [intrusion], they die at dusk. Those who suffer from water [intrusion], they die at midnight. Those whose [movement in the] vessels is at times spaced, at times frequent, at times retarded, and at times hasty,58 they may die in the final thirds of the four [quarters] of the entire day.59 20-136-1 When the physical appearance and the flesh have wasted away, even if the [movements in the ve­ssels at the] nine indicators are in agreement, [the patient will] die. Even if [one of ] the seven diagno­stic indicators [of death] appears, as long as all the [movements in the ves­sels at the] nine indicators comply [with the season],

58  Mori: “疏 and 數 have the same meaning as 遲 and 疾. Hence four of these eight characters may be an insertion. Yang Shangshan refers, in his comment, only to 疏 and 數, not to 遲 and 疾. One may also say that 疏 and 數 refer to the appearance of the [movement in the] vessels, while 遲 and 疾 refer to the strength of the [movement in the] vessels. In this case there were no duplication and hence no later insertion.” 59  We read 日乘 as 乘日, “an entire day long”.

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[the patient] will not die.60 {As for the so-called ‘will not die,’ [this refers to] diseases of wind qi, and diseases associated with the monthly period.61 They appear like diseases of the seven diagno­stic indicators [of death], but they are not. Hence, [the text] states: ‘will not die.’  } If a disease of [one of ] the seven diagnostic indicators [of death] is present, [the patient] will die if the [movement in] the respective vessels indicates destruction too. {[The dying patient] will develop hiccup and belching.}62 20-136-4 One must inquire about the [patient’s] initial disease, and about the present disease.63 60  Wang Bing: “In case of a wind disease, the vessels are big and [the arrival of qi in them is] frequent; in case of diseases associated with the monthly period, the ves­sels are small and tender. Even though these indicators are roughly identical with those of the seven diagnostic indicators [of death], the evidence they give of death or survival is different. Hence [the patient] will not die.” Wu Kun: “When wind harms a person, the head will be affected first. Hence the vessels in the upper section alone are big, [the movement in them is] hasty and [the skin is] hot. In case of diseases [associated with] the monthly period, [despite a] surplus in the passage of blood, the vessels in the lower section are insufficient. Therefore they alone are small, or they alone have a retarded [movement], or they alone are cold, or they alone are sunk in. That is, all these [states] resemble disease vessels of the seven diagnostic indicators [of death], but they are not. Hence [the text] states: ‘will not die.’ ” The Dunhuang version (see 1870/40) has 上七候, “the seven indicators [of death mentio­ned] above,” instead of 七診. In fact, altogether eight indicators of death are mentioned in the prece­ding survey; also the wording 七診 appears in the fol­lowing passage. Hence 上七候 may have been a change from 七診, the mea­ning of which may have been understood as little by the compiler of the Dun­huang version as it was by later commentators. See also 2017/5. 61  In contrast, Zhang Jiebin: “經月 is ‘long term.’ ” Yao Shaoyu: “經 is 久, ‘long time.’ That is to say, the disease lasts longer than a month. An interpretation as ‘monthly period’ is wrong.” Zhang Zhicong: “經月病 is 水病, ‘water diseases.’ ” The Dunhuang version (see 1870/40) has 經間 instead of 經月. The mea­ning is not clear; it might parallel 經期 and 經時, “the menstrual period.” 62  The Dunhuang version (see 1870/40) has 死者必發噦噫, “the dying [patient] will develop hiccup and belching.” Wang Bing: “When the essence of the stomach is exhausted internally, the spirit not longer guards the heart. Hence this belching develops at the time when [the patient] dies.” See Su wen 23 for the rationale of this statement. 63  Wang Bing: “方 is 正, ‘right [now].’ ” Gao Shishi: “The Way of all examinations of diseases is such that ‘one must ask about the initial disease’ is [to say:] one must

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Then one [must] squeeze all the vessels and inspect the conduits and the network [vessels] near the surface and in the depth. One follows them upward and downward, contrary to and following [the flow of their contents].64 When the [movement in] these vessels is hasty, [this indicates] no disease.65 When the [movement] in these vessels is retar­ded, [this indicates] disease.66 When no [movement in the] vessels comes and goes, [this indicates] death. When the skin sticks [to the bones, this indicates] death.”67

investigate the origin from which a disease arrived. ‘One searches for the present disease’ is: one investigates its present signs.” Zhang Zhicong: “The ‘initial disease’ is a disease that has lasted for long and is in the depth. The ‘present disease’ is a recently acquired evil; it has not penetrated [the body] deeply [yet].” The Dunhuang version (see 1870/40) has 必須審諦問其所始, 若所始之病于今所痛異者, 乃定吉凶, “one must investigate, through questioning, the beginning [of the disease]. If there is a difference between the disease at the beginning and where it hurts now, then one may determine [whether the disease will have an] auspicious or unauspicious out­come.” 64  Wu Kun: “各切 is: feel each of the nine indicators. To bring the fingers close to the vessels, this is called 切; to follow the vessels with the fingers, this is called 循. Those of the vessels that run straight [through the body], they are called ‘conduits.’ Those that branch out and run transversely, they are the ‘network [vessels].’ Those visible at the surface, they are the ‘tertiary network [vessels].’ Vessels in the outer parts are ‘at the surface;’ those in the inner parts are ‘in the depth.’ Those located high [in the body] are ‘up;’ those located below are ‘down.’ To move against them with the fingers is ‘contrary;’ to follow them is ‘compliance.’ ” Most commenta­tors, though, interpret the second 循 as a reference to treatment which should ‘follow’ the status of the movement in the ves­sels. We follow Wu Kun since the present text is clearly divided into a diagnostic sec­tion, including this second 循, and a section devoted to treatment. Zhang Zhicong: “In case of diseases that have lasted for long, the [movement in the] vessels is in the depth and stands in opposition. In case of re­cent diseases, the [movement in the] vessels is compliant and at the surface. Hence one must observe the conduits and the net­work [vessels] near the surface and in the depth and [after investigating whether the evil is] above or below and whether [the movement in the vessels] is in oppo­sition, or is compliant, [one carries out one’s treatment] ac­cordingly.” See also Gu dian yi zhu xuan bianxiezu /52.

65  Wang Bing: “Because the qi is strong and abounds.” 66  Wang Bing: “Because the qi is insufficient.”

67  Wang Bing: “The bones are dried out.” Zhang Jiebin: “The blood and the liquids have been lost completely. [Hence this is to] say: the skin is dried and sticks to the bo­nes.”

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20-136-7 [Huang] Di: “Of these, the curable [diseases], how [are they treated]?” Qi Bo: “In case of diseases in the conduits, treat the conduit. In case of diseases in the tertiary network [vessels], treat the blood in the tertiary network [vessels].68 In case of diseases in the blood and if the body has pain, treat the conduits and network [vessels].69 If the disease consists in an unevenly distributed evil, then carry out a misleading piercing with respect to the vessel affected by the unevenly distributed evil.70 If the [evil] stays [at one place, if the body] is lean, and [if the disease] does not move, pierce section by section.71 68  Wang Bing: “When blood stagnates [in the tertiary network vessels] pierce [the vessels] and let it [flow away].” Lin Yi et al.: “The Jia yi jing does not have the two characters 孫絡, ‘tertiary.’ ”

69 Lin Yi et al.: “The Jia yi jing does not have the two characters 血病, ‘blood disease.’ ”

70  Wang Bing: “奇 is to say 奇繆不偶之氣, ‘a qi [affecting only] a single [conduit] not a pair [of conduits],’ occupying a misleading location in the conduit vessels. Hence it is [treated by] ‘misleading piercing.’ ‘Pierce it misleadingly’ is: In piercing the network vessels, if [the evil is] on the left, take it from the right; if it is on the right, take it from the left.” Zhang Jiebin: “奇邪, ‘unevenly distributed evil,’ does not enter the conduits; the disease is in the net­work [vessels]. When the evil resides in the big network [vessels], then from the left it flows into the right, from the right it flows into the left. This qi does not occupy a permanent location. Hence one must [treat] it by ‘misleading piercing.’ ” Zhang Zhicong: “In case of  ‘unevenly distributed evil,’ an evil does not enter the conduits but flows into the big network [vessels] and generates strange diseases.” This commentary is sup­ported by the wording in Su wen 63. Wu Kun: “奇 邪 is an evil affecting only one of a pair of the single conduit [vessels].” 71  Wang Bing: “When the disease qi stagnates, when the physical appearance is lean and when the signs [of the disease] do not change, then follow the rhythm of [the patient’s] breathing and apply a nourishing piercing.” Cheng Shide et al.: “留 is: the evil qi stagnates. .. 不移 is to say: the disease evil does not move. 節 is 層次, ‘levels.’ Another opinion identifies 節 as ‘joints.’ ” For example, Zhang Jiebin: “Whenever a disease evil stays for long and does not move, there must be accumulations in the eight folds of the four limbs. Hence one must search for them at the locations of the joints and needle there. This way the [qi] can be regulated.” Zhang Zhicong: “When a disease is in the vessels and network [vessels], take it from the vessels; when a disease is in the bones and joints, treat the joints.” 2284/60: “瘦 should be 廋, ‘to be con­cealed.’ ” For details of this argu­ment, see there.

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20-137-1 In case of repletion above and depletion below, squeeze [the vessels] and follow them [with the fingers], search for their knotted network vessels, pierce them and let their blood flow out, so that they are made passable [again].72 Those whose pupils are high,73 their major yang [qi] is insufficient. Those whose eyeballs are turned upward,74 their major yang [qi] is interrupted. These are the essentials of how to decide about death and survival; it is absolutely essential to investigate them.” >The fingers of the hand move five fingers above the outer ankle of the hand and let the needle stay there.[Huang] Di: “How is it treated?” Qi Bo:< “As for the so-called qi depletion, this is to say: there is no permanence [associated with it].18 When the foot-long section is depleted, [the patient] walks timidly.19 When the vessels are depleted, 17  Wang Bing: “That is to say: the vessels are depleted both in the foot and in the inch [section].” Lin Yi et al.: “The Jia yi jing has 脈虛氣虛尺虛, ‘the ves­sels are depleted, the qi is depleted, the foot-long section is depleted. This is called doubled depletion. [In the Su wen] here one character 虛 is less [than in the Jia yi jing] and a character 上 is added. Wang Bing states in his comment: ‘the vessels are depleted both in the foot and in the inch [section].’ But this does not [mean that] all the qi is de­pleted. One should take into consideration the text above [stating] ‘if one suffers from a heat disease, when the qi is hot and when the ve­ssels are full, this is a doubled repletion.’ Here now [the text states]: ‘when the vessels are depleted, the qi is depleted, and the foot-long section is depleted, then this is a doubled depletion.’ That is, when the vessels and the qi are all replete, then this is a doubled repletion. When they are all depleted, then this is a doubled depletion. It is not so that only when both the foot and the inch [section] are depleted a doubled depletion is present.” Tanba: “Lin Yi et al. is correct.” 18 Yang Shangshan: “In the case of qi depletion, the qi of the chest center is unsettled.” Wang Bing: “When the inch [sections show a] depletion, then the movement in the vessels is abnormal.”

19  Cheng Shide et al.: “恇 is ‘timid,’ and ‘weak.’ ” Tanba: “Ling shu 74 has 尺肉弱 者解㑊安臥, ‘the flesh of the foot-long [region] is weak; one experiences jie-yi and sleeps peacefully.’ The same meaning is expressed by 步行恇然, ‘to walk timidly.’ All authors have interpreted ‘foot-long’ as part of [the diagnostic system of ] inch [section], gate [section], and foot-long section [where the movement in the vessels is to be felt]. That is wrong.”

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this does not manifest itself in yin [or yang movements].20 In such cases, if [the vessels] are smooth, then the [patient] will survive; if they are rough, then he will die.” 28-175-2 [Huang] Di: “When cold qi rises violently and when the vessels are full and if there is repletion,21 how is that?” Qi Bo: “If [the vessels] are replete and smooth, then [the patient] survives;

20 Yang Shangshan: “When the vessels at the inch-opening show depletion, then the lung, which is [associated with the] hand major yin [conduit], is deple­ted. The yin qi is insufficient. Hence [the text] states: ‘no manifesta­tion.’ ” Wang Bing: “It does not manifest signs of the major yin. Why do I say so? The qi opening is the important meeting point of the vessels; it is where the movement of the hand major yin [conduit can be felt].” Zhang Jiebin: “The qi opening is the only location ruled by all five de­pots. It is the important meeting point of [all] the vessels. The five depots are yin. When a depot is depleted, then the [corresponding] ve­ssel is depleted [too]. When a vessel is depleted, then this manifests itself as yin deterioration. Hence [the text] states ‘it does not manifest the yin.’ ” Wu Kun: “The vessels are the palaces of the blood. When the vessels are depleted, one knows that blood was lost. Hence [the text] states: it does not manifest yin (i.e., blood).” Yu Chang: “The character 陽 appears to be missing subsequent to the character 陰. 陽, ‘yang’ rhymes with the characters 常, chang, and 恇, kuang, above. The omission of the character 陽 has destroyed the rhythm of the rhyme. Also, a [movement in the] vessels cannot have only yin but no yang.”

21  Both Su wen 48 and 62 suggest that the notion of  “fullness” (滿) may have referred to a tangible diagnostic parameter, i.e., to a physical condition noticeable to the patient and/or to the physician, while the notion of “repletion” (實) appears to have been employed to refer to an abstract diagnostic parameter, i.e., to a condition defined in theoretical terms. In the context of the present treatise the juxtaposition of “fullness” and “repletion” may be based on a similar distinction. However, given a predominance of vessel parameters in the present treatise suggesting traces of an older visual or tactile examination of the skin above the vessels rather than a feeling of the movement in the vessels, we cannot exclude the possibility of 實 having been employed here to refer to a “solid” state of the vessels.

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if they are replete and if [the movement in the vessel] is contrary [to its regular course],22 then [he] will die.”23 [Huang] Di: “When the vessels are replete and full, while the feet and the hands are cold, and the head is hot, how is that?” 28-175-5 Qi Bo: “[If this happens] in spring or autumn, then [the patient] will survive; if it happens in winter or summer, [he] will die.”24 25 22  Wang Bing: “逆 is to say: 濇, ‘rough.’ ” Lin Yi et al.: “When Wang Bing interprets 逆 as 濇, then this is a gross mistake. The ancient texts are very concise; they often use reciprocal phrases. Above it is stated ‘smooth’ and below it is stated ‘contrary [to its regular course].’ Hence one easily knows that in case of ‘smoothness’ there is ‘compliance,’ and one sees that in case of ‘movement contrary [to its regular course]’ there is ‘roughness.’ This is not to say that ‘movement contrary [to its regular course]’ is ‘roughness.’ ” 630/41: “The Jia yi jing and the Mai jing have 順滑/滑順 instead of 滑 and 逆澀 instead of 逆.” 23  477/53: “The meaning of this sentence is: ‘When the [movement in the] vessels is replete and smooth, then [the patient] will survive; when the [movement in the] vessels is replete and complies [with the signs of the disease], then he will survive, too. When the [movement in the] vessels is replete and in contrast [to the disease signs], then [the pa­tient] will die. When it is replete and rough, he will die, too.” 1133/31 agrees. 24  Wang Bing: “Generally speaking, when in summer hands and feet are cold, this is not a disease. This is summer carrying out the orders of winter. One ac­quires it in summer and dies in winter. When in winter the vessels are replete and full and when the head is hot, that, too, is not a disease. That is winter carrying out the orders of summer. One acquires it in winter and perishes in summer. If the same were said with summer and winter exchanged, then in no case one would die. If, though, one ac­quires these [states] in spring or autumn, that is a disease. Hence [whether a patient] survives or dies [is decided] in the middle month of a season.” 25 Lin Yi et al.: “[These 11 characters from 脈浮而濇濇而身有熱者死] have been moved here [by Huangfu Mi in] the Jia yi jing. In older [versions of the Su wen] they followed [the statement below] 帝曰形度骨度 .. 以知其度也. The mea­ning of the following answer does not fit [that question]. Wang Bing was well aware of that erroneous insertion, but he did not know that Huangfu [Mi] had moved [these 11 characters] here. Now we have eliminated [this statement] from the paragraph further

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[Huang] Di: “When his physical appearance is completely filled, how is that?”26 Qi Bo: “When his physical appearance is completely filled, the vessels are tense, big and firm. The foot-long section is rough and does not correspond.27 In such a case, the fact is, if there is compliance, then [the patient] survives; if there is opposition, then [he] will die.”28 down (i.e., 28-177-1) and we have moved it here.” Ma Shi: “This passage is not part of a question and answer dialogue; it may have been moved here erroneously.” The Tai su, ch. 30 “Shen du” 身度, still has this passage in what Lin Yi et al. refers to as an “older version.” 26  Gao Shishi: “形 is 身, ‘body.’ 滿 is like 實, ‘replete.’ ” Zhang Zhicong: “The kidneys are the water depot; their qi is cold. The preceding paragraph stated that cold qi sud­denly rises, here now it speaks of an overflow from the water depot. Hence the physical appearance is entirely filled. ‘Physical appearance’ is to say: skin and muscle interstices. The space in the muscle interstices is ruled by qi which has no physical appearance. When it is inva­ded by the blood which has physical appearance, then this results in swellings.” 27  Wang Bing: “形盡滿 is to say: the four tangible depots are completely filled.” (I.e., the stomach, the large intestine, the small intestine, and the bladder). Lin Yi et al.: “The Jia yi jing and the Tai su have 滿, ‘full,’ instead of 濇, ‘rough.’ ” Wu Kun: “形 refers to the four tangible depots. 滿 is: replete with evil qi. 脈 is the vessel in the inch section. When the temples, the ears, the eyes, the mouth, the teeth, and the chest are all filled with evil qi to repletion, then the inch vessel in the upper section must be tense, big, and firm. The lower [part of the] body has no disease. Hence the vessel in the foot-long section is rough and does not correspond to [the condition of the vessel] in the inch [section].” Zhang Jiebin: “This refers to the signs of yang repletion and yin depletion. The yang has a surplus, hence the physical appearance is entirely filled. The vessels should be tense, big, and firm. The yin is insufficient. Hence the foot-long section is rough and does not corre­spond [to the yang section].” Guo Tian: “不應 is: the [movement in the] vessels and the physical body do not correspond.” Tanba: “The skin in the foot-long section is rough and the vessels are tense, big, and hard. These [two parameters] do not correspond. The Jia yi jing and the Tai su have 滿, ‘filled,’ instead of 澀, ‘rough.’ ” 28  Guo Tian: “Smoothness is compliance; roughness is opposition. In the present case, the [movement in the] vessels is tense, big, and firm. The foot-long section is rough and does not correspond. This being so, if there were smoothness [in the footlong section], this would be compliance and [the patient] would survive. When there is roughness, this is opposi­tion and [the patient] will die.”

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28-175-8 [Huang] Di: “What is that to say: ‘if there is compliance, then [the patient] survives; if there is opposition, then [he] will die?’ ” Qi Bo: “The so-called ‘compliance,’ [that is to say:] the hands and the feet are warm. The so-called ‘opposition,’ [that is to say:] the hands and the feet are cold.” [Huang] Di: “When a feeding mother29 suffers from heat with her vessels being suspended30 and small, how is that?” Qi Bo: “When her hands and feet are warm, then she will survive. When they are cold, she will die.”31 29  Zhang Jiebin: “乳子 is 嬰兒, ‘infant.’ ” Wu Kun: “乳子 is 乳下孩, ‘suckling.’ ” 86/345 identifies 乳子 as 嬰兒, ‘infant.’ ” Yao Shaoyu: “乳子 is to say: a woman that has given birth to a child and feeds it with milk.” Cheng Shide et al.: “It is correct: in an­cient times, 乳子 referred to a woman feeding [her infant with] milk.” Zhang Qi and Tanba: “乳子 is 產後, ‘[a woman] after delivery.’ ” 966/33: “The Shuo wen states: ‘When humans or birds give birth to offspring, this is called 乳; for four-legged animals it is [called] 產.’ Hence there are many instances in ancient times where 乳 was interpreted as 產. (For a long list of examples from classical literature, see there) To conclude, in the present text 乳子 has, without any doubt, the meaning of 產婦, ‘lying-in woman.’ ” 1677/6 agrees with a detailed argument and concludes: “乳子 is ‘giving birth to a child.’ The term 乳子 was used in the meaning of ‘infant’ only after the Nei jing was compiled, i.e., beginning with the Tang and Song.” 960/40 agrees on the basis of a detailed argumentation. 969/64: “The diseases of in­fants can be diagnosed only by an inspection of the network [vessels], not be feeling the pulse. Hence one knows that Zhang Jiebin’s identification of 乳子 as ‘infant’ is wrong.” Li Guoqing agrees. 30  Wang Bing: “懸 is to say: it moves like something that is suspended.” Guo Tian: “懸 is 絕, ‘interrupted.’ ” Zhang Qi: “懸 is 弦, ‘string[-like].’ When subsequent to delivery blood and qi are depleted, [the woman] suffers from heat and has a string[-like] and fine [movement in the] vessels, the string[-like movement] indicates stagnant cold; the fine [movement] indicates diminished qi. That is, despite a yang disease a yin [movement in the] vessels appears.” Zhang Yizhi et al.: “懸 and 弦 were used interchangeably in ancient times. The Mai jing 脈經 has 弦 instead of 懸.”

31 Lin Yi et al.: “The Tai su does not have the character 手. Yang Shangshan stated: ‘When the feet are warm, the qi has descended. Hence [that person] survives. When

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[Huang] Di: “When a feeding mother was struck by wind and heat and when she pants with sounds and breathes [by using her] shoulders,32 what are her vessels like?” Qi Bo: “When she pants with sounds and breathes [by using her] shoulders, the vessels are replete and big. When they are relaxed, then she will survive; when they are tense, then she will die.”33 [Huang] Di: “In the case of intestinal flush with bloody stools, how is that?” Qi Bo: “When the body is hot, then [the patient] will die; when it is cold, he will survive.”34 [Huang] Di: “In the case of intestinal flush passing down white foam, how is that?” Qi Bo: “When the vessels are in the depth, then [the patient] will survive; when the vessels are near the surface, then [the patient] will die.”35 the feet are cold, the qi does fails to descend. It moves contrary [to its normal direction] and this leads to death.” This passage does not appear in the textus receptus of the Tai su.

32  Zhang Zhicong: “肩息 is 呼吸搖肩, ‘to move one’s shoulders up and down while breathing.’ ” 33  Wang Bing: “ ‘Relaxed’ is to say: like a loose warp; ‘tense’ is to say: like a tense string. This is not the being relaxed or tense of the coming and going [of the movement in the vessels].”

34  Wang Bing: “[The body is] hot when the blood is destroyed. Hence [that per­son] will die. [When he body is] cold, the camp qi is present. Hence [that person] will survive.” 35  Wang Bing: “This is a yin disease, but one observes a yang [movement in the] vesels. The [movement in the] vessels and the signs [of the disease] contradict each other. Hence [that person] will die.”

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28-176-8 [Huang] Di: “In the case of intestinal flush passing down pus and blood, how is that?” Qi Bo: “When the vessels are suspended and interrup­ted,36 then [the patient] will die; when they are smooth and big, then he will survive.” [Huang] Di: “In cases of [diseases] of the intestinal flush type,37 when the body is not hot and when the [movement in the] vessels is not suspended and interrupted, how is that?” Qi Bo: “When [the vessels] are smooth and big, this is to say: [the patient] will sur­ vive; when they are suspended and rough, this is to say: he will die. Predictions are made on the basis of which depot [is affected].”38 28-176-10 [Huang] Di: “How about peak illness?” Qi Bo: “When the vessels are beating,39 big and smooth, [the disease will last] for a long time, [and then] end by itself. When the vessels are small, firm and tense, [the patient] will die and [can] not be treated.”40 36  Guo Tian: “懸絕 is: extremely weak and interrupted.” 37  Guo Tian: “屬 is 類, ‘type.’ ”

38  Wang Bing: “When a liver [movement in the vessels] appears at a geng xin [date, the patient] will die. When a heart [movement] appears at a ren gui [date, the patient] will die. When a lung [movement] appears at a bing ding [date, the patient] will die. When a kidney [movement] ap­pears at a wu ji [date, the patient] will die. When a spleen [movement] appears at a jia yi [date, the patient] will die. This is meant by 以 藏期之.” 39 For a discussion of the usage and meaning of 搏 and 摶 in the Nei jing, see 1205/42. 40  Wang Bing: “A [movement in the] vessels that is small, firm, and tense, is a yin [movement]. It is a yang disease, but a yin [movement in the] ves­sels appears. Hence

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[Huang] Di: “When in the case of peak illness the vessels41 [show] depletion or repletion, how is that?” Qi Bo: “When [they show] depletion, [the patients] can be treated; when [they show] repletion, then [the patient] will die.”42 [Huang] Di: “When in the case of wasting solitary [heat] disease 43 [the vessels show] depletion or repletion, how is that?” Qi Bo: “When the vessels [show] repletion and are big, the disease lasts for long and can be treated. When the vessels are suspended, small, and firm, the disease lasts for long and cannot be treated.”44 28-177-1 [Huang] Di: “The measures of the physical appearance, [i.e.,] the measures of the bones, the measures of the vessels and the measures of the sinews, how can these measures be known?”45 [the patient] will die and cannot be treated.” 41  In contrast, Guo Tian: “脈 refers here to diagnosis in general, not to an examination of some type of [movement in the] vessels.” 42  Wang Bing: “Because [the movement in the vessels] is opposite to the signs [of the disease].” 43  Guo Tian: “癉 is read 丹, dan; it means ‘heat.’ ”

44  Wang Bing: “In the case of a chronic disease, the blood and the qi weaken and the vessels should not be replete and big. Hence [the disease] cannot be cured.” Lin Yi et al.: “The classic states: ‘when the [movement in the] vessels [shows] repletion and is big and when the disease has lasted for a long time, it can be cured.’ The commentary [by Wang Bing] implies ‘it cannot be cured.’ The Jia yi jing, the Tai su and also the Quan Yuanqi edition, they all have ‘can be cured.’ ” 138/21: “The original text ends with 病久不可治. The subsequent text was misplaced here.”

45  Wang Bing: “The ‘measures of the physical appearance’ are dealt with in the San bei jing 三備經 (a text no longer extant). The ‘measures of the sinews, the measures of the vessels, and the measures of the bones’ are all dealt with in the Ling shu jing 靈樞經. This present question would fit the beginning of those treatises in the [Ling shu] jing. Here it is an erroneous insertion. Another [version of the] classic has this

472

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[Huang] Di: [

]

[Qi Bo:] “If in spring one hastily46 treats the conduits and network [vessels],47 if in summer one hastily treats the transporters on the con­duits, and if in autumn one hastily treats the six palaces, then, when it is winter, [the qi] will be obstructed. When it is obstructed, employ drugs and, to a lesser degree, needles and [pointed] stones.48 {When it is said [here]: ‘to a lesser degree needles and [pointed] stones,’ this does not refer to [the treatment of ] yong- and ju-abscesses.}49 question at the beginning of the treatise Ni cong lun 逆從論; that is a mistake.” See also note 25 above. Guo Tian: “度 is 量, ‘measure.’ 形度: The spleen and the lung rule the physical appearance. This refers to the thick or thin, fat or lean condition of the muscles, the flesh, and the skin. 骨度: The kidneys are linked to the bones. This refers to the size and length of the bo­nes. 脈度: The heart is linked to the vessels. This refers to whether the vessels run from above downwards, or from below upward. 筋度: The liver is linked to the sinews. The sinews can be measured in terms of depletion and repletion, too.”

46  Wang Bing: “亟 is like 急, ‘tense.’ ” On the different meanings of 亟 in the Nei jing, see Qian Chaochen-88/62-63. In contrast, Guo Tian: “亟 is 憊, ‘exhausted,’ 病, ‘disease.’ ” In its treatises Jin ji xu 禁極虛 (“Avoidance of Extreme Depletion”) and Shun shi 順時 (“Going along with the Seasons”), the Tai su relates a prohibition to exhaust yin or yang qi in the course of the four seasons. The present statement appears in this context, with the character 亟 being replaced there by the character 極, “exhaustion.” 47  Wang Bing: “閉塞 is to say: the door gate of the qi is closed.” Guo Tian: “春亟 is a disease of the liver/wood. At their beginning, liver diseases are still in the conduitsnetwork [vessels]. The disease is near the surface and hence the treatment is near the surface. Hence one treats the respective conduit-network [vessels].” 48  Zhang Zhicong: “The qi of the winter season is closed in and stored inside. Hence it is appropriate to employ drugs, and only to a lesser degree needles [and] stones. The reason is: needles [and] stones regulate the outside; toxic drugs regulate the inside.”

49  Ling shu 81 defines the terms 癰 and 疽 such that one is tempted to identify 癰 as “abscess” and 疽 as “phlegmon.” The term 癰疽, though, may refer to various types of localized open or closed purulent processes in general. Wang Bing: “Even though the qi gates are closed in winter, the qi of yong- and ju-abscesses is nevertheless violent and creates large [amounts of ] pus in­ternally. If one does not quickly drain it then it will putrefy the si­news and let the bones rot. Hence, even though it is winter time, it is

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Yong- and ju-abscesses must not be given [even] a short time to return.50 If one does not know the location of an emerging yong-abscess and if one presses for it but it does not respond to one’s hand, when at times it comes and at times [appears] not to exist any longer, pierce three wounds51 to the side52 of the hand major yin [conduit] and two on each of the capstring vessels.53 28-177-5 In the case of yong-abscesses in the armpits54 together with massive heat, pierce the foot minor yang [conduit] at five [locations]. If after the piercing the heat does not stop, pierce the hand heart ruler [conduit]55 at three [locations] and

nevertheless appropriate to employ needles and stones for opening [the abscesses] and for removing the [pus].” Guo Tian: “That is to say, in the case of abscesses associated with the kidneys, one can still use needles [and/or] stones for treat­ment.”

50  Wang Bing: “Why is it that the yong- and ju-abscesses, if one has acquired it in winter, is to be treated by means of needles and/or stones? Because this disease, if only a short time has passed without it having been drained, will cause sinews and bones to rot internally and it will penetrate the depots and palaces.” Guo Tian: “傾時 is 片 刻, ‘a short while.’ 回 is 深入, ‘to enter deeply.’ Yong- and ju-abscesses may be light, nevertheless one must not let even a short time pass before treating them, lest the disease deeply penetrates [the body] and reaches the depots.” The Tai su has 不得須 時, ‘do not wait any time.’ Yang Shangshan commented: “Because abscesses are violent diseases, one must not waste any time before applying the needle.” 51  Ma Shi: “The wound caused by piercing is called 痏.” Guo Tian: “This is the tiny wound left after inserting a needle.” 52  Guo Tian: “傍 is: on both sides.”

53  Wang Bing: “One only has a feeling as if there were signs of yong- and ju-abscesses, but one does not find out at which location they have emerged. Hence one presses for it, but it does not respond to one’s hand. ‘At times it co­mes; at times it has ended,’ that is to say: One cannot identify a pain at a specific location. ‘To the side of the hand major yin [conduit]’ is the foot yang brilliance vessel. That is to say, the six holes including the Qi Door (氣户) and others in the stomach section. The ‘capstring ves­sel’ refers to the foot yang brilliance vessel, too. It is the vessel near the capstring, hence it is called capstring vessel. ‘Capstring’ is to say; the band of the cap. Because there is one on the left and one on the right, [the text] states ‘two on each.’  ” 54  Wu Kun’s edition has 腋 instead of 掖. 55  Guo Tian: “If after a [first] piercing the heat does not retreat, one must drain the son [agent]. One inserts three needles into the heart enclosing network [vessel]. That is, in the case of repletion, drain its son. One drains the heart fire.”

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pierce the hand major yin conduit-network [vessels] at the meeting point of the major bones at three [locations] each.56 When suddenly a yong-abscess [appears] and the sinews shrink and in the case of sectionalized pain,57 and in the case of unending po-sweat,58 and when the uterus qi is insufficient,59 treat at the transporters of the conduits.60 28-177-8 When suddenly the abdomen is full and when pressure is unable to [push the abdominal wall] down, [in such a situation] one selects the hand major yang conduit and network [vessels. {These are the levy [holes] of the stomach.}61 [Also pierce at] the transporters on the minor yin [conduits]. Move three

56  Wang Bing: “ ‘The meeting point of the major bones’ is the shoulder. That is to say: the Shoulder Truth (肩真) hole.” 57  Guo Tian: “分 is read in the fourth tone. 隨分而痛: ‘the locations harmed by the sudden rise of yong have pain.’ ” 58  Guo Tian: “魄汗 is 大汗, ‘big sweat.’ ”

59  Zhang Jiebin: “胞氣不足 is: the water ways are impassable.” Tanba: “胞 is 脬, ‘urinary bladder.’ This is the so-called yin bladder. Hence [the term] refers to the urinary bladder.” Guo Tian: “胞氣 is 血海, ‘the sea of blood.’ That is to say, the evil enters the camp qi/the blood and causes severe harm.” NJCD reads 胞 here as 脬, pao, “urinary bladder.” 60  Wang Bing: “When suddenly an abscess emerges and spreads along a vessel, the sinews crossed spring up. They relax and become tense [alternately] and there is pain in the flesh section. Sweat flows as if it were never to end. If at the same time the uterine qi is insufficient, then in all such cases one can supplement or drain this at the transporters of the conduit vessel itself.” Lin Yi et al.: “These two passages were distribu­ted, in the old versions, at various places in this treatise; they have now been moved together to follow each other.”

61  The Tai su has 取太陽經絡, “select the major yang conduits and network vessels.” Wang Bing: “ ‘Major yang’ is the hand major yang. The hand major yang emerges out of the minor yang conduits and network [vessels]. Hence, one selects the Central Duct (中脘) hole. This is the levy [hole] of the stomach.” Lin Yi et al.: “The Jia yi jing states: 取太陽經絡血者則已, ‘When one selects those parts of the major yang conduit and network [vessels] which contain blood, then [the disease] will be healed.’ It does not have the characters 胃之募也.”

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inches to the side away from the vertebrae. [Conduct] five [piercings]. Employ the round-sharp needle.62 28-178-1 In cases of cholera,63 pierce five transporters on [both] sides and three on both sides of the foot yang brilliance [conduit] and above.64 To pierce convulsions resulting from fright, [select] five [locations on the] vessels: pierce the hand major yin [conduits] at five [locations] each; pierce the foot major yang [conduit] at five [locations];65 pierce one [location] on both sides of the hand minor yin conduit-network [vessels] and [also] the foot yang brilliance [conduit at] one [location]. Move five inches upward from the ankle and pierce with three needles [there].66 28-178-3 As for all treatments directed at 62  Wang Bing: “The ‘minor yin transporters’ is to say: the transporters of the kidneys on both sides [of the spine] below the 14th vertebra.” 916/54: “員 is 圓, ‘round.’ ” For a description of the shape of the “round-sharp needle,” and for its application in cases of sudden qi accumulations, see Ling shu 1 and 7.

63  We read the Chinese characters huoluan 霍亂 as a possible transliteration of the ancient Greek term cholera that was at the same time meant to reflect the dramatic manifestation of the disease. Hence the meaning of the characters huoluan: “sudden chaos.” It is, of course, not possible to know whether the ancient Chinese used the term “cholera” for the same disease as the ancient Greek. Nevertheless, the context of vomiting and diarrhea here and in Su wen 71 appears to suggest at least a close proximity of the usages of the terms at the Western and Eastern end of a long trade route. For a more detailed discussion, see Unschuld 2003, p. 204. 64  Wang Bing: “ ‘Foot yang brilliance’ is to say: the transporters of the stomach. One selects the stomach transporters and, in addition, one moves up to the third hole on both sides of the minor yin transporters. These are the Stomach Granary (胃倉) holes.” 65 Yang Shangshan: “經 is 足, ‘foot.’ ” Wang Bing agrees. For a detailed discussion, including an identification of 經 as 脛, ‘lower leg,’ i.e., ‘foot,’ see Yan Zhenhai/54. 66 Yan Zhenhai/54: “This passage has been read by Chinese commentators in basi­ cally three ways: (1) 刺癇驚脈五, 針手太陰各五, 刺經太陽五, 刺手少陰經絡傍者 一, 足陽明一, 上踝五寸刺三針. (2) 刺癇驚脈五: 針手太陰各五刺經, 太陽五, 刺手 少陰經絡傍者一, 足陽明一, 上踝五寸刺三針. (3) 刺癇驚脈五: 針手足太陰各五, 刺經, 太陽者五, 刺手少陰經絡傍者一, 足陽明一, 上踝五寸, 刺三針.”

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wasting solitary [heat] disease,67 at collapse resulting from stroke, at unilateral withering,68 at limpness with receding [qi],69 and at qi fullness effused in a movement contrary [to its regular course],70 [if the patients are] well-nourished persons of noble rank, then these are diseases brought forth by [the consumption of ] rich food. When the diaphragm is obstructed, with [the flow through it being] interrupted and when there is no communication between above and be­low, then this is a disease of sudden anxiety. In the case of sudden recession accompanied by deafness, as well as unilateral obstruction and impassability,71 the internal qi is suddenly beating.72 This is a disease which did not [emerge] from inside, [but] from outside through being struck by wind. Hence [the body] becomes lean; [the disease] stays and attaches itself [to one location].73 When one walks lamely, this is a disease of [being struck by] cold, wind, and dampness.”74 67  2738/12: “消癉 is diabetes.” 2583/8 agrees. Wang Bing (see below): “消 is to say: 內消, ‘internal wasting.’ 癉 is to say: 伏熱, ‘hidden heat.’ ” 68  2741/10: “偏枯 is 半身不遂, ‘hemiplegia.’ ” 69  Guo Tian: “The four limbs have reversely flowing [qi].” 70  Guo Tian: “Evil qi abounds and is effused upward in reverse flow.” 71  Gao Jiwu/259: “Ma Shi: ‘偏 is 邊, ‘side’. Accordingly, 偏塞閉 means ‘blocked on all sides, in front and behind’. Zhang Zhicong interprets 偏 as 偏于, ‘unilaterally at (one side).’ Ma Shi‘s interpretation is to say: urine and stools do not flow. Zhang Zhicong divides the body, with 偏, into an upper and a lower part. When the upper part is [unilaterally] blocked, ‘there is a sudden recession with deafness, ...’ ” NJCD: “偏 is 便, ‘urine and stools.’ ” 72  In contrast, Gao Jiwu/259: “薄 has the meaning of 迫, ‘to press.’ ”

73  2687/35 parallels this phrase with a similar wording in Su wen 20: 留瘦不移. While all previous authors have interpreted 瘦 as “emacia­tion,” Hua Shou identified 瘦 as 廋, “concealed.” In this case, 瘦留著 would have the meaning of “[the evil] remains hidden [in the body].” Guo Tian: “瘦 is 痺, ‘lame.’ ” 74  Wang Bing: “消 is to say: 內消, ‘internal wasting.’ 癉 is to say: 伏熱, ‘hidden heat.’ 厥 is to say 氣逆, ‘qi moving contrary [to its regular course].’ 高 is 膏, ‘fat.’ 梁 is 粱,

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28-178-7 Huang Di: “Yellow solitary [heat] disease, violent pain, peak illness, and recession with craziness, they are generated by [qi] moving contrary [to its regular course] for a long time. When the five depots are not balanced, this is generated by an obstruction of the six palaces. When the head aches and when there is a ringing [sound] in the ears and when the nine orifices are not freely passable, this is generated by the intestines and the sto­mach.”75

‘millet.’ 蹠 is to say: 足, ‘foot.’ Now, fat [food] causes heat in man’s center. [To consume] sweet [flavor] lets the center be full. Hence, when heat qi accumulates internally, it causes wa­sting-and-thirst as well as unilateral withering. The qi is filled and moves contrary [to its regular course]. To ‘move contrary’ is to say: it acts in opposition to its normal appearance; it is different in comparison with a normal person. In the case of anxiety, the qi is shut in and does not move. Hence the dia­phragm is blocked and obstipated, and the qi vessels are interrupted so that there is no communication between the upper and the lower [parts of the body]. When the qi is firmly kept inside, then the passa­geways of the large and small conveniences are closed and there cannot be any outflow and drainage. When external wind strikes a person and hides in the depots without leaving again, then yang qi is received internally and causes heat. Externally it blazes in the mu­scles and in the flesh, causing wasting melting there. Hence when it stays and accumulates in the flesh section, wasting emaciation [results] and the skin attaches itself to the sinews and bones. When dampness overcomes the feet, then the sinews do not move freely; when cold overcomes the feet, then [the sinews] cramp and become tense. When wind, dampness, and cold overcome [the feet], then the guard qi conglomerates. When the guard qi has conglomerated, then the flesh has pain. Hence the feet are lame and one cannot walk.” 75  Wang Bing: “The three yang [conduits] of the feet run from the head to the feet. However, in case [their qi] moves contrary [to its regular course] for a long time and fails to move downwards, then the qi accumulates in the upper burner and, hence, causes yellow solitary [heat] disease, with sudden pain, peak illness, crazy behavior, and reversely moving qi. Eating and drinking are out of order and lead to uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhea. Hence the six palaces close and cause disharmony in the qi of the five depots. When the intestines and the stomach are closed, then the qi cannot follow its course. When it cannot follow its course, then above and below, inside and outside fight for domination. Hence [the patient suffers from] headache, sounds in his ears, and closure of the nine orifices.”

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Chapter 29

Discourse on the Major Yin and on the Yang Brilliance [Conduits] 29-179-4 Huang Di asked: “The major yin [conduit] and the yang brilliance [conduit] constitute exterior and interior; they are the vessels of spleen and stomach. [And yet,] the diseases generated [in them] are different! How is that?” Qi Bo responded: “Yin and yang [conduits occupy] different positions. Alternately they are depleted or replete. Alternately [the movement of their contents] is contrary to or complies with [the regular course]. Some [i.e., the yin vessels] follow the inside; some [i.e., the yang vessels] follow the outside. What they follow is not identical. Hence [their] diseases have different na­mes.”

  Wang Bing: “The spleen depot and the stomach palace are both associated with [the agent] soil. The diseases that emerge [in spleen and sto­mach] are different. Hence [Huang Di] inquired about their not being alike.”   Zhang Zhicong: “ ‘Yin and yang [occupy] different positions’ is to say: the major yin is located above and the yang brilliance is located below.”   Zhang Zhicong: “That is to say: when the passage ways of yang are replete, the passage ways of yin are depleted.”   Wang Bing: “The spleen depot is yin; the stomach palace is yang. The yang vessels move downwards; the yin vessels move upwards. The yang ve­ssels follow the outside; the yin vessels follow the inside. Hence [the text] states: ‘what they follow is not the same; the diseases have different names.’ ” Zhang Jiebin: “The robber wind and the deple­tion evil are harm [caused] from outside; they are received by the yang and they enter the five depots. Drinking and eating, rising and resting [may cause] harm from inside. Hence the yin receives this [harm] and it enters the six palaces.” Zhang Zhicong: “ ‘They may follow the inside’ is: some diseases of abdominal fullness with outflow of [undigested] food result from immoderate drinking and eating, or from untimely rising and resting. ‘They may follow the outside’ is: in some cases the body becomes hot and one pants because of [the intru­sion of ] robber wind and depletion evil. Hence these diseases have different names.”

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29-179-6 [Huang] Di: “I should like to hear about their different appearances.” Qi Bo: “The yang, that is the qi of heaven. It rules the outside. The yin, that is the qi of the earth. It rules the inside. Hence, the yang paths are [subject to] repletion; the yin paths are [subject to] depletion. Hence, when one is invaded by a robber wind or depletion evil, the yang [conduits] receive it. When food and drinks are [consumed] without restraint, when rising and resting occur out of time,   Wang Bing: “This is what is called [in the text]: ‘Yin and yang [occupy] dif­ferent positions.’ ”   Wang Bing: “This is what is called [in the text]: ‘Alternately they are deple­ted or replete.’ ” Zhang Jiebin: “Yang is hardness; yin is softness.” Wu Kun amended this to: “When the yang path is replete, the yin path is depleted; when the yin path is replete, the yang path is depleted.” 137/16: “This is what is stated in Su wen 11 as follows: ‘When the stomach is replete, the intestines are depleted; when the intestines are replete, the stomach is depleted.’  ” 1675/7: “ ‘Yang’ refers to the stomach palace; ‘yin’ refers to the spleen depot. 道 is 規律, ‘law.’ The five depots rule the storage of essence qi; they [can be] filled, but they [can] not be re­plete. Hence [the text] states: 陰道虛, ‘the yin law is depletion.’ The six palaces rule the transmission and transformation of things; they [can be] replete, but they [can] not be full. Hence [the text] states: ‘the yang law is repletion.’ ” 804/54: “ ‘Yang paths’ and ‘yin paths’ refers to the passage ways of diseases caused by external affection or internal harm respectively.” Mori: “The yang qi, which lacks physical appearance, nourishes the yin matter which has physical appearance. Hence, its regular state is repletion. The yin matter, which has physical appearance, receives yang qi which has no physical appearance. Hence, its regular state is depletion. As for qi and blood in the human body, [the former is] yang and is regularly replete in the outside regions [of the body]; [the latter is] yin and is regularly depleted in the inner regions [of the body]. Where there is depletion, the yang qi will occupy the depleted [region], to nourish the yin [qi, i.e.,] blood. Repletion is the result of yin [qi, i.e.,] blood receiving this replenishment [from the yang qi], and, hence, it contains yang qi. Hence, the regular state of the qi is repletion and that of the physical appearance is depletion.”   “Rising and resting” is a general reference to the daily routine in one’s home.

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the yin [conduits] receive it. When the yang [conduits] receive it, then it enters the six palaces. When the yin [conduits] receive it, then it enters the five depots. 29-180-1 When it enters the six palaces, then the body becomes hot and one lies down when it is not the proper time. In the upper [part of the body this] causes panting exhalation. When it enters the five depots, then distension and obstruction result. In the lower [part of the body this] causes outflow of [undigested] food. If this lasts for long, it causes intestinal flush.10 Hence, the throat rules the qi of heaven; the gullet rules the qi of the earth.11 Hence, the yang [conduits] receive the wind qi; the yin [conduits] receive the dampness qi.12   Wang Bing: “This is what is called [in the text]: ‘They may follow the inside; they may follow the outside.’ ”

  2107/56: “[The meaning of ] 不時臥 is not clear. The Jia yi jing, in [its section] 六經受病發傷寒，寒熱上 has: 不得眠, ‘[the patient] cannot sleep.’ The meaning [of this wording] would be quite appropriate [in the pre­sent context].” Yu Chang: “This should be 身熱不得臥, ‘the body is hot and [the patient] cannot sleep.’ ” Yan Hongchen & Gao Guangzhen/104: “不能按時安臥, ‘[the patient] cannot rest at the [proper] times.’ ” Yu Chang: “The character 時 may be an error; it should be 得, ‘get,’ ‘be able to.’ ” 10  Wang Bing: “This is what is called [in the text]: ‘What they follow is not the same. The names of the diseases differ.’ ” For a definition by Wang Bing suggesting a notion of “intestinal pi” as qi (i.e., gases) leaving the intestines, see Su wen 37.

11  Gao Shishi: “The 喉, ‘throat,’ controls exhalation and inhalation; it is the exit of the lung qi. Hence the throat rules the qi of heaven while the gullet controls water and grain.” 58/30: “This explains most cle­arly that the 喉 is a part of the respiratory tract, while the 咽 is a part of the digestive tract. The 喉 is also the organ emitting sounds.” For a discussion of these terms, see also 2755/12.

12  Wang Bing: “Similar qi search each other.”

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Hence, the yin qi rises from the feet, moves upwards to the head, and moves down along the arms to the tips of the fingers. The yang qi moves up from the hands, reaches the head, and moves down to the feet.13 14 Hence, if one was harmed by wind, the upper [parts of the body] receive it first.” If one was harmed by dampness, the lower [parts of the body] receive it first.15 29-180-7 [Huang] Di: “When the spleen has a disease and the four limbs do not function, how is that?”16 Qi Bo: “All the four limbs are supplied with qi by the stomach, but [the stomach qi] is unable to reach the conduits [directly].17 It is only be­cause of the spleen that the [four limbs] get their supplies.18

13  Wang Bing: “This is what is called [in the text]: ‘Alternately they move contrary to or along with [their regular course].’ ” 14  Wang Bing: “That is just to give a general outline. Now, the downward movement in the foot minor yin vessels differs from that of the qi in all the other yin [vessels].” 15  Wang Bing: “The yang qi flames upwards. Hence it receives wind. The yin qi moistens the below. Hence it receives dampness. The reason is: similar qi come together.” 16 On the concept of 不用, see 1417/47.

17 Lin Yi et al.: “The Tai su has has 徑至, ‘to proceed directly towards,’ instead of 至經. Yang Shangshan states: ‘The stomach supports the four limbs with water and grain, but [water and grain] cannot reach the four limbs directly. It is only through the spleen that the four limbs receive water and grain, jin and ye liquids, camp and guard qi.” 18  Wang Bing: “The spleen qi transforms water and grain and distributes them as essence liquids. These then are taken in by the four limbs as their supplies.”

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Now, when the spleen has a disease and is unable to move the body liquids on behalf of the stomach,19 the four limbs are not supplied with the qi of water and grain. [Their] qi weakens day by day; the vessel paths are no [longer] passable.20 The sinews and the bones, the muscles and the flesh, none of them has qi to live.21 Hence, they do not function.” [Huang] Di: “The spleen does not rule [a specific] season;22 how is that?”23 Qi Bo: “The spleen, that is the soil. It governs the center.24 Throughout25 the four seasons it tends26 the four depots. In each [season] it is entrusted with government for 18 days; it cannot rule an [entire] season by itself.”27

19 For a discussion of the concept “on behalf of the stomach,” see 110/2.

20  The Jia yi jing has 通, ‘passable,’ instead of 利.. 21  Guo Tian: “生 is 養, ‘for nourishment.’ ”

22 See 2114/4 and 2146/21 for discussions of parallels to this sta­tement in Dong Zhongshu’s 董仲舒 Chun qiu fan lu 春秋繁露, Wu xing zhi yi 五行之義. For a detailed discussion of this concept, see 1249/58. 23  Wang Bing: “The liver rules [in] spring; the heart rules [in] summer; the lung rules [in] autumn; the kidneys rule [in] winter. All [these] four depots have a regular correspondence; the spleen, however, has no regular [season during which it might] rule.” 24  Wang Bing: “治 is 主, ‘to rule.’ ” 25  2083/22: “常 is 長久, ‘over long time,.’ ”

26  長 [zhang] is interpreted here in the sense of 撫養, “to bring up [like children].” In contrast, Zhang Jiebin: “為四藏之長, ‘it is the leader of the four depots.’ ” Ma Shi: “長 is identical with 掌, ‘to manage;’ 主, ‘to rule.’ ”

27  Guo Tian: “獨 is 偏, ‘unilaterally.’ Liver, heart, lung, and kidneys each rule one season. Of the ni­nety days of each season, [the seasons] must be nourished for 18 days by the qi of the soil. That is, the spleen rules [all] four seasons; it does not unilaterally rule only one season, or one depot.”

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29-180-14 [Huang] Di: “Spleen and stomach are connected through a membrane;31 nevertheless [the former] can move the body liquids on behalf of the [stomach]. How is it that?” Qi Bo: “The foot major yin [conduit] is the third yin. This vessel passes through the stomach, is connected with the spleen, and encloses the throat. Hence, the major yin [conduit] moves qi on behalf of32 the [stomach]33 to the three yin [conduits].34

28  The Tai su does not have the two characters 者 and 胃.

29  Wang Bing: “著 is to say: 常約著于胃, ‘it is always tied to the sto­mach.’ The soil qi assumes rule during the four seasons at the end of each season for 18 days. Hence each of the qi of the five agents rules for 72 days which adds up to the [number of ] days of a complete year.” Yang Shangshan ex­plained 著 as 在, “to be present at.” Gao Shishi: “著 is 昭著, ‘evident.’ ” Guo Tian: “著 is 負荷, ‘to carry.’ ” 1832/41: “著 is 昭著 于外, ‘evident to the outside.’ ” Our reading of 著 in the sense of “to store” is based on such a usage in the Han text Yen tie lun 鹽鐵論, sect. Pin fu 貧富. 30  The Tai su has 主, ‘to rule,’ instead of 生.

31 Lin Yi et al.: “The Tai su has 以募相逆. Yang Shangshan states: ‘The spleen is yin; the stomach is yang. The spleen is inside; the stomach is outside. Their positions are different. Hence [the text states:] ‘mutual opposition.’ ” 32  Gao Jiwu/554: “為 is 給, ‘for,’ ‘on behalf of.’ ”

33  Wu Kun: “為之 is 為胃, ‘on behalf of the stomach.’ 三陰 is major [yin], minor [yin], and ceasing [yin]. The spleen on behalf of the stomach moves qi to the three yin; it transports the yang brilliance qi into all [three] yin [conduits].” 34  Gao Shishi: “The ceasing yin is the first yin; the minor yin is the second yin; the major yin is the third yin. Hence the foot major yin is the third yin.” Guo Tian: “ ‘Three yin’ is: the five depots.”

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As for the yang brilliance [conduit], it is the outside.35 It is the sea for the five depots and six pa­laces.36 It, too, moves qi on behalf of the [stomach] to the three yang [conduits].37 The depots and the palaces, they all receive their qi from the yang brilliance through these [two] conduits.38 Hence, [it is they who] move the body liquids on behalf of the stomach.” >When the four limbs are not supplied with the qi of water and grain, they will increasingly weaken day by day. The yin paths39 are no [longer] passable. The si­news and the bones, the muscles and the flesh, none of them has qi to live. Hence, they do not function.One water cannot dominate two fires.As for “it skips a day [before it] is active [again],” that is because the evil qi strikes at the five depots internally and attaches itself horizontally to the membrane plain.21 Its path is far, the qi is in depth, and its movement is slow. It cannot move alongside the guard qi. It cannot leave together [with the guard qi].22 Hence, it skips a day [before it] is active [again].In the case of malaria: when the vessels are full and big, quickly pierce the transpor­ters on the back. Select the five upper flank transporters and the transporters on the back; one [piercing] at each [of them]. Move [the needle] until the blood is reached.Enters{The so-called ‘fine’ [movement felt] in the depth, it strikes the hand like a needle.34 Rub it, squeeze it. In case of [qi] agglomerations, [the movement is] firm. In case of widespread [qi, the movement is] big.}{The Upper Classic speaks of how qi communicates with heaven. The Lower Classic speaks of changes and transformations of diseases. The Golden Chest decides about death and survival. The To Estimate and Measure [expounds how] to squeeze [the vessels] and assess them. The The Strange and the Normal speaks of strange diseases.36 As for the so-called ‘strange,’ in case of strange diseases, one cannot die in correspondence with the four seasons. In case of normal [diseases], one can die in corre­spondence with the four seasons. As for the so-called ‘estimate,’ this is just to squeeze [the vessels] and search for it. 34  Gao Jiwu/558: “The character 之 is used here for 而.” 2568/50: “The cha­racter 之 is used here as a conjunction, in the sense of 和 or 與.” 35  Gao Shishi has moved these 24 characters to the beginning of this treatise to follow the characters 故胃脘為癰也: “深 is 沉, ‘in the depth;’ 博 is 散, ‘dispersed.’ Above, the text states: ‘ The [movement in the] vessels should be deep and fine.’ The statement [here] 沉之細者 is to say: this [movement] strikes the hand fine and deep like a needle. When the stomach duct has a yong-ab­scess, one must palpate it, or feel it by pressure, from the outside. When one palpates it, or feels it by pres­sure, if there are accumulations, that is the hardness of the abscess; if there is no accumulation and if there is a dispersion instead, that is the largeness of the ab­scess.” 36 Yang Shangshan: “From the lower back upwards, .. these are the ‘upper conduits.’ (上經) From the lower back downwards, these are the ‘ lower conduits.’ (下經) The upper conduits communicate with the qi of heaven; the lower conduits exhibit its changes.” Zhang Zhicong: “The 上經 are the Su wen treatises 1 and 3, as well as 9 and 22, discussing the depots and the palaces, yin and yang of man, as well as the nine administrative regions and nine non-admini­strated sectors of the earth. All their qi communicates with heaven. As for the 下經, these are the treatises Su wen 28 through 49. They discuss pathological changes.” Gao Shishi: “The ‘upper classic’ may refer to the Ling shu jing, while the ‘ lower classic’ may refer to the Mai jing 脈經.” Ma Shi: “The Upper Classic, the Lower Classic, the Gol­den Chest, the Estimate and Measure, as well as the Strange and Normal, these are titles of ancient books which have long been lost.

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687

{This is to say, one squeezes the vessels to search for the structure of their [movement].} As for ‘assess,’ one finds the location of the disease and assesses it in on the basis of the four seasons.}Major yinThe ribs< The elbows cannot be stretched.51 Internally this results in bone block; externally this causes numbness.52 This is called insufficiency.”

58-302-8 The 365 holes of the meeting points of the ravines and valleys, they, too, correspond to a year.

48  Wang Bing: “This happens because of excessive heat.” Wu Kun has exchanged 膕 for 䐃. Zhang Jiebin: “膕 must be 䐃. This is a mistake because one can speak of ‘great 䐃’ but not of great 膕.” Cheng Shide et al.: “The Guang yun 廣韻 defines 膕 as ‘[fossa] in the bend of the leg.’ 䐃 refers to protruberances of flesh. Hence, it is correct to exchange 䐃 for 膕.” 49  Wang Bing: “When it stagnates in the bone junctures, which is a location where liquids are retained, then the marrow and the liquids in the bone junctures will rot and turn into pus. Hence, destruction of the sinews and bones is inevitable and one will not be able any longer to bend or stretch [them].” 50 Lin Yi et al.: “The Quan Yuanqi edition has 寒肉縮筋, ‘the flesh is cold and the sinews shrink.’  ” 51 Yu Chang: “The character 肋 is an erroneous insertion connected to the character 筋 in the preceding text. The preceding and the following text consists of four character statements. There should not be one additional character just here.” 2623/67: “The Tai su has 時不得伸, ‘at times cannot stretch.’ 時 and 肘 are si­milar in shape and have been mistakenly exchanged. Hence, it is clear that the cha­racter 肋 is an erroneous insertion.” 52  Zhang Zhicong: “The evil closes the outside; hence a ‘bone block’ develops internally. The camp and the guard [qi] move contrary [to their normal flow] in the in­side; hence numbness develops outside.”

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53 [Huang] Di then dismissed his entourage and rose. He paid reverence twice and said: “Today you have released me from ignorance and you have dispersed [my] delusions. I shall store [this knowledge] in a golden chest; I shall not dare to take it out again.”54 Then he stored it in the Golden Orchid Chamber,55 and gave it the title The Locations of the Qi Holes.56 58-302-11 58

57  Wang Bing: “  ‘14 network [vessels]’ is to say: the twelve conduit network [vessels] and the network [vessels] of the controlling vessel and of the supervisor vessel. The large network [vessel] of the spleen emerges from the spleen. Hence, it is not included here.” The Gao Shishi edition has “twelve” instead of “14.” Zhang Yizhi et al. quotes Sun Dingyi 孫鼎宜: “絡 is an error for 經, ‘conduit.’  ” 58  Wang Bing: “解 is to say: the conduits and network [vessels] in the bone divides. Even though their courses are separate, the evil received is drained into the vessels of the five depots following [these courses], too.” Zhang Jiebin: “解 is 解散, ‘to open and di­sperse.’ 瀉 is ‘to eliminate a repletion through draining.’ 中 is ‘the five depots.’ That is to say, even though there are twelve network [vessels], they are linked separa­tely with the five depots. Hence, one can drain [their] contents into the center.” Hu Tianxiong: “Yao Shaoyu has deleted the three characters 歧伯曰 and has placed the fol­lowing 46 characters in front of the statement ‘[Huang] Di dismissed ..’ He ends this treatise with the statement ‘and titled it The locations of the qi holes.’ From the structure of the text, Yao Shaoyu’s rearrangement makes sense. However, the meaning of these seven sentences consisting of more than 40 characters is hard to explain. Per­haps these are teachings transmitted by a teacher, hence an explanation was not included. It may have been difficult to relate these statements [to a passage in any of the treatises], hence it was recorded here for the time being.” The insert makes sense once it is understood as a compiler’s devise to bridge treatises 58 and 59. The “ten vessels” reappear in the subsequent treatise.

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Chapter 59

Discourse on Qi Palaces 59-303-3 There are 78 holes on the foot major yang vessel where qi is effused: One each at the tips of the two eyebrows. Into the hair and to the nape [in a mutual distance of ] three and a half inches, [there are] five [holes] side by side, three inches away from each other .  Li Guoqing: “The [term] ‘qi palaces’ refers to the locations where the qi of the conduit ves­sels meet and interact.” Ma Shi: “The previous [treatise, i.e., Su wen 58] discusses ho­les. Hence, it is called ‘Qi Holes.’ The present [treatise] discusses the locations where the qi of the vessels is effused. Hence, it is called ‘Qi Palaces.’  ” Gao Shishi: “The three yang vessels of the hands and feet are ruled by the six palaces. Hence, the lo­ cations where the qi of the vessels is effused are called ‘qi palaces.’  ” 1794/34: “  ‘Qi palace’ has two meanings. One is: the palaces where the qi is effused at the meeting points of the conduit vessels. The meaning of 府 in this case is that of 庫府, ‘storehouse’ or ‘treasury.’ The second is: the holes where the vessel qi of the three yang vessels of the hands and of the feet associated with the six palaces is effused. The term ‘qi palace’ appears nowhere else in the Su wen. It is a general term for locations where the vessel qi is effused; it is not another term for trans­porters or qi holes.” For de­tails, see there.

  The Tai su has “73 holes.” Wang Bing: “If those [holes] are included where qi floating at the surface passes in smallest quantities, one should speak of 93 holes, not of 78 holes. The proper con­duits and vessels have 78 holes where [qi] meets and effuses; [in addition] there are 15 holes where smallest quantities pass. [Together] they amount to this number [of 93].” Wu Kun: “If one checks [the holes listed below] one reaches [a number of ] 91 holes, 13 holes more [than the 78 mentioned in the text]. This [number] differs from [the number of holes known] today. Nowadays one counts on the left and on the right altogether 126 holes.” The Gao Shishi edition has “76 holes.” See the end of note 10 below.   Wang Bing: “I.e., the Bamboo Gathering (攢竹) holes. The appli­cations and the locations of cauterization and piercing [should follow] a law identical with [the one mentioned in the trea­tise] on Qi holes.”

  The Tai su has “two” instead of “three.” Wang Bing: “Two holes each, i.e., the Great Shuttle (大杼) and Wind Gate (風門) [holes]. The appli­cations and the locations of cauterization and piercing [should follow] a law identical with [the one mentioned in the trea­tise] on Qi holes.” 693/38: “The mea­ning of 灸刺分壯 in Wang Bing’s commentary is: 灸壯刺分, applications of cauterisation and locations of piercing’.” Lin Yi et al.: “Another edi­tion states: ‘Into the hair and to the nape [in a mutual distance of ] three inches.’ And another com­mentary [by Wang Bing] states: ‘  “Inch” refers to the individually standardized body inch. All in­ches [should be measured following]

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{Those [lines] where floating qi is in the skin are altogether five lines. [Each] line has five [holes]. Five times five are 25.} an identical law.’ This is entirely diffe­rent from the present commentary. The present commentary [by Wang Bing] states: ‘Two holes each, i.e., the so-called Great Shuttle and Wind Gate [holes]. The locations and the quantities of cauterization and piercing [to be applied here should follow] a law identical with the [treatise] on “Qi holes.” ’ ”  In today’s “Qi hole” treatise there is no mentioning of a Wind Gate hole. Hence, when the commentary states ‘the law [should be] identical with [that in the “Qi holes” treatise],’ it is obvious that this comment is wrong. This is not the fault of Wang Bing, it is the fault of some later per­son. Taking a close look at [the statement] ‘Into the hair and to the nape [in a mutual distance of ] three and a half inches, [there are] five [holes] side by side, separated from each other by three in­ches,’ this refers to the following passage on the qi floating in the skin in five lines, with each line having five holes. Hence Wang Bing did not comment on it. All he said was ‘inch refers to individually standardized body inch.’ However, [the character] 頂 (“top of the head”) was erroneously changed to 項 (“nape”) here and the character 半 is a [later] addition. Hence, if [the text] said ‘Into the hair and to the top of the head,’ then this would be the three inches from the Fontanel Meeting (顖會) hole to the Hundred Convergences (百會) hole on the top of the head and three further in­ches from the Hundred Convergences [hole] back­wards to the Posterior Vertex (後頂) [hole]. Hence, [the text] states ‘Into the hair and to the vertex [in a mutual distance of ] three inches.’ As for [the characters] 傍五, this number includes the central line and [two each] on each side. As for [the characters] 相去三寸, that is to say: from the Hundred Convergences (百會) [hole] in the center of the vertex to the front and to the back, to the left and to the right, always in a distance of three inches, there are five vessels, each having five [holes]; together these are 25 holes. When later people misinterpreted 頂 as 項 and thought this referred to the Great Shuttle and Wind Gate [holes], this was a serious mistake. The Great Shuttle [holes] are located below the first verte­bra on both sides [of the spine]; the Wind Gate [holes] are located below the second vertrebra. They are more than just three and a half inches distant from the hairline. Hence, the error is most obvious.” Zhang Jiebin and Gao Shishi followed Lin Yi et al. and exchanged 項 for 頂. Tanba agreed. Ma Shi: “  ‘Into the hair’ is: Into the hairline on the back [of the head].” Hu Tianxiong: “The statements of Wang Bing and Ma Shi are both incomprehensible, with Ma Shi’s statement being especially wrong. This paragraph discusses where the qi of the foot major yang ves­sel is effused. Starting from the tip of the eyebrows and ending to the side of the small toes, this conduit vessel passes from the front to the back, from above to below − that is obvious. Hence, ‘into the hair and to the nape’ re­fers to the frontal hair line. .. One should eliminate the characters ‘three and a half inches,’ and the text will have a proper meaning.”   Wang Bing: “浮氣 is to say: by causing the qi to pass through [the skin] floating at the surface, it is possible to eliminate heat.” Wu Kun: “That is [to say:] the yang qi floats on top of the skull.” Zhang Jiebin: “That is to say: the vessel qi that floats on top of the head.” Mori: “浮氣 is equivalent to 浮脈, ‘floating [movement in the] vessels.’ At these 25 holes the qi in the vessels flows near the surface in the skin. Hence, [the text] states ‘floating qi.’ This corresponds to the [concept of ] 浮絡 in Su wen 58.”

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One each on both sides of the large sinews in the center of the nape. One each on both sides of the wind palace. One each on both sides of the spine in the gaps [between the ribs attached] to 15 of the altogether 21 joints [from the Great Pillar] down to the sacrum. 10  All commentators agree in identifying these two holes as the Celestial Pillar (天 柱) holes. In contrast, Gao Shishi: “These are the Wind Pool (風池) [holes].” Hu Tianxiong: “In the development of the doctrine of the conduit vessels, the [knowledge on] conduit vessels came first. Then there were holes and finally there were names for these holes. The two moxa manuals among the Mawangdui silk manuscripts only state ‘cauterize vessel xxx’ or ‘treatment through vessel xxx,’ but they do not refer to specific locations. The Su wen often refers to locations of holes, but does not mention names.”  All commentators agree in identifying these two holes as the Wind Pool (風池) holes. In contrast, Gao Shishi: “These are the Celestial Pillar (天柱) [holes].”

  Tanba: “The Tai su has 背 (‘back’) instead of 脊 (‘spine’).” Wang Bing has 背 in his commen­tary.

  Wang Bing: “As for ‘one in each gap between the 15 [ribs],’ these are the 13 holes listed nowadays in the Zhong gao kong xue tu jing 中誥孔穴圖經; these are to the left and right altogether 26 holes. Namely, the Attached Branch (附分), Po-Soul Door (魄 户), Spirit Hall (神堂), Yi Xi (譩譆), Diaphragm Pass (膈關), Hun-Soul Gate (魂門), Yang Headrope (陽綱), Thought Dwelling (意舍), Stomach Granary (胃倉), Huang Gate (肓門), Will Chamber (志室), Bladder Huang (胞肓), and the Sequence End (祑邊) [holes].” Zhang Jiebin: “If one examines the Jia yi [jing] and the other classics, one finds 14 holes. Namely, the Great Shuttle (大杼), Attached Branch, Po-Soul Door, Spirit Hall, Yi Xi, Dia­phragm Pass, Hun-Soul Gate, Yang Headrope, Thought Dwelling, Stomach Granary, Huang Gate, Will Chamber, Bladder Huang, and the Sequence End [holes]. Nowadays the Gao Huang (膏肓) hole was added to reach the number 15. Howe­ver, this hole was not mentioned before the Jin 晉 era. Hence, the original number [of holes] to the left and right was 28.” 10  The Tai su does not have these 12 characters. Mori: “These 12 characters may have been inserted [as a commentary] by Wang Bing in red script.” Gao Shishi: “From both sides of the Wind Palace (風府) downwards alongside the spine, [i.e.,] from the great hammer down to the sacrum one counts 21 joints. Within [the total span of ] these 21 joints, there is one [hole] on each (side) located in 15 of the interspaces, namely, the Lung Transporter (肺俞), the Ceasing Yin Transporter (厥陰俞), the Heart Transporter (心俞), the Diaphragm Transporter (膈輸), the Liver Transporter (肝俞), the Gallbladder Transporter (膽俞), the Spleen Transporter (脾俞), the Stomach Transporter (胃俞), the Triple Burner Transporter (三焦俞), the Kidney Transporter (腎 俞), the Large Intestine Transporter (大腸俞), the Small Intestine Transporter (小腸 俞), the Bladder Transporter (膀胱俞), the Transporter Inside the Central Spine (中 膂内俞), and the White Ring Transporter (白環俞). Altogether these are 30 holes.

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Six transporters each on both sides from the Bend Middle down to the side of the [tip of the] small toe.11 59-305-2 There are 62 holes12 on the foot minor yang vessel where the qi is effused: Two each above both corners [of the forehead].13 Five each exactly above the eyes into the hairline.14 One each above the corners [of the forehead] in front of the ears.15 One each below the corners [of the forehead] in front of the ears.16 One each below the ear locks.17 One Visitor-Host [hole] on each [side].18 One each in the depression behind the ears.19 One Lower Pass [hole] on each [side].20 [On one level with] the 15 interspaces are the trans­porters of the five depots, i.e., lung, heart, liver, spleen, and kidneys, these are five both on the left and on the right and the transporters [of the six palaces], i.e., gallbladder, stomach, triple burner, large intestine, small intestine, and bladder. These are six both on the left and on the right. The five transporters of the depots and the six transporters of the palaces (on each side) are included in the total of 15 interspaces and these 15 interspaces in turn are included in the total of 21 joints.” In contrast, Zhang Jiebin did not include the altogether 22 transporters of the depots and palaces into the total of, as he counted, 28 holes located on the level of the 15 interspaces. 11  Wang Bing: “I.e., the six Bend Middle (委中), Kunlun Mountains (崑崙), Capital Bone (京骨), Bundle Bone (束骨), Valley Passage (通谷), and Extreme Yin (至陰) holes.” 12  The Tai su speaks of 52 holes.

13  Wang Bing: “I.e., the Celestial Thoroughfare (天衝) and the Temporal Hairline Curve (曲鬓) holes, two each on the left and on the right.” Gao Shishi: “角 is 頭角, ‘corners of the head.’  ” 14  Wang Bing: “I.e., the Approaching Tears (臨泣), Eye Window (目窗), Proper Camp (正營), Receiving the Numinous (承靈), and Brain Hollow (腦空) holes on the left and on the right.” 15  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Jaw Pressure (頜厭) holes.” 16  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Suspended Grain (Weight) (懸釐) holes.” 17  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Harmony Bone-Hole (和髎) holes.” 18  Wang Bing: “  ‘ Visitor-Host-Person (客主人)’ is the name of holes.” 19  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Wind Screen (翳風) holes.” 20  Wang Bing: “  ‘Lower Pass (下關)’ is the name of holes.”

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One each behind the jaws below the ears.21 One each in the broken basins.22 Three inches below the arm­pits, from below the flanks [up] to the upper flanks, one each in the eight gaps.23 One each at the center and to the side of the thigh pivots.24 Six transpor­ters each on both [legs] from the knees down to the toe next to the small toe.25 59-307-2 There are 68 holes on the foot yang brilliance vessel where the qi is effused: Three each to the side of the hairline at the forehead and at the skull.26 One each in the facial cheek bone hollows.27 21  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Cheek Carriage (頰車) holes.” 22  Wang Bing: “  ‘Broken Basin (缺盆)’ is the name of holes.” 23  In contrast, Wang Bing: “Below the armpits, these include the Armpit Abyss (淵 掖), Immobile Sinew (輒筋), and Cele­stial Pool (天池) [holes]. From below the flanks to the upper flanks, these include the Sun and Moon (日月), Camphorwood Gate (章門), Belt Vessel (带脉), Fifth Pivot (五樞), Linking Path (維道), and Squatting Bone-Hole (居髎) holes. These are nine holes on the left and on the right; together 18 ho­les.” The text refers to only eight “gaps”, i.e. (if one counts the holes on both sides), to altogether 16 holes. The “Squatting Bone-Hole holes” mentioned by Wang Bing are not located in the region of the flanks but near the thigh pivot (see the following footnote). 24  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Ring-shaped Hoe (環銚) holes.” The two “Squatting Bone-Hole holes” should be added here (see the preceding note). See also Lin Yi et al. 25  Wang Bing: “I.e., the six Yang Mound Spring (陽陵泉), Yang Assistance (陽輔), Hill Ruins (丘墟), Approaching Tears (臨泣), Pinched Ravine (俠溪) and Orifice Yin (竅陰) holes. To the left and right, these are twelve holes.” 26  Wang Bing: “I.e., the Suspended Skull (懸顱), Yang White (陽白), and Head Corner (頭維) [holes]. To the left and right, altogether six holes.” 27 Yang Shangshan: “鼽 is 鼻表, ‘outside of the nose.’  ” Wang Bing: “I.e., the Four White [Sections] (四白) hole.” Wang Bing further down: “鼽 is 頄. 頄 is 面顴, ‘facial cheek.’  ” Tanba: “This may be a mistake for 頰, ‘cheek.’ The Shi gu 釋骨 of Mr. Shen 沈 氏 states: ‘the bone rising below the eye is called 䪼 . That which is located below to the side and is prominent and big, is called 面鼽骨; other names are 顴骨 and 大顴.’ 鼽 and 頄 were used identically in ancient times.” Gao Jiwu/32: “鼽 has two meanings: 1. it refers to diseases of the nose, such as running nose. 2. it refers to a location, as in the present passage.” 1508/10: “鼽 refers, first, to the nose, second, to the cheek bones, and third, to a stuffed nose or run­ning nose.” For details, see there.

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One Great Facing [hole] in the bone hollow on each [side].28 One Man’s Facing [hole] on each [side].29 One each in the bone hollow outside the broken basin.30 One each in the gaps between the [rib] bones in the center of the breast.31 Five each outside on both sides of the turtledove tail (i.e., sternum) and exactly three inches below the breast [nipple], on both sides of the stomach duct.32 Three each three inches apart on both sides of the navel.33 Three each on both sides two inches below the navel.34 One each at the qi street moving vessels.35 One each above the crouching rabbit.36 Eight transporters each from the Three Miles [hole] down to the middle toe.37 38 28  Wang Bing: “  ‘Great Facing (大迎)’ is the name of holes.” 29  Wang Bing: “  ‘Man’s Facing (人迎)’ is the name of holes.” 30  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Celestial Bone-Hole (天髎) holes.” 31 Yang Shangshan: “Breast Window (膺窗) and Breast Center (乳中), to the left and to the right two holes.” Wang Bing: “I.e., the six holes of Breast Window (膺窗), … Qi Door (氣户), Storeroom (庫房), Roof (屋翳), Breast Center (乳中), Breast Root (乳根).” 32  Wang Bing: “I.e., the five holes Not Contained (不容), Assuming Fullness (承滿), Beam Gate (梁門), Pass Gate (關門), and Supreme Unity (太一).” Gao Shishi: “俠 is 并, ‘to parallel.’ That is, paralleling the sternum on both sides.” 33 Yang Shangshan: “I.e., the three holes Supreme Unity (太一), Slippery Flesh Gate (滑肉門), and Celestial Pi­vot (天樞).” Wang Bing: “廣 is to say: away from the navel on a transverse line… I.e., the Slip­pery Flesh Gate, Celestial Pivot, and Outer Mound (外陵) [holes].” 34  Wang Bing: “I.e., the Great Gigantic (大巨), Water Way (水道) and Return (歸 來) [holes].” 35  Wang Bing: “  ‘Qi Street’ is the name of holes.” 36  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two holes of Thigh Joint (髀關).” The character 菟 may be a variant here of 兔. 37  Wang Bing: “I.e., the eight holes of Three Miles (三里), Upper Edge (上廉), Lower Edge (下廉) Ravine Di­vide (解谿), Surging Yang (衝陽), Inundated Valley (滔谷), Inner Court (内庭), Grinding Stone (厲兌).” 38  Wang Bing: “As for 分之所在穴空, the foot yang brilliance vessel departs (分) at the Three Miles (三里) hole and passes downwards, while the straight course [of this vessel] follows the shins, moves beyond the instep and enters the middle toe, at the end of which, i.e., at the Grinding Stone (厲兌) [hole], it reappears. Its branch courses move, together with the straight course, to the top of the instep and enter between the middle toe and the adjacent toes. Hence, [the text] states 分之所在穴空, ‘the holes at

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59-310-1 There are 36 holes39 on the hand major yang vessel where the qi is effused: One each at the inner canthi of the eyes.40 One each outside the eyes.41 One each be­low the cheek bone.42 One each above the auricles.43 One each in the center [in front of the] ears.44 One Great Bone hole on each [side].45 One hole each in the bone above the curved armpit.46 One each in the depression [on both sides] above the clavicle.47 One each four inches above the celestial window.48 One each in the shoulder divide.49 One each three inches below the shoulder divide.50 Six Transporters each from the elbow down to the base of the small finger.51

the location where the branch courses move to.’ 之 is 往, ‘to proceed towards.’ That is to say, [the vessel] is divided into several lines all of which proceed to the holes located between the toes.” 39  The Tai su has “26” instead of “36.” Yang Shangshan: “  ‘30 was mistakenly changed to 20.’  ” 40  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Bright Eyes (睛明) holes.” 41  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Pupil Bone-Hole (瞳子髎) holes.” 42  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Cheek Bone-Hole (顴髎) holes.” 43  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Grandchildren of the [Forehead] Corner (角孫) holes.” 44  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Auditory Palace (聽宮) holes.” 45  Wang Bing: “  ‘Great Bone (巨骨)’ is the name of [these two] holes.” 46  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Upper Arm Transporter (臑俞) holes.” 47  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Shoulder Well (肩井) holes.” 48  Wang Bing: “I.e., the four holes of Celestial Window (天窗) and Orifice Yin (竅陰).” 49  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Grasping the Wind (秉風) holes.” 50  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Celestial Ancestor (天宗) holes.” 51  Wang Bing: “I.e., the six holes of Small Sea (小海), Yang Valley (陽谷), Wrist Bone (腕骨), Back Ravine (後溪), Front Valley (前谷), and Lesser Marsh (少澤). If those to the left and right are counted together, these are altogether twelve holes.”

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59-311-2 There are 22 holes on the hand yang brilliance vessel where the qi is effused: Two each at the outer edge of the nostrils and above the nape.52 One Great Facing [hole] in the bone hollow on each side.53 One each at the meeting points of the pillar bones.54 One each at the meeting points of the shoulder bones.55 Six transporters each from the elbow down to the base of the finger next to the thumb.56 59-312-1 There are 32 holes on the hand minor yang vessel where the qi is effused: One each below the cheek bone.57 One each behind the eyebrows.58 One each above the corners [of the forehead].59 One each behind the lower completion bone.60 One each in the center of the nape in front of the foot major yang [conduit].61 One each on both sides of the supporting protuberance.62 52  Wang Bing: “I.e., Welcome Fragrance (迎香) and Supporting Protuberance (扶 突), two holes each.” 53  Wang Bing: “  ‘Great Facing (大迎)’ is the name of holes.” 54  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Celestial Tripod (天鼎) holes.” Gao Shishi: “This is the nape bone. ‘Meeting points of the pillar bones’ refers to the points where nape and shoulders meet. These are the two Celestial Tripod holes.” Zhang Zhicong: “The pillar bone is the nape bone situated above the shoulderblade.” 55  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Shoulder Bone (肩髃) holes.” 56  Wang Bing: “I.e., the Three Miles (三里), Yang Ravine (陽溪), Union Valley (合 谷), Third Space (三間), Second Space (二間), and Shang-Yang (商陽) holes.” 57  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Cheek Bone-Hole (顴髎) holes.” 58  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Silk Bamboo Hollow (絲竹空) holes.” 59  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Suspended Grain (Weight) (懸釐) holes.” Lin Yi et al.: “In outlining the [holes on the] foot minor yang vessel, [this hole] is said to be located below the corners [of the forehead]. Here it [says] ‘above the corners’ and this may be wrong.” 60  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Celestial Window (天牖) holes.” 61  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Wind Pool (風池) holes.” 62  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Celestial Window (天窗) holes.”

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One Shoulder Truth [hole] on each [side].63 One each in the partings three inches below the Shoulder Truth [holes].64 Six trans­porters each from the elbow down to the base of the finger next to the small fin­ger.65 59-313-1 There are 28 holes on the supervisor vessel where the qi is effused: Two in the center of the nape.66 Eight in the center backwards from the hairline.67 Three in the face.68 15 holes from the great hammer down to the sacrum and on the side.69 {Down to the sacrum there are altogether 21 joints. This is the law of [determining holes according to] the vertebrae.} 59-314-2 There are 28 holes on the controlling vessel where the qi is effused:

63  Wang Bing: “  ‘Shoulder Truth (肩真)’ is the name of holes.” 64  Wang Bing: “I.e., the Shoulder Bone-Hole (肩髎), Upper Arm Convergence (臑 會), and Dissipating Luo [River] (消濼); two holes each.” 65  Wang Bing: “I.e., the six holes of Celestial Well (天井), Branch Ditch (支溝), Yang Pool (陽池) Central Islet (中渚), Fluid Gate (液門), and Pass Thoroughfare (關 衝). If those to the left and right are counted together, these are altogether twelve.” 66  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Wind Palace (風府) and Mute’s Gate (瘖門) holes.” 67  Wang Bing: “I.e., the eight holes of Spirit Court (神庭), Upper Star (上星), Fontanel Meeting (顖會), Anterior Vertex (前頂), Hundred Convergences (百會) Posterior Vertex (後頂), Unyielding Space (强間), and Brain’s Door (腦户).” 68  Wang Bing: “I.e., the three holes of White Bone-Hole (素髎), Water Trough (水 溝), Gum Intersec­tion (齗交).” 69  Wang Bing: “I.e., the 15 transporters of Great Hammer (大椎), Kiln Path (陶道), Body Pillar (神柱), Spirit Path (神道), Numinous Tower (靈臺), Extreme Yang (至 陽), Sinew Contraction (筋縮), Central Pivot (中樞), Spinal Center (脊中), Suspended Pivot (懸樞), Life Gate (命門), Yang Pass (陽關), Lumbar Transporter (腰俞), Long Strong (長强), and Meeting of Yang (會陽).” Hu Tianxiong: “In accordance with the preceding and the following text, these should be 16 holes.” For details, see there.

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Two in the center of the throat.70 One each in the depressions between the bones in the center of the breast.71 One [each] for [each of the] three inches from the turtledove tail downwards,72 for [each of the] five inches in the stomach duct [region],73 and for [each of the] six and a half inches from the stomach duct down to the transverse bone.74 {This is the law of [determining holes according to the position of ] the abdominal vessels.} [Between the two] lower yin [orifices] there is one separate [hole].75 There is one each below the eyes;76 one below the lip;77 one Gum Intersection [hole].78

70  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Ridge Spring (廉泉) and Celestial Chimney (天突) holes.” 71  Wang Bing: “I.e., the six holes of Swivel Mechanism (旋機), Florid Canopy (華 蓋), Purple Palace (紫宮), Jade Hall (玉堂), Dan Zhong (膻中), and Central Court (中庭).” Hu Tianxiong: “This 膺中, ‘in the center of the breast’, means 胸中, ‘in the center of the chest.’ This is different from the statement in Su wen 58: ‘Breast transporters: twelve ho­les.’  ” 72  Wang Bing: “I.e., the Turtledove Tail (鳩尾), Great Tower Gate (巨闕), and Upper Duct (上腕) ho­les.” Hu Tianxiong: “The meaning of the twelve characters from here down to 六寸半一 is difficult to understand. All commentators have read them in a different way. .. The text is corrupt here.” 73  Wang Bing: “I.e., the Central Duct (中脘), Interior Strengthening (建里), Lower Duct (下脘), Water Divide (水分), and Center of the Navel (臍中) holes.”

74  Wang Bing: “I.e., the Yin Intersection (陰交), Bo Yang (脖胦), Cinnabar Field (丹 田), Pass Head (關元), Central Pole (中極), and Curved Bone (曲骨) holes.” 75  Wang Bing: “I.e., the Meeting of Yin (會陰) hole.” 76  Wang Bing: “I.e., the two Tear Container (承泣) holes.” 77  Wang Bing: “I.e., the Sauce Receptacle (承浆) hole.”

78  Wang Bing: “  ‘Gum Intersection (齗交)’ is the name of this hole.” Gao Shishi: “The seam of the teeth intersects with the controlling vessel. Hence, this is called ‘Gum Intersection.’” Wu Kun: “The ‘Gum Intersection’ is located inside the lip in the seam of the upper teeth. This is where the controlling and the supervisor vessels meet.” Zhang Zhicong: “The Gum In­tersection hole is located in the gum seam below the teeth inside the lips. In ancient times, there were two gum intersections. The gum intersection of the supervisor vessel entered the upper teeth; the gum intersection of the controlling vessel entered the lower teeth. These are [locations] where above and below the gums and the teeth intersect. Hence, they are called gum intersections.”

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59-316-2 There are 22 holes on the thoroughfare vessel where the qi is effused: One for [each] inch downwards from a half inch on both sides outside of the turtledove tail down to the navel.79 One for [each] inch downwards from five fen on both sides of the navel to the transverse bone.80 {This is the law of [determining holes according to the position of ] the abdominal vessels.} 59-316-4 There is one each on the foot minor yin [vessels] below the tongue,81 and on the tense vessels of the ceasing yin [vessels] in the [pubic] hair.82 One each on the hand minor yin [vessels].83 One each on the yin and yang walker [vessels].84 [Together with] all locations on the fish lines of the hands and feet where the qi of the vessels is effused, there are altogether 365 holes.85 79  Wang Bing: “I.e., the six holes of Dark Gate (幽門), Valley Passage (通谷), Yin City (陰都), Stone Pass (石關), Shang Bend (商曲), and Huang Transporter (肓俞). To the left and to the right, these are altoge­ther twelve holes.” 80  Wang Bing: “I.e., the five holes of Central Flow (中注), Marrow Palace (髓府), Uterine Gate (胞門), Great Manifestation Yin Pass (陰關), and Lower Pole (下極). To the left and to the right, these are altogether ten holes.” Fen is a measure of length here. It corresponds to a tenth of an inch. 81  Wang Bing: “The two holes of the foot minor yin [conduit] below the tongue are the two Sun and Moon Origin (日月本) holes to the left and to the right in front of the moving vessel in the depression in front of man’s facing.” 82  Wang Bing: “The tense vessels are in the yin (i.e., pubic) hair. Above the yin (i.e., se­xual) [organ], on both sides in a distance of 2 1/2 individually standardized body inches. If one touches it cautiously with one’s finger, it feels hard. If one touches it forcefully, pain will extend upwards and downwards.” 83  Wang Bing: “I.e., the hand minor yin cleft holes. This is the hand minor yin cleft located one half individually standardized body inch behind the wrist.” 84  Wang Bing: “The one on the yin walker [vessel] is also called Exchanging Messages (交信) hole. The one on the yang walker [vessel] is also called Yang Attachment (附 陽) hole.” 85  Wang Bing: “Those existing on the conduits exceed [this number] by altogether 19 holes. These are the so-called qi palaces.” Wu Kun: “All locations on the hands and feet where there are partings between dark and white flesh, resembling the borderlines of

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color on the abdomen of fish, they are called ‘fishline.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “The prominent flesh locations to both sides of the hands and feet are all called ‘fish.’ When here all fishlines are referred to, that is because the four extremities are the origins of the twelve conduit vessels. Hence, this wor­ding serves to elucidate the basic line connecting the qi palaces of all the conduits.”

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Discourse on Bone Hollows 60-318-2 Huang Di asked: “I have heard, the wind is the origin of the one hundred diseases. To treat it with needles, how to proceed?” Qi Bo responded: “ When wind enters [the body] from the outside, it lets a person shake from cold. Sweat leaves [the body] and the head aches. The body [feels] heavy and has an aversion to cold. Treat [this] at the Wind Palace. Regulate the [patient’s] yin and yang.   Gao Shishi: “The ‘bone hollows’ are the holes at the bone joints all over the body.”   Wang Bing: “始 is 初, ‘beginning.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “When wind hits a person, it will first [affect] the skin and its hair and later proceed to the conduits and network [vessels], to the depots and palaces. From the shallow [regions] it enters the deeper [regions]; from a slight [affection] it turns into a serious [disease]. In its course it tends to make frequent changes. Hence, it is the begin of the one hundred diseases. When the sages avoided wind in the same way as they avoided arrows and stones, this was in fact to prevent even a slight [affection].” Gao Shishi: “Of the evil of the six excesses, the wind occupies the top posi­tion. Hence, ‘the wind is the begin of the one hundred diseases.’  ”   Wang Bing: “When wind hits the physical body, the interstice structures close tightly and the yang qi takes up the internal defense. When the cold repeatedly dominates exter­nally, dominating [cold] and defending [yang qi] fight each other. [As a result] the camp and the guard [qi] lose their positions. Hence, a situation as descri­bed here emerges.” Zhang Jiebin: “Wind evil attacks from the outside; yang qi defends in­side. Evil and proper [qi] battle each other, hence, one shakes from cold. The wind harms the guard [qi], hence, one sweats. The evil settles in the three yang [conduits], hence, one has head ache and the body [feels] heavy. When the guard [qi] is harmed, then the outside is timid. Hence, one has an aversion to cold.” Hu Tianxiong: “The Tai su has 惡風寒. Su wen 42 states: ‘Whenever one has a wind disease, one sweats massively and has an aversion to wind.’ Hence, when the Tai su has the character for ‘wind’ following the character for ‘aversion,’ that is correct.”   Wang Bing: “  ‘ Wind Palace (風府)’ is [the name of ] a hole. It is located in the nape, one half in­dividually standardized body inch into the hair line in the [central] fold.”

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If there is an insufficiency, supple­ment [it]; if there is a surplus, drain [it]. 60-318-5 When massive wind [causes] neck pain, pierce the Wind Palace. {The Wind Palace is at the upper hammer.} When massive wind [causes] sweat to leave [the body], cauterize the yi-xi [hole]. {The yi-xi [hole] is located in the back, below, paralleling the spine on both sides [in a distance of ] three inches. If one presses there and lets the patient shout yi-xi, the yi-xi [hole] will correspond to one’s hand.} 60-318-7 When it is because of wind that someone hates wind, pierce at the tips of the eyebrows. When [his neck] cannot touch the pillow,10 [pierce] on the shoulder between the trans­verse bones.11  See 2689/57 for a discussion of “wind” terms in the Nei jing.

  Wang Bing: “上椎 is to say: 大椎上, ‘above the great hammer,’ one half indivi­ dually standardized body inch into the hair line.”   916/54: “厭 is 擪; 擪 is 按捺, ‘to press heavily.’  ”

  Wang Bing: “Yi Xi (譩譆) is [the name of two] holes. They are located at the inner edges of the shoulder blades, parallel to [the spine] below the sixth vertebra on both sides in a di­stance of three individually standardized body inches. When one presses them with the hand and lets the patient make an yi-xi sound, then one will feel a mo­vement under one’s finger.” 1720/13: “One lets the patient make a sound of yi and/or xi.”   Gao Shishi: “從 is 迎, ‘to receive.’  ” Ma Shi: “That is to say, in case of being affected by wind and in case of aversion to wind.” Cheng Shide et al.: “  ‘ Tips of the eyebrows’ refers to the Bamboo Ga­thering (攢竹) holes.” Wang Qi: “從風憎風 is a disease caused by a wind evil. It manifests itself as an aversion to wind.”

10  失枕, lit.: “to lose/miss the pillow,” is identified today as crick in the neck. Wu Kun: “The wind is in the neck. The neck aches and does not move freely; it cannot be laid on the pillow.” 11  Wang Bing: “I.e., the Broken Basin (缺盆) hole.” Ma Shi: “This is the Great Bone (巨骨) hole.” Zhang Jiebin: “This should be the Outer Shoulder Transporter (肩外 俞) of the hand major yang [conduit] above the shoulder bone in the back. Or it is

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When [the patient] is bent [forwards], let [him] lift his forearm. Exactly on one level with the elbow cauterize the Spinal Center.12 60-319-1 When the network in the lateral abdomen and free ribs pulls on the lower abdomen, resulting in pain and distension, pierce the yi-xi [hole].13 When there is pain in the lower back so that one cannot turn around and sway, [and if this pain] pulls tightly on the testicles, pierce the eight bone-holes and [also the location on the skin] above the pain.14

the Shoulder Well (肩井) hole of the foot mi­nor yang [conduit]; it, too, masters pain in the neck.”

12  The present text and the Tai su have 揄, ‘to lift,’ instead of 榆 as found in some other versions. Wang Bing: “榆 is read as 搖. 搖 is to say 搖動, ‘to wave.’ In case of a crick in the neck, do not only select the transverse bone on the shoulder. One should also cauterize the center of the spine with [the patient] assuming an upright posture. To verify the [proper lo­cation] let [the patient] make his arm make a waving movement and ask him to bend his elbow. From the neck downwards on one level with the tip of his elbow exactly in the center, this is the [proper] location. It is called Yang Pass (陽關).” Gao Shishi: “When one sleeps at night and has no head rest, then one suffers between the transverse bones on the shoulders. One cannot stretch comfortably; hence, [one has a feeling] as if [something was] broken. If [it appears to be] broken, one cannot lift the arm. In this case the patient must wave the arm until it forms one level with the elbow to correct it. When the patient waves the arm to one level with the elbow, there is a hollow in the spine. It is exactly at this location that one must cauterize in the center of the spine and one must not look for any other place.” Zhang Zhicong: “折 is to say: the back is bent in an obtuse angle 磬折 and cannot be stretched comfortably. .. One moves the arm so that it is on one level with the tip of the elbow. The corresponding location [on the same level] in the center of the spine, this is where the vertebral hole of the spine center is to be cauterized.”  Ma Shi: “This is a statement on the cauterization pattern to be applied when an arm is broken. Whenever someone has broken an arm, one lets this person wave his arm and bring it into a bent position. Then [the patient should] raise his arm to one level with the elbow. Then one cauterizes him in the spine to let the qi of elbow and arm pass freely.” 13  Wang Bing: “䏚 is to say: the soft locations paralleling the spine on both sides. 少 腹 is [the region] below the navel.” Gao Shishi: “The tip of the ribs is called 䏚 . 䏚絡 re­fers to the network [vessels] at the tips of the ribs.“ 14  2424/24: “The ‘eight bone-holes’ are the [two] upper, next, central, and lower bone-holes. They are located at the end of the spine to the left and to the right in the four sacrum hollows.”

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{The eight bone-holes are located in the partings of lower back and sacrum.}15 60-319-3 In case of a mouse fistula16 with [alternating fits of ] cold and heat, [let the patient] turn [to the side] and pierce the Cold Palace. {The Cold Palace is located in the camp in the [bone] divide close to the outside of the knee.}17 {When selecting [for treatment] the outside above the knee, let the [patient lean forwards as if he] paid reverence;18 When selecting [for treatment] the center [of the sole] of the feet, let the [patient] kneel down.}19 60-319-5 28 60-320-2 As for the supervisor vessel, it emerges29 from the lower abdomen and then moves down to the center of the [pubic] bone. In females it enters and ties up with the court cavity.30 {This cavity is the tip of the urinary cavity.}31 pe­netrates the navel before it rises further, when it has a disease, in males this causes internal knottings and the seven elevation illnesses, in females it causes [disease] in the region below the belt, [i.e.,] conglomerations.” Wu Kun: “帶下 are red and white [vaginal] discharges.” Tanba: “[The term] ‘red and white [vaginal] discharges’ appears first in [Chao Yuan-fang’s 巢元方 Zhu] bing yuan [hou lun] 諸病源候論. In ancient times the term 帶下 carried the meaning of ‘below lower back and belt.’ All diseases related to the monthly period are summarily called ‘below the belt.’ In the Shi ji 史記, Bian Que 扁鵲 is called 帶下醫, ‘physician [treating diseases] below the belt.’ The Jing gui [yao lue] has 36 entries on disease ‘below the belt.’  ” 27  Wang Bing: “Because the thoroughfare vessel passes on both sides of the navel; it rises together with the minor yin conduit and reaches the chest center, hence, when the thoroughfare vessel has a disease, then qi moves contrary [to its regular course] and there is internal tight­ness.” 28  Wang Bing: “Because the supervisor vessel rises inside the spine, hence, when the supervisor ves­sel has a disease, the spine is stiff and bent backwards.” 29  Wang Bing: “  ‘Emerges’ is not to say ‘originates.’ [The term is used here] like in the statement ‘controlling vessel and thoroughfare vessel emerge from the uterus.’  ” 30  Wang Bing reads 繫廷孔 as forming one term: “attachment to the court cavity”: “The ‘attachment to the court cavity’ is the hidden outlet which is close to the socalled frontal yin hole. It is named ‘attachment-to-the-court-cavity’ because the yin court is attached to it.” 31  Wang Bing: “  ‘Cavity’ is 窈漏, ‘hidden outlet.’ In this hidden outlet, there is in the upper part the urinary cavity (溺孔). ‘Tip’ is to say: the tip above this urinary cavity in the yin court.” Zhang Jiebin: “廷 is 正, ‘true,’ 直, ‘straight.’ 廷孔 is to say: the straight cavity in the true center, i.e., the urinary cavity.” Zhang Zhicong: “  ‘ The tip at the urinary cavity’ is the birth gate inside the yin [i.e., female sexual organ].” Tanba: “廷 is 挺, ‘to stick out.’ The birth gate bulges out, hence, it is called 廷孔. Zhang Zhicong’s comment is correct. When Zhang Jiebin interprets [廷] as 正 and 直 and considers [the 廷孔] to be the urinary cavity, this is wrong.”

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Its network [vessels] follow the yin (i.e., sexual) organ [with the various branches] uniting again in the region of the pe­rineum.32 They wind around to behind the perineum, separating into branches winding around the buttocks and reaching the network [vessels] between the [foot] minor yin and the [foot] great yang [conduits]. They merge with the [foot] minor yin [conduit] and rise on the inner back edge of the upper thighs, penetrate the spine, are connected with the kidneys, emerge together with the major yang [conduit] from the inner canthi of the eyes, rise to the forehead, intersecting [with the major yang conduit] on the peak of the skull, enter and enclose the brain, return to the outside and branch out to descend along the nape, follow the in­side of the shoulderblades, move on both sides of the spine and reach the cen­ter of the lower back. They enter and follow the spinal column and enclose the kidneys. 60-321-2 In males it follows the stalk and descends to the perineum; [their further course] equals that in females. That course of it which rises straight upwards from the lower abdomen, it penetrates the navel center, rises and penetrates the heart, enters the throat, rises to the lower cheek, winds around the lips, rises and ties up with the center below both eyes. When it generates a disease, there is pain from the lower abdomen rushing upwards to the heart. [Patients] cannot [relieve nature] in front and behind. This causes the surging elevation illness.33

32  Wang Bing: “The network [vessels] branching away from the supervisor vessel leave from the tip of the urine opening, move down along the private organ and unite at the perineum again. The so-called 間 refers to the ‘space between’ the frontal and the dorsal yin [openings] (i.e., between sexual organ and anus).” 33  Wang Bing: “An examination of the generation of this disease reveals that it is situated in the controlling vessel. When the classic states ‘it causes surging elevation illness,’ this makes it very clear that it is ruled by a vessel apart from the supervisor vessel. Why? If each vessel has each qi and if there is no such situation where yin and yang rule differently, then the disease generated should include pain in both the heart and the back. How could it only ‘surge upwards to the heart and cause elevation illness’?”

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In females [this disease] prevents them from becoming pregnant. [Also, it leads to] protuberance illness,34 piles, [involuntary] loss of urine, and dry throat.35 60-321-6 When the supervisor vessel generates a disease, treat the supervisor vessel. Treat it above the [pubic] bone.36 In severe cases [treat] at the camp below the navel.37 When [the patient experiences] rising qi with sounds, treat in the center of the throat. {This is in the midst of the broken basins.}38 When the [patient] suffers from [qi] rushing upwards to the throat, treat at the ad­vance. {As for ‘advance,’ this is the rise [of the vessels] on both sides of the chin.}39 34 See also Su wen 49, note 55/56.

35  Wang Bing: “The reason is, once again, that the thoroughfare vessel and the controlling vessel rise together from the lower abdomen to the throat. Also, because the supervisor vessel follows the private organ, meets at the perineum, ... hence, [females] cannot become pregnant. .. The reason it is called 任脈 is that females have it for the nourishment [of the fetus in the womb] (任養; see Bai hu tong 白虎通, Li yue 禮樂: 任養萬物, “to nourish the myriad beings”). 36  Wang Bing: “ This is also a branch of the controlling vessel. The thoroughfare, the controlling [vessel], and the supervisor vessel, these three have different names but they constitute one body. This is clear. ‘Above the bone’ is to say: the Curved Bone (曲 骨) hole in the pubic hair above the transverse bone in the lower back.” 37 Yang Shangshan: “As for ‘camp below the navel,’ that is the base of the supervisor vessel. 營, too, is the location of a hole.” Wang Bing: “  ‘Below the navel’ is to say: the Yin Inter­section (陰交) hole one individually standardized body inch straight below the navel.” Zhang Jiebin: “營 is 窟, ‘cave.’  ” Cheng Shide et al.: “  ‘Camp below the navel’ refers to a transporter hole in the lower abdomen below the navel.” 38  Wang Bing: “中 is to say: the Celestial Chimney (天突) hole in the center between the two bro­ken basins. It is located four individually standardized body inches below the Adam’s apple in the central cavity at the meeting of the yin binder and the controlling vessels.” 39  Wang Bing: “The yang brilliance vessel advances upwards to the chin and encircles the lips. Hence, the passage on both sides of the chin is called ‘advance.’ What is meant here is the Great Facing (大迎) hole.” Zhang Jiebin: “When, in case of qi fullness, one pants and [the qi] rushes upwards to the throat, one must treat the Great Facing holes of the foot yang brilliance conduits on both sides of the chin. The yang

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60-322-1 In case of lameness, when the knee can be stretched but cannot be bent, treat the [patient’s] bolt bone.40 When [the patient] sits and his knee aches, treat its trigger.41 When [the patient] stands and has summerheat in the divide, treat the bone joint.42 When the knee aches and when the pain reaches into the big toe,43 treat the [patient’s] knee bay.44 When the [patient] sits and his knee aches as if something was hidden in it,45 treat the [patient’s lower thigh bone] joints.46 brilliance vessel advances upwards from there to the chin and [through] the face. Hence, the sides of the chin are named ‘advance.’ Zhang Zhicong: “As for 漸, this is to say: the supervisor ves­sel enters the throat, rises to the lips and to the teeth and advances further divided into two branches. It passes by the sides of the chin and enters the eyes. One must pierce it at the location where it advances upwards to the sides of the chin.” 40  Wang Bing: “蹇膝 is to say: the knee aches and bending and stretching are difficult be­cause of lameness.” 41  Zhang Jiebin: “The moving location of the bone seam on both sides of the buttocks is called 機. This is the Ring-shaped Hoe (環銚) hole of the foot minor yang [vessel].” Gao Shishi: “機 is 機關, ‘trigger joint.’ When the knee aches while one sits, the joint is not in order.” 2424/27: “These should be the Thigh Joint (髀關) [holes].” 42  Wang Bing: “署 is 熱, ‘heat.’ When [a patient] with pain in his knee stands up and has heat in the divide of the knee bones, one treats this at the bone gate. ‘Bone gate’ is to say: the knee divide. Another edition has 起而引解, ‘one rises and it pulls the divide.’ That is to say: when the knee aches and one rises, the pain is drawn into the divide of the knee bones.” Tanba: “The other edition quoted by Wang Bing appears to be correct.” 2424/27: “These should be the Knee Eye [holes].” 43 Yang Shangshan: “拇指 is the small toe.” Gao Shishi: “拇指 is the big toe.” Tanba: “The Shuo wen states: 拇 is 將指. The commentary by Yan Shi-gu 顏師古 in the Ji jiu pian 急就篇 states: 拇 is 大指, ‘big toe;’ another name is 將指.” 44  Wang Bing: “膕 is to say: the Bend Middle (委中) hole in the curvature of the leg behind the knee divide.”

45  Gao Shishi: “隱 is identical with 藏, ‘to store.’ ‘The knee aches as if something were hidden in it,’ is: it aches and there is a swelling.” Wu Kun: “  ‘As if something were hid­den in it,’ that is where the evil has attached itself.” 46  Wang Bing: “The joint is above the knee bay, exactly behind the thigh bone.” Ma Shi: “  ‘One must treat its joint’ may refer to the Support (承扶) hole. It belongs to the foot ma­jor yang conduit of the bladder. It is located in the hidden line below the

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When the knee aches and cannot be bent and streched, treat in the [patient’s] back.47 60-322-4 When that which connects [the knee] with the shin [feels] as if broken, treat the transporter bone-holes on the yang brilliance [conduit].48 [If the pain] is as if [a bone] was severed, treat the brook [holes] on the great yang and minor yin [conduits].49 buttocks.” Zhang Jiebin: “Above the knee bay is a joint. This joint is the bone divide in the knee bay.” 47 Yang Shangshan: “That is, in the back transporters of the foot major yang [conduit].” Wang Bing: “That is to say: the Great Shuttle (大杼) hole.” Gao Shishi: “The knee aches and the sinews are not soft and pliable. Hence, the spine can not be bent or stretched. The disease has emerged in the sinews governed by the major yang. Hence, one must treat in [the re­gion of ] the back and stretching and bending will be as before.” 2424/27: “Perhaps these are the Yin Mound Spring (陰陵泉) [holes].” 48  治陽明中俞髎: Some commentators read 中俞 as a compound ‘central transporter’. Yang Shangshan: “One treats the central transporter of the foot yang brilliance conduit. That is the Upper Edge of the Great Hollow (巨虚上廉).” Wang Bing: “When the knee aches and one cannot bend or stretch it and if that [part which] connects [the knee with] the shin has pain, as if broken, then one pierces the central transporter bone-holes of the yang brilliance vessel. That is, one selects the Three Miles (三 里) hole.” Gao Shishi: “髎 is 骨穴, ‘bone-hole.’ ‘Central transporter’ is a trans­porter of the foot yang brilliance [conduit]. Of the five transporter holes, the well and the brook are in front, the stream and the confluence at at the end. The trans­porter is in the center. Hence, [Wang Bing and Yang Shangshan] state ‘central transporter bone-hole’. That is to say: the Sunken Valley (陷谷) hole in the region of the middle toe.” Zhang Jiebin: “Wang Bing interpretes [this location] as the Three Miles (三里)[holes]. I say [the text] refers to the transporter holes of the yang brilliance [conduit]. These should be the Sunken Valley (陷谷) [holes].” 2424/27: “These are the Three Miles [holes].” On the other hand, Wu Kun: “  ‘ Transporter bone-holes’ refers to the six transporter holes of well, brook, transporter, plain, stream, and confluence. One selects the one which is appro­priate.” 49  Wang Bing: “When there is pain and when the knee [feels] as if it was cracked (膝如別離), one treats the brook [holes] of the foot major yang and minor yin [conduits]. The brook [hole] of the foot major yang is the Valley Passage (通谷) [hole]; the brook [hole] of the foot minor yin is the Blazing Valley (然谷) [hole].” Zhang Jiebin: “If one searches for yet another therapy pattern, then the Valley Passage brook hole of the foot major yang [conduit] and the Blazing Valley brook hole of the foot minor yin [conduit] may both serve to treat the afore[mentioned] condition.” Tanba: “From the meaning of the text, Zhang Jiebin is correct.” 2424/27: “This refers to the Valley Pas­sage and Blazing Valley [holes]; both may be pierced for bloodletting.”

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In case [someone suffers of ] yin-luo and soreness in the shins and can­not stand up for long, treat the network [vessel]50 of the minor yang [conduit].51 {It is loca­ted five inches above on the outside.}52 60-323-1

60-323-4

There are marrow hollows. They are located three fen behind the brain. {They are located below the pointed bone at the [lower] borderline of the skull.}54 One is located below the base of the gums. 50 Lin Yi et al.: “維, ‘rope’, is an error for 絡, ‘network [vessel].’  ” We have followed this suggestion, and have replaced 維 with 絡. 51  Wang Bing: “淫濼 is to say: [the knee feels] sore and painful and has no strength.” Zhang Jiebin: “淫濼 is involuntary emissions of semen.” (In commenting on Ling shu 24, 風痺淫濼, Zhang Jiebin states: 淫濼 is ‘to intrude deeper day by day.’) Gao Shishi: “淫 is 极, ‘extreme;’ 濼 is 寒, ‘cold;’ 維 is 絡, ‘network [vessel].’ 淫濼脛痠 is ‘extreme cold and cutting pain in the shinbone.’  ” Cheng Shide et al.: “Zhang Jiebin’s comment on Ling shu 24 appears to be correct.” 52  2424/27: “These should be the Bright Light (明光) [holes]. Other editions identify them as Yang Assistance (陽輔) [holes]. The two are located one inch apart.” The Tai su has 在外踝上五寸, “five inches above the outer ankle.” This makes more sense than the current version of the Su wen. 53  Cheng Shide et al.: “楗 is 股骨, ‘thighbone.’  ”

54  Wang Bing: “That is to say, the Wind Palace (風府) [hole]. It penetrates right into the brain.”

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One is in the center behind the nape, below the covered bone.55 One is the upper hollow of the spinal bones {It is located above the Wind Palace.56 The lower hollow of the spinal bones is the hollow below the sacrum bone.}57 There are several marrow hollows in the face, located on both sides of the nose.58 There are also bone hollows located below the mouth exactly [on the level of ] the two shoulders.59 There are two shoulderblade bone hollows, located at the yang (i.e., outer side) of the center of the shoulderblade.60 60-324-1 There is a forearm bone hollow, located at the yang [side] of the arm. {In a distance of four inches from the [wrist] ankle in the hollow between the two bones.}61 There is the upper hollow of the thigh bone, located at the yang [side] of the thigh. {It co­mes out four inches above the knee.}62

55  Wang Bing: “That is to say, the Mute’s Gate (瘖門) hole.” Zhang Jiebin: “復 is 伏, ‘hidden.’  ” Mori: “復 is 枕骨, ‘pillow bone’ (i.e., the occipital bone). The pillow bone is located below the skull. They truly repeat each other. Hence, it is called ‘repetitive bone.’  ” 56  Wang Bing: “  ‘Above’ is to say, the Brain’s Door (腦户) hole.” 57  Wang Bing: “It does not respond to therapy. Hence, the classic omits its name.” 58  Wang Bing: “That is to say, the Cheek Bone-Hole (顴髎) hole and others. The classic does not list these unimportant locations one by one.” 59  Wang Bing: “That is to say: the Great Facing (大迎) holes.” Ma Shi, Zhang Jiebin, Wu Kun agree. Zhang Zhicong: „That is to say: of the bone hollows at numerous locations in the face, some are located below the mouth and communicate with the shoulder bones.“ 60  Wang Bing: “Near the Shoulder Bone (肩髃) [hole]. The classics have no name [for this hole].” 61  Wang Bing: “One individually standardized body inch above the Branch Ditch (支溝) [hole]. It is called Connect Between (通間) [hole].” 62  Wang Bing: “Above the Yin Market (陰市) [hole] and below the Crouching Rabbit (伏兔) [hole].”

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There is a shin bone hollow, located at the upper end of the assistant bone.63 There is a bone hollow of the thigh borderline, located in the [pubic] hair below the moving [vessel].64 60-324-4 There are the sacrum bone hollows, located behind the thigh bone. {In a distance of four in­ches.}65

{change to: the marrow has no hollows.}67 60-324-7 The law of cauterizing cold and heat: 63  Wang Bing: “That is to say: the Calf ’s Nose (犢鼻) hole. It is located below the knee cap and above the shinbone.”

64  Wang Bing: “The classics lack the name [of this hole].” The Tai su has 動脈下, “below the moving vessel.” 65  Wang Bing: “These are the eight bone-holes at the sacrum.” 66  The Tai su does not have the character 湊.

67  Wang Bing: “The ‘flat bones’ are the flat bones in the region of the sacrum. There are line structures on these bones where [the marrow] seeps in and collects in them. There are no additional cavities for the marrow. 易 is 亦, ‘also.’ When the bones have cavities, the marrow has cavities [where it is stored]; when the bones have no cavities, the marrow has no cavities either.” Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘Flat bones’ is to distinguish [these bones] from the round bones. All round bones have marrow in them. Where there is marrow, there are also cavities for the marrow. In the cases of the flat bones, they have only structures where [blood] can seep into them through blood vessels, and they have no marrow. Hence in all flat bones the marrow has been replaced by the [blood] seeping in, so that these bones have no marrow, and also no hollows. These are all the bones of the type of the lower ribs.” Gao Shishi: “扁骨 are the bones of the ribs situated where chest and spine meet. “易 is 交易, ‘to exchange.’ The ‘flat bones’ have line ‘structures’ where a tranquil ‘seeping’ occurs. They ‘collect’ in chest and spine. Inside they ‘do not have marrow hollows.’ This makes it clear: 滲理湊 is the exchange of the marrow. 無髓孔 is: there are no hollows at the two ends [of the bones].” Zhang Qi: “The four characters 易髓無空 are a later insertion.” 2270/38: “The ‘flat bones’ are the lower ribs. The three characters 無髓孔 may be a comment written by a later person in the margins that was erro­neously inserted into the proper text. They should be deleted. If not, they repeat the meaning of the subsequent phrase. 易髓無空 should be 易無 髓空. 易 is to be read as 平易, ‘flat.’  ” We read 易髓無空 as an editorial note that was erroneously not deleted.

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First cauterize the great hammer in the nape.68 Base the number of cauterizations applied on the age [of the patient]. Next cauterize the peg bone.69 Base the number of cauterizations applied on the age [of the patient]. Look for depressions at the locations of the transporters on the back and cauterize there.70 Raise the arm and cauterize the depression on the shoulder.71 Cauterize between the two free ribs.72 Cauterize the tip of the severed bone above the outer ankle.73 Cauterize between the small toe and the next toe.74 Cauterize the vessel in the depression below the calf.75 Caute­rize behind the outer ankle.76 Cauterize the location above the broken basin bone which if squeezed feels hard and generates pain as if it were a sinew. Cauterize in the depression in the center of the breast between the bones.77 Cauterize below the bundle bone of the palm.78 Cauterize three inches below the navel, the Pass Head. 68  2204/40: “The Great Hammer is passed by the yang qi of the entire body; it is a hole where the supervisor vessel and all the yang conduits intersect. It has the func­ tion of draining heat and opening the outside, of warming the yang and of dispersing cold.” 69  Wang Bing: “The end of the spine is called 橛骨, ‘peg bone’ (i.e., the coccyx).” 70  Zhang Jiebin: “The transporters of the back are all holes of the foot major yang conduit. At locations where there is a depression, the qi of the conduit is insufficient. Hence, one must cauterize there.” 71  Wang Bing: “This is the Shoulder Bone (肩髃) hole.” Gao Shishi: “The transporters of the five depots and six palaces are all located on the back. Hence, if upon inspection one notices that there are depressions at the locations of these transporters, one cauterizes them on the left and right. The method of searching for these [depressions] is such that one lifts the arms and the shoulders and cauterizes the depressed locations [that ap­pear] on the back.” 72  Wang Bing: “This is the Capital Gate (京門) hole; a levy hole of the kidneys.” 73  Wang Bing: “This is the Yang Assistance (陽輔) hole.” 74  Wang Bing: “This is the Pinched Ravine (俠溪) hole.” 75  Wang Bing: “This is the Sinew Support (承筋) hole.” 76  Wang Bing: “This is the Kunlun Mountains (崑崙) hole.” 77  Wang Bing: “This is the Celestial Chimney (天突) hole.” 78  Wang Bing: “This is the Yang Pool (陽池) hole.”

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Cauteri­ze the moving vessel at the [pubic] hairline.79 Cauterize in the parting three in­ches below the knee.80 Cauterize the moving vessels of the foot yang brilliance [vessel] on the instep.81 Apply one cauterization on the peak of the skull.82 60-326-1 At the location where one was bitten by a dog, apply three cauterizations.83 {For it is in accordance with the laws [to treat] diseases resulting from harm caused by dogs that one applies the cauterization.84 Altogether 29 locations must be cauterized}.85 In the case of harm caused by food, cauterize it. If [the disease] does not come to an end, it is essential to look for those conduits excessively [filled] with yang [qi]. Pierce the respective transpor­ters several times and give [the patient] drugs.86 79  Wang Bing: “This is the Qi Thoroughfare (氣街) hole.” 80  Wang Bing: “This is the Three Miles (三里) hole.” 81  Wang Bing: “This is the Surging Yang (衝陽) hole.” See also 1682/43 for a discussion of the no­tion of “instep,” and for a confirmation of Wang Bing’s interpretation. 82  Wang Bing: “This is the Hundred Convergences (百會) hole.” See also 1616/484 for a confirma­tion. 83  692/40: “Duan Yucai 段玉裁 (in his SWJZZ), in a comment on the Shuo wen 說 文 explana­tion of 灼 as 灸, states: ‘The medical literature calls the cauterization of the body with moxa 壯.” 84  Wang Bing: “When one was harmed by a dog and develops [alternating fits of ] cold and heat, one must cauterize the [patient] in accordance with the laws applied in cases of harm caused by dogs; one applies three cauterizations.” Zhang Jiebin: “Harm caused by a dog lets one [develop alternating fits of ] cold and heat. Hence, this law of cauterization exists.” 1110/372: “The level of this therapeutic method is comparable to that of the [Ma Wang Dui manuscript] ‘Prescriptions against 52 Ailments‘ (Wu shi er bing fang 五十二病方).” 85  The Tai su has “27 locations.”

86  Ma Shi: “When someone was harmed by food and develops [alternating fits of ] cold and heat, one cauterizes him. When one cauterizes him and [the alternating fits of ] cold and heat do not come to an end, one must look for all yang conduits that have a disease and pierce their transporters several times and one [must] apply drugs to regulate this. As a result, the [fits of ] cold and heat will vanish.” Li Jinyong: “Su wen 2 has 夫病已成而後藥之 with 藥之 in the sense of 治之. Hence, in Su wen 60 one should read 數刺其俞而治之, ‘treat it by frequently piercing the respective transport-

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ers.’  ” Zhang Zhicong: “When cauterization has not ended [the disease, this is a sign that] the qi of yin poison abounds. Hence, one must look for the locations where the yin conduits pass through the yang and drain them by frequently piercing the respective transporters there. This way the poison of the yin depots is cut off from [flowing into] the yang and if, in addition, one [has the patient] consume drugs dissolving the poison to treat the yin, this is a complete pattern for treating scrofula and [alternating fits of ] cold and heat.” Hu Tianxiong: “The character ‘yang’ has been interpreted by all authors differently. Some have interpreted it as ‘yang con­duits,’ some as ‘yang heat’ (in the sense of: “one must search where the conduits have excessive yang heat”), others have interpreted it as ‘yang abundance.’ Su wen 61 states: ‘The so-called conduits abounding [with contents], these are the yang ves­sels.’ Hence, ‘yang’ has the meaning of 盛, ‘abounding [with contents]’ here.”

Chapter 61

Discourse on Holes [to treat] Water and Heat. 61-326-5 Huang Di asked: “The minor yin, how is it that it rules the kidneys; The kidneys, how is it that they rule the water?” Qi Bo responded: “The kidneys are the extreme yin. Extreme yin is abundant water. The lung is the major yin. Minor yin is a winter ves­sel. Hence, its basis is in the kidneys, its end is in the lung. Both accumulate water.”   Hu Tianxiong: “The Tai su has the four characters 腎者少陰 (instead of 肺者太 陰). In the preceding paragraph, [Huang] Di asks two questions. First, ‘how is it that the minor yin rules the kidneys?’ and second, ‘how is it that the kidneys rule the wa­ter?’ In the preceding passage, Qi Bo has already answered the question ‘how is it that the kidneys rule the water?’ Hence, the subsequent passage should respond to the question ‘how is it that the minor yin rules the kidneys?’ The [Tai su] phrasing ‘the kidneys are minor yin; minor yin is a winter [movement in the] vessels’ answers this question. I should also like to point out here the difference between [the statements] ‘the kidneys are minor yin’ and ‘the kidneys are extreme yin.’ ‘Extreme yin’ refers to the climate. The kidneys rule [in] winter; the command of winter is severe cold. Hence, [the text] states: ‘the kidneys are extreme yin.’ ‘Minor yin’ refers to the conduit vessels, as is said in Ling shu 10: ‘The foot minor yin vessel of the kidneys [emerges from ...].’ Hence, [the text] states: ‘the minor yin is the winter vessel.’  ” 脈 may stand here for 氣, “qi.” See also Hu Tianxiong in note 34.   Hu Tianxiong: “The character 其 is a pronoun for ‘minor yin vessel.’ Hence, the [subsequent] commentary by Wang Bing.”   Wang Bing: “  ‘ Yin’ is to say: cold. The winter months [are marked by] extreme cold; the kidney qi corresponds to them. Hence, [the text] states: ‘The kidneys are the ex­treme yin.’ Water governs in winter. Hence, [the text] states: ‘Extreme yin is abounding water.’ The minor yin vessel of the kidneys rises from the kidneys, penetrates liver and diaphragm and enters the lung. Hence, [the text] states: ‘Its ori­gin is in the kidneys; its end is in the lung.’ When the kidney qi rises contrary [to its normal flow], water settles in the lung as a result. Hence, [the text] states: ‘They all collect water.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “The kidneys correspond to the qi of the North; their depot is located in the lower part [of the body]. Hence, they are called ‘extreme yin.’ The water

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61-326-7 [Huang] Di: “The kidneys, how can they generate diseases by assembling water?” Qi Bo: “The kidneys are the gates of the stomach. Hence, when the gates do not [open] freely, water assembles and follows its type. 61-326-11 Above and below it spills into the skin; governs in winter and the kidneys rule it. Hence, [the text] says ‘abound with water.’  ” For a detailed discussion of 其本在腎, 其末在肺 see also 94/51.   Zhang Jiebin: “The 關 (‘gate’) is the place where the door leafs must meet. Hence, it controls ope­ning and closing, leaving and entering. The kidneys rule the lower burner; their openings are the two yin [openings]. Water and grains enter the stomach. The clear [parts] leave through the frontal yin [opening]; the turbid [parts] leave through the yin [opening] in the back. When the kidney qi undergoes transformation, then the two yin [openings] are passable. When the kidney qi does not undergo transforma­ tion, then the two yin [openings] close. .. Hence, [the text] states: the kidneys are the gate of the stomach.” Hu Tianxiong: “The Tai su has 關閉, ‘the gate is closed,’ instead of 關. Yang Shangshan commented: ‘The stomach rules water and grain. When the stomach qi is shut in and cannot move freely, the kidneys accumulate water.’ That is, Yang Shangshan considers the stomach as the gate of the kidneys, while Wang Bing considers the kidneys as the gate of the stomach. One should follow Wang Bing’s comment.”   Wang Bing: “The 關 is that by which one controls leaving and entering. The kidneys rule the lower burner. The bladder is its palace. It controls the [kidneys’] separate outflow through the gate openings, [i.e.,] the two yin [openings.]. Hence, when the kidney qi undergoes transformation, then the two yin [openings] are passable; when the two yin [openings] are closed, then the stomach fills up to fullness. Hence, [the text] sta­tes: the kidneys are the gate of the stomach. When the gate is closed, then water collects. When water collects, then the qi stagnates. When the qi stagnates, then water is generated. When water is generated, then the qi overflows. Qi and water are of the same type (同類). Hence, [the text] states: ‘When the gate is closed so that there is no free flow, the water accumulates and follows its type.’  ” Hu Tianxiong: “The Tai su has 關閉不利, ‘the gate is closed, no free flow,’ (instead of 關門不利). If one examines Wang Bing’s comment stating 關閉則水積 and also his comments in Su wen 23, it is obvious that the original text had 關閉不利. Lin Yi et al. has no editorial comment on this; hence, this is a copy error from after the Song.” Gu dian yi zhu xuan bianxiezu /14: “  ‘Follows its type,’ the kid­neys are the water depot; water returns to the water depot. Hence, [the text] states ‘follows its type.’  ”

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hence, [this] leads to fu-swelling.” {As for ‘ fu-swelling,’ that is a disease resulting from the assembling of water.} 61-326-12 [Huang] Di: “Is all water generated by the kidneys?” Qi Bo: “The kidneys constitute a female depot. When the qi of the earth rises, it associates with the kidneys and generates water fluid. Hence, it is called ‘extreme yin.’ 61-327-1 When one does something with resolve and taxes oneself to the extreme, then sweat leaves from the kidneys. When sweat leaves the kidneys and encounters wind, internally it cannot enter the de­pots and palaces and   Wang Bing: “  ‘Above’ is to say: the lung; ‘below’ is to say: the kidneys. Both the lung and the kidneys overflow. Hence, water accumulates in the abdomen and generates disease.” Yang Shangshan: “胕 has the same meaning as 腐, ‘rotten flesh.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “Surface swelling of muscles and skin is called 胕. The spleen rules the muscles and the flesh; it is [associated with] the foot major yin [conduit]. When it is attacked by cold and water, contrary [to what is normal] it accumulates water and generates a disease.” Zhang Zhicong: “胕腫 is 脹, ‘swelling.’ The skin is linked to the lung. When water has accumulated below, it will contrary [to its normal direction] overflow and rise. Hence, it causes swelling in the skin. Hence, it is because of water accumulation that this disease emerges.” Gao Shishi: “胕腫 is: skin and mu­scles are swollen to fullness. The water qi does not move.” Wu Kun: “浮腫, ‘superficial swel­ling,’ is called 胕.” NJCD and GHYZD agree. GHYZD: The Shan hai jing 山海經, Xi shan jing 西山 經, has 浴之已疥, 又可已胕, “to use it for washing cures scabies and it is able to cure surface swel­ling, too.” Cheng Shide et al.: “胕 is 膚, ‘skin.’  ” The Zhan guo ce 戰國策, Chu ce 楚策, has 尾湛胕潰, “the tail is soaked; the skin is dren­ched.” 1798/36: “The use of 胕腫 in the Nei jing refers to 浮腫, ‘superficial swelling,’ or 膚腫, ‘fu-swelling,’ but never to 足腫, ‘swollen feet.’  ” Zhang Yizhi et al.: “胕 is 膚, ‘skin.’  ” For a detailed discussion, see there. See also 1682/42. The meaning of 胕 is unclear. As can be seen from the commentaries quoted above and elsewhere, the following readings are offered in Chinese dictionaries: (1) 腐, “to rot”. (2) 浮, “superficial”, “floating”, “near the surface”. (3) 跗, “instep”. (4) 附, “attached”. (5) 膚, “skin”. Wherever no definite clue is available to favor any of these readings, we have decided to simply transliterate the character as fu[-type swelling].   Wang Bing: “牝 is ‘yin.’ Also, [the kidneys] rule a yin position. Hence, they are called ‘female depot.’  ”

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externally it cannot transgress beyond the skin. It settles in the dark pa­laces and moves inside the skin. Its transmission leads to fu-swelling. This is based in the kidneys. The name is wind water.” {As for the so-called ‘dark palace,’ [this term refers to] the sweat openings.}10 61-327-4 [Huang] Di: “The fifty-seven water transporter locations, what do they rule?” Qi Bo: “The fifty-seven kidney transporter holes,11 this is where the accumulated yin assembles.   The Tai su has 六府 instead of 玄府. See also below note 10.

  Wang Bing: “  ‘ To exert and tax onself to the extreme’ is to say: forceful sexual intercourse. When sweat leaves [the body] because of taxing exertion, then the dark palaces (i.e., the pores) open. When the sweat leaves [the body] and encounters wind, then the dark palaces close again. When the dark palaces are closed, then the remaining sweat cannot leave, hides internally in the skin and transforms into water. This water has resulted from [an encounter of sweat with] wind. Hence, it is called ‘wind water.’  ” 10  Wang Bing: “The color of sweat fluid is dark. It leaves [the body] through openings. Be­cause the sweat accumulates inside of them, one calls them 玄府. 府 is 聚, ‘accumulation.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “Sweat belongs to the water. The color of water is dark. Hence, the residence of the sweat is called ‘dark palace.’ [The sweat] leaves via openings. Hence, one speaks of ‘sweat openings.’ However, sweat results from qi transformation. When it leaves [the body] it is scarcely perceptible. This is another meaning of 玄府.” Hu Tianxiong: “The Tai su does not have these eight characters. In the preceding text it has 客于六府, ‘it settles in the six palaces,’ instead of 客于玄府. When sweat leaves [the body] and encounters wind, the sweat fluid cannot enter the [body’s] interior and it cannot leave for the outside. All it can do is settle in the dark palaces (i.e., in the pores). It cannot settle in the six palaces, as should be obvious on first glance. Hence, the character 六 in the Tai su is a mistake for 玄. These eight characters may be a comment by someone in antiquity that was later erroneously inserted into the main text.” Mori: “玄府 refers to something extremely dark and fine, i.e., to something even the eyes cannot perceive. The openings through which the sweat leaves [the body] are extremely fine, no human eye can see them. Hence, they are called ‘dark palaces.’  ” See also 2186/64 for a detailed discussion of the concept of “dark palace.” 11  Hu Tianxiong: “  ‘Kidney transporters’ stands for ‘water transporters.’  ”

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It is here where the water leaves or enters.12 >From the sacrum upwards the five [conduit] lines, with [each] line having five [holes], these are the kidney transporters.The five depots.When urine and stools do not pass freely first and a disease emerges afterwards, treat its root.Its sweet creaturesCold and coolness set in frequently. When [they] dominate, then the water freezes.< The fire qi rises high and is brilliant. >The heart is hot and vexed.< The throat is dry and [patients] tend to be thirsty. [They suffer from] stuffy nose and sneezing. They tend to be sad and yawn frequently. Heat qi moves in an absurd manner. Hence cold [returns in] revenge. Frost descends when it is not its time. [People] are forgetful. In severe cases the heart aches.337 334  Wang Bing: “When minor yin [qi] is at the fountain, heat controls the earth and a situation as described here emerges. The illnesses [described] here are generated by the qi of the earth.” Zhang Jiebin: “Whenever yang brilliance [qi] controls heaven, then minor yin [qi, i.e.,] ruler fire, is at the fountain and heat prevails on the earth. Hence the corresponding signs [of illness] emerge as is described here. When fire appears in the yin section, then cold and heat struggle. Hence [patients] feels cold as if they suffered from malaria. The fire is repressed and cannot extend. Hence the heart aches. Fire is dryness. Hence it causes withering.” 335 Lin Yi et al.: “The three characters 火且明 should be 火用, ‘the fire operates.’  ”

336  Cheng Shide et al.: “Major yang [qi] controls heaven in chen and xu years.”

337  Wang Bing: “These are indicators of chen and xu years. When cold and coolness arise frequently, this is the policy carried out by major yang. ‘Fire qi rises high and is brilliant’ is to say: it burns on things. ‘When it is not its time’ is to say: too early and unilateral harm. The illnesses that emerge are generated by the qi of heaven.” Gao Shishi: “Major yang [qi] is [the qi of ] cold and water. Hence cold qi comes down to

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The soil, then, is moist; the water abounds and inundates [the land]. Cold arrives as a visitor. Heavy overcast transforms [things];338 dampness qi changes beings. Water drunk accumulates inside [the body]. There is central fullness and [people] do not eat. The skin is numb and the flesh is insensitive. The sinews and the vessels are not free. In severe cases there are fu-swellings; the body’s behind has yong-abscesses.339 70-447-9 When the ceasing yin [qi] controls heaven and when wind qi comes down, then the spleen qi rises to follow. Also, the soil is heaped. Yellow [qi] rises. Hence water is met by disasters.340 The operation of soil is changed. The body is heavy. The muscles and the flesh decay. [People] eat less and their taste is impaired. The wind moves through the Great Void; join. The qi controlling heaven restrains the human body. Because the human beings receive this restraint, the qi of the heart follows above. The heart is associated with fire; its color is red. When the brilliance and redness of fire [qi] rises, then metal is met by disasters because fire punishes the metal. Cold and coolness come up frequently. Because of their domination, water freezes. That is the qi controlling heaven.” 338  沈陰,lit.: “deep yin”, “deep shadow”; a term used to denote “heavy overcast” in Li ji 禮記, ‘Yue ling’ 月令already (see Ruan Yuan 1364 below). NJCD: “沈陰 is ‘deepreaching, dense yin clouds.’  ” 339  Wang Bing: “When the major yin [qi] is at the fountain, dampness controls the earth and a situation as described here emerges. The origin of the illness [described here] is generated by the qi of the earth.” Lin Yi et al.: “身後癰 should be 身後難, ‘the body has difficulties passing stools.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “Whenever major yang [qi] controls heaven, then major yin [qi] is at the fountain and dampness prevails on the earth. Hence the indicators and the illnesses appear that are listed here. 肉苛 is ‘numbness.’ Because the flesh is numb and swollen, one cannot move and sits on the mat for long times. Hence the body develops abscesses and ulcers on the buttocks and on the back. All this is evidence of [illnesses of ] the spleen, [i.e.,] of soil. They have arisen because of the qi of the earth.” 340  Cheng Shide et al.: “Ceasing yin [qi] controls heaven in si and hai years.”

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the cloudy things [show] a swaying movement. The eyes roll and there is a ringing [sound] in the ears.341 70-447-12 Fire gives rein to its violence. Hence the earth is [struck by] summerheat. Massive heat [makes things] waste away [as if ] melting. Red pours down.342 Hibernating creatures appear frequently. Flowing water does not freeze.343 [...] It is as fast as if a trigger had been released.344 341  Wang Bing: “These are indicators of si and hai years. 土用革 is to say: The qi of soil is employed to cause changes in the respective bodies. 雲物搖動 is to say: winds are high (i.e., strong). The illnesses [described] here are generated by the qi of heaven.” Gao Shishi: “Ceasing yin is the wind qi. Hence wind qi comes down to join. The qi controlling heaven restrains the human body. Because the human beings experience this restraint, the spleen qi rises to follow [the qi controlling heaven]. The spleen is associated with soil; its color is yellow. In the present case [the qi of ] soil abounds and yellow [qi] rises. When [the qi of ] soil abounds and yellow [qi] rises, then water experiences catastrophes because soil punishes water. Because the qi of wind, [i.e.] of wood abounds, the operation of [the qi of ] soil is abandoned. When the body is heavy and muscles as well as flesh decay, these are illnesses of the spleen. 食減口爽 is to say: [people] eat less and their taste is satisfied nevertheless. That is made clear: when they eat to sufficiency, this will not please their palate. This, too, is a spleen illness. When the wind qi rises, then the wind passes through the Great Void and cloudy things move and are shaken. In human beings this leads to turning eyes and ringing ears.” 342  Wu Kun: “This is urine leaving with blood.” Cheng Shide et al. cites Su wen yi shi 素问译释: “This is red colored diarrhea.” Zhou Fengwu et al.: “Blood leaves from mouth and nose.”

343  Wang Bing: “When minor yang [qi] is at the fountain, fire controls the earth and a situation as described here emerges. The illnesses are generated by the qi of the earth.” Gao Shishi: “When ceasing yin [qi] controls heaven, then minor yang [qi] is at the fountain. Minor yang [qi] is the qi of fire. Hence fire gives rein to its violence and the earth experiences summerheat. When the earth experiences summerheat, then great heat melts the [body] liquids. When the [body] liquids are subjected to heat, then redness pours down. The qi of fire rules the opening. Hence hibernating creatures appear frequently. The nature of fire is warm and hot. Hence flowing waters do not freeze.” 344  Wang Bing: “Changes and transformations caused by minor yang and ceasing yin qi are very fast; they occur as fast as if a trigger had been pulled. Hence [the text] states ‘it is effused trigger-fast.’  ”

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70-448-1 When the minor yin [qi] controls heaven and when heat qi comes down, then the lung qi rises to follow. White [qi] rises; metal operates. [Hence] herbs and trees are met by disasters.345 [People suffer from] panting and vomiting, from [alternating feelings of ] cold and heat, from sneezing, stuffy nose, nosebleed, and nasal congestions. Massive summerheat prevails everywhere.346 In severe cases, sores and ulcers [develop]. Burning [causes] metal to melt and stones to flow. The earth is [struck by] dryness and coolness. Chilling temperatures arrive frequently. The flanks ache. [People] tend to breathe deeply. Sternness and killing prevail. Herbs and trees change.347 70-448-5 When the major yin [qi] controls heaven and when dampness qi comes down, then 345  Cheng Shide et al.: “Minor yin controls heaven in zi and wu years.”

346  Wang Bing: “These are indicators of zi and wu years. Because heat controls the qi of heaven, these illnesses are generated by the qi of heaven.” Gao Shishi: “Minor yin [qi] is the ruler fire. Hence heat comes down to join. The qi controlling heaven restrains the human body. Because the human beings experience this restraint, the qi of the lung rises to follow [the qi controlling heaven]. White begins [to function, the qi of ] metal operates, herbs and trees are met by disasters. This is identical to [a situation where] minor yang qi controls heaven. That, too, is [a situation] where the qi of metal follows [the qi of ] fire and where metal punishes wood. Panting and vomiting, [alternating feelings of ] cold and heat, running nose, nosebleed, and blocked nose are also illnesses of the lung. When great summerheat prevails everywhere, heat qi abounds.” 347  Wang Bing: “  ‘Change’ is to say: Change their appearance. Pain in the flanks and deep breathing are [illnesses] generated by the qi of the earth.” Gao Shishi: “When minor yin [qi] controls heaven, then the yang brilliance [qi] is at the fountain. Yang brilliance [qi] is [the qi of ] metal. This qi is dry and cool Hence the earth [is struck by] dryness and coolness. With dryness and coolness present, severe cold arrives frequently. Metal punishes the wood. Hence the flanks have pain and the liver is ill. [People] tend to breathe deeply and to have gallbladder illnesses. Sternness and killing prevail and herbs and trees change [their appearance].”

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the kidney qi rises to follow. Black [qi] rises. [...] Water experiences changes.348 Dust covers [the earth]; clouds and rain [appear]. [The passages] in the chest are not free.349 The yin (i.e., the sexual organ) is limp; [its] qi is weakened massively and it does not rise. It does not function.350 If exactly at this time, contrary [to what should be expected], the lower back and the buttocks ache,351 {movement and turning are uncomfortable} [then this is] recession with countermovement.352 70-448-7 The earth stores the yin [qi]; 348 Lin Yi et al.: “Judged from the preceding and following structure of the text, the three characters 火迺眚, ‘and, as a result, fire is met by disasters’ appear to be missing here.” Cheng Shide et al.: “Major yin controls heaven in chou and wei years.”

349  Gao Jiwu/251: “不利 refers to a condition of ‘fullness and a feeling of pressure in the chest.’  ” 350 Lin Yi et al.: “The two characters 不用 should be 水用, ‘water operates.’  ”

351  Wang Bing: “These are indicators of chou and wei years. 水變 is to say: sweet fountains change to salty [flavor]. ‘Dust’ is fog [rising from the] soil. 冒 is 不分遠, ‘no dispersing widely.’ Clouds and rain are transformations of soil. 脽 is 臀肉, ‘buttocks.’ The illnesses that appear are generated by the qi of heaven.” 352 Lin Yi et al.: “Maybe these two characters should be linked to the preceding text.” Gao Shishi: “The major yin [qi] is the qi of dampness. Hence dampness qi comes down to join. The qi controlling heaven restrains the human body. Because the humans experience this restraint, the kidney qi rises to follow [the qi controlling heaven]. The color of the kidneys is black; they are associated with water. Hence black [qi] rises and water changes [its appearance]. When black [qi] rises, then there is fine dust resembling a smoke screen. When water changes [its appearance], then clouds and rain appear. When water restrains the fire, then the [passages in the] chest are not free and the yin [organ] is lame. ‘Yin’ refers to the anterior yin [organ]. When the yin [organ] is lame, then the qi is greatly weakened and the qi generating yang does not emerge and does not operate. At the time when black [qi] rises and when water changes [its appearance], it is not only fire that experiences these catastrophes, contrary [to what might be expected] the lower back and the buttocks ache and movement and turning are not comfortable. When the lower back and the buttocks ache, then the essence in the kidneys is depleted. When the essence in the kidneys is depleted, then movement and turning are uncomfortable. All this results from non-interaction of yin and yang [qi]. Hence [the texts] speaks of ‘recession with countermovement.’  ” Cheng Shide et al.: “當其時 is: at the time when the [qi of ] soil flourishes.”

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also, massive cold arrives and the hibernating creatures hide away early. Below the heart is blockage and pain.353 The earth cracks; the ice is firm. The lower abdomen aches. [People] are frequently harmed by food. When [the cold] harrasses the metal, then standing water increases. Its flavor, then, is salty. Running water decreases.” 354 70-448-10 [Huang] Di: “[Each] year it happens that there are embryos which are not born. When treating them, one does not achieve complete success.355 Which qi causes this?” Qi Bo: “The six qi and the five classes, they dominate and restrain each other.356 357 That is the Way of heaven and earth; that is the regularity of generation and transformation. Hence, when ceasing yin [qi] controls heaven, hairy creatures rest, feathered creatures are born, armored creatures do not reach completion.358 [When ceasing yin qi is] at the fountain, hairy creatures are born, naked creatures are diminished, feathered creatures are not born.359

357  Cheng Shide et al.: “  ‘Identical’ refers to situations where the six qi and the periodic qi belong to an identical category. ‘Different’ is when they do not belong to the same category. Zhang Zhicong: “When the [qi of the] five periods and the six qi are identical, the living beings ruled [by the respective periodical qi] abound. When the [qi of the] five periods and the six qi differ, then the living beings ruled [by the respective periodical qi] are weak.”

358  Wang Bing: “That is to say: in yi si, ding si, ji si, xin si, gui si, yi hai, ding hai, ji hai, ji hai, xin hai, and gui hai years. 靜 is to say: ‘to make no sound.’ It also is to say: ‘to retire.’ Feathered [creatures] are fire creatures; their qi is identical to that of the earth (i.e., fire). Fire restrains the transformations of metal. Hence armored creatures do not reach completion. That is to say: only a few creatures that are of white color and have scales are conceived and given birth to.” Zhang Jiebin: “When ceasing yin [qi, i.e., the qi of ] wind and wood, controls heaven, then the minor yang [qi, i.e., the] minister fire, is at the fountain. [The qi of ] hairy creatures is identical to the qi of heaven. Hence they are peaceful and quiet and do not cause injuries. [The qi of ] feathered creatures is identical to the qi of the earth. Hence many of them are born. Fire restrains the transformations of metal. Hence armored creatures do not mature.” 359  Wang Bing: “The qi of the earth restrains the soil; [hence] what is yellow and naked is diminished and receives harm. This will be especially severe when [the qi of ] that year is taken over by the wood period. Feathered creatures are not born because their [generation is] repressed by minor yang [qi] itself. This applies to the five yin and five shen years. Whenever [the text] has 不孕 or 不成, that is to say ‘few [are born/ completed]’; it does not say that there are none at all.” Zhang Jiebin: “When ceasing yin [qi, i.e., the qi of ] wind and wood, is at the fountain, [the qi of ] hairy creatures is identical to that qi; hence they are born. Wood overcomes soil. Hence naked creatures are diminished. When wood is oppressed below, fire cannot be generated. Hence feathered animals may come to life but are not born.“

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70-449-1 When minor yin [qi] controls heaven, feathered creatures rest, armored creatures are born, hairy creatures do not reach completion.360 [When minor yin qi is] at the fountain, feathered creatures are born, armored creatures are diminished and are not born.361 70-449-3 When major yin [qi] controls heaven, naked creatures rest, scaly creatures are born, feathered creatures do not reach completion.362 [When major yin qi is] at the fountain, naked creatures are born, scaly creatures363 [are diminished and] do not reach completion.364 360  Wang Bing: “This refers to jia zi, bing zi, wu zi, geng zi, ren zi, jia wu, bing wu, geng wu, and ren wu years. When in such years dark colored hairy creaturs are born, only a few reach completion.” Zhang Jiebin: “When minor yin [qi, i.e.,] ruler fire, controls heaven, [the qi of ] feathered creatures is identical to the qi of heaven. Hence they are peaceful and quiet. [The qi of ] armored creatures is identical to the qi of the earth. Hence they are born. When the qi of metal prevails on earth, then the [qi of ] wood is weak. Hence hairy creatures are conceived but do not reach completion.” 361  Wang Bing: “The qi of the earth restrains the metal; [hence] white, armored creatures are not born. This will be especially severe when [the qi of ] that year is taken over by the fire period. This applies to the five mao and five you years.” Zhang Jiebin: “[The qi of ] feathered creatures is identical to that qi. Hence they are born. [The qi of ] armored creatures experiences this [qi’s] restraint; hence they are diminished and are not born.”

362  Wang Bing: “This refers to yi chou, ding chou, ji chou, xin chou, gui chou, yi wei, ding wei, ji wei, xin wei, and gui wei years. ‘Naked creatures’ refers to [creatures] such as human beings and frogs. ‘Feathered creatures’ refers to those of green color, like parrots, woodpeckers, et al.” Zhang Jiebin: “[The qi of ] naked creatures is identical to the qi of heaven. Hence they are peaceful and quiet and do not cause injuries. [The qi of ] scaly animals experiences this [qi’s] restraint. Hence they do not reach completion.” 363 Lin Yi et al.: “The character 耗, ‘diminished,’ is missing here.” 364  Wang Bing: “The qi of the earth restrains the water; [hence] dark, scaly [creatures] are not born. This will be especially severe when [the qi of ] that year is taken over by a soil period. This applies to the five chen and five xu years.” Zhang Jiebin:

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When minor yang [qi] controls heaven, feathered creatures rest, hairy creatures are born, naked creatures do not reach completion.365 [When minor yang qi is] at the fountain, feathered creatures are born, armored creatures are diminished, hairy creatures are not born.366 70-449-6 When yang brilliance [qi] controls heaven, armored creatures rest, feathered creatures are born, armored creatures do not reach completion.367

“[The qi of ] feathered creatures is identical to the qi of heaven; hence they rest. [The qi of ] hairy creatures is identical to the qi of the earth. Hence they are born. When [the qi of ] wood at the fountain abounds, then [the qi of ] soil weakens. Hence naked creatures do not reach completion.”

365  Wang Bing: “This refers to jia yin, bing yin, wu yin, gen yin, ren yin, jia shen, bing shen, wu shen, geng shen, and ren shen years. ‘Naked creatures’ is to say: those of greenblue color. ‘Feathered creatures is to say: all those of dark color.” 366  Wang Bing: “The qi of the earth restrains the metal. White, armored [creatures] receive harm. This will be especially severe when [the qi of ] that year is taken over by a fire period. When hairy creatures are not born, this is because they are restrained by the qi of heaven. This applies to the five si and five hai years.” Zhang Jiebin: “[The qi of ] feathered creatures is identical to this qi; hence they are born. The [qi of ] armored creatures experiences this [qi’s] restraint; hence they are diminished. When [the qi of ] fire is at the fountain, then the qi of wood retreats. Hence hairy creatures are not born either.”

367  Wang Bing: “This refers to yi mao, ding mao, ji mao, xin mao, gui mao, yi you, ding you ji you, xin you, and gui you years. ‘Feathered [creature]’ refers to fire creatures. Hence many of them are born. ‘Armored creatures’ are those with a red armor. When [creatures] with a red shell are not born, this is because they are restrained by the qi of heaven.” In our opinion this should be “the qi of the earth”, i. e., fire. Zhang Jiebin: “[The qi of ] armored creatures is identical to the qi of heaven. Hence they rest. [The qi of ] feathered creatures is identical to the qi of the earth. Hence they are born. [The text] repeats that armored creatures do not reach completion. Even though their qi is identical to that of heaven, they are, in fact, restrained by the qi of the earth.”

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[When yang brilliance qi is] at the fountain, armored creatures are born, hairy creatures are diminished, feathered creatures do not reach completion.368 70-450-1 When major yang [qi] controls heaven, scaly creatures rest, naked creatures are born.369 [...] [When major yang qi is] at the fountain, scaly creatures [are born. Feathered creatures] are diminished. Naked creatures are not born.370

368  Wang Bing: “The qi of the earth restrains the wood; [hence] dark colored hairy creatures are diminished. Harm will be especially severe when [the qi of ] that year is taken over by a metal period. This applies to the five zi and five wu years. Feathered creatures do not reach completion because minor yin [qi] appears in the upper [half of the year].” Zhang Jiebin: “[The qi of ] armored creatures is identical to this qi, hence they are born. [The qi of ] hairy creatures experiences this [qi’s] restraint. Hence they are diminished. The qi of fire and metal are not in harmony with each other. Hence feathered creatures do not reach completion.”

369  Wang Bing: “This refers to jia chen, bing chen, wu chen, geng chen, ren chen, jia xu, bing xu, wu xu, geng xu, and ren xu years. Naked creatures are born because the qi of the earth agrees. ‘Scaly creatures rest’ is to say: yellow scales do not operate. In such years thunder is rare because it is repressed by the qi of heaven.” Lin Yi et al.: “This should say: ‘Scaly creatures do not reach completion.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “[The qi of ] scaly creatures is identical to the transformations [stimulated by the qi] of heaven; hence they rest. [The qi of ] naked creatures is identical to the transformations [stimulated by the qi] of the earth. Hence they are born.” 370  Wang Bing: “The qi of heaven restrains by what it is dominated. Yellow, dark and scaly [creatures] are diminished. This applies to the five chou and five wei years.” Lin Yi et al.: “This should say: ‘Scaly creatures are born, feathered creatures are diminished, naked creatures are not born.’ The character ‘scaly’ in [Wang Bing’s] commentary should likewise be ‘feathered.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “[The qi of ] scaly animals is identical to this qi; hence they are born. [The qi of ] feathered creatures experience this [qi’s] restraint. Hence they are diminished. The qi of water and soil are not in harmony with each other. Hence naked creatures are not born.”

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70-450-2 371 Hence, the rule of qi has something it restrains; the annual set-up has something it generates.372 The earth qi restrains that which it dominates itself. The qi of heaven restrains that by which it is dominated itself.373

371  Wang Bing: “When it is a period taking advantage of wood (the character 水 is a mistake here), naked creatures will not reach completion. When it is a period taking advantage of fire, armored creatures will not reach completion. When it is a period taking advantage of soil, scaly creatures will not reach completion. When it is a period taking advantage of metal, hairy creatures will not reach completion. When it is a period taking advantage of water, feathered creatures will not reach completion. In such years, similar to the text above, only small numbers are born and brought up.” Cheng Shide et al.: “Whenever [one of ] the six qi takes advantage of a periodic qi, then those [beings] that do not reach completion will, as a result of encountering this [qi], not even be able to reach pregnancy or birth.” Zhang Jiebin: “When [the qi of ] wood takes advantage of the wood period, then naked creatures will not reach completion. When [the qi of ] fire takes advantage of the fire period, then armored creatures will not reach completion.When [the qi of ] soil takes advantage of the soil period, then scaly creatures will not reach completion. When [the qi of ] metal takes advantage of the metal period, then hairy creatures will not reach completion. When [the qi of ] water takes advantage of the water period, then feathered creatures will not reach completion.” 372  Zhang Zhicong: “氣主 is to say: The five periods are the rulers of the five qi. 歲立 is to say: the first half of each year is ruled by the qi of heaven; the second half of each year is ruled by the qi of the earth. Because a year is established by the six qi controlling heaven and being at the fountain, the six qi have something they generate and the five periods have something they restrain. Hence it may be that [certain creatures] are not born, or do not reach completion.“ Zhang Jiebin: “氣主 is: The six qi are ruled by heaven and earth. 歲立 is a combination of branches and stems. The annual qi is established by the central period. 制 is the mutual restraint between what abounds and what is weak. 生 is the origin of generation and transformation.” 373  Gao Shishi: “  ‘ The qi of the earth’ is the qi at the fountain. ‘The qi of the earth restrains that which the respective agent dominates itself ’ [is to say], as stated in the text above, when ceasing yin [qi] is at the fountain, naked creatures are diminished; (etc.) ‘The qi of heaven’ is the qi controlling heaven. ‘The qi of heaven restrains that by which the respective agent is dominated itself ’ [is to say], as stated in the text above, when minor yang or minor yin [qi] control heaven, then fire and heat come down. Hence white [qi] rises and [the qi of ] metal operates. (etc.)”

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Heaven restrains the colors. The earth restrains the physical appearance.374 Whether the five classes [of creatures] are weak or abound, this depends always on what is appropriate for the respective qi. 70-450-4 Hence, when it happens that embryos are not born, and if treating these [cases] does not result in complete success, this is a regular [feature] of the qi.375 That is the so-called ‘inner root’.376

374  Zhang Jiebin: “Colors are transformations of qi; their image is empty. Emptiness has its origin in heaven. Physical appearance consists of substance. Its body is solid. Solidity originates from the earth. Hence the qi controlling heaven restrain the five colors; the qi at the fountain restrain the five physical appearances.” Gao Shishi: “The qi of heaven restrains above/in the upper [half of the year], and when the colors of white, green, red, yellow, and dark emerge and correspond to them, these are [examples of the qi of ] heaven restraining the colors. The qi of the earth restrains below/in the second half [of the year], and whether all kinds of creatures are diminished, are not born, or do not reach completion, these are [outcomes of ] the [qi of the] earth restraining physical appearance.” Fang Yaozhong: “The generation and formation of the color of all living beings is associated with the qi controlling heaven in the first half of a year. The completion and maturing of all living beings with physical appearance is associated with the qi at the fountain in the second half of a year.” 375  Wang Bing: “All living beings between heaven and earth are grouped into these five classes. ‘Five [classes of creatures]’ is to say: hairy, feathered, naked, scaly, and armored [creatures]. ‘Creature’ refers to anything with physical appearance that crawls, walks, flies, runs, pant-breathes, womb-breathes, is large or small, high or low, greenblue, yellow, red, white, or dark, and has a body clad in hairy [fur], feathers, scales, or shells. Those who do not have these four [types of cover] are the naked creatures. All five, though, can be born from the womb, out of eggs, out of dampness, or out of transformation.” 376  Wang Bing: “When the root and base of the generative qi emerges from the center of the physical appearance of the body, then this is the ‘inner root.’ If something does not belong to these five classes, then the generative qi depends on external things to be established. When these [external things] are removed, then the generative qi is cut off.” Zhang Jiebin: “The origin of the generative qi of all animals that have blood, qi, a heart, and consciousness is stored in the five internal [depots]. Because the spirit qi is the ruler, hence [the text speaks of ] inner root.” This is reminiscent of the Buddhist term zhong gen in the meaning of “ordinary natural disposition”.

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Those rooted in the exterior, they, too, are five.377 Hence the differences in generation and transformation go along with the five qi, the five flavors, the five colors, the five classes,378 and the five correspondences.”379 70-451-2 [Huang] Di: “What is that to say?” Qi Bo: “What is rooted inside, that is called spirit mechanism; when the spirit leaves, then the mechanism stops.380 377  Wang Bing: “That is to say: those like the five flavors and five colors. Now, any physical appearance of [the five agents of ] wood, fire, soil, metal, and water borrows from ‘external things that are completed already’ and only then it can come to life and transform. When the external things are removed, then the generative qi is cut off. Hence they all are rooted in the exterior.” Lin Yi et al.: “The two characters 色藏 should be 己成, ‘completed.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “The origin of the generation and transformation of all unconscious plants is based in transformations of external qi. Because their life depends on skin and shell, they are ‘rooted in the exterior.’  ” 378  Wang Bing: “These 25 [categories] are present in all those [beings] that are rooted in the center and that are rooted in the exterior. ‘Five qi’ is to say: fetid [odor], burned [odor], aromatic [odor], fishy [odor], and putrid [odor]. ‘Five flavors’ is to say: sour, bitter, acrid, salty, and sweet. ‘Five colors’ is to say: green-blue, yellow, red, white, and dark. There are two ‘five classes’: One is: hairy, feathered, naked, scaly, and armored. The other is: dryness, dampness, liquid, firmness, softness. Since these are equally distributed among the myriad beings, mutual suitabilities exist.” 379  Zhang Jiebin: “All beings, regardless of whether they are animals or plants, are differentiated according to the five agents in their generation and transformation. For instance, fetid, burned, aromatic, fishy, and putrid odor, these are the five qi. Sour, bitter, sweet, acrid, and salty, these are the five flavors. Green-blue, red, yellow, white, and dark, these are the five colors. All beings have a category they belong to and nothing can be outside of these five [categories]. In the similarities and differences among things each has its correspondences.” Cheng Shide et al.: “宜 is 相應, ‘mutual correspondence.’  ” 380  Wang Bing: “All classes [of beings] that have physical appearance and are rooted in the center, their life source is tied to heaven. All their movement and resting is triggered by the rule of the spirit qi. What causes this remains unknown to the beings themselves. Hence when the spirit leaves, then the Way of its triggering activities stops.” Zhang Jiebin: “Those beings that have their roots inside of them, they are ruled by the spirit. All their consciousness and movement are brought about by the spirit mechanism. Hence, when the spirit leaves, then the mechanism follows it and stops.” For a discussion of 神機, see also 1656/10.

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What is rooted in the exterior, that is called qi set-up; when the qi [flow] comes to a halt, then the transformations are interrupted.381 Hence, all [things] have [something by which they are] restrained, all [things] have [something by which they are] dominated, all [things] have [something by which they are] generated, all [things] have [something by which they are brought to] completion.”382 Hence when it is said ‘[Those who] do not know what a year contributes and [those who do not know] whether the qi are identical or differ, they are not sufficiently equipped to discuss with them generation and transformation,’ then this means just the same.”383 70-451-7 [Huang] Di: “When the qi begins there is generation and transformation; when the qi disperses, there is physical appearance; when the qi spreads, there is opulence and parturition; when the qi ends, the images change. [The qi] causing this is one.384 381  Wang Bing: “The life source of those [beings] that are rooted in the exterior is tied to the earth. Hence their generation, growth, transformation, completion, collection, and storage are all set up by the qi of creation. The emergence of this [qi of creation] is also unknown to the beings themselves. Hence when the qi [of creation] halts [its activities], then the Way of generation, transformation, and completion is interrupted.” Zhang Jiebin: “Those beings that have their roots outside of them, they necessarily depend on external qi in their existence, and their generation, growth, collection, and storage are set up by the qi of transformation. Hence, when the qi [of transformation] halts [its activities], then all transformations are interrupted as a consequence, too. Hence when the spirit of animals leaves, they die. When the skin of plants is flayed, they die. That is how animals and plants differ in their roots of generation and transformation.” 382  Wang Bing: “No matter whether they are rooted in their own center or in the exterior, this applies to all [things].” 383 For a textual parallel, see Su wen 9-64-3.

384  Wang Bing: “始 is to say: 始發動, ‘[the qi] begins to be effused and to move.’ 散 is to say: 流散於物中, ‘[qi] flows and disperses into the things.’ 布 is to say: 布化 於結成之形, ‘[qi] spreads transformations resulting in complete physical form.’ To

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However, those [things] that are endowed with the five flavors, their generation and transformation may be weak or strong, those reaching completion and maturity may be few or many. End and begin are not identical. What is the reason for this?” Qi Bo: “The qi of the earth restrains them. It is not that heaven does not generate [them], or that the earth does not [let them] grow.”385 70-452-2 [Huang] Di: “I should like to hear the Way of this.” Qi Bo: “Cold, heat, dryness and dampness, they differ in the transformations [they cause]. ‘reach its end’ is to peak in being gathered and stored. Hence, when [the qi] begins to move, [this leads to the] generation and transformation [of beings]. When it flows and disperses, [beings] assume physical appearance. When it spreads transformations, [beings will] form fruit. When it reaches its final peak, all the myriad phenomena undergo changes.” Zhang Jiebin: “That is to say: the beginning and ending, the dispersion and the spreading of the myriad beings do all originate from one identical qi. However, their generation, transformation, formation [of fruits], and completion may differ in that these [processes] may be vast or poor, [resulting in] few or many.” 385  Wang Bing: “Heaven and earth do not apply any emotions to generation and transformation; the qi of generation and transformation differ or are identical out of themselves. Why? Because inside the body of the earth there are the six [qi that] enter [all beings]. Because the qi are identical or differ, there may be generation and transformation and there may be no generation and no transformation. There may be little generation and little transformation and there may be widespread generation and widespread transformation. Hence between heaven and earth there is nothing that must be generated, that must be transformed, or that must not be generated, that must not be transformed, that must be generated in small quantities or [that must] be transformed in small quantities, or that must be generated on a broad scale, or that must be transformed on a broad scale. Everything [is generated and transformed] according to its qi.” Gao Shishi: “Whether generation and transformation are poor or vast and whether those that form [fruits] and mature are few or many, that is because the qi of the earth restrains these [processes]. It is not such that the qi of heaven does not generate [these things]. The fact is that the qi of the earth restrains them so that they fail to grow.”

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Hence, when the minor yang [qi] is at the fountain, cold poison is not generated.386 Its [suppressed] flavor is acrid. It governs bitter and sour [flavor]. Its grain are greenish and vermilion.387 70-452-4 When the yang brilliance [qi] is at the fountain, dampness poison is not generated. Its suppressed flavor is sour. Its qi is dampness.388 It governs acrid, bitter, and sweet [flavor]. Its grain are vermilion and white.389 386  Gao Shishi: “毒 is like 獨, ‘solitary.’ When yin and yang are not [balanced] harmoniously, their unilateral domination is ‘poison.’  ”

387  Wang Bing: “These are transformations of the qi of si and hai years. Now, a poisonous effect is displayed by any qi of the five agents that is present in abundance and that exhibits ferocity. In the present case, fire is in the earth. Its qi is properly hot. The qi of things with cold poison differs from [the qi of ] the earth; they differ in how they come to life and die. Hence only a few [substances with cold poison] are generated. Fire restrains the qi of metal. Hence those [things] with acrid flavor do not transform. The minor yang qi is confronted in the upper [half of the year] with ceasing yin [qi]. Hence in this year transformations to bitter and sour [flavors] occur. The six qi rule over the years. In this year, though, there is harmony throughout; wood and fire succeed each other. Hence there is no intermediary qi. Bitter and vermilion are transformations resulting from the qi of the earth; sour and greenish are generated by the qi of heaven.” Zhang Jiebin: “When fire is in the earth, then no things of cold poison are generated. When the qi of fire restrains metal, then things with an acrid flavor correspond to this. The upper [half of a year with] minor yang [qi at the fountain] is ruled by ceasing yin [qi]. [That is], there is fire in the lower [half of the year] and wood in the upper [half of the year]. Hence it governs bitter and sour [flavor] and its grain are greenish and vermilion. Bitter and vermilion are associated with fire; they are transformations of the qi of the earth. Sour and greenish are associated with wood; they are generated by the qi of heaven.” 388 Lin Yi et al.: “Only in the two cases of years with yang brilliance and major yin [qi] at the fountain does [the text] state ‘its qi is dampness’ or ‘its qi is heat.’ The reason is that [in times of ] dampness and dryness cold qi and warmth qi do not appear. Hence [the text] mentions ‘these qi’ once more.” 389  Wang Bing: “These are transformations of the qi of zi and wu years. Dryness is in the earth; its qi is cool. Hence few drugs are generated and transformed with dampness and warmth poison. Metal and wood restrain each other. Hence few [drugs] with a sour flavor transform. The yang brilliance qi is confronted in the upper [half of

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When the major yang [qi] is at the fountain, heat poison is not generated. Its suppressed flavor is bitter. It governs bland and salty [flavor]. Its grain are yellow and [of ] black-millet [color].390 70-453-1 When the ceasing yin [qi] is at the fountain, cool poison is not generated. Its [suppressed] flavor is sweet. It governs sour and bitter [flavor]. Its grain are greenish and red.391 Its qi is concentrated; its flavor is proper.392 the year] with minor yin [qi]. Hence in this year transformations to acrid and bitter [flavors] occur. Acrid and white are [transformations of ] the qi of the earth; bitter and vermilion are the qi of heaven. Sweet is the intermediary qi. It is that by which the domination of metal by fire is accompanied. Hence [yang brilliance qi] simultaneously rules sweet [flavor].” Gao Shishi: “Acrid is a metal flavor; bitter is a fire flavor. Sweet is a soil flavor. Vermilion is a fire color. White is a metal color.”

390  Wang Bing: “These are transformations of the qi of chou and wei years. Cold is in the earth; its transformations differ from [those of heat]. Hence in this year things with heat poison are not generated. Water dominates fire, hence the flavor is bitter. The major yang qi is confronted in the upper [half of the year] with major yin [qi]. Hence in this year transformations generate bland and salty [flavors]. The qi of major yin, [i.e., of ] soil, is generated above in heaven. [Heaven] is far away and high. Hence the transformation to sweet [flavor] is poor and [the resulting flavor is] bland. Bland flavor is associated with sweet flavor. Blandness and yellow are transformation of [the qi of ] heaven; salty [flavor] and black are transformations of [the qi of ] the earth.” Lin Yi et al.: “The phrase 味故當苦, ‘hence the flavor is bitter’, in [Wang Bing’s] commentary should be: 故味苦者不化, ‘hence those with a bitter flavor are not transformed.’ This is a copying error.” 391  Wang Bing: “These are transformations of the qi of yin and shen years. Warmth is in the earth; its nature differs from that of coolness. Hence in this year things with coolness poison are not generated. Wood dominates this [year’s] soil. Hence there are only a few transformations to [drugs] with sweet flavor. The ceasing yin qi is united in the upper [half of the year] with minor yang [qi]. The qi that are united do not exhibit any mutual hostility. Hence they rule the transformation of sour and bitter [flavors]. Sour and greenish are transformations of [the qi of ] the earth; bitter and red are transformations of [the qi of ] heaven. There is no domination and subduing among these qi. There is no intermediary qi to stimulate transformation to sweet [flavor].”

392  Wang Bing: “In years with ceasing yin [qi] and minor yang [qi] at the fountain, all qi transformations are concentrated and the flavor is pure and proper. In all the

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When the minor yin [qi] is at the fountain, cold poison is not generated. Its [suppressed] flavor is acrid. It governs acrid, bitter, and sweet [flavor]. Its grain are white and vermilion.393 70-453-3 When the major yin [qi] is at the fountain, dryness poison is not generated. Its [suppressed] flavor is salty. Its qi is heat. It governs sweet and salty [flavor]. Its grain are yellow and [of ] black-millet [color].394 other years the upper and the lower [halves of the year are dominated by] qi that dominate and subdue each other. Hence they all have intermediary qi and intermediary flavors.” Gao Shishi: “When ceasing yin [qi] is at the fountain, because wind qi is associated with yang, no coolness poison is generated. Wood restrains the soil; [hence] those [substances] with sweet flavor are not generated either. When ceasing yin [qi] is at the fountain, this goes along with minor yang [qi] in the upper [half of the year]. Hence this [year] governs sour and bitter [flavors] and its grain are greenish and red. When the minor yang [qi] is in charge in the upper [half of the year], then ceasing yin [qi] is at the fountain. That which appears in the center, is ceasing yin [qi], too. What appear at the fountain and in the center are not two [different] qi. Hence these qi are concentrated. What appear at the fountain and in the center are not two [different] flavors. Hence these flavors are proper. ‘Concentrated’ is: not two. ‘Proper’ is: not biased unilaterally.” 393  Wang Bing: “These are transformations of the qi of mao and you years. Heat is in the earth; its transformations differ from [those of ] cold. Hence in this year drugs with cold poison are very rare. Fire qi melts metal. Hence there are only few transformations to [drugs] with acrid [flavor]. Minor yin [qi] and yang brilliance [qi] rule heaven and they rule the earth. Hence they govern bitter and acrid [flavors]. Bitter and vermilion are brought forth by the qi of the earth; acrid and white are generated by the qi of heaven. Sweet [flavor] is the separating qi because it serves to separate [the antagonists] and to bring their fighting to a halt.” Gao Shishi: “Minor yin and minor yang are both associated with fire. Hence no cold poison is generated. The [suppressed] flavor [of minor yin] is acrid; that is the same as that of minor yang [qi].” 394  Wang Bing: “These are transformations of the qi of chen and xu years. Dampness is in the earth; [its transformations] differ from [those of ] dryness. Hence [in this year] things with dryness poison are not generated or transformed. Soil restrains water. Hence there are few transformations to [drugs] with a salty flavor. The qi of major yin succeeds the major yang qi in the upper [half of the year]. Hence in this year transformations to [drugs with] sweet and salty [flavors] occur. Sweet and yellow are transformations of the [qi of the] earth; salty and black are transformations of the [qi

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395 Hence it is said: ‘ To supplement what is above and below, follow them; to put to order what is above and below, oppose them. Regulate them in accordance with the presence of cold or heat, abundance or weakness.’ 396 of ] heaven. Cold and dampness do not exhibit extraordinary mutual hostility; hence their intermediary qi go together and [drugs] with a heat qi correspond to them.“ 395  Wang Bing: “淳 is 和, ‘harmony.’ 化淳 is to say: in a year with minor yang [qi] at the fountain, fire comes to settle in the [territory of the] water. Contrary [to what might be expected, the water] can transform and procreate nevertheless. The reason is that water and salty [flavor] guard their own [locations] and do not engage in a fight with the fire. 氣專 is to say: in a year with ceasing yin [qi] at the fountain, wood [qi] settles in the [territory of the] water and descends repeatedly to cause transformations. The metal is not harmed. Hence acrid [flavor] is generated and transformed repeatedly and rules together with salty [flavor]. Only in these two years the qi of the upper and of the lower [half of the year] are not engaged in mutual fighting. Hence acrid and salty [flavors] can flourish alike. In all the other years there are changes resulting from domination and subduing among the upper and the lower [halves of the year]. In their center sweet [flavor] is transformed simultaneously to smoothen their [mutually] restraining [each other]. [Sweet flavor] differs in its generation and transformation from the remaining three flavors, (i.e., bitter, salty, and sour). Hence among the drugs between heaven and earth, most are acrid and sweet.” Zhang Jiebin: “Among the six qi, only the major yin [qi] is associated with soil. When major yin [qi] controls the earth, soil is brought into position. Hence its transformations are pure. ‘Pure’ is 厚, ‘rich,’ ‘strongly pronounced.’ Of the five flavors, only salty [flavor] is associated with water. Its nature favors outflow. When pure soil restrains it, it will be guarded. Soil is associated with the position of soil. Hence [the text] says: ‘the qi is concentrated.’ Abounding soil generates metal. Hence [it] governs together with acrid transformations. ‘Govern together’ is to say: acrid, sweet, and salty [flavor] operate to govern together. That is, acrid is associated with metal, which is the son of soil and the mother of water. It can mediate between water and soil. Hence, when major yin [qi] is at the fountain, it governs the flavor between sweet and salty. Now, major yin and major yang are related like above and below. In both cases the application [of acrid flavor] is appropriate. However, when the major yin [qi] is at the fountain, acrid transformations are rich, when major yang is at the fountain, acrid transformations are weak.” 396  Wang Bing: “  ‘Above’ is to say: ‘controlling heaven.’ ‘Below’ is to say: ‘at the fountain.’ When the qi controlling heaven and earth are greatly excessive, then [it is necessary] to oppose their flavor so as to return them to order. When the qi controlling heaven and earth are inadequate, then [it is necessary] to go along with their flavor so as to harmonize them. 從 is 順, ‘to go along with.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “From here on down therapy patterns are discussed. ‘Supplement’ is: to supplement what is insufficient.

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Hence when it is said: ‘ Take the above, take the below, take the inside, take the outside, to seek its excess. For those who can stand poison, employ strong drugs; for those who [can]not stand poison, use weak drugs,’ 397 then this means just the same.398 70-454-3 In case the qi moves in an opposite direction, if the illness is above, take it from below, and if the illness is below, take it from above. If the illness is in the center, take it from its adjoining regions.399 ‘Treat’ is: to treat that which has surplus. 從之 is to say: [treat] with identical qi. E.g., supplement lung [qi] with acrid [qi], or supplement the spleen [qi] with sweet [qi]. 逆 之 is to say: [in treating] act contrary to the [depot’s] qi. E.g., treat the lung with bitter [qi] or treat the spleen with sour [qi]. In all cases regulation follows the location of the illness and is based on the requirements of cold and heat, abundance and weakness.” 397  Cheng Shide et al.: “  ‘Poison’ means drastic. All drugs with drastic effects are called ‘poisonous drugs.’  ” 398  Wang Bing: “上取 is to say: restrain an excessive qi by means of drugs. If such [effort to restrain an excessive qi] does not lead to obedience, then [the patient] is made to vomit. 下取 is to say: remove illnesses in the lower [parts of the body] by means of drastic drugs. If they do not leave despite such an attack, then they are to be purged downwards. 內取 is to say: when food is consumed for medicinal purposes, check its cold or hot [nature] and balance it. 外取 is to say: balance the illness qi by medicinal poultices. When it should be cold but is hot, harmonize it with cool [drugs]. When it should be hot but is cold, harmonize it with warmth. An unending abundance above is removed by [making the patient] vomit; an unending abundance below is removed by causing downward purgation. That is called ‘the Way of getting a hold of qi excesses.’ ‘Strong [drugs], weak drugs’ is to say: they are rich or weak in terms of qi and flavor.” 399  Wang Bing: “下取 is to say: when cold moves adversely below and heat attacks above, then the passage is not free below and qi abounds above, and warmth is applied below to regulate this. 上取 is to say: when cold accumulates below and is not removed by an application of warmth, [i.e.] if the yang [qi] stored is insufficient, then this yang [qi] is to be supplemented. 傍取 is to say: If qi collects on the left, then a medicinal poultice is to be applied on the right; when qi collects on the right, then a medicinal poultice is to be applied on the left to harmonize this.” Gao Shishi: “  ‘ When the illness is above it must be taken from below’ is to say: when the qi is blocked above, it is necessary to make it descend. ‘When the illness is below it must be taken from above’ is to say: when the qi is blocked below, it is necessary to make it rise. ‘When the illness is in the center, it is necessary to take it from the outside, and it is taken

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70-454-4 When heat is treated with cold, apply it warm. When cold is treated with heat, apply it cool. When warmth is treated with coolness, apply it cold. When coolness is treated with warmth, apply it hot.400 from the left or right side,’ is to say: when qi moves contrary [to its normal course] in the center, the respective conduits and vessels are to be opened so that it reaches the sides.” Zhang Jiebin: “氣反 is: The root is here and the tip is elsewhere. .. ‘When the illness is in the center, it is to be taken from the sides’ is to say: the illness is generated internally and related, through the conduits, to the outside. In such cases [treatment is applied] eigher by needling or by cauterization, by hot poultices, or by massage, in accordance to the location [of the illness].” 2058/12: “That is: the basic location of the pathological changes is not identical to the location where the illness manifests itself.” Zhang Zhicong: “氣反 is to say: the illness qi above and below, inside and outside are contrary to each other. For instance, when there is domination below and an illness, to the contrary, [manifests itself ] above, it must be taken from (i.e., treated) below.” Gu dian yi zhu xuan bianxiezu /61: “That is: the location where the illness manifests itself is not identical to the [location to expect given its] pathological process.” 582/6: “氣反 must be interpreted in relation to 氣立. [In the present statement] 反 is not the opposite of 正, ‘proper’; it is to be interpreted in the sense of 漫衍, ‘to overflow.’ The meaning resembles that of 泛, ‘to inundate.’ Above, the text has 氣專則辛化俱 治, ‘when the qi is concentrated, then the acrid transforms and both govern together.’ By collateral evidence, 氣反 is the opposite of 氣專. When the ‘concentration’ is lost, an ‘inundation’ results. 氣反 does not refer to an illness, it refers to the effect of the yin and yang qi of heaven and earth on the human body. .. ‘Above’ and ‘below’ do not refer to ‘above’ and ‘below’ of the human body; these [terms] should be interpreted in the present sentence as references to the periodic qi. When the qi controlling heaven loses its ‘concentration’ (專) and leaves its position, that is 病在上, ‘the illness is above.’ Treatment must not be focussed on its [original] position; a therapy is to be directed at the qi at the fountain. That is 取之下, ‘regulate it below.’ When the qi at the fountain loses its ‘concentration’ (專) and leaves its position, that is 病在下, ‘the illness is below.’ Treatment must not be focussed on its [original] position; a therapy is to be directed at the qi controlling heaven. That is 取之上, ‘regulate it above.’ As for ‘the illness is in the center,’ that is to say: an illness has been caused because the intermediary qi has lost its ‘concentration.’ A treatment is to be applied through the neighboring intermediary qi. 傍 is 近, ‘near.’  ” See also 88/4, 66/4, 1524/7, 223/20, and 2470/35. 400  Gao Shishi: “That is to elucidate: in cases of cold and heat, abundance and weakness patterns of complementary treatment and patterns of opposing treatment are used. When heat is treated with cold, cold drugs are employed to treat heat illness. 溫 而行之 [is to say: cold] drugs taken [for the treatment of heat] should be warmed. When they are warmed, cold drugs move into the heat section and restore order there. ..” Zhang Jiebin: “Whenever [the nature of ] drugs is opposed to the [nature of the] illness, chances are that [the former] will not enter [the domain of the latter]. Hence [the drugs] are adapted to the qi of the [illness] to make them move. That is the Way of pretending.”

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Hence [laws exist] to dissolve it, to delete it, to emit it through vomiting, to purge it, to supplement it, and to drain it. Chronic and newly acquired [illnesses are treated] following the same laws.” [Huang] Di: “If an illness is in the center and if [a person feels] neither a repletion nor a firmness, if at times it assembles and at time disperses, what is to be done?” Qi Bo: “An encompassing question, indeed! For those without accumulations, search their depots [for treatment]. When they are depleted, supplement them.401 [Employ] drugs to eliminate the [illness]. [Employ] a diet as a follow up to the [treatment]. Running water will soak it. By harmonizing the [patient’s] center and exterior, it is possible to achieve a complete cure.” 402 70-455-2 [Huang] Di: “[Some drugs] have poison, [others] have no poison. Are there any essential rules as to their intake?”403 Qi Bo: “Among the illnesses are those which are chronic and those which were newly acquired; among the prescriptions are those that are large and those that are small. [Among the drugs] are those that have poison and [others that] have no poison. 401  Wang Bing: “Where the illness is situated, name the depot and supplement there.” Zhang Jiebin: “積 are illnesses with physical appearance.” 402  Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘Drugs are employed to eliminate it’ is: to remove the illness. ‘Diet is employed to follow up’ is: to nourish the [patient’s] qi. ‘Running water serves to soak it’ is: the [patient’s] conduits are made passable. If such an approach is employed, center and exterior are harmonized and the illness can be healed.”

403  Gao Shishi: “約 is 規則, ‘rules.’  ” Gu dian yi zhu xuan bianxiezu /64: “約 is 約束, ‘restriction.’  ”

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[In their application] it is definitely necessary to follow the regular compositions.404 If an illness is treated with [drugs of ] massive poison, remove six [parts] of ten. If an illness is treated with [drugs of ] regular poison, remove seven [parts] of ten. If an illness is treated with [drugs of ] weak poison, remove eight [parts] of ten. If an illness is treated with [drugs] containing no poison, remove nine [parts] of ten. Employ a diet of grain, meat, tree-fruit, and vegetables to complete [the cure]. Do not permit these [limits] to be exceeded, lest the proper [qi] is harmed. If [the cure] is incomplete, apply [a treatment] again in accordance with the laws [of therapy, but] it is essential to first [acquire an understanding of the] annual qi. 70-455-7 Do not attack the harmony of heaven,405 Do not make the abundant [even more] abundant, do not deplete what is depleted, [lest you] submit that person to the calamity of early death.406 404  Zhang Jiebin: “When the illness is serious, [the treatment/prescription] should be massive. When the illness is light, it should be minor. [Substances] that are not poisonous should be used in large numbers; those that are poisonous should be used in small numbers. These are the restrictions suggested by well-established conventions.“ Gu dian yi zhu xuan bianxiezu /64: 制 is 有法度, ‘to follow a law.’  ”

405  Zhang Zhicong: “It is essential before [treatment] to know whether [the qi of ] an annual period abounds or is weak. When it is weak, it has to be supplemented; when it abounds, it must be drained. For supplementation, [drugs are used with a qi] complementary [to the periodical qi]. For draining, [drugs are used with a qi] opposing [the periodical qi]. This way the central harmony of the heavenly periods is not affected.” 2889/18: “歲氣 refers to generation, growth, gathering, and storage in the course of the four seasons. 毋伐天和 corresponds to the saying in the West: ‘Physicians are the servants of nature.’  ” 406  Wang Bing: “If [a therapist] does not examine whether [a patient] suffers from a depletion or repletion and if [that therapist] thinks of nothing but attack, then what abounds will turn out to be even more abundant and what is depleted will turn out to be even more depleted. Myriads of illnesses in their beginnings will become more severe because of such [erroneous treatments]. The true qi will decrease day by day, the strength of the illness will encroach upon [the patient] day by day, and it will be dif-

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Do not invite the evil [qi], do not lose the proper [qi], [lest you] cut a person’s long life.”407 70-456-1 [Huang] Di: “When someone has had an illness for long and is not healthy even though [that person’s] qi follows [its regular course again] and if [that person] is emaciated even though the illness has left [already], why is that?” Qi Bo: “A brilliant question of a sage, indeed! It is impossible to substitute the transformations [of nature by one’s own activities]; it is impossible to disobey time!408 Now, once the conduits and network [vessels] have become passable and once [the patient’s] blood and qi follow [their regular courses again], [the patient’s] insufficiencies return to normal and [his state will be] identical to that of all [healthy people]. [When this state is reached,] nourish the [patient] and harmonize the [organism]. ficult to escape the arrival of misfortune and of early death. So sad!” The textus receptus has 天殃, “calamities sent by heaven.” In the present context this makes little sense. In agreement with the wording in Su wen 66-368-7, we read 天殃 as 夭殃. Wang Bing, referring in his commentary to 夭, “early death”, may have used a text with the wording 夭殃. 407  Wang Bing: “That is what is called ‘destruction of heavenly harmony.’ To attack a depletion and call it a repletion is an ‘invitation to evil [qi].’ Not to recognize the depletion of a depot, that is ‘to lose the proper [qi].’ The loss of proper qi is the origin of death.” 408  Wang Bing: “化 is to say 造化, ‘creation.’ Those who try to do the work of a master-carpenter will most likely injure their hands; how could human strength substitute the qi of creation? Now, generation, growth, gathering, and storage corresponds to the transformations of the four seasons. Even those of greatest wisdom cannot reach [these steps] ahead of time. Obviously, [these developments] do not arise from human strength. Hence the generation, growth, gathering, and storage of things must wait for their time.”

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Rest and wait for the time [of recovery]. Carefully guard the [patient’s] qi, lest it moves towards imbalance. This way the [patient’s] physical appearance will look fine and [his] generative qi will grow. [A healer who achieves this] is called sage king. 70-456-5 Hence when the Great Essential states: ‘Do not substitute the transformations [of nature by your own activities]; do not disobey time. It is essential to nourish and it is essential to harmonize, and to wait for it to recover,’ then this means just the same.” [Huang] Di: “Good!”

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Comprehensive Discourse on the Policies and Arrangements of the Six Principal [Qi]. 71-457-2 Huang Di asked: “The transformations of the six [qi] and the [catastrophic] changes of the six [qi], domination and revenge, excess and order, the earlier and the belated [formation of ] sweet, bitter, acrid, salty, sour and bland [flavors], − I have come to know all this. Now, the transformations of the five periods,   Cheng Shide et al.: “The ‘six principal [qi]’ include the six ‘principals’ of climatic changes, i.e., wind, fire, dampness, heat, dryness, and cold. In other words, these are the six qi ruling a year. 正 is 政, ‘policy.’ 紀 is 記其事, ‘to record these events.’ From how the present chapter records how the six qi control heaven above and are at the fountain below, how the intervening [visitor] qi are arranged to the left and to the right, as well as how the periods and the qi govern together and how the visitor and the host [qi] join from the above, it appears that 30 years represent one ‘arrangement’ and 60 years constitute one ‘cycle.’ Within these [years] there is transformation and change, there is domination and revenge, there is operation and illness. The laws of the development and changes of their respective policies and manifestations differ. Hence the name of this chapter is ‘Recording the policies of the six principal [qi].’  ”   Zhang Zhicong: “The ‘six transformations’ is to say: the six qi controlling heaven and at the fountain do all undergo transformations. The ‘six changes’ is to say: the changes of restraint and domination.” Cheng Shide et al.: “  ‘Six transformations’ [refers to the] generation and transformation of the six qi. ‘Six changes’ [refers to the changes in the] abundance and weakness of the six qi.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Six transformations’ refers to the regular changes of the six qi. ‘Six changes’ refers to the abnormal changes of the six qi.”   Cheng Shide et al.: “勝 refers to 勝氣, ‘dominating qi’; 復 refers to 復氣, ‘qi taking revenge.’ 淫 is ‘excessive evil causing illness’; 治 is 治理, ‘to govern.’  ” Fang Yaozhong: “淫 refers to disproportionate domination or excess. 治 refers to normal.”  Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Earlier and later’ is to say that the generation and maturing of the five flavors do not occur at the same time each year; sometimes they occur earlier, sometimes they occur belated.”  Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Sweet, bitter, acrid, sour, salty’ refers to the five flavors and also to all kinds of food and medicinal drugs.”

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sometimes they follow the qi of heaven, sometimes they oppose the qi of heaven; sometimes they follow the qi of heaven and oppose the qi of the earth; sometimes they follow the qi of the earth and oppose the qi of heaven; sometimes they agree, sometimes they do not agree. These issues I cannot understand yet.  Lin Yi et al.: “五氣 may be an error for 天氣. This would link it to the following text.” Zhang Jiebin: “五氣 should be 天氣.” Cheng Shide et al.: “  ‘ They follow the qi of heaven’ is: the transformations of the five periods parallel the qi of heaven. ‘Qi of heaven’ refers to the qi controlling heaven.” We agree with Lin Yi and Zhang Jiebin and have read 五氣 as 天氣.   Gao Shishi: “The transformations of the five periods, sometimes they follow the qi controlling heaven, sometimes they oppose the qi controlling heaven.” Cheng Shide et al.: “  ‘Oppose the qi of heaven’ is: the five periods and the qi controlling heaven are contradictory.”   Gao Shishi: “Sometimes they follow the qi controlling heaven and oppose the earth qi at the fountain. Sometimes they follow the earth qi at the fountain and oppose the qi of heaven controlling heaven. 從 is like 同, ‘to be identical to,’ ‘to agree with.’ 逆 is like 異, ‘to differ from.’  ”   Wang Bing: “When the qi are identical, that is called 從, ‘to follow.’ When the qi differ, that is called 逆, ‘to oppose.’ In case there is domination or restraint, that is 不 相得, ‘they do not agree.’ When they generate one another, that is 相得, ‘they agree.’ Treatment patterns exist for [situations where] the qi controlling heaven and earth exceed or dominate one another, or seek revenge. If one wishes to balance and adjust the natures of the qi, it is not advisable to act against the qi of heaven and earth. [This way it is possible] to achieve quietude and peace.” Zhang Zhicong: “  ‘Sometimes they agree, sometimes they do not agree’ refers to the qi of the four seasons. That is, when [the presence of ] wind and warmth is identical to the transformations occurring in spring, when [the presence of ] heat and steam is identical to the transformations occurring in summer, when [the presence of ] coolness and dew is identical to the transformations occurring in autumn, when [the presence of ] clouds and rain is identical to the transformations occurring in late summer and when [the presence of ] ice and snow is identical to the transformations of winter, all these cases constitute an ‘agreement’ of visitor qi and seasonal qi. When the host qi is insufficient while the visitor qi, contrary [to the rule], dominates, in such a case the visitor qi and the seasonal qi do not agree.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Five periods’ refers to the five periods of wood, fire, soil, metal, and water. ‘Transformation’ refers to generation through transformation, i.e., to the phenomenon of the generation, growth, transformation, collection, and storage of the myriad beings. ‘Five qi’ is explained in two ways: One is to explain [‘five qi’] as an error for ‘qi of heaven.’ A second is to explain [‘five qi’] as a reference to a year with balanced qi throughout [all] five periods. We agree with the former. ‘Five qi’ should be ‘qi of heaven,’ i.e., the qi controlling heaven. Therefore, the meaning of this passage is: there are some years when the association of the annual period with the five agents is identical to that of the qi controlling heaven of that same year. ‘Sometimes they

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71-457-5 I should like to comprehend the arrangements of heaven and to follow the structures of the earth,10 to live in harmony with the respective periods and to adjust to their transformations, to let above and below combine their virtues, and no one violates each other‘s hierarchical position; [to let] heaven and earth [have their qi] rise and descend, and no one misses what befits them;11 [to let] the five periods enact [their policies], and no one violates their policies. To adjust to them [by means of ] proper flavors, what complies with and what opposes [the five periods]?”12 Qi Bo paid reverence twice knocking his head on the ground and responded: “A brilliant question, indeed! These are the fundamental principles [governing] heaven and earth, they constitute the profound source of change and transformation. Who except a sage emperor could penetrate these utmost structures thoroughly?! Although [I, your] subject, am not intelligent, [I] request to expound this Way, oppose the qi of heaven’ is: there are years when the association of the annual period with the five agents is opposed to that of the qi controlling heaven. ‘Sometimes they follow the qi of heaven and oppose the qi of the earth’ is: there are some years when the association of the annual period with the five agents is identical to that of the qi controlling heaven, while it is opposed to that of the qi at the fountain. (Etc.) ‘Sometimes they agree’ refers to [years] when the visitor qi and the host qi are identical.” 10 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Heaven’ refers to the seasons of heaven. 通天之紀 is, ‘[I wish to] understand the laws of the climatic changes.’ 從地之理 is: ‘[I wish to] act in accordance with the conditions resulting from the structures of the earth.’  ” 11 Fang Yaozhong: “宜 is 正常, ‘regular.’  ” 12  In contrast, Gao Shishi: “從逆 refers to treatments in accordance with or opposed to [the nature of the illness].”

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so that it will never vanish, and for a long time to come it will not undergo any change.” 71-458-1 [Huang] Di: “I should like you, Sir, to expand [these periods] and put them into sequence, [and in your presentation you should] follow the order of related [subjects], distinguish the rulers of each section, differentiate their basic controllers, elucidate the numbers of the qi,13 and clarify the proper transformations.14 May [I] hear [this]?” Qi Bo: “First determine15 the [set up of a] year to understand its qi,16 13  Wang Bing: “部主 is to say: that which is ruled, in separate sections, by the individual six qi. 宗司 are the positions corresponding with the course taken by the five [period] qi. 氣數 is to say: the proper numbers [of days] of the alternating operations of the five periodic qi of heaven and earth.” Wu Kun: “As for 宗司, a general classification is 宗, a separation is 司. As for ‘qi and numbers,’ each of the six qi has its number. That is to say: each qi rules over 60 days.” Wang Qi: “部主: heaven, earth, above, below, left, right if distinguished on the basis of the three yin and three yang constitute six ‘sections.’ Each section has its host qi. For example, the ceasing yin [section] is ruled by wind qi; the minor yin [section] is ruled by ruler fire; etc. 宗 is 總, ‘to unite,’ 統, ‘to gather into one.’ This refers to the qi ruling over an entire year. 司 is to say 分司, ‘to control separate [units].’ This refers to those qi that control one of the four seasons.” 14  Wang Bing: “正化 is to say: the sour, bitter, sweet, acrid, and salty [flavors] and the cold, warm, frigid, and hot [qi] commensurable with the true qi and flavors associated with a specific year.” Zhang Jiebin: “Those who occupy their respective position are ‘proper’; those not occupying their position are evil.” Cheng Shide et al.: “正化 is to say: transformations brought forth by the orders of the six qi occupying their proper positions.”

15  The Hou han shu 後漢書, biography of Lang Kai 郎凱傳, has 主名未立. The commentary states: 立猶定, “  ‘to set up’  is like ‘to determine.’  ” Ling shu 46 has a parallel statement: 先立其年以知其時.

16  1074/5: “That is, the future course and direction taken by an illness is determined by calculating the abundance or weakness of the period qi of the four seasons of the year when a person has fallen ill and, then, by taking into account the relationships of mutual generation or overcoming among the positions taken by the illness in the depots and palaces on the one side and the period qi of the four seasons on the other side.”

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the numbers of the periodical progression of metal, wood, water, fire, and soil,17 and the transformations resulting from the coming down, and assuming control, of cold, summerheat, dryness, dampness, wind, and fire.18 Then it is possible to perceive the Way of heaven and [as a consequence] it is possible to adjust the qi of the people;19 how yin and yang curl up and unroll, this is easy to understand and leaves no uncertainty. Those that can be quantified by putting them in numbers, please, let me speak about them one by one.”20 71-458-6 [Huang] Di: “The policy of major yang [qi], what is it like?”21

17 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Numbers’ is to be explained here as ‘laws.’ That is, once a particular year has been determined, it is possible, on the basis of the heavenly stems of that year, to calculate the laws underlying the changes in the course of the annual period of that year on the basis of its heavenly stems.” 18  Zhang Zhicong: “The six qi may come down to control heaven above and they may rule at the fountain below. There are the host qi of the four seasons and there are the visitor qi coming down to join [them].” Cheng Shide et al.: “臨御之化 are the transformations of [the qi] controlling heaven and [of the qi] at the fountain.” Fang Yaozhong: “Cold, summerheat, dryness, dampness, wind, and fire are the six qi. 臨 refers to 降臨, ‘to descend,’ or 來臨, ‘to come down.’ Here it refers to ‘visitor qi.’ 御 refers to 駕御, ‘to drive a carriage.’ Here it refers to the ‘host qi.’   That is, once a particular year has been determined, it is possible, on the basis of the earth branches of that year, to calculate the laws underlying, in the course of the six qi in that year, the changes and transformations in the movement of host qi, visitor qi, intervening [visitor] qi, [the qi] controlling heaven and [the qi] at the fountain, as well as the joining below or coming down from above of visitor and ruling [qi].” 19 See 635/10 for a discussion of a reflection of Lao zi’s philosophy in this statement. 20  Wang Bing: “遂 is 盡, ‘exhaustively.’  ” Fang Yaozhong: “The first 數 is 規律, ‘laws’; the second 數 is 數目, ‘number.’ 遂 is an adverb in the sense of 就, ‘just.’  ” 21 Fang Yaozhong: “Beginning with this section the characteristics of climate, objects, and illnesses of each year in a cycle of 60 years are listed like in a table.”

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Qi Bo: “These are the arrangements including chen and xu [earth branches].22 [The first two arrangements include the years when] major yang [controls heaven], major jue [is the central period], major yin [is at the fountain].23 [They are designated] ren chen and ren xu.24 71-458-8 Their period [manifests itself as] wind.25 The transformations [caused by] them include sounds of a chaotic opening and breaking.26 22 Fang Yaozhong: “Chen and xu refer to the [earth] branches of each year. The meaning of 辰戌之紀 is: in all years with chen and xu earth branches, the major yang [qi], [i.e., the qi of ] cold and water, controls heaven.” 23  Cheng Shide et al.: “  ‘Major yang’ is to say: [the qi of ] major yang, i.e., cold and water, controls heaven. ‘Major yin’ is: [the qi of ] major yin, i.e., dampness and soil, is at the fountain. ‘Major jue’ refers to an excess of the annual period, [i.e.,] the period of wood. When the following text speaks of ‘major zhi,’ ‘major gong,’ ‘major shang,’ and ‘major yu,’ these are references to excesses of the periods of fire, soil, metal, and water respectively as annual periods.”

24 Fang Yaozhong: “This section is to say: because in ren chen and ren xu years the annual stem is in both cases ren and because both ding and ren transform wood, these two years are associated with periods of wood. Ren is associated in the sequence of heavenly stems with an odd number; hence it is a yang stem. A yang stem stands for excess. Hence [ren years] are years of excessive wood periods. The ancients used the five musical notes gong, shang, jue, zhi, and yu to symbolize the five periods. Among them, gong stands for the soil period, shang stands for the metal period, jue stands for the wood period, zhi stands for the fire period, and yu stands for the water period. Also, 太, ‘major,’ stands for 太過, ‘excess,’ and 少, ‘minor,’ stands for 不及, ‘insufficiency.’ The idea is that ‘major’ and ‘minor’ always follow each other. Because ren chen and ren xu years are years of an excessive wood period, they are also ‘major jue’ years. In chen and xu years, the major yang [qi, i.e., the qi of ] cold and water controls heaven. When major yang [qi] controls heaven, major yin [qi] must be at the fountain. Hence ren chen and ren xu years are years when the major yin [qi, i.e., the qi of ] dampness and soil, is at the fountain.” 25  Zhang Jiebin: “Wind is a transformation of wood.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Period’ refers to the annual period. ‘Wind’ refers to a disproportionate dominance of wind qi.” 26  Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘Sound’ is the sound of wind and wood/trees. 紊 is 繁盛, ‘abundant.’ 啟拆 is: sprouts develop and the vessels of the earth open. This is to outline only the proper transformations of the wind period of ren years. The statements below follow the same structure.” In comparison with corresponding passages in Su wen 69

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The changes [caused by] them include shaking, pulling, breaking, plucking.27 The illnesses [caused by] them include dizziness, swaying, and blurred vision.28 [The sequence of visitor periods is as follows:] - Major jue begin [of the sequence of host periods,] proper [start of the sequence of visitor periods]29

- minor zhi - major gong - minor shang - major yu end [of the sequence of host periods]30 and 70, Sun Yirang reads 鳴紊 as 鳴璺, “the sound of cracking.” Wang Hongtu et al. /158 agrees. 27  Zhang Jiebin: “振 is 撼動, ‘to shake.’ 拉 is 支離, ‘to break off.’ 摧 is 敗折, ‘to be destroyed.’ 拔 is 發根, ‘to unroot.’ Ren is yang and water. An excessive wind period is followed by the orders of metal. Hence these changes occur.” Fang Yaozhong: “變 refers to catastrophic changes. Fierce winds destroy houses and unroot trees.” 28  Zhang Jiebin: “When the eyes move, that is called 眩, ‘dizziness.’ When the head shakes, that is called 掉, ‘swaying.’ When the eyes do not open, that is called 瞑, ‘blurred vision.’ The wood period is excessive, hence such wind and wood illnesses occur.” Fang Yaozhong: “In years with excessive wood [qi] and disproportionately dominant wind qi, the human body easily develops liver illnesses. Hence liver illnesses such as swaying, dizziness, and blurred vision manifest themselves clinically.” 29  Beginning with this section, in the received text there are some commenting terms linked to the Su wen text which are printed in small letters (but not supposed to belong to Wang Bing’s commentary). These parts are printed in small letters in the translation, too. 30  Zhang Jiebin: “This is the sequence, in the present year, of the five periods with their host qi and visitor qi. Their order is that of mutual generation. The host periods of the four seasons of each year [follow each other in such a way that] in spring there is the association with wood. It must begin with jue and end with yu. Hence the character 初 (‘begin’) is written as a commentary below [the character] 角 and the character 終 (‘end’) is written as a commentary below 羽. That is a listing of the host periods. The visitor periods follow the transformations of the heavenly stems. E.g., a ren year is yang and wood and begins with major jue. A ding year is yin and wood and begins with minor jue. A wu year is yang and fire and begins with major zhi. A gui year is yin and fire and begins with minor zhi. Each year [the arrangement] differs. Only in ding and ren years of the wood agent host and visitor both begin with jue. Hence the character 正, ‘proper,’ is also noted below the musical note jue. That is to say: [in such years] the [visitor] qi of the four seasons agree with the proper [qi, i.e., the host qi]. The same applies to the listings below.” Cheng Shide et al.: “Jue, zhi, gong, shang, and yu are the five musical notes of ancient times. Here they symbolize wood, fire, soil, metal, and water.” Fang Yaozhong: “This listing refers to the sequence and to the changes in the course of host periods and visitor periods of ren chen and ren xu years. The so-called

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71-460-1 [The second two arrangements include the years when] major yang [controls heaven], major zhi [is the central period], major yin [is at the fountain]. [They are designated] wu chen and wu xu.31 They are identical to proper zhi.32 ‘visitor periods’ refer to the five seasons in the course of one year, i.e., to the specific climatic changes in the course of spring, summer, late summer, autumn, and winter. The calculation method for the visitor periods is such that one starts from the annual period of a given year. The annual period associated with a given year is the initial period of the visitor periods of that year. The following periods elapse in the sequence of mutual generation of the five agents. Because in ren chen and ren xu years the annual period is an excessive wood period, the initial visitor period of these two years is an excessive wood period, too, that is, ‘major jue.’ The second [visitor] period is a fire period. Because the sequence of the [visitor] periods as symbolized by the five musical notes follows a ‘mutual generation of major and minor,’ an excessive [visitor period] is followed by an insufficient [visitor period]. Hence the second [visitor] period is an insufficient fire period, that is, ‘minor zhi.’ The third [visitor] period is an excessive wood period, that is, ‘major gong.’ The fourth period is an insufficient metal period, that is, ‘minor shang.’ The fifth period is an excessive water period, that is, ‘major yu.’ That is the meaning of the sequence ‘major jue, minor zhi, ..’ listed above. The so-called host periods refer to the general climatic changes in the course of the five seasons of a given year. These general seasonal changes follow the mutual generation sequence of the five agents, i.e., wood/wind, fire/heat, soil/dampness, metal/dryness, and water/cold. This course is the same year after year. Hence the calculaton method of the host periods is quite simple. The initial period is wood; the second period is fire; the third period is soil; the fourth period is metal; the final period is water. Hence the listing can also express the sequence of the host periods. To the right of ‘major jue’ are the two characters ‘begin’ and ‘proper.’ ‘Begin’ refers to the initial period in the course of the host periods. ‘Proper’ refers to proper jue, to distinguish between jue [as the proper beginning of the sequence of host periods] and jue in the sequence of visitor periods. To the right of ‘major yu’ is the character ‘end.’ It refers to the final period in the sequence of the host periods. There is no difference of major or minor in the sequence of the host periods. Hence when seen as referring to the course of the host periods, the listing should be read simply as jue, zhi, gong, shang, yu.”

31 Fang Yaozhong: “This table is to be read in the same manner as the preceding table. One should first read wu chen and wu xu and afterwards read ‘major yang, major zhi, major yin.’ In wu chen and wu xu years, the annual stem is wu. Wu and gui transform fire. Wu is a yang stem. Hence wu chen and wu xu years are years with excessive fire, i.e., they are ‘major zhi’ years. The annual branches of wu chen and wu xu years are chen and xu. In chen and xu years, major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, control heaven. When major yang [qi] controls heaven, major yin [qi] is at the fountain. Hence in wu chen and wu xu years, the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven, and the major yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil, are at the fountain.” 32  Zhang Jiebin: “The fire period is excessive in that year and is restrained by [the qi of ] cold and water controlling heaven. As a result, the fire is subdued. Hence [the

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Their period [manifests itself as] heat. The transformations [caused by] them include warmth, summerheat, [qi] oppression,33 and damp heat.34 The changes [caused by] them include flaming, fieriness, boiling, bubbling.35 The illnesses [caused by] them are heat oppression.36 [The sequence of visitor periods is like follows:] - Major zhi - minor gong - major shang - minor yu end [of the sequence of host periods] - minor jue begin [of the sequence of host periods]37 text] states: ‘identical to proper zhi.’  ” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Proper zhi’ refers to a year with a period of balanced fire qi. That is, even though wu chen and wu xu years, judged from their annual period, are years of an excessive fire period, still − judged from the annual qi − the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven. The excessive fire period is subdued by the qi controlling heaven. Hence the text says ‘identical to proper zhi.’  ”

33  Qian Chaochen-88/61: “The meaning of 郁 in the Su wen is always 蘊結, ‘to collect,’ ‘to press together.’  ” See also Su wen 67. 34  Zhang Zhicong: “These are transformations of heat.”

35 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Changes’ refers to catastrophic changes. Because these are years of an excessive fire period, climatic phenomena of fierce heat appear.” 36  Zhang Jiebin: “Such an illness occurs because the heat period is excessive.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Heat blockage’ is: heat is blocked inside. That is, in wu chen and wu xu years, the illnesses of the human body manifest themselves mainly through pathoconditions of internal heat.” 37 Fang Yaozhong: “This listing refers to the sequence and to the changes in the course of host periods and visitor periods of wu chen and wu xu years. According to this listing the visitor periods of wu chen and wu xu years are the following: The initial period is a period of excessive fire, that is, ‘major zhi.’ The second period is a period of insufficient soil, that is, ‘minor gong.’ The third period is a period of excessive metal, that is, ‘major shang.’ The fourth period is a period of insufficient water, that is, ‘minor yu.’ The final period is one of insufficient wood, that is, ‘minor jue.’ The host periods follow the sequence of all other years, that is, the initial [host] period is jue, the second period is zhi, the third period is gong, the fourth period is shang, and the final period is yu, in accordance with the [mutual generation order of the five agents, i.e.,] wood, fire, soil, metal, and water. Two special points are to be explained here. First, the association of the five musical notes with the [visitor] periods follows a sequence of ‘major generates minor’ and ‘minor generates major.’ The present listing, though, ends with a sequence of minor yu followed by minor jue. The reason is that wu chen and wu xu years are years of an excessive fire period, i.e., years of major zhi. Major zhi must be

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71-458-14 [The third two arrangements include the years when] major yang [controls heaven], major gong [is the central period], major yin [is at the fountain]. [They are designated] jia chen − the year meets identical to heavenly complements − and jia xu − the year meets identical to heavenly complements.38 Their period [manifests itself as] overcast and dust.39 The transformations [caused by] them include tender moisture and doubled fertility.40 The changes [caused by] them include shaking [of the earth] to the extent that

preceded by ‘minor jue.’ If it were ‘major jue,’ the subsequent agent should be ‘minor zhi’ which does not agree with the actual situation. Hence in wu chen and wu xu years, the final visitor period must be a minor jue [period] to conform with the rule. That is, in the course of one year, the initial period is decisive. Second, the statements ‘minor yu, end’ and ‘minor jue, begin’ were written to omit one listing. ‘Minor yu, end’ refers to the final period [in the sequence] of the host periods. That is, the final period is water, i.e., yu. ‘Minor jue, begin’ refers to the initial period of the host periods. That is, the initial period is wood, i.e., jue.”

38 Fang Yaozhong: “The meaning of the entire statement is: Jia chen and jia xu years are years of an excessive soil period. The major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven; the major yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil is at the fountain. ‘Jia chen, the year meets; jia xu, the year meets’ is to say: even though jia chen and jia xu years are years of an excessive soil [period], nevertheless [the following applies]. The annual stems of jia chen and jia xu years are jia. Jia and ji transform soil. Hence they are associated with soil periods. The annual branches [of these two years] are chen and xu. Chen, xu, chou, and wei are originally associated with the agent soil among the five agents. That is, the five agents association of the large period and the original five phases association of the annual branches are identical. Hence the two years of jia chen and jia xu are ‘the year meets’ years. Also, the large period in both jia chen and jia xu years is an excessive soil period. The qi at the fountain [in these two years] is also associated with the agent soil of the five agents. According to the principle of ‘if an excess is increased [that is] identical to heavenly complements’ mentioned further below, jia chen and jia xu years can be called years ‘identical to heavenly complements.’  ” 39  Zhang Zhicong: “In a later section it says ‘yin and rain.’  ” Cheng Shide et al.: “陰 埃 is a mistake for 陰雨, ‘yin and rain.’  ” Fang Yaozhong agrees.

40  Cheng Shide et al.: “  ‘ Tender humidity and doubled fertility’ has the meaning: appropriate winds and suitable rain fertilize the myriad beings.” Fang Yaozhong: “柔 潤 refers to 滋潤, ‘moist,’ ‘to moisten.’ 重澤 is 水多, ‘plenty of water.’ The meaning is, in jia chen and jia xu years, the soil period is excessive and the climate is characterized by disproportionate dampness. Hence it rains relatively often.”

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one is frightened, tornados, and rainstorms.41 The illnesses [caused by] them include dampness and heaviness below.42 [The sequence of visitor periods is as follows:] - Major gong - minor shang - major yu end [of the sequence of host periods] - major jue begin [of the sequence of host periods] - minor zhi43 71-459-4 [The fourth two arrangements include the years when] major yang [controls heaven], major shang [is the central period], major yin [is at the fountain]. [They are designated] geng chen and geng xu.44 Their period [manifests itself as] coolness.45 The transformations [caused by] them include fog, dew, and whistling of cold wind.46 The changes [caused by] them include sternness, killing, withering, and falling. The illnesses [caused by] them include dryness, back pressure and [a feeling of ] fullness in the chest.47 41  Zhang Jiebin: “When the soil period is excessive, it is followed by [the commands of ] wind and wood. Hence such changes occur.” 42  Zhang Jiebin: “These are illnesses of [the qi of ] soil and dampness.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Dampness’ is to say: the body retains liquids. ‘Heavy below’ is to say: the lower limbs ache and are swollen.”

43 Fang Yaozhong: “In jia chen and jia xu years, the initial period of the visitor periods is major gong, the second period is minor shang, etc. The initial period of the host periods is jue, the final host period is yu.”

44 Fang Yaozhong: “This listing is to say: geng chen and geng xu years are years of excessive metal. Hence they are also years of major shang, with major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controlling heaven, and major yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil, at the fountain.” 45 Fang Yaozhong: “That is, the climate of these two years is characterized by disproportionate coolness.” 46  Zhang Jiebin: “These are the proper transformations of the metal period of a geng year.” Cheng Shide et al.: “  ‘ Whistling of cold wind’ are the sounds of autumn winds.” 47  Zhang Jiebin: “The metal period is stern and kills; the myriad beings wither and fall to the ground. [An excess of ] metal is followed by the qi of fire, which results in the image of yang killings. Because of excessive metal qi [people suffer from] dryness

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[The sequence of visitor periods is as follows:] - Major shang - minor yu end [of the sequence of host periods] - minor jue begin [of the sequence of host periods] - major zhi - minor gong 71-459-7 [The fifth two arrangements include the years when] major yang [controls heaven], major yu [is the central period], major yin [is at the fountain]. [They are designated] bing chen − heavenly complements − and bing xu − heavenly complements.48 Their period [manifests itself as] cold. The transformations [caused by] them include freezing and piercing cold.49 The changes [caused by] them include ice, snow, frost, hail.50 illness. [With the subsequent advent of fire qi] the lung, [which is] metal, receives an illness. Hence there is a [feeling of ] pressure in the back and a [feeling of ] distension and fullness in the chest.” Zhang Zhicong: “瞀 conveys the image of drooping eyes.” Fang Yaozhong: “背瞀 refers to 背部悶滿, ‘[a feeling of ] pressure and fullness in the back.’ Because these are years of an excessive metal period, the human body easily develops lung illnesses manifesting themselves clinically as dry mouth and throat and [a feeling of ] pressure and fullness in the chest and in the back.” 48  Gao Shishi: “Bing is a water period. Chen and xu are [associated with the] control of heaven by major yang, cold, and water. Hence both bing chen and bing xu [years] are [years of ] ‘heavenly complements.’  ” Fang Yaozhong: “Bing chen and bing xu years are years of an excessive water period, i.e., major yu. The major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven, the major yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil is at the fountain. Because in bing chen and bing xu years the heavenly stem is bing, because bing and xin transform water, and because bing is a yang stem, bing chen and bing xu years are years associated with an excessive water period, i.e., they are major yu years. In bing chen and bing xu years, the annual branches are chen and xu. In chen and xu years, the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven. The annual period is water and the qi controlling heaven is water. The five agents association of the annual period and of the qi controlling heaven is identical. Hence bing chen and bing xu years are years of ‘heavenly complements.’  ” 49  Zhang Jiebin: “These are the proper transformations of the water period of a bing year.” Cheng Shide et al.: “  ‘Freezing and piercing cold’ describe the transformations of cold and water.”

50  Zhang Jiebin: “An excess of [the qi of ] water is followed by [an arrival of the] qi of soil. Hence such changes occur. Ice and hail are phenomena [associated with] soil.”

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The illness [caused by] them is massive cold staying in the ravines and valleys.51 [The sequence of visitor periods is as follows:] - Major yu end [of the sequence of host periods] - major jue begin [of the sequence of host periods] - minor zhi - major gong - minor shang 71-460-1 Whenever there is such a policy of major yang [qi] controlling heaven, the transformations of the [six] qi and the movement of the [five] periods precede heaven.52 The qi of heaven is stern; the qi of the earth rests.53 Cold comes down to the Great Void. The yang qi does not issue commands.54 Water and soil combine [their] virtues.55 51  Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘Ravines and valleys’ are the locations where sinews and bones meet in the joints. In case of excessive water period, cold is extreme and the qi coagulates. Hence such illnesses occur.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Massive cold’ refers to illnesses of congealing and stagnating qi and blood. ‘Ravines and valleys’ are intersections in the muscles and flesh of the human body and they are locations where qi and blood flow.” 52  Wang Bing: “The qi of the six steps [of development, i.e.,] generation, growth, transformation, completion, gathering, and storage, should all arrive prior to the heavenly seasons.” Cheng Shide et al.: “  ‘Precede heaven’ refers to [fact that] excessive qi arrives prior to the [respective] heavenly seasons.” 53  Zhang Zhicong: “[The qi of ] major yang, [i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven. Hence the qi of heaven is stern. [The qi of ] major yin, [i.e.,] dampness and soil, is at the fountain. Hence the qi of the earth is quiet.” 54 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘ The yang qi does not issue its orders’ is: the yang qi is insufficient.” 55 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘ Water’ refers to the qi controlling heaven, i.e., to the major yang [qi, that is,] cold and water. When major yang qi controls heaven, major yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil, must be at the fountain. ‘Soil’ refers to the major yin [qi] at the fountain. ‘Combine their virtue’ refers to the phenomena in the transformation of the climate and of things following the joint effects of the qi controlling heaven and of the qi at the fountain.”

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56 57 71-460-3 Its policy is sternness; its command is slowness.58 The policy of cold is carried out massively. [There is] humidity; there is no yang flame.59 Hence fire [must] wait for its [proper] season to break out.60 When in the middle [of a year] the minor yang governs, 56  Wang Bing: “They are bright and big.” Fang Yaozhong: “Mercury is the water star; Saturn is the soil star. Because major yang [qi] controls heaven and because major yin [qi] is at the fountain, the climatic changes of these years are characterized by disproportionate cold in the first half of the year and by disproportionate dampness in the second half of the year. These types of climatic changes are believed to be closely related to the course of the water star and of the soil star among the celestial bodies.” 57  Wang Bing: “It is the proper qi of heaven and earth that generates them, lets them grow, transform, and ripen.” “Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘Dark’ corresponds to [the qi] controlling heaven; ‘yellow’ corresponds to [the qi] at the fountain. [These grain] are transformations of the proper qi of that year.” Fang Yaozhong: “Dark and yellow grain are the ‘grain of the year’ of such years. ‘Grain of the year’ is to say: they grow relatively well in such years.” Zhang Zhicong: “Those grain that are mainly dark and yellow, they ripen. They are affected by the qi controlling heaven and at the fountain. They are the so-called ‘grain of the year.’  ” 58  Zhang Zhicong: “  ‘Sternness’ refers to the policy of heaven; ‘slowness’ refers to the orders issued by the earth.” 59  Zhang Zhicong: “  ‘ There is humidity, but no yang flame’ is to say: the yang emerging within the yin is kept down by [the qi of ] cold and water.” Fang Yaozhong: “In years when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven, the climate is cold and it appears as if there were only water, no fire.” 60 Fang Yaozhong: “This statement continues the preceding statement. ‘Break out’ is the opposite of 郁, ‘oppressed.’ ‘Fire [must] wait for [its proper] season to break out’ means the following: In a year when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven, the first half of the year is characterized by unilaterial cold. The initial qi of the host qi, that is, the ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood and the second qi, that is, the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] the ruler fire, are both oppressed by cold qi. When it should be warm, it is not warm. When it should be hot, it is not hot. Hence [the text stated]: ‘the policy of cold is carried out massively; there is humidity but no yang flame.’ However, the theory of the [five] periods and [six] qi assumes where there is ‘oppression,’ there will eventually be an ‘outbreak.’ When oppression has reached an extreme, an outbreak will follow. That is, at a certain time, the oppressed fire will break out. Hence [the text] states: ‘the fire [must] wait for its time to break out.’  ”

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seasonal rain has a limit.61 Once it has reached the maximum, the rain disperses.62 There is a turn to the major yin.63 When the clouds go to audience with the Northern Pole,64 the transformation of dampness is widespread and humidity flows to the myriad beings.65 61  Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘Minor yang governs in the middle [of the year]’ is: the third host qi. When the minister fire rules and the visitor [qi of ] cold and water overcomes its ruling [qi], seasonal rain arrives. 涯 is 水際, ‘rain period.’ That is to say: rain arrives.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Minor yang’ refers to the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, among the six qi. In the sequence of the six qi ruling the six steps [of development], the initial qi is the ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood. The second qi is the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] the ruler fire. The third qi is the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] the minister fire. Hence, when [the present text] refers to ‘minor yang,’ it refers to the third qi of the host qi. 中治 refers to the qi controlling heaven among the visitor qi. When visitor and host qi meet from below and above, the qi controlling heaven is added on top of the third qi of the host qi, that is on top of the positon of the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire. The third qi occupies the third step of the altogether six steps. Its position is in the center of the six steps. Hence [the text] speaks of ‘governs in the middle [of the year].’ 時雨 refers to regular rain fall. In the present context it refers to the rainy season. It also refers to the seasonal qi associated with the fourth qi among the host qi, i.e., e major yin [qi, that is,] dampness and soil. 涯 refers to a border line. The meaning of the entire passage is: In a year when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven, the qi of heaven of the first half of the year is characterized by disproportionate cold. The initial qi of the host qi, i.e., the ceasing yin [qi, which is] wind and wood and the second qi, i.e., the minor yin [qi, that is] the ruler fire, are oppressed by the qi controlling heaven. When it should be warm, it is not warm; when it should be hot, it is not hot. The third qi, i.e., the minor yang [qi, that is,] the minister fire, is just at the position of the qi controlling heaven. Hence it, too, is disproportionately cold. When it should be hot, it is not hot. Because the qi controlling heaven is responsible for the first half of the year, the [effect of the] major yang qi, [i.e.,] cold, comes to a halt immediately after the [rule of the] third qi is over. At the time when the fourth qi, the major yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil, begins to rule, the effect of the qi of cold and water has ended. That is meant by the text when it states: ‘the seasonal rain has reached its limits.’  ” 62 Fang Yaozhong: “雨散 is hard to explain. All previous commentators have omitted this phrase. We wonder whether it is a mistake for 寒, ‘cold.’  ” 63  Zhang Jiebin: “The second half of a year is ruled by the qi of the earth. Once the [influence of the] third qi has stopped at its final end and after the rain has dispersed, a transition occurs to the fourth qi. Subsequently, the [qi] at the fountain is in charge and the major yin [qi] resides in its position.” 64  Wang Bing: “The Northern Pole is the palace of rain.” 65 Fang Yaozhong: “That is, when the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil, is at the fountain, the generation and growth of the myriad beings is influenced by dampness.”

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Cold extends in the upper [half of the year]; thunder moves in the lower [half of the year].66 The qi of cold and dampness are held in [the sphere of ] qi interaction.67 71-460-6 People suffer from cold and dampness; they develop decay of muscles and flesh. The feet limp and [can] not be contracted. There is soggy outflow and blood overflow.68 The initial qi: the qi of the earth has left its position. Hence the qi is very warm; the herbs blossom early.69 66  Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘ Thunder moves in the lower [half of the year]’ is: the oppressed fire breaks out.” Zhang Zhicong: “  ‘ Thunder moves in the lower [half of the year]’ is: the fire qi of minor yin is situated to the right of the major yin. Its effusion begins with the advent of the fifth qi.” 67 Fang Yaozhong: “In a year when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, control heaven, because the major yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil, is at the fountain, the climate is characterized by cold and dampness.” 68  Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘Blood overflow’ is an illness of oppressed fire; it is always caused by cold and dampness.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Moist outflow’ is diarrhea. ‘Blood overflow’ is bleeding. These pathoconditions are often associated with the spleen (i.e., the soil depot) and in the kidneys (i.e., the water depot), if we look at the seat of the illness, and with the cold and dampness, if we look at the nature of the illness.” 69 Fang Yaozhong: “In the preceding section, the general circumstances have been outlined of the changes in the appearance of things and climate in years when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, control heaven. In the following section, the concrete circumstances of the changes in the appearance of things and climate during each step of the six steps ruling a season in years of major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water. ‘Initial qi’ refers to [the following]: In a year when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven, the initial qi of the intervening qi of the visitor qi coming down to join [the annual qi] is the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire. ‘The qi of the earth has left its position’ refers [to the following]: the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, is the initial qi in a year when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven, because the qi at the fountain in the preceding year has left its position. In the year preceding a year when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven, the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, controls heaven and the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] ruler fire, is at the fountain. In a year when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] ruler fire, which was at the fountain in the previous year, moves to the position of fifth qi. Hence the minor yang [qi, i.e.,]

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Hence people are affected by epidemics, and warmth diseases break out. The body is hot; the head aches and [patients] vomit. The muscle[-flesh] and the interstice [structures] develop sores and ulcers.70 71-460-9 The second qi: Massive coolness arrives contrary [to the regular order]. People experience chilling temperatures. The herbs meet cold; the qi of fire is pressed down then.71 People suffer from qi oppression and central fullness. Cold begins.72 minister fire, can move to the position of initial qi in the present year from the position of second qi in the preceding year. ‘The qi is very warm’ is: in a year when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven the initial qi is minor yang. Minor yang controls fire. Hence in the time period associated with the initial qi, which in this year lasts from [the solar term] Great Cold to [the solar term] Excited Insects, i.e., approximately from the twelve month to the second month of the lunar calendar, the climate is very warm.” Zhang Jiebin: “The final qi of the preceding year is [the qi of ] ruler fire; the initial qi of the present year is [the qi of ] minister fire. When these two qi interact, the qi is very warm. Hence herbs blossom early.” 70  Zhang Jiebin: “The visitor qi is [the qi of ] minister fire; the host qi is [the qi of ] wind and wood. Wind and fire strike each other, hence these illnesses appear.” 71 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Second qi’ refers to [the following]: In a year when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, control heaven, the second qi of the intervening qi of the visitor qi coming down is the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal. ‘Great coolness arrives contrary [to the regular order]’ is: because the yang brilliance [qi] rules coolness and dryness, the climate is disproportionately cool in the time period associated with the second qi, which in this year lasts from Vernal Equinox to Grain Fills, that is, approximately from the latter ten days of the second month to the first ten days of the fourth month of the lunar calendar. This period is the transition from spring to summer; [the former] should be warm but is not warm; [the latter] should be hot but is not hot. The generation and growth of herbs and trees is slowed down.” Zhang Zhicong: “Great cold arrives contrary [to the regular order] and transforms heat to coolness prior to the middle of the year.” 72  Gao Shishi: “Illnesses of [qi] oppression and fullness originate from cold. Hence [the text] states: ‘cold is at the begin.’  ” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Cold begins’ refers [to the following]: In a year when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven, the climate in the first half of the year is disproportionately cold. However, because

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The third qi: The policy of heaven is widespread. Cold qi prevails. Hence rain falls.73 People suffer from cold; contrary [to what one might expect], they have a heated center.74 [They suffer from] yong- and ju-abscesses and from outpour below. The heart [feels] hot. [Patients suffer from] physical and mental pressure. Those who are not treated die.75 71-460-12 The fourth qi: Wind and dampness interact in a struggle. The wind transforms to rain. Hence there is growth, transformation, and completion.76 the initial qi is the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, in reality [the climate] cannot become too cold. Hence the appearance of truly disproportionate cold begins only with the onset of the second qi.” 73 Fang Yaozhong: “In a year when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven, the third of the visitor qi is the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water. ‘The policy of heaven is widespread’ is: when in a year when major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven the position of the third qi of the six steps of the visitor qi, is taken by the qi controlling heaven. ‘Cold qi prevails’ is: major yang rules cold. On top of this, this step is ruled by the qi controlling heaven. Hence the climate is very cold in the time period associated with the third qi, which in this year lasts from Grain Fills to Great Heat, that is, approximately from the latter ten days of the fourth month to the first ten days of the sixth month of the lunar calendar.” 74  Gao Shishi: “That is, they suffer from cold outside and, in contrast, are hot inside.” Zhang Jiebin: “Cold and water offend the yang. Hence fire is affected everywhere. If this is not treated, the [flow of ] yang [qi] will be interrupted and [the patient] dies.” 75  Wang Bing: “When [people] should feel cold but, on the contrary, develop heat, that is contrary to the regularity of heaven. When heat develops from the heart, then the spirit is in utmost danger. If no assistance is given to the spirit immediately, it must perish. Hence those who receive treatment will live; those who do not receive treatment will die.” 76  Zhang Zhicong: “At the intersection of summer and autumn, the host qi is that of dampness and soil. Hence there is growth, transformation, and completion. That is, summer rules growth, autumn rules completion, and late summer rules transformation.” Fang Yaozhong: “In a year when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven, the fourth qi of the intervening qi of the visitor qi coming down is the ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood. ‘Wind and dampness engage in struggle’ is:

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People suffer from massive heat and being short of qi; the muscles and the flesh decay.77 The feet are limp. There is outpour below; it is red and white. The fifth qi: The yang returns to transform. Hence the herbs experience growth, transformation, and completion. People feel comfortable.78 71-461-2 The final qi: The qi of the earth [occupies its] proper [position]. The command of dampness prevails.79 because the ceasing yin rules wind and warmth, the climate of the time period associated with the fourth qi, which in this year lasts from Great Heat to Autumn Equinox, that is, approximately from the last ten days of the sixth month to the first ten days of the eighth month in the lunar calendar, is disproportionately warm and is disproportionately dominated by wind.” 77  Zhang Jiebin: “The ceasing yin qi, [i.e.,] wood, is in charge of the period of great heat. Wood can generate fire. Hence people suffer from great heat. Because the visitor [qi] overcomes the ruling [qi], the spleen, [i.e.,] the soil, receives harm. Hence such pathoconditions like diminished qi and flesh decay emerge.” 78  Wang Bing: “Massive fire comes down to take control. Hence the myriad beings feel comfortable and flourish.” Fang Yaozhong: “In a year when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven, the fifth qi of the intervening qi of the visitor qi coming down is the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] ruler fire. ‘The yang returns to transform’ refers [to the following]: because the minor yin rules the ruler fire and heat, the climate of the time period associated with the fifth qi, which in this year lasts from Autumn Equinox to Little Snow, that is, approximately from the last ten days of the eighth month to the first ten days of the tenth month in the lunar calendar, is disproportionately hot. ‘People feel comfortable’ is: the yang qi oppressed in the human body can be effused and flows off because of the turn of the climate to heat and does no longer cause irritations inside. Hence [people] feel happy.” 79 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘ The final qi’ is: in a year when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, controls heaven, the final qi of the visitor qi is the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil. ‘The qi of the earth [occupies its] proper [position]’ is: this [major yin qi] also occupies the position of the qi at the fountain. ‘The order of dampness prevails’ is: when the major yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil, is at the fountain, the dampness qi is disproportionately dominant in the second half of this year. Dampness qi is especially dominant in the time period associated with the final qi, which in this year lasts from Little Snow to Great Cold, that is, approximately from the final ten days of the tenth month to the first ten days of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar.”

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The clouds are are condensed in the Great Void;80 dust [causes] darkness in the wastelands. People experience chilling temperatures. Cold and wind arrive. Contrary to [the regular order,] embryos die.81 71-461-4 Hence this year it is appropriate [to employ] bitter [flavor] to dry the [dampness] and to warm the [cold].82 It is necessary to break the qi oppressing it83 and 80 Fang Yaozhong: “Heaven is covered by clouds.” 81  Zhang Jiebin: “When the major yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil, is at the fountain, this is the proper earth qi. Hence the order of dampness prevails, clouds are condensed in the Great Void and dust darkens the waste lands. People prefer yang and have an aversion to yin. Hence they feel miserably cold. Because [at this time] the order of dampness [prevails] and cold wind arrives, the wind can dominate the dampness. Hence [the text] says ‘contrary’: ‘When [wind dominates dampness] contrary [to the order of the season] those who are pregnant will die.’ This is so because man is a naked creature, [generated] through a transformation of soil. When wind, [i.e.,] wood, is added [to soil] out of season, then, as a result, the transformation [products] of soil cannot proliferate.” Zhang Zhicong: “The soil rules the transformation and proliferation of naked creatures, and man is the supreme creature among the naked creatures. When cold wind arrives, the soil is dominated by wind, [i.e.,] wood. Hence pregnancies do not reach completion. That is called: an untimely evil dominates the qi [supposed to] rule a season.” Fang Yaozhong: “Such a year is characterized by a cold and damp climate. All living beings that are able to adapt [the diet, etc.] to these climatic characteristics, will be able to grow, to have offspring, to proliferate. ‘In contrast,’ those living beings that are not able to adapt to these climatic characteristics, will not grow, have no offspring, and do not proliferate. That is, those who are pregnant will die.” 82 Lin Yi et al.: “The nine characters 故歲宜 .. 之溫之 must follow the passage 以 安其正 further below; they have been moved here erroneously.” Zhang Zhicong: “Bitter is the flavor of fire, fire can warm cold. Bitter [flavor] can dry dampness.” 83  Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘Break the oppressing qi is: drain what is present in surplus.” Gao Shishi: “As for 郁氣, ‘oppressed qi,’ when water dominates, then fire is oppressed; when soil dominates, than water is oppressed. Hence it is necessary to ‘break the oppressing qi.’ Oppression is the basis of revenge. If one wishes to ‘break’ a [oppressing qi], it is necessary, first of all, to nourish the source of its transformation. If one wants to break its fire, one nourishes first its wood. If one wants to break its water, one nourishes first its metal. [Wood and metal] are the sources of the generation and transformation [of fire and water, respectively].” Fang Yaozhong: “郁氣, ‘oppressing

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to supply the source of its transformation first,84 to press down its [excessive] period and qi, and to support that which does not dominate in that [particular year].85 Do not permit a violent transgression leading to the emergence of the respective diseases.

qi,’ refers to a qi causing an oppression, i.e., a disproportionately dominant qi. ‘One must break the oppressing qi’ means [the following]: when a qi is present in surplus and exhibits disproportionate domination, the qi that is dominated will be oppressed internally. For example, when cold qi is disproportionately dominant, the fire qi will be supressed internally; etc. Hence for treatment one must first of all take care of the disproportionately dominant qi. Only when this disproportionately dominant qi has been brought back to order, the qi that was dominated inside can recover and resume its normal functions.” 84  Wang Bing: “  ‘Source of transformation is to say: in the ninth month. One seizes it by moving towards it. This serves to supplement the fire of the heart.” Lin Yi et al.: “Water is about to dominate. 先於九月迎取其化源 Before the ninth month [one has to] prevent it by taking away the source of its transformation, i.e, by draining the source of the [water, i.e., the] kidneys first. The reason is, water rules in the tenth month. Hence it is to be taken away before the ninth month. Because the water is drained, the fire is supplemented.” Fang Yaozhong: “Wang Bing’s commentary is to say: In the tenth, the eleventh, and the twelfth months, [i.e.,] the three winter months, the climate is very cold. Abounding cold qi can oppress the fire of the heart internally. Hence it is necessary to supplement the fire of the heart prior to the advent of winter, lest the fire of the heart is tied down by the cold evil.”

85  Wang Bing: In the major jue year, the spleen does not dominate. In a major zhi year, the lung does not dominate. In a major gong year, the kidneys do not dominate. In a major shang year, the liver does not dominate. In a major yu year, the heart does not dominate. That is how it should be in these years. However, when major yang [qi] controls heaven, no matter which of the five annual qi is present it is always appropriate to assist the heart first and to support the qi of the kidneys afterwards.” Fang Yaozhong: “抑 refers to 抑制, ‘to restrain.’ 其 refers here to a year in which major yin [qi] controls heaven. 運 refers to the annual period. 氣 refers to the annual qi. In a year with major yang [qi] controlling heaven, seen from the annual period, the ten years with major yang [qi] controlling heaven are years of greatly excessive annual periods. Seen from the annual qi, in years when the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, control heaven, the cold qi is disproportionately dominant. When the major yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil, is at the fountain, dampness qi is disproportionately dominant. Hence when treating illnesses, it is necessary to ‘restrain the periodic [qi] and the [annual] qi and to support that which does not dominate.’  ”

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Consume the grain [associated with] that year to preserve its true [qi]. Avoid depletion evil to secure its proper [qi].86 71-461-6 Depending on87 whether the qi agrees with or differs from [the proper qi of this year], [apply] more or less restraint to it.88 When they agree in cold and dampness, dryness and heat serve to achieve transformations. When they differ in cold and dampness, dryness and dampness achieve transformations.89 Hence in case of agreements, increase it; in case of differences, diminish it.90 86  Wang Bing: “When the [qi of ] wood is present in excess, then spleen illnesses emerge. When the [qi of ] fire is present in excess, then lung illnesses emerge. When the [qi of ] soil is present in excess, then kidney illnesses emerge. When the [qi of ] metal is present in excess, then liver illnesses emerge. When the [qi of ] water is present in excess, then heart illnesses emerge. The same applies when the qi of heaven and earth are present in excess. ‘Grain associated with that year’ is to say: [grain] of yellow color and of black color. ‘Depletion evil’ is to say: wind that comes from unexpected directions.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Depletion evil’ is ‘depletion wind.’ Regular wind is wind that blows in spring from the East, in summer from the South, etc. Irregular wind is wind that blows in spring from the West, in summer from the North. If one faces the South and a northerly wind blows, if one faces the North and a southerly wind blows, etc., that is what is called ‘the wind comes from unexpected directions.’ That is a depletion wind.” 87  Zhang Jiebin: “適 is 酌所宜, ‘to deliberate what is suitable.’  ” 2289/22: “適 is 視, ‘to observe,’ ‘to investigate.’ The meaning here is ‘on the basis of,’ ‘in accordance with.’  ” 88 Fang Yaozhong: “適 has the meaning of 酌量, ‘to consider.’ 氣 refers to the annual qi, which is also the qi controlling heaven. 同異 refers to agreements or differences in the climate calculated in comparison of the annual period and the annual qi. 多少 refers to the degree of agreements and differences.” 89  Wang Bing: “Major gong, major shang, and major yu years agree [with the annual qi] in terms of cold and dampness. It is appropriate to treat with dryness and heat to achieve transformations. Major jue and major zhi years differ [from the annual qi] in terms of cold and dampness. It is appropriate to treat dampness with dryness to achieve transformations.”

90  Wang Bing: “  ‘Increase’ refers to dryness and heat. ‘Diminish’ refers to dryness and dampness. The amount of a qi to be employed depends on the [nature of the respective] year.” Zhang Zhicong: “  ‘Agree in cold and dampness’ is to say: the ruling

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When employing cold, stay away from cold.91 When employing coolness, stay away from coolness. When employing warmth, stay away from warmth. When employing heat, stay away from heat. Food requirements [are based on] the same law. In cases of false [heat or cold] act contrary to [this] rule.92

periods major yu and major gong are identical to the [qi of ] cold and dampness controlling heaven and at the fountain. Hence it is necessary to employ more substances with a qi of dryness and heat to curb transformations [of cold and dampness]. That is, dryness is employed to restrain dampness and heat is employed to transform cold. The ruling periods major zhi, major jue, or major shang always differ from the qi of cold and dampness. Still, small amounts of [substances with a] qi of dryness and dampness are to be employed to transform them. Hence dampness is employed to enrich the qi of dampness and heat and dryness is used to restrain the evil of wind and wood.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Increase’ and ‘diminish’ refer to the amounts of warm, hot, dry, or damp drugs employed. That is, when the annual period and the annual qi are entirely identical, one employs large quantities of warm, hot, dry, or damp drugs. In case they are not identical, because the annual qi is cold and dampness, it is not entirely possible not to consider the issue of cold and dampness. However, because they are not identical, warm, hot, dry, or damp drugs are employed in comparatively small amounts only.” 91  Zhang Jiebin: “遠 is 避, ‘to avoid.’ In the application of cold drugs it is essential to avoid the cold of the annual qi. In the application of cool drugs, it is essential to avoid the coolness of the annual qi. Etc. The same law applies to drinking, eating, and housing.” Fang Yaozhong: “遠 has the meaning of 疏遠, ‘to separate,’ ‘to create a distance,’ or 回避, ‘to avoid.’ That is, in the course of seasons characterized by cold, or when treating pathoconditions of cold, it is advisable either not to employ cold and cool drugs at all, or to use them cautiously.” 732/3: “That is, in seasons of cold climate drugs of a cold or cool nature are to be avoided.” 92  Zhang Jiebin: “That is to say: A qi is adopted that is contrary to the regular order. For example, in summer it should be hot, but, on the contrary, it is cold.” Fang Yaozhong: “The character 假 is explained in two ways. According to the first, it refers to 假借, ‘to make use.’ That is, whatever a season is like, one can always ‘make use’ of cold or cool drugs to treat pathoconditions of heat, or ‘make use’ of hot or warm drugs to treat pathoconditions of cold. According to the second [explanation], the character 假 refers to 假象, ‘false appearance.’ That is to say, cold, heat, warmth, and coolness can appear as false phenomena, or it may be that the climate does not parallel a season. Hence treatment must not be tied too closely to the season or to external phenomena. The treatment must be directed at the nature [of the illness] underlying the pathoconditions.” 1833/17: “When the climate is irregular (有假), the treatment should be based on an unusual approach (反之).” See also 315/7 and 2305/49 for a detailed discussion of the therapeutic principles outlined here.

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If one acts contrary to this, illness [emerges].93 This is a so-called seasonal [illness].” 94 71-462-1 [Huang] Di: “Good! The policy of yang brilliance, what is it like?”95 Qi Bo: “These are the arrangements including mao and you [earth branches].96 [The first two arrangements include the years when] yang brilliance [controls heaven], minor jue [is the annual period], and minor yin [is at the fountain].97 Coolness domination and heat revenge are identical [in both minor jue years].98 93  Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘ Those acting contrary fall ill’ because they act contrary to the respective season. Later on, [the text] states ‘the host qi is insufficient; the visitor qi dominates. That is meant here.’  ” Fang Yaozhong: “That is to say: those acting contrary to the therapeutic principles outlined in the preceding sentence, they fall ill.” In comparison with parallel statements in the text later on it is obvious that this statement makes sense only if it is preceded by the four characters 此其道也, “that is the Way of this.” Cf. Su wen 71-465-3, 71-470-15, 71-473-8, 71-475-3.

94  Wang Bing: “時 is to say: In the presence of spring, summer, autumn, and winter [qi], and of the intervening [visitor] qi, stay away from [drugs of ] identical qi [for treating an illness]. That is, if [any of ] the six qi has come down to take control and one makes use of cold or heat, warmth or coolness to eliminate the [resulting] illnesses regardless of the season, then this is not ‘staying away’ from them. For instance, when the major yang [qi, i.e., cold,] controls heaven and cold causes an illness, if one makes use of heat to cure this, then the application of heat is not ‘staying away’ from summer. The same applies to all the other qi. Hence [the text] speaks of ‘making use of what is contrary to the regular [order].’ [The application of a] diet is identical to [the application of ] drug laws.” 95 Fang Yaozhong: “The ‘policy of yang brilliance’ refers to a year when the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, control heaven.”

96 Fang Yaozhong: “The meaning is: in all years with mao and you earth branches the yang brilliance [qi], [i.e., the qi of ] dryness and metal, controls heaven.”

97 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘ Yang brilliance’ refers to [the qi of ] yang brilliance, [i.e.,] dryness and metal, controlling heaven. ‘Minor jue’ refers to years with an inadequate wood period. ‘Minor yin’ refers to [the qi of ] minor yin, [i.e.,] the ruler fire, at the fountain.”

98  Wang Bing: “Coolness dominates minor jue; heat takes revenge at coolness. Hence [the text] states: ‘Coolness and heat dominate and take revenge the same way.’ The same applies to all remaining minor periods.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Coolness’ refers

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[Both these years have conditions] identical to [those in] proper shang [years].99 [They are designated] ding mao − the year meets − and ding you.100 Their period [manifests itself as] wind, coolness, and heat.101 [The sequence of visitor periods is as follows:] - Minor jue begin [of the sequence of host periods,] proper [begin of the sequence of visitor periods]

- major zhi - minor gong - major shang - and minor yu end [of the sequence of host periods].102 to the qi of coolness; in the present context it refers to the qi of yang brilliance, [i.e., of ] dryness and metal, that controls heaven. In a year when the wood period is inadequate, in spring when it should be warm in spring it is not warm; the climate is disproportionately cold. Because of the principle that the overall course of the seasons is balanced, with the arrival of summer the climate will be disproportionately hot.” Zhang Zhicong: “When the wood period is inadequate, the cool qi of metal dominates it. Where there is domination, there must be revenge. [Hence] fire comes to take revenge.” 99  Wang Bing: “As for ‘identical to proper shang,’ when yang brilliance [qi] appears in the upper [half of the year], upper shang is identical to proper shang. That is to say: the [qi of ] wood of that year is inadequate. The same applies to all the other [situations].” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Proper shang’ is a year of a metal period with balanced qi. ‘Identical to proper shang’ refers to a year with an inadequate wood period where metal comes to avail itself of the wood. If, at the same time, this is a year with yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, controlling heaven, then subduing is added on top of subduing.” 100 Fang Yaozhong: “All years with a five agents association of the annual period which is identical with the original five phases association of the branches of these years, are ‘the year meets’ years. The heavenly stem of a ding mao year is ding. Ding and ren transform wood; they are associated with the wood period. The branch of this year is mao. Yin and mao are associated with wood. Hence the annual period and the branch of that year have identical five agents associations.” 101 Fang Yaozhong: “Wind is associated with wood; coolness is associated with metal; heat is associated with fire. When in a year with an inadequate wood period spring should be warm but is not warm, with the climate being disproportionately cool, it appears as if it were autumn. When it comes to summer the climate changes to disproportionate heat because of the mutual regulation of the seasons among each other.” 102 Fang Yaozhong: “This listing is to say: In ding mao and ding you years, the first of the visitor periods is minor jue, the second is major zhi, the third is minor gong, the

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71-462-6 [The second two arrangements include the years when] yang brilliance [controls heaven], minor zhi [is the central period], and minor yin [is at the fountain].103 Cold domination and rain revenge is the same [in both minor zhi years].104 [Both these years have conditions] identical to [those in] proper shang [years].105 [They are designated] gui mao identical to the year meets and gui you identical to the year meets. Their period [manifests itself as] heat, cold, and rain.106 [The sequence of visitor periods is as follows:] - Minor zhi - major gong - minor shang - major yu end [of the sequence of host periods] - major jue begin [of the sequence of host periods]. 71-462-9 [The third two arrangements include the years when] yang brilliance [controls heaven], minor gong [is the central period], and minor yin [is at the fountain]. Wind domination and coolness revenge is the same [in both minor gong years].107 [They are designated] ji mao and ji you.

fourth is major shang, the final is minor yu. The host periods follow the regular order without change.”

103 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Minor zhi’ refers to years with inadequate fire period. That is, in gui mao and gui you years with an inadequate fire period, the qi controlling heaven is the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, and the qi at the fountain is the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] the ruler fire.” 104  Zhang Zhicong: “  ‘Cold’ is the qi of cold and water; ‘rain’ is the qi of dampness and soil. When cold dominates the minor zhi, soil comes to take revenge it.”

105 Fang Yaozhong: “In years with an inadequate fire period, the fire cannot subdue the metal. If in the same year, on top of this, the qi controlling heaven is the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, the qi controlling heaven controls everything. Hence the summer of that year should be hot but is not hot; there should be growth, but there is no growth. [Summer] appears like autumn.”

106  Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘Heat’ is the period of minor zhi. ‘Cold’ is the dominating qi. ‘Rain’ is the qi of revenge.” 107  Zhang Zhicong: “When a soil period is inadequate, wind, contrary [to the regular order of seasons] dominates it. The metal qi of coolness comes to take revenge.”

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Their period [manifests itself as] rain, wind, and coolness.108 [The sequence of visitor periods is as follows:] - Minor gong - major shang - minor yu end [of the sequence of host periods] - minor jue begin [of the sequence of host periods] - major zhi. 71-462-12 [The fourth two arrangements include the years when] yang brilliance [controls heaven], minor shang [is the central period], and minor yin [is at the fountain].109 Heat domination and cold revenge is the same [in both minor shang years].110 [Both these years have conditions] identical to [those in] proper shang [years]. [They are designated] yi mao − heavenly complements111 − and yi you − the year meets and tai-yi heavenly complements.112 108  Gao Shishi: “Minor gong soil periods are ji mao and ji you years. ‘Their period is rain’ is a gong and soil period. [The presence of ] wind is a domination of wood; coolness indicates that metal takes revenge. These qi characterize the entire year.” 109 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘ Yang brilliance’ refers to the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, controlling heaven. ‘Minor shang’ refers to years of an inadequate metal period. ‘Minor yin’ refers to the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] ruler fire, at the fountain. That is, in yi mao and yi you years of an inadequate metal period, the qi controlling heaven is the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, and the qi at the fountain is the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] the ruler fire.”

110  Gao Shishi: “[In years] when the minor shang metal period is inadequate, the heat qi of fire will dominate in the beginning. Later on, the qi of water and cold takes revenge. The dominating qi and the qi taking revenge rule the entire year.” 111 Fang Yaozhong: “Any year when the annual period is identical in its five agents association with the qi controlling heaven, is a ‘heavenly complements’ year. The heavenly stem of yi mao years is yi; yi and geng transform metal. The annual [earth] branch of yi mao years is mao. In mao and you [years] the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal control heaven. The annual period is metal and the qi controlling heaven is metal, too. Because the annual period and the annual qi are identical, this yi mao year belongs to the ‘heavenly complements’ [years].”

112 Fang Yaozhong: “Years with identical five agents associations of the annual period and of the [earth] branch of that year belong to the ‘the year meets’ years. The heavenly stem of an yi you year is yi; yi and geng transform metal. The [earth] branch of that year is you. Shen and you are associated with [the agent] metal. The annual period is metal and the five agents association of the [earth] branch of that year is metal, too. Because the five agents association of the annual period and the original five agents association of the branches of these years are identical, an yi you year belongs to

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Their period [manifests itself as] coolness, heat, and cold.113 [The sequence of visitor periods is as follows:] - Minor shang - major yu end [of the sequence of host periods] - major jue begin [of the sequence of host periods] - minor zhi - major gong. 71-463-2 [The fifth two arrangements include the years when] yang brilliance [controls heaven], minor yu [is the central period],114 and minor yin [is at the fountain]. Rain domination and wind revenge is the same [in both minor yu years].115 [Both these years have conditions] identical to [those in] minor gong [years].116 [They are designated] xin mao and xin you.117 Their period [manifests itself as] cold, rain, and wind.118 the ‘the year meets’ years. Now, in terms of the qi controlling heaven, an yi you year is identical to an yi mao year. That is, the qi controlling heaven in an yi you year is metal, too. Hence an yi you year is also a year of ‘heavenly complements.’ Because it is a year of ‘heavenly complements’ and, in addition, belongs to the ‘the year meets’ years, it is called ‘tai-yi heavenly complements’ [year].”

113  Zhang Jiebin: “Coolness is the qi of minor shang; heat is the dominating qi; cold is the qi taking revenge.” 114 Fang Yaozhong: “Minor yu refers to years of an inadequate water period.”

115  Gao Shishi: “In [a year of ] minor yu when the water period is inadequate, the rain qi of soil dominates in the beginning. Later on the wind qi of wood takes revenge. The qi of domination and revenge rule the entire year.” 116 Some editions have here the characters 辛卯少宮同. Fang Yaozhong: “The meaning of 辛卯少宮同 is: A xin mao year is identical in terms of changes affecting climate and objects with a year of an inadequate soil period.”

117  Zhang Jiebin: “This paragraph says only xin mao, it does not say xin you. Perhaps this is an error that has been handed down for long.” Some Su wen editions have the two characters xin mao twice. First, prior to the characters 少宮同 and, second, subsequent to 辛酉. 118 Fang Yaozhong: “In a year of an inadequate water period, the soil comes to take advantage [of this inadequacy]. ‘Wind’ refers to wood. When soil is greatly excessive because it has taken advantage of [the inadequacy of ] water, then wood comes to take revenge. That is, in xin mao and xin you years much rain falls in winter and winds blow frequently next spring.”

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[The sequence of visitor periods is as follows:] - Minor yu end [of the sequence of host periods] - minor jue begin [of the sequence of host periods] - major zhi - minor gong - major shang. Whenever there is a policy of this yang brilliance controlling heaven, the transformations of the [six] qi and the movement of the [five] periods are behind heaven.119 The qi of heaven is tense; the qi of the earth is bright.120 The yang alone issues its commands; flaming summerheat prevails everywhere.121 119  Wang Bing: “As for the qi of the six steps, of generation, growth, transformation and completion, the movement and resting of all things are behind the heavenly seasons. The same applies to the remaining ‘minor’ years.” Fang Yaozhong: “The ten years when yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, control heaven are years of an inadequate annual period because their heavenly stems are always yin stems. Hence in these years climate and seasons do not agree entirely.” 120  Zhang Zhicong: “When the yang brilliance [qi] controls heaven, then the minor yin [qi] is at the fountain. The order of metal rules the upper [half of the year]; hence the qi of heaven is strong and unyielding. The ruler fire is present in the lower [half of the year]; hence the qi of the earth is brilliant.” 121 Fang Yaozhong: “From here on the following few sentences are difficult to explain. Hence former commentators either have not commentated on them at all, or their explanations are rather confused. Zhang Jiebin states: ‘In all years when yang brilliance [qi] controls heaven, the qi of metal is insufficient and fire will take advantage of this [insufficiency]. Hence only yang [qi] issues its orders and flaming summerheat prevails greatly.’ This explanation of years when yang brilliance [qi] controls heaven as characterized by insufficient qi of metal does not agree with the spirit of the Nei jing. Zhang Zhicong further confuses the [Nei jing] statement: ‘Yang brilliance [qi is present] in the upper [half of the year] and the ruler fire [is present] in the lower [half of the year]. Hence yang [qi, i.e.,] heat abounds and causes things to dry and harden.’ Gao Shishi agrees. However, why should ‘only yang issue its orders and flaming summerheat prevail greatly’ when yang brilliance [qi is present] in the upper [half of the year] and the ruler fire in the lower? That remains unclear. It is our opinion that these two sentences should be interpreted from a perspective of domination and revenge. In a year when the yang brilliance [qi] controls heaven, the qi of metal is disproportionately dominant in the first half of the year. The climate is disproportionately cool. When it should be warm it is not warm; when it should be hot it is not hot. That is meant by the statement 天氣急 above. When the qi of metal is disproportionately

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The things dry and harden. Pure wind governs.122 71-463-6 Wind and dryness move uncontrolled and flow through [the sphere of ] qi interaction.123 There is much yang [qi] and little yin [qi]. The clouds rush124 to the rain palace, hence the transformation to dampness is extensive.125 When dryness reaches its maximum [it changes to] humidity.126 127 {These are the intervening [qi] grain dominant, then fire comes to revenge it. Hence, in contrast [to the beginning of the first half of the year], the climate of the summer of that year may exhibit great heat.” In our opinion, the explanations of Zhang Jiebin, Zhang Zhicong and Gao Shishi are not confused at all. They are based, first, on the fact that all years in which yang brilliance controls heaven are associated with yin stems and branches – and consequetly, the qi controlling heaven is to be regarded as inadequate in these years. Second, they are based on the fact that minor yin qi, i.e., ruler fire, which in the same years is at the fountain, is associated with the yang branches zi and wu – and consequently, the qi at the fountain is to be regarded as excessive in these years. 122  Cheng Shide et al.: “淳風 refers to 淳和之風, ‘a wind that is well balanced.’  ” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Pure wind’ is a regular wind. In the first half of the year the climate is disproportionately cool and dry. Hence only grain and fruit with hard shells outside grow well.” Zhang Zhicong: “The initial qi of the qi ruling the seasons is the ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood. In all years of great excess, the visitor qi dominates and most [things or developments] follow [the orders of ] the visitor qi. In years of inadequacy, the visitor qi is weak and the [orders of the] host qi are followed, too. Hence when ‘pure wind governs’ that is a transformation of the initial qi, [i.e.,] wind and wood.” 123 For a definition of 氣交 as “the section where the qi of heaven and earth interact”, see 68-397-3.

124 On this and other metaphors in the Su wen, see 15/37.

125  Wang Bing: “  ‘Rain palace’ is the location of the major yin.” Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘Rain palace’ is a location of rich soil and accumulated dampness.” 126 Fang Yaozhong: “澤 is 水, ‘water.’  ”

127  Wang Bing: “They are generated through transformation of the proper qi of heaven and earth.” Gao Shishi: “When they are affected by the [qi of ] metal controlling heaven, then they turn white. When they are affected by the [qi of ] fire then they turn vermilion. These are the so-called ‘grain of the year.’  ” Fang Yaozhong: “In a year when the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, controls heaven and when the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] ruler fire, is at the fountain, the first half of the year is dispropor-

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which are called major.}128 129 71-464-1 Metal and fire combine [their] virtues.130 131

tionately cool. This has a positive effect on the generation and completion of white grain. The second half of the year is disproportionately hot. This has a positive effect on the generation and growth of vermilion grain.” 128  Wang Bing: “命太者 is to say: those [generated through] transformations of the ‘major’ jue and [‘major’] shang qi mentioned in the text above, they are generated through transformations of the intervening [visitor] qi. Hence [the text] speaks of ‘intervening [qi] grain.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “In addition to the annual grain [that are products of ] transformation of the proper [qi of a year], there are the intervening [qi] grain as [products of ] transformation of the four intervening [visitor] qi to the left and to the right [of the qi controlling heaven and at the fountain]. 命 is 天賦, ‘heavenly endowment.’ 太 is: a qi that has surplus. Whenever the [qi] controlling heaven is a ‘major’ [qi, the qi] at the fountain must be a ‘minor’ [qi] and vice versa. For instance, in mao and you years when yang brilliance [qi] controls heaven, a ‘minor’ [qi] rules in the first half [of the year]. The minor yin [qi] is at the fountain, that is, a ‘major’ [qi] rules in the second half [of the year]. 命其太 is: the grain are to be named after the [‘major’] intervening [visitor] qi at the fountain.” Ma Shi: “Intervening [qi] grains are named after the intervening [visitor] qi of the major [jue and shang].”

129 Our translation of 耗 as “that which causes destruction” is based on the logic of the context. Metal dominates and white grain flourish, hence “white things” dominate, too, and cause destruction. In contrast, Gao Shishi: “When yang brilliance [qi] controls heaven, the qi of metal is inadequate. Hence feathered and hairy beings of white color and armored [creatures] and metal items dissipate and do not accumulate.” Fang Yaozhong: “Yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, controls heaven and minor yin [qi, i.e.,] ruler fire, is at the fountain. Fire overcomes metal. Hence living beings associated with metal, such as those of white color or those armored, they receive great harm. They may be born but do not mature; they grow but do not breed.”

130  Zhang Jiebin: “Above (i.e., in the upper half of the year) is metal; below (i.e., in the lower half of the year) is fire. Hence [the text] states: ‘combine [their] virtues.’  ” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Metal’ refers to the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal. ‘Fire’ refers to the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] ruling fire. ‘Combine virtues’ is: they influence each other and are effective together.” 131  Wang Bing: “They appear large and brilliant.”

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Its policy is cutting; its command is violent.132 The hibernating creatures appear and the flowing water does not freeze. People suffer from cough and obstructed throat. Cold and heat develop, [leading to] violent shaking and shivering. There is protuberance illness and constipation.133 71-464-3 Coolness is forceful at the beginning; hence the hairy creatures die.134 Heat comes afterwards and is violent. Hence the armored creatures perish.135

The activities of domination and revenge cause disturbance and massive disorder.136

132  Zhang Zhicong: “Clear and cutting, that is the policy of metal. Fast and violent, that is the command of fire.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Its policy is cutting’ refers to the natural phenomenon that the climate is disproportionately cool in the first half of a year in years when the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, controls heaven. ‘Its command is violent’ refers to the natural phenomenon of very hot climate at the time when fire qi comes to take revenge because the qi of metal is disproportionately dominant.” 133  Zhang Jiebin: “All these are illnesses [associated with the qi] of metal and fire, i.e., dryness and heat.” For 癃, see also Su wen 49, note 55/56.

134 Fang Yaozhong: “Coolness is associated with metal. Hairy creatures are associated with wood. When ‘hairy creatures die because of unyielding coolness in the beginning,’ the meaning is: metal overcomes wood.”

135  Zhang Jiebin: “After fire qi has taken residence at the fountain, metal receives its restraint. Hence armored creatures perish.” Fang Yaozhong: “Armored creatures are associated with metal; the underlying meaning is: fire dominates metal.” 136  Wang Bing: “At first the metal dominates and this causes harm to the wood. Hence hairy creatures die. Subsequently, fire dominates and metal does not dominate. Hence it is now that armored creatures perish. Those who dominate carry out killing. Feathered [creatures] have vanished. Those taking revenge come later; those that are strong die nevertheless. How should such qi be called if not ‘disorderly’?”

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The qi of coolness and heat are held in the [sphere of ] qi interaction.137 71-464-5 The initial qi: The qi of the earth has left its position.138 The clouds are condensed in the beginning. The qi is stern in the beginning. Hence the water freezes; cold and rain transform.139 137  Zhang Zhicong: “Yang brilliance qi and minor yin qi are both responsible for hasty [actions]. Hence ‘their outbreak is hasty.’ When fire dominates metal in the first half of the year, then water comes to take revenge against fire in the second half of the year. Hence [the text speaks of ] ‘activities of domination and revenge,’ and the annual qi is in ‘great disorder.’ 氣交 is: the qi controlling heaven and the qi at the fountain, [i.e.,] above and below, interact with each other.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘ The qi of coolness and heat’ refers to the yang brilliance qi, [i.e.,] dryness and metal, controlling heaven and to the minor yin qi, [i.e.,] ruling fire, at the fountain. 持于氣交 refers to the time between the first and the second half of a given year. The entire passage has the following meaning: In a year when the yang brilliance [qi] controls heaven, in the time between the first and the second half of the year, in particular between the third and the fourth qi, the climate is extremely unstable in that at times it is cool, at times it is hot.” 138 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Initial qi’ refers to a year when the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, controls heaven and when the initial visitor qi coming down to join [the host qi] is the major yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil. ‘The qi of the earth has left its position’ refers to the fact that in a year when the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, controls heaven, major yin is the initial qi because the qi at the fountain in the preceding year has left its position. In the year prior to the year when yang brilliance [qi] controls heaven, minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, controls heaven and ceasing ying [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood, is at the fountain. In a year when yang brilliance controls heaven, the ceasing yin [qi] which was at the fountain in the previous year has moved to the position of fifth qi in the present year. Hence major yin can move from the position of second qi in the previous year to the position of initial qi in the present year.” 139  Zhang Jiebin: “When major yin is active as initial qi, the climate is cold and the qi is damp. Hence ‘the clouds are condensed.’ Dryness and metal control heaven, hence ‘the qi is stern.’ When water freezes, this is because the qi is stern; cold and rain are transformations of dampness.” Fang Yaozhong: “This is a year when the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, control heaven. The initial qi is the major yin [qi]. Major yin [qi] controls dampness. Dampness is a yin evil. Hence in the time period associated with the initial qi, which in this year lasts from [the solar term] Great Cold to [the solar term] Excited Insects, i.e., approximately from the final ten days of the twelve month to the first ten days of the second month of the lunar calendar, the qi of heaven is dark and damp, with cold and relatively frequent rain.”

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Its illnesses include central heat and distension. The face and the eyes have surface swelling; [patients] tend to be sleepy. [They suffer from] stuffy nose, nosebleed, sneezing, yawning, and vomiting. The urine is yellow-red. In severe cases strangury results.140 71-464-7 The second qi: Now the yang is widespread. As a result, people feel comfortable, and the beings come to life and blossom.141 Epidemics come about massively. People are prone to sudden death.142 The third qi: The policy of heaven is widespread.

140  Wang Bing: “These are major yin transformations.” Lin Yi et al.: “Given that the ‘qi is stern’ and ‘water freezes,’ these may not be major yin transformations after all.” Zhang Jiebin: “The host qi is wind and the visitor qi is dampness. Wind is yang; dampness is yin. When wind and dampness affect [a person], spleen and kidneys receive harm. Hence all these illnesses emerge.” Gao Shishi: “The illnesses [caused by] them are central heat and distension because the dampness qi cannot reach the exterior. Face and eyes are swollen because the dampness qi cannot move downwards. [Patients] tend to be sleepy because the movement of the qi from inside to outside and from above to below is blocked. All these are illnesses of dampness, [i.e.,] of the spleen, [i.e.,] of major yin [qi]. Nosebleed, sneezing, and yawning are illnesses of dryness, [i.e.,] of the lung, [i.e.,] of major yin [vessels].” 141  Zhang Zhicong: “With the second [qi] the two fires of ruler and minister [meet] as ruling [qi] and visitor [qi]. Hence yang qi can spread widely. As a result, people feel comfortable and [all] things grow and blossom.” Fang Yaozhong: “In the time period associated with the second qi, which in this year lasts from Vernal Equinox to Grain Fills, that is, approximately from the latter ten days of the second month to the first ten days of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, people feel comfortable because the climate of continuous rain and disproportionate domination of dampness of the preceding time period has changed to a climate of warmth and heat. Because the climate has turned warm, plants grow and flourish.” 142  Wang Bing: “The reason is that the minister has taken the position of the ruler.”

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Hence coolness prevails.143 Dryness and heat interact and merge. When the dryness has reached its maximum, it [changes to] humidity.144 People suffer from cold and heat.145 The fourth qi: Cold and rain descend. [People] suffer from sudden falls, as well as from shaking, shivering [from cold], incoherent and absurd speech, from being short of qi, and dry throat, and they drink [large quantities]. Also, they develop illnesses of heartache, yong-abscesses, swelling, sores, ulcers, malaria, and cold. The bones are limp;146 the stools have blood.147

143 Fang Yaozhong: “In a year when the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal, controls heaven, the third of the visitor qi is the yang brilliance [qi, i.e.,] dryness and metal. 天 is ‘qi controlling heaven.’ ‘The policy of heaven is widespread’ means: the qi controlling heaven is active − unlike the other intervening [visitor] qi − not only during the time period is associated with; it rules the entire year, especially so the first half of that year. ‘Hence cold prevails’ is: in a year when the yang brilliance [qi] controls heaven, the climate is disproportionately cool in the first half of that year, especially in the time period associated with the third qi, which lasts in this year from Grain Fills to Great Heat, that is, approximately from the final ten days of the fourth month to the first ten days of the sixth months of the lunar calendar the climate is very different from what should be expected as normal, i.e., it is very cool.” 144  Zhang Jiebin: “This is a time when the host qi, i.e., minister fire, should issue its orders. Hence dryness and heat merge. At the end of the [time period of the] third qi at the intersection with the fourth qi, the host qi is major yin and the visitor qi is major yang. Hence dryness reaches its maximum and changes to humidity. Because at a time when yang abounds the qi of metal and coolness prevails, people suffer from [alternate feelings of ] cold and heat.” 145  Wang Bing: “  ‘Cold and heat’ is malaria.” 146  Wang Bing: “  ‘ The bones are limp’ is: they have no strength.” 147  Zhang Zhicong: “The fourth visitor qi coming down to join [the host qi] is the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water. The host qi is the major yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil. Hence cold and rain descends. After mid-year, the minor yin, i.e. ruler fire, rules the qi. Still, cold and dampness join each other. Hence people suffer from illnesses such as shaking and shivering, disorderly speech, dry throat, and hematuria. The reason for all these conditions is that cold congeals outside while heat is oppressed inside.”

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71-464-11 The fifth qi: The command of spring prevails contrary [to normal]. Hence herbs emerge and blossom. The qi of the people is harmonious.148 71-464-12 The final qi: Yang qi is widespread. Contrary [to normal, the] manifestation [of the qi] is warmth. Hibernating creatures appear. The flowing water does not freeze. Hence people are healthy and balanced. The illnesses [caused by] it are warmth [illnesses].149 Hence [it is appropriate] to consume the grain of the year to pacify the [patients’] qi150 and to consume the intervening [qi] grain to remove their evil.151 [This] year it is appropriate to use salty, bitter, and acrid [flavor] to sweat it out, to cool it, to disperse it. 148  Zhang Jiebin: “The ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood, is active and is met by the warmth of the ruler fire at the fountain. Hence contrary to normal the order of spring prevails, herbs are generated and blossom.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘ The qi of the people is harmonious’ cannot entirely be interpreted as the people are healthy and have no illness. Because at the intersection of autumn and winter when it should be cool but is not cool, when there should be gathering but is no gathering, then this is abnormal. Hence the human qi cannot be balanced and normal, be healthy and have no illness.” 149  Wang Bing: “These are transformations of the ruler [fire].” Gao Shishi: “As final visitor qi the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] ruler fire, comes down to join [the host qi]. Hence yang qi is widespread and contrary [to normal] the climate is warm. When it is warm in winter rather than cold, the hibernating creatures reappear and the running waters do not freeze.” 150 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Grain of the year’ are grain that have grown under the influence of the qi controlling heaven and at the fountain of that year. In a year when the yang brilliance [qi] controls heaven, the grain of the year are white grain and vermilion grain.” 151 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Intervening [qi] grain’ are grain that have grown under the influence of the intervening [visitor] qi to the left and to the right.”

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Adapt to the period and to the qi. Do not permit the reception of evil.152 Break the qi oppressing it and supply the source of its transformation.153 71-464-15 Depending on the light or heavy [presence of ] cold and heat apply more or less restraint to them. When there is agreement in terms of heat, more heaven [qi is employed to cause] transformation. When there is agreement in terms of coolness, more earth [qi is employed to cause] transformation.154 152 Fang Yaozhong: “安 has the meaning here of ‘to adapt.’ That is, in a year when the yang brilliance [qi] controls heaven and it is known that the climate is disproportionately cool in the first half and disproportionately hot in the second half, it is essential to adapt to the climatic characteristics of such a year in one’s lifestyle, emotions, and diet. This serves to prevent that one is affected by an outside evil.” 153  Wang Bing: “  ‘Source of its transformation’ is to say: in the sixth month. One seizes it by moving towards it.” Lin Yi et al.: “Metal rules in the seventh month. Hence it is confronted in the sixth month to drain the qi of metal.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Break the oppressing qi’ is: in treatment it is essential to deal with the disproportionately dominant qi that appeared in the human body as a result of the activities of the cause that led to the illness. ‘Support the source of its transformation’ is: supplement the oppressed qi and support the proper qi. Wang Bing’s comment is to say: the climate of the three months of autumn, i.e., the seventh, the eighth, and the ninth month, is disproportionately cool. A greatly abounding cool qi is able to oppress wind qi inside [the body]. Hence it is advisable to supplement the liver, i.e., wood, prior to autumn to prevent that the liver, i.e., wood, is seized by dryness, i.e., metal.” 154  Wang Bing: “Minor jue and minor zhi years are identical in terms of heat. The prescriptions employed mostly rely on the transformation of the cool [qi] of heaven to treat the [heat]. Minor gong, minor shang, and minor yu years are identical in terms of coolness. The prescriptions employed mostly rely on the transformation of the heat [qi] of the earth to treat the [coolness]. Fire is on the earth; hence in those [years] that are identical in coolness one mostly [uses] the transformations of [the fire qi of ] the earth. Metal is in heaven; hence in those [years] that are identical in heat one mostly [uses] the transformations of [the metal qi of ] heaven.” Fang Yaozhong: “寒熱輕重 refers to the severity of cold or heat [displayed by a patient] as clinical condition. 少多 其制 refers to the amounts of drugs used in therapy. 同熱者 refers to situations where the heat of the climate corresponds to that of the patient’s pathoconditions. 多天化 is: one uses drugs that are transformation products of the qi controlling heaven. In the present context, these are drugs with a cooling function.”

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When employing coolness, stay away from coolness. When employing heat, stay away from heat. When employing cold, stay away from cold. When employing warmth, stay away from warmth. Food requirements [are based on] the same law. In cases of false [heat or cold], act contrary to this [rule]. That is this Way. Acting contrary to this [Way] brings disorder into the norms set by heaven and earth and disturbs the arrangement of yin and yang.” 71-465-4 [Huang] Di: “Good! The policy of minor yang, what is it like?”155 Qi Bo: “These are the arrangements including yin and shen [earth branches].156 [The first two arrangements include the years when] minor yang [controls heaven], major jue [is the central period], and ceasing yin [is at the fountain]. [They are designated] ren yin identical to heavenly complements and ren shen identical to heavenly complements.157 Their period [manifests itself as] winds drumming.158 The transformations [caused by] them include sounds159 of a chaotic opening 155 Fang Yaozhong: “That is in a year when minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, controls heaven.”

156 Fang Yaozhong: “All years associated with yin and shen branches are years with minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, controlling heaven.”

157 Fang Yaozhong: “In ren yin and ren shen years, the heavenly stems are ren. Ding and ren transform wood. Ren is a yang stem. Hence ren yin and ren shen years are years with an excessive wood period, i.e., major jue years. In ren yin and ren shen years, the annual branches are yin and shen. In yin and shen [years], minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, controls heaven, and ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood, is at the fountain. The five agents association of the annual period and of the qi at the fountain is identical. Hence ren yin and ren shen years are ‘identical to heavenly complements’ years.”

158 Fang Yaozhong: “運 refers to the annual period. 鼓 refers to 鼓動, ‘to rouse.’ Here it refers to disproportionate domination.” 159  Wu Kun: “紊 is 亂, ‘disorder.’  ”

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and breaking. The changes [caused by] them include shaking, pulling, breaking, plucking. The illnesses [caused by] them include swaying, dizziness, propping [fullness in the] flanks, fright, and shock. [The sequence of visitor periods is as follows:] - Major jue begin [of the sequence of host periods,] proper [begin of the sequence of visitor periods]

- minor zhi - major gong - minor shang - major yu end [of the sequence of host periods]. 71-465-10 [The second two arrangements include the years when] minor yang [controls heaven], major zhi [is the central period], ceasing yin [is at the fountain]. [They are designated] wu yin − heavenly complements- and wu shen − heavenly complements.160 Their period [manifests itself as] summerheat. The transformations [caused by] them include warmth, noise,161 [heat] oppression, and damp heat. The changes [caused by] them include flaming, fieriness, boiling, bubbling. The illnesses [caused by] them include heat oppression in the upper [sections of the body], blood overflow, blood outflow, heartache.162 The sequence of visitor periods is as follows:] - Major zhi - minor gong - major shang - minor yu end [of the sequence of host periods] - minor jue begin [of the sequence of host periods]. 160 Fang Yaozhong: “In wu yin and wu shen years, the heavenly stem is wu. Wu and gui transform fire. Hence the annual period of wu yin and wu shen years is a fire period. The qi controlling heaven is fire, too. Because the five agents association of the annual period and of the qi controlling heaven is identical, wu yin and wu shen years are years of ‘heavenly complements.’  ” 161  Zhang Jiebin: “暄囂 is the appearance of intense fire.” 162  Gao Shishi: “These are illnesses of fire moving contrary [to its regular course].” Fang Yaozhong reads: 其病上熱, 郁血, 溢血, 血泄, 心痛.

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[The third two arrangements include the years when] minor yang [controls heaven], major gong [is the central period], ceasing yin [is at the fountain]. [They are designated] jia yin and jia shen.163 Their period [manifests itself as] overcast and rain. The transformations [caused by] them include tender moisture and doubled fertility. The changes [caused by] them include shaking [of the earth] to the extent that one is frightened, tornados, and rainstorms. The illnesses [caused by] them include a heavy body, fu-swelling, and blockage [resulting from spillage] drink.164 [The sequence of visitor periods is as follows:] - Major gong - minor shang - major yu end [of the sequence of host periods] - major jue begin [of the sequence of host periods] - minor zhi. 71-466-1 [The fourth two arrangements include the years when] minor yang [controls heaven], major shang [is the central period], ceasing yin [is at the fountain]. [They are designated] geng yin and geng shen − identical to proper shang.165 Their period [manifests itself as] coolness. The transformations [caused by] them include fog, dew, and extreme coolness. 163 Fang Yaozhong: “In jia yin and jia shen years, the heavenly stem is jia. Jia and ji transform soil. Jia is a yang stem. Hence these two years are years with an excessive soil period. Their qi controlling heaven is the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire; the qi at the fountain is the ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood.” 164  Cheng Shide et al.: “胕腫 is 浮腫, ‘surface swelling.’ 痞飲 is abdominal distension because of stagnating liquid.” Fang Yaozhong: “胕腫 is 足腫, ‘swollen foot.’  ” For a detailed discussion of the occurrences of the term 胕腫 in the Su wen and its interpretation in most cases as 浮腫, in the sense of edema caused by an accumulation of water, see 1682/42. See also, Su wen 69-405-4.

165 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Major shang’ refers to a year of an excessive metal period. In geng yin and geng shen years, the annual stem is geng. Yi and geng transform metal. Geng is a yang stem. Hence geng yin and geng shen years are years of an excessive metal period. The qi controlling heaven is minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire; the qi at the fountain is the ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood. ‘Proper shang’ is a year with balanced qi of a metal period. ‘Identical to proper shang’ is: even though geng yin and

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The changes [caused by] them include sternness, killing, withering and falling. The illnesses [caused by] them are in the shoulders, back, and chest. [The sequence of visitor periods is as follows:] - Major shang - minor yu end [of the sequence of host periods] - minor jue begin [of the sequence of host periods] - major zhi - minor gong. 71-466-4 [The fifth two arrangements include the years when] minor yang [controls heaven], major yu [is the central period], ceasing yin [is at the fountain]. [They are designated] bing yin and bing shen.166 Their period [manifests itself as] cold and sternness. The transformations [caused by] them include freezing and piercing cold. The changes [caused by] them include ice, snow, frost, and hail. The illnesses [caused by] them include cold and surface swelling. [The sequence of visitor periods is as follows:] - Major yu end [of the sequence of host periods] - major jue begin [of the sequence of host periods] - minor zhi - major gong - minor shang. 71-466-8 Whenever there is a policy of this minor yang controlling heaven,

geng shen years are [years] with an excessive metal period, still, because their annual branches are yin and shen and because [at the time of ] yin and shen [branches] minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, controls heaven, the metal period of an excessive annual period is restrained by the qi of fire controlling heaven. Hence these two geng yin and geng shen years are years of balanced qi of a metal period.”

166 Fang Yaozhong: “Major yu refers to a year with an excessive water period. The annual stem of bing yin and bing shen years is bing. Bing and xin transform water. Bing is a yang stem. Hence these two years are years of an excessive water period. The qi controlling heaven is the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire; the qi at the fountain is the ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood.”

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the transformations of the [six] qi and the movement of the [five] periods precede heaven.167 The qi of heaven is proper; the qi of the earth is disturbed.168 Violent winds rise. Trees are bent down and sand flies. Flaming fire prevails.169 Yin carries out yang transformations. Rain corresponds frequently.170 Fire and wood combine [their] virtues.171 172 173 71-466-10 Its policy is harsh; its command is disturbing.174 167 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Precede heaven’ refers to an excessive annual period. The climate precedes the [respective] season.” 168  Zhang Jiebin: “When the fire qi of minor yang controls heaven, the yang has found its [proper] position. Hence [the text states] ‘the qi of heaven is proper.’ When the ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood, is at the fountain, wind moves below. Hence ‘the earth qi is disturbed.’  ” Fang Yaozhong: “In a year when the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, controls heaven, the qi controlling heaven occupies the position of third qi. That is the proper position of the host qi minor yang, [i.e.,] minister fire.” 169  Gao Shishi: “Ceasing yin [qi] is wind; hence ‘violent winds occur.’ Minor yang [qi] is fire; hence ‘flaming fire prevails.’  ” 170 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘ Yin’ refers to autumn and winter here. ‘Yin carries out yang transformations’ is to point out that autumn and winter are as hot as spring and summer.” 171 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Fire’ refers to minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, here. ‘Wood’ refers, in the present context, to ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood. ‘Virtue’ refers to function here. That is, in a year when the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire controls heaven, ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood, is at the fountain. Fire rules heat; wind rules warmth. Heat and warmth belong to one group. Hence their functions are basically identical.” 172  Wang Bing: “They appear brilliant and big.” 173  Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘ Vermilion’ corresponds to [the qi] controlling heaven; ‘greenish’ corresponds to [the qi] at the fountain.” 174  Zhang Zhicong: “  ‘Harsh’ is the policy of fire; ‘disturbing’ is the command issued by wind.”

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Hence wind and heat unite and spread; cloudy things surge [as if ] boiling.175 Major yin flows uncontrolled.176 Cold arrives frequently. Coolness and rain emerge together.177 People suffer from cold center. Externally sores and ulcers break open; internally this causes outflow and fullness.178 {Hence, when the sages meet such [a situation], they seek to create harmony and do not fight.} If [cold and heat] leave and return [alternately],179 people suffer from cold and heat, malaria and outflow, deafness, blurred vision, vomiting. Above, there is a swelling [because of ] dammed up [qi]. The color changes.180 175  Zhang Zhicong: “The qi of minor yang and ceasing yin interact and unite.” 176 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Major yin’ refers to the qi of rain and dampness. Here it is to say: in a year when the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, controls heaven, the climate of the entire year is disproportionately hot. Because heat generates dampness, rain falls comparatively often.” 177 Fang Yaozhong: “When fire qi is disproportionately dominant, cold qi will come to take revenge. Hence in the same year there may also be sudden changes to a cold climate. Cold and coolness evil, as well as rain and dampness evil will frequently appear at the same time.” 178  Zhang Jiebin: “Fire abounds outside, hence people suffer from cold inside. Thus, the outside heat causes sores and ulcers, while the inside heat causes outflow and fullness.” 179  Gao Shishi: “If there are no Sages [to create harmony], then heat comes when cold goes and cold returns when the heat leaves.” Fang Yaozhong: “往復 is: cold and heat occur alternately. That is, in a year when the minor yang [qi] controls heaven, there is cold and there is heat. Cold and heat occur alternately and the climate undergoes great changes. At times it is cold; at times it is hot. [The climate] is extremely unstable.” 180  Gao Shishi: “  ‘Outflow’ is: the proper qi is depleted. ‘Deafness and blurred vision’ is: the orifices are not freely passable. ‘Vomiting’ is: [the qi of ] the center, [i.e., of ] soil, is depleted.” Fang Yaozhong: “怫 is 怫郁, ‘pressed.’ Here it is to say: qi and blood can-

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71-466-14 The initial qi: The qi of the earth leaves its position.181 The wind dominates and makes [things] shake. Then the cold leaves, and [the initial qi] manifests itself as strong warmth. The herbs and the trees blossom early. Cold may come but does not kill. Hence warmth diseases emerge. The illnesses it [causes are those of ] dammed up qi above. Blood overflows [causing] red eyes. [People suffer from] cough, countermovement, headache, and hemorrhage; the flanks [have a feeling of ] fullness. Sores develop in the skin interstices.182 71-467-2 The second qi: The fire, contrary [to the regular order], is oppressed.183 White dust rises at all four [cardinal points]. Clouds rush to the rain palace.184 not flow freely. That is, qi and blood are blocked in the facial region. Hence it swells and the complexion changes.” For a similar wording, 怫然種, see Su wen 41-230-1.

181 Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Initial qi’ refers to a year when the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, controls heaven and when the initial qi of the intervening qi of the visitor qi coming down to join [the host qi] is the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] ruling fire. ‘The qi of the earth has left its position’ refers to the fact that in a year when the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, controls heaven, minor yin, ruling fire is the initial qi because the qi at the fountain in the preceding year has left its position. In the year prior to the year when minor yang [qi, i.e., minister fire] controls heaven, major yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil, controls heaven and major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water, is at the fountain. In a year when minor yang,[i.e.,] minister fire, controls heaven, the major yang [qi, i.e., cold and water,] which was at the fountain in the previous year has moved to the position of fifth qi in the present year. Hence minor yin [qi, i.e.,] ruler fire, can move from the position of second qi in the previous year to the position of initial qi in the present year.” 182  Wang Bing: “These are transformations of minor yin.” 183  Wang Bing: “This is so because it is the major yin section.” 184 Fang Yaozhong: “The time period associated with the second qi, which lasts from Vernal Equinox to Grain Fills, that is, approximately from the latter ten days of the second month to the first ten days of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, right at the intersection of spring and summer, this is a time ruled by the minor yin [qi, i.e.,] ruler fire. In general, the climate [at this time] should be warm and mild. However,

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Wind does not dominate the dampness; hence there is rainfall. People are healthy. The illnesses [caused by] it are heat oppression above; coughing, countermovement, vomiting. Sores develop in the center. Chest and throat are not free. [People suffer from] headache, body heat, mental confusion, and purulent sores. The third qi: The policy of heaven is widespread. Flaming summerheat arrives. The minor yang [qi] comes down [to take its position] above. The rain has a limit.185 People suffer from heated center, deafness, blurred vision, blood overflow, and purulent sores, from cough, and vomiting, from stuffy nose, nosebleed, thirst, sneezing, yawning, and throat block, as well as from red eyes. [Patients] tend to die suddenly.

because this is a year when minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, controls heaven and because the second visitor qi is major yin [qi, i.e.,] dampness and soil, spring experiences continuous rain and severe cold. When it should be warm, it is not warm. Hence the text states ‘the fire, contrary to normal, is oppressed.’ ‘White dust rises at all four cardinal points’ is to describe how the qi of dampness and soil rises, like white smoke or fog, from the earth and turns into clouds. ‘Clouds rush to the rain palace’ is: there are many clouds in the sky and they change into rain.” 185 Fang Yaozhong: “In a year when minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, controls heaven, the third of the visitor qi is the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire. ‘The policy of heaven is widespread’ is: minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, controls heaven. ‘Flaming summerheat arrives’ is: because minor yang rules fire and because, in addition, the host qi of this step is the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, the host qi and the visitor qi are all fire and heat. Hence in the time period associated with the third qi, that is, from Grain Fills to Great Heat, which is approximately from the final ten days of the fourth month to the first ten days of the sixth month, the climate is particularly hot. ‘Above’ is the qi controlling heaven.”

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71-467-6 The fourth qi: Coolness arrives.186 Flaming summerheat transforms intermittently.187 White dew falls. The qi of the people is harmonious and balanced. The illnesses [caused by] it include fullness and a heavy body. The fifth qi: The yang leaves. The cold comes. Rain falls. The qi gates are closed; hard trees wither early.188 People avoid the cold evil; the gentleman [stays in a] firmly closed [house]. 71-467-9 The final qi: The qi of the earth assumes its proper [position]. Hence the wind arrives. The myriad beings, contrary [to the regular order], come to life. Dense fog prevails.189 186 Fang Yaozhong: “In a year when minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, controls heaven, the fourth, i.e., an intervening qi of the visitor qi coming down to join [the qi controlling heaven] is the yang brilliance [qi, i.e,] dryness and metal. ‘Coolness arrives’ is: because yang brilliance [qi] rules coolness and dryness, hence in the time period associated with the fourth qi, that is, from Great Heat to Autumnal Equinox, approximately from the final ten days of the sixth month to the first ten days of the eighth month, the climate is disproportionally cool.” 187  Zhang Jiebin: “間 is: at times it is active, at times it stops.” 188  Zhang Zhicong: “The fifth, i.e., an intervening [visitor] qi is the major yang [qi, i.e.,] cold and water. Hence the yang heat leaves and the cold comes. Because at the intersection of autumn and winter the order of closure and storage is issued, the qi gates are closed, and it is advisable to close oneself off entirely so as to avoid [being struck by] cold evil.” Fang Yaozhong: “  ‘Qi gates’ refers to the sweat openings in the skin.” 189 Fang Yaozhong: “In a year when the minor yang [qi, i.e.,] minister fire, controls heaven, the final visitor qi is the ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood. ‘The earth qi is proper’ is: It occupies the location of the qi at the fountain. ‘Wind arrives’ refers to the

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The illnesses [caused by] it include an inability to keep locked what should be locked, heartache, >no storage of yang qi < and cough.190 Press down [the excessive] period and qi; support that which does not dominate [in that year].191 It is necessary to break the qi oppressing it and to seize the source of its transformation first.192 If sudden excesses are not generated, severe diseases do not emerge.193 ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood, at the fountain. In the second half of this year, the climate is disproportionately warm and the wind qi dominates disproportionately. Especially in the time period associated with the final qi, that is, from after Little Snow to before Great Cold, from the final ten days of the tenth month to the first ten days of the twelfth month, the climate is disproportionately warm. When it should be cold, it is not cold. Because the climate is disproportionately warm, [i.e.,] winter carries out orders that should be issued by spring, hence herbs and trees sprout and grow early.” 190  Zhang Zhicong: “This is the season of closure and storage. Nevertheless, the order of effusion and generation is issued. Hence the illnesses of this [time] are ‘inability to restrain what should be closed in.’  ” Fang Yaozhong: “關閉 refers to the storage of yang qi inside [the body]. 不禁 refers to an inability to control something. The meaning is: in the time period of the final qi, when the order of winter is issued, the yang qi should be stored inside [the body]. However, because the ceasing yin [qi, i.e.,] wind and wood, is at the fountain and because the wind rules the movement, hence the yang qi that should be stored is not stored.” NJCD: “關 is 氣門, ‘gates of qi’ (i.e., pores).” See above, Su wen 71-467-8. Apparently, the phrase 陽氣不藏, “no storage of yang qi”, has been moved here from the line before. Style and contents are very similar to the second line, 關閉不禁.

191  Zhang Zhicong: “In a year [associated with the heavenly stem] ren the jue period is greatly excessive. Hence the qi of soil cannot dominate. In a wu year the period of fire is greatly excessive. Hence the qi of metal cannot dominate. It is therefore advisable to curb what is greatly excessive and to support what cannot dominate.” Fang Yaozhong: “運氣 refers to the annual period and to the four intervening [visitor] qi of [the qi] controlling heaven and [of the qi] at the fountain.”

192  Zhang Zhicong: “In geng yin and geng shen years minor yang [qi] controls heaven. Hence the shang period is oppressed. In jia yin and jia shen years ceasing yin [qi] is at the fountain. Hence the gong period is oppressed. In such situations the oppressed qi must be broken open and the source of the transformation of these two periods is to be treated first.” 193  Wang Bing: “苛 is 重, ‘serious.’  ” Fang Yaozhong: “暴過 refers to an acute illness.” Zhang Jiebin: “If one is able to act in accordance with the laws outlined above, the qi will be in harmony by itself. Hence there will be no suffering from sudden excesses or severe illnesses.” Compare with Su wen 71-461-5 and 71-473-3.

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Hence in this year it is appropriate [to employ] salty and acrid [flavors] and it is appropriate [to employ] sour [flavor] to let it seep and to drain it, to soak the [patient] and to effuse it.194 One observes whether the qi is cold or warm to regulate where there is excess. When there is agreement of wind and heat, [employ] more cold [qi to cause] transformation. When there are differences in terms of wind and heat, [employ] less cold [qi to cause] transformation.195 When employing heat, stay away from heat. When employing warmth, stay away from warmth. When employing cold, stay away from cold. When employing coolness, stay away from coolness. Food requirements [are based on] the same law. >This is the Way.The qi of heaven descends;

the qi of the earth surges.{Intervening [qi] grain are called those which are major.}If the [annual] period is fiercely flaming fire,119 then violent rains and hail occur.solitary< emis­sary.34

29  Wang Bing: “The father directs all the little ones. That is to say, [like a father, the third yang] is revered highly.” Zhang Jiebin: “The major yang rules over all the conduits. It alone is revered as great. Hence, it is called ‘father.’  ” 1837/49: “It commands all conduits; hence it is revered as ‘father.’  ” 30  Wang Bing: “The guard drives away and protects against all the evil. That is to say, [like a guard, the second yang] supports life.” Ma Shi: “The se­cond yang is the yang brilliance. The yang brilliance is that which holds together the exterior and it protects all sections. Hence, it is the guard.” 1837/49: “It can drive away all evils; hence, it is called guard.” 31  Wang Bing: “紀 is that by which the physical body and the qi are arranged. That is a reference to its levelling [potential].” Cheng Shide et al.: “紀 is 會, ‘to meet.’ The minor yang [conduit] appears and enters [the body again] between the major yang and yang brilliance [conduits]. It constitutes the intersection of the yang [conduits]. Hence it is called 紀.” 1837/49: “It is the meeting place of all the yang [vessels]; hence, it is called 紀.” 32  Wang Bing: “The mother raises all the children. That is to say, [like a mother, the third yin] nourishes life.” Wu Kun: “The major yin nourishes all the depots. This is the image of the mother.” 33  Wang Bing: “Female is a yin label.” Ma Shi: “The second yin is the minor yin. The minor yin is that which holds together the interior. It is here where life commences. Hence, it is female.” Zhang Jiebin: “The minor yin belongs to the water. Water can generate the beings.” 34  Wang Bing: “The depot of the first yin forms a union on the outside with the triple warmer. The triple warmer is responsible for gui­ding all the qi. [The triple warmer] is called ‘emissary;’ hence, [the text] speaks of the ‘sole emissary.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘Emis­sary’ is to say: end and begin of communication. The yin is exhausted and the yang comes to life; only the ceasing yin rules it. Hence, it is the sole emissary.” Ma Shi: “The first yin is the ceasing yin. The ceasing yin is that which travels to [all] sections internally. [It helps] the generals make their plans. Hence, it is the sole emissary.” 1837/49: “When the yin is at its end, then the yang comes to life. It is only ceasing yin that controls it. Hence, it is also called ‘sole emissary.’  ”

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79-564-6 When the second yang [meets with] the first yin, yang bril­liance rules the disease. When it cannot dominate the first yin,35 the vessels are soft and [display] a movement.36 The nine orifices have all sunken into the depth.37 When the third yang [meets with] the first yin, the major yang [movement in the] ves­sels dominates. The first yin cannot stop [it]. Internally it causes disorder in the five depots. Externally it causes shock.38

35  Wang Bing: “The first yin is the ceasing yin; it is the qi of liver and wood. The second yang is the qi of yang brilliance, sto­mach, and soil. Wood and soil clash at each other; hence, yang brilliance rules the disease. The wood overcomes the soil; the soil does not dominate the wood. Hence, [the text] states: ‘does not dominate first yin.’  ” 36  Wang Bing: “  ‘Soft’ refers to the stomach qi; ‘movement’ refers to the physical appea­rance of wood.” The term 動 ,“to move,” is not attested anywhere else in the Su wen as denoting a special quality of the movement in the vessels; several times it is used to refer to the movement in the vessels in general. Also, it could be interpreted as “made to move” in the sense of “excited.” 37  Wang Bing: “When wood and soil hold each other, then the sto­mach qi cannot turn [things] around. Hence, the nine orifices are blocked and impassable.” Zhang Jiebin: “The second yang is the soil, the first yin is the wood. When yang brilliance and ceasing yin strike at each other, then the liver evil turns against the stomach. Hence, the yang brilliance controls the disease. It does not dominate the first yin. When the [mo­vement in the] vessels is soft, this is the qi of the sto­mach. That which moves/is excited is the liver qi. When soil is affected by the evil of wood, then it is soft and moves/is excited at the same time.” Wang Bing’s interpre­tation here of 沉 with the meaning of 沉滯, “blocked,” “obstructed,” is sup­ported by the use of 沉 in Su wen 26.

38  Wang Bing: “The third yang is the qi of the foot major yang. Hence, [the text] states: ‘The major yang dominates.’ Wood generates fire. Here now, an abundant yang burns the wood. The wood is affected by it repeatedly; the yang qi is vast and abounds. Internally this generates craziness and heat, causing internal confusion among the five depots. The liver qi rules [the affect of ] shock. Hence, the external physical appearance offers an image of being affected by shock.” Zhang Jiebin: “When the third yang [meets with] the first yin, the urinary bladder and the lung have both a disease. The wood of the liver generates fire and the urinary bladder uses cold water to turn against it. Hence, the major yang [movement in the] vessels domi­nates. The liver qi of the first yin may be strong, but it is unable to stop [the major yang]. Hence, wind and cold em­brace each other and internally they confuse the five de­pots.”

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79-565-1 When the second yin [meets with] the second yang, the disease is in the lung.39 The minor yin [movement in the] vessels is in the depth. It dominates the lung; it harms the spleen.40 Externally it harms the four limbs. When the second yin arrives all intertwined with the second yang, the disease is in the kidneys.41 [The patient] voices insults, making absurd movements. [He suffers from] peak illness and is crazy.42 39  Wang Bing: “The second yin refers to the hand minor yin vessel of the heart. The second yang refers to the stomach vessel too. When both heart and stomach have a disease, the evil [qi of both depots] move upwards and downwards and unite with each other. Hence, there is internal harm to the spleen and on the outside they dominate the lung. This is so because the stomach has the spleen as its palace. Heart fire dominates metal. The spleen controls the four limbs. When, therefore, the spleen is harmed, then the four limbs are harmed exter­nally.” Lin Yi et al.: “The second yang [referred to] here is the hand yang brilliance [of the large intestine vessel]. The large in­testine is the palace of the lung. The minor yin is the heart. Fire dominates the palace of the metal. Hence, [the text] sta­tes: ‘The disease is in the lung.’ When Mr.Wang [Bing] states that second yang refers to the stomach, he has not under­stood the meaning here. .. Also, the Quan Yuanqi edition, the Jia yi jing, and the Tai su, they all have ‘when the second yin [meets] the first yang.’  ” 40  Gao Shishi: “  ‘Second yang’ should be ‘third yang.’ The major yang qi is in the skin and its hair. The skin and its hair are asso­ciated with the lung. Hence, when the second yin and the third yang meet, the disease is in the lung. When the second yin meets with the third yang and when the disease is in the lung, then the third yang has a surplus, while the second yin is insufficient. Hence, the minor yin [movement in the] vessels is in the depth. ‘Dominates the lung’ should be ‘the lung qi dominates.’ When the lung dominates, then the spleen receives harm. This explains clearly, when the spleen is har­med, this does not mean that the spleen depot of the major yin is harmed, but the four limbs on the outside.” 41  Wang Bing: “The second yin refers to the kidneys, the depot of wa­ter. The second yang is the stomach, the palace of the soil. The qi of the soil punishes the water; Hence, [the text] sta­tes: ‘they arrive intertwined and the disease is in the kid­neys.’  ” Wu Kun: “  ‘ The second yin and the second yang all arrive intertwined,’ this is to say, the four qi of the heart, the kidneys, the stomach, and the large intestine all arrived in­tertwined at the hand major yin. When these four qi strike against each other, one water does not suffice to dominate two fires. Hence, the disease is in the kidneys.” 42  Wang Bing: “Because the water of the kidneys cannot dominate, the stomach [qi] is abun­dant and causes peak [illness] and craziness. “ Wu Kun: “The less water

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79-565-2 When the second yin [meets with] the first yang, the disease emerges from the kid­neys.43 The yin qi travels to the heart as an [uninvited] visitor.44 The orifices below the [stomach] duct are obstructed by a dike and made im­passable.45 The four limbs are severed.46 there is, the more the fire flares up. Hence, this causes [the patient] to utter insults and to make absurd movements.” 43  Wang Bing: “First yang is to say hand minor yang triple burner, which is the palace of the heart ruler, the fire. [Here] water moves upwards to attack the fire, hence the fire disease emerges from the kidneys.” 44  Wang Bing: “The yin qi travels to the heart as an [uninvited] visitor. Why? The vessel of the kid­neys moves upwards from the kidneys; it passes through the liver and the dia­phragm and enters into the lung. Its branch course leaves from the lung, winds around the heart and pours into the chest. Hence, it is like this.” 45  Wang Bing: “The yin visitor in the orifices moves upwards and the stomach can not check [it]. When the stomach cannot check [it, that indicates that] the qi of the soil is weak. Hence, the orifices below the duct are all impas­sable. [The text] speaks of 堤, ‘blocked.’ This is like a dike, 堤堰, which does not permit leaking.” Ma Shi read 心 脘下 and 空竅堤 as sentences. His commentary: “When the minor yin qi travels as a visitor to below the heart duct, this is water coming to rebel against the fire. Now, when the yin qi travels upwards, the stomach cannot contain it. The opening of intestine and stomach is diked; it is blocked and impassable.” Gao Shishi: “空竅 refers to the openings of the sweat. 堤 is like 路, ‘pathway.’ When minor yin and minor yang merge, the yin dominates the yang. Hence the disease originates in the kidneys of the minor yin. The minor yang triple burner vessel spreads out to encircle the heart enclosure and emerges again at the stomach duct. When, in the present case, the minor yin qi travels as a visitor to below the heart duct, this is yin [qi settling as an univited] visitor in the yang [section, i.e.,] water dominating its fire. This results in the triple burner being unable to make the qi leave; it warms the muscles and the skin [structures]. It appears as if the pathways of the [sweat] openings were blocked and impassable.” Wu Kun: “Second yin is the minor yin qi of the kidneys. First yang is the minor yang qi of the gallbladder. When these two qi clash, water cannot dominate fire. The disease originates from the kidneys. When the kidneys have a disease, their qi moves contrary [to their regular course]. It rises and fills the openings below the heart duct as if there were a dike creating a block in the chest.” 46  Wang Bing: “The stomach vessel follows the feet; the heart vessel winds around the hands. Hence, the four limbs are like se­vered and cannot be used.” Lin Yi et al.: “Mr. Wang [Bing] says: ‘the stomach vessel follows the feet.’ This disease of the second yin [meeting with] the first yang emerges from the kidneys. Instead of ‘stomach’ it should be ‘kidneys.’  ”

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79-565-4 When the first yin [meets with] the first yang, [the movement in the vessels is] inter­mittent and interrupted.47 Here the yin qi has reached the heart.48 Upward and downward movements [occur] without regularity.49 [One] does not know whether it moves out or in. Throat and gullet are dry, the disease is in the spleen, [which is] the soil.50 When the second yang [meets with] the third yin, the extreme yin is all present.51 The yin does not surpass the yang. The yang qi cannot stop the yin. Yin and yang [qi] are both interrupted. [When the movement in the vessels is] at the surface, this means blood conglomerations; [when it is] in the depth, this means pus and rotting.52

47  Wang Bing: “The first yin is the ceasing yin vessel; the first yang is the minor yang vessel. Both [carry] qi of wood. ‘Intermittent and interrupted’ is to say it moves and stops in between.” 48  Wang Bing: “The qi of wood generates fire. Hence, the disease emer­ges and the yin qi mo­ves to the heart.” 49  Wang Bing: “The qi of liver and gall move upwards to the head and downwards to the lower back and to the feet; in the center it controls the ab­domen and the flanks. Hence, when the disease breaks out, it mo­ves upwards and downwards without remaining at a permanent location.” 50  Wang Bing: “The back of the throat belongs to the gullet and is the messenger of the gallbladder. Hence, in case of disease, the throat and the gullet are dry. Even though the disease is in the soil of the spleen, it has originated from the liver and the gallbladder.” 51  Wang Bing: “The second yang is the yang brilliance. The third yin is the hand major yin. The extreme yin is the spleen. Hence, [the text] states: ‘The extreme yin is all present.’ However, the yin qi is unable to surpass the yang and the yang qi cannot subdue the heart. In the present situation, yin and yang press against each other; hence all the vessels are interrupted and do not continue each other’s [flow].” 52  Wang Bing: “A [movement in the] vessels at the surface indicates that the yang qi strikes against the yin. Hence, there are blood conglomerations. A [movement in the] vessels in the depth indi­cates that the yin qi strikes against the yang. Hence, pus accumulates and [the flesh] rots.”

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79-566-1 When both yin and yang are strong, they reach yin and yang below.53 54 When diagnosis includes a decision about the times of death or survival, in all cases combine it with the begin of the year.”55 Lei Gong: “Please, may I ask about shortened times.”56 Huang Di did not respond. Lei Gong asked again. 53  Wang Bing: “When yin and yang are both strong and strike at each other without end, then [the disease] gradually moves down­wards into the yin and yang and this turns into a severe disease. ‘Yin and yang’ refer in males to the male member and in women to the female receptacle.” Tanba: “The six sentences beginning with 陰陽皆 壯 do not fit with the rest of the text; also, their meaning is quite obscure and difficult to understand. They may have been moved here erroneously from another chapter.” Zhang Jiebin has 至, ‘to arrive,’ ‘when it comes to,’ instead of 合. 54  Wang Bing: “昭昭 is to say: above the yang brilliance; 冥冥 is to say: inside the extreme yin, which is the location of my­sterious darkness.” Zhang Jiebin: “昭昭 is the visible; 冥冥 is the fathomable. This is where the Way of yin and yang is present.” Wu Kun: “昭昭 is the Way of heaven; 冥冥 is the Way of the earth. That is a reference to the union of the [movements in the] vessels with heaven and earth.” Zhang Yizhi et al.: “昭昭, ‘brilliance,’ refers to the yang of heaven; 冥冥 , ‘darkness,’ refers to the yin of the earth. This is to say that if [a physician] examines the movement in the vessels and the pathoconditions [of his patients] together, then he is able to determine whether [his patients] suffer from depletion or repletion, from true [heat or cold] or false [heat or cold]. [This phrase] does by no means exclusively refer to the [movement in the] vessels.” 2167/48: “昭昭 refers to heaven, to yang; 冥冥 refers to the earth, to yin. 上 合昭昭,下合冥冥 means: ‘the changes of yin and yang in heaven and on earth corre­ spond to each other.” For our translation, see Su wen 74-503-4. 55  歲首 was used first in the Shi ji 史記 for “first month of the year.” See Shi ji, Xiao Wu ji 孝武紀.

56 Yao Shaoyu: “短期, ‘shortened times,’ stands for 死期, ‘times of death.’ If one dies be­cause of disease, one cannot live out a complete life and [one’s life] is short.” Lin Yi et al.: “In the Quan Yuanqi edition, be­ginning from ‘Lei Gong’ this is a separate treatise, entitled ‘四時病類,’ “The Four Seasons, Disease Classifications.”

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Huang Di: “It is [outlined] in the discourses in the classics.” 79-566-4 Lei Gong: “Please, may I hear about shortened times.” Huang Di: “[In case of ] diseases during the three months of winter, if the disease is a union with yang, by the time of spring in the first month of the year, the [movement in the] vessels will display evidence of death. All [such patients] pass away after the end of spring.57 79-566-6 [In case of ] diseases during the three months of win­ter,58 when [the qi] in the interior is exhausted,

57  Wang Bing: “病合於陽 is to say: the frontal yin (i.e., the sexual organ) joins with the yang and this results in a disease. Even though the [movement in the] vessels has signs of death in the first month, the yang has emerged already, and when it comes to rule there will be no death. Hence, [the moment of death] leaves the third month of spring and reaches the begin of summer.” Zhang Zhicong: “A disease in the three months of winter is a disease caused by water. 病合於陽 is to say: there is also a disease because of the major yang qi. When during the first month of spring a [movement in the] vessels occurs that indicates death, this is always traceable to the appearance of spring qi. The reason is, the origin of the spring qi is in winter and yang qi emerges from water. The yang qi already has a disease and in addition something emerges outside of spring qi. Hence, [these patients] die.” Zhang Jiebin: “The three months of winter are a time of abounding yin. 病合於陽 is to say: yang pathoconditions and a yang [movement in the] vessels. 出春 is the time from the end of spring to the beginning of summer. Because the disease has united with the yang at the time when the water rules, [in the beginning of spring], the seasonal qi is insufficient, while the disease qi is present in surplus. When it comes to the first month of spring, when the yang qi effuses, then the yang evil dominates ever more, while the yin qi is ever more exhausted. If the [movement in the] vessels exhibits signs of death, then at the end of spring and the beginning of summer, the yang [evil] abounds and the yin is weak. Both have reached their extremes; there is no place where to escape.” 58 Obviously, the seasons referred to here correspond to the di­vision of the year intro­duced by the calendar of Emperor Taichu 太初 around 100 B.C. Accordingly, winter includes October through December; spring includes January through March. See 1457/11.

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when all herbs and willow leaves have perished,59 and when in spring all the [movements of ] yin and the yang [qi] are interrupted, the time [of death] is during the first month of spring.60 [In case of ] diseases during the three months of spring, {one speaks of ‘yang kills’}61 when all the [movements of ] yin and the yang [qi] are interrupted, the time [of death] is when the herbs [are still] dry.62 79-567-1 [In case of ] diseases during the three months of sum­mer, when the [period of ] extreme yin has not exceeded ten days,63 and 59  The received text has 理, “structure”. We follow Wang Bing. Wang Bing: “裡 is to say: the second yin; i.e., the qi of the kidneys. However, when the kidneys have a disease and when the vessels during the first month display signs of death, all [these patients] will perish at the moment when the dry herbs have turned green again and when the willow leaves appear again. 理 stands for 裡. 已 stands for 以. In ancient times [both characters] were used identically.” Cheng Shide et al.: “The meaning is, the disease will lead to death in spring.” For a use of 殺 in a botanical context in the sense of “to weaken”, “to perish”, see the poem Fu ju 賦菊 by Huang Chao 黃巢: 我花 開後百花殺, “after my flower(s) blossomed, all flowers perished.” 60 Lin Yi et al.: “The Tai su does not have the character 春, ‘spring.’  ”

61  Wang Bing: “  ‘ Yang disease’ does not refer to diseases of harm caused by cold, warmth, or heat. [Yang disease] refers to an untimely heat disease, with a vast, abundant, and frequent [movement in the] vessels. That is, in the third month of spring, the yang qi is still minor; it should not yet be complete and abundant. If now, in contrast [to the regular seasonal course], one suffers from heat and the [movement in the] ves­sels corresponds to the qi of summer, [this is what] the classic states: ‘this [movement in the] vessels will not be seen again.’ The summer [movement in the] vessels should be vast and frequent. [Here now] there is yang externally corre­sponding [to the disease and to the movement in the ves­sels]. Hence, [the patient] must die when summer begins. He dies at the onset of summer because this is the time when yang qi kills the beings. Hence, [the text] states: ‘yang kills.’  ” See Suwen 05 2-1 and 66 366-4 for wordings of 陽殺 in the sense of “yang kills.” 62  Wang Bing: “If no yang disease is present, but both the yin and the yang [movements in the] vessels are suspended and inter­rupted, [the patient] will die at the time of [the solar term] hoar frost descends, when the herbs dry.” [The solar term “hoar frost descends” falls into late October]. 63  Wang Bing: “This is a heat disease. When the spleen has a heat disease, then the five depots are in danger. The completion number asso­ciated with soil is ten. Hence, [the patient] will not survive ten days.”

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when yin and yang interact, the time [of death] is at ‘quiet water.’ 64 [In case of ] diseases during the three months of au­tumn, when all the three yang arise, do not treat. They will end by themselves.”65 79-567-2 67

64 Lin Yi et al.: “Quan Yuanqi: ‘Quiet water’ is the seventh month.” Yang Shangshan: “溓 means ‘the water is quiet.’ The seventh month is the time when water is generated.” 1490/46: “溓 refers to the time when the water is clear and cool; this is autumn.” 65  Wang Bing: “In autumn, the yang qi is weak and the yin qi slowly emerges. The yang does not dominate the yin. Hence, [the disease] ends by itself.” 66  Wang Bing: “There is yang but no yin. Hence, [the text] states: ‘arrives alone.’ ‘Stone water’ is to say, this is the time of the winter months when water turns into ice and is like a stone. The fire is buried during the term of xu [i.e., the ninth lunar month]. In winter there is very little yang qi. Hence, [such patients] die when water [becomes] stone.” 67  Wang Bing: “  ‘Abundant water’ refers to the season when rain and snow all turn to water. This refers exactly to the qi in the first month.” Lin Yi et al.: “The Quan Yuanqi edition has ‘third yin’ instead of ‘second yin.’  ” 1490/46: “  ‘Abundant water’ refers to the season when the most water and rain are present, that is early spring.”

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Chapter 80

Discourse on Comparing Abundance and Weakness 80-567-6 Lei Gong requested to ask: “The large or small amounts of qi, which [of their movements] are contrary [to their regular course] and which [of their movements] follow [their regular course]?” Huang Di answered: “Yang [qi] follows the [course on the] left; yin [qi] follows the [course on the] right. In the old, it follows the [course] above; in the young, it follows the [course] be­low.   Wang Bing: “Yang qi, regardless of whether in large or small [quantities], always follows [a course on] the left. Yin qi, regardless of whether in large or small quanti­ties, al­ways follows [a course on] the right. 從 stands for 順, “to comply with”. The opposite is 逆, ‘to move contrary [to its regular course].’ Su wen 5 states: ‘Left and right are the pathways of yin and yang.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “Yang qi controls rise; hence, it originates on the left. Yin qi controls descent; hence, it originates on the right.” Zhang Zhicong: “陽從左者 is to say, the qi of spring and summer origi­nates from the left and moves to the right. 陰從右者 is to say, the qi of autumn and winter originates from the right and moves to the left.”   Wang Bing: “The old consume little solid food; hence, to follow the above is appropriate [for them]. The young have many desires; hence, to follow the below is appropriate [for them].” Zhang Zhicong: “The qi of the old moves downwards from above. This is like the qi of autumn which originates from above and is then weak below. The qi of the young moves upwards from below. This is like the qi of spring which originates from below and is then abundant above.” Zhang Jiebin: “The qi of the old begins to weaken below. Hence, when it origi­nates from above, this is correct. The qi of the young is first abundant below. Hence, when it originates below, this is correct.” Gao Shishi: “Among the qi of the four seasons, that of autumn and winter is yin; it originates from above and moves down. [The qi of ] spring and summer is yang; it originates from below and moves up. Hence, [the text states]: in the old, it originates above; in the young, it originates below. The fact is, old stands for the yin [qi] of autumn and winter; young stands for the yang [qi] of spring and summer.” Mori: “When in old people the spleen and the kidneys have weakened, while the heart and the lung still abound [with qi], this is the normal state. Hence, [the text says]: ‘originates above.’ Whenever the feet are weak, the knees are cold, the passage of the stools is blocked, while urination occurs frequently, and ears and eyes are sharp nevertheless, then this is the meaning of ‘originates above.’ In the young, when spleen and kidneys

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Hence, in spring and summer, an association with yang is life; an association with autumn or win­ter, this is death. 80-568-1 In the opposite [case], an association with autumn or winter is life. Therefore, whenever large or small [amounts of ] qi move contrary [to their regular course], in all instances this is recession.” abound [with qi], while heart and lung are weak, then this is normal. Hence, [the text] states: ‘originates below.’ Whenever drinking and eating is doubled, when sexual desires abound, when thoughts and plans are directed at the nearby and when the chest is full resulting in coughing and panting, then this is the meaning of ‘originates below.’  ”   Wang Bing: “歸秋冬 is to say: to move contrary [to a regular course] and to associate with the yin. The reason [for death in this case] is that to associate with the yin means to follow the qi of attack and killing.” Zhang Jiebin: “Spring and summer are seasons of yang abun­dance. External signs and the [movement in the] vessels should both be associated with yang, to signal life. If one notices yin indicators, as should be the case in autumn and winter, this is ‘moving against [a regular course],’ this means death.” Ma Shi: “In spring and summer, both in disease and in the [movement in the] vessels, an association with yang is life. If a yin disease or a yin [movement in the] vessels [appear], as if it were autumn or winter, this is death.” Yu Chang: “春夏歸陽 should perhaps be 陽歸春夏, ‘when yang associates with spring and summer, [this is life].’ Hence, the sentence below states: ‘when it associates with autumn and winter, this is death.’ This would match a sentence 歸春夏為生. Further down the text states: 反之則歸秋冬為生. .. The entire sentence is corrupt; the subsequent text makes no sense either.” Shen Zumian: “Something was omitted from this passage.”   Wang Bing: “反之 refers to autumn and winter. When autumn and winter are associated with yin, this means life.” Ma Shi: “When in spring and summer either a disease or a [movement in the] vessels is associated with yang [qi], then this signals life. In case [the patient has] a yin disease or a yin [movement in the] vessels, as [one should expect it to occur] in autum or winter, then this signals death.” Wu Kun: “That is to say, during the seasons of spring and summer, the [movement in the] vessels at the inch [section should] be abundant. In cases associated with autumn or winter, the [movement in the] vessels at the foot-long section is abundant. [One] goes along with the [nature of the] yang qi; hence [the patient] survives. [One] moves contrary to the [nature of the] yang qi; hence [the patient] dies.”   Wang Bing: “When large or small [amounts of ] yang qi contrary [to normal] originate from the right, or when large or small [amounts of ] yin qi contrary [to what

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[Lei Gong] asked: “What about recession in [situations where there is] surplus?” [Huang Di] answered: “Once [the qi] moves up and does not move down, cold recession reaches to the knees. The young, they die in autumn or winter. The old, they survive in autumn or winter. is normal] originate from the left, this is ‘no compliance’. Hence, [the text] speaks of qi moving contrary [to its regular course], regardless of whether large or small amounts are concerned. Such instances of originating from the left or of originating from the right that are ‘not complying’, they are [called] ‘recession.’ ‘Recession’ is to say: a qi that moves contrary [to its regular course].” Zhang Qi: “This entire paragraph appears to be corrupt.” For detailed discussions of the concept of 厥 see 2619/52, 854/1, 1623/13, and 2225/4.   Wang Bing: “That is to say, if a [movement] of diminished [qi] that is ‘not complying’ is a ‘movement contrary [to its regular course],’ is it possible that a qi that is present in surplus can generate a disease of recession, i.e., of movement contrary [to its regular course]?’  ”   Wang Bing: “When the qi of all conduits follows a reverse [movement, i.e.] rises in a movement contrary [to what is normal], and if the yang qi fails to descend, how can such [a situation] be differentiated? [The sign] is cold [because of ] recession reaching up to the knees. The four limbs are the origins of all yang. They should be warm but they are, in contrast [to what is normal, affected by] cold moving upwards. Hence, [the text speaks of ] ‘cold [because of ] recession.’  ”   Wang Bing: “  ‘Autumn and winter’ is to say ‘return to the yin.’ ‘Return to the yin’ means that their diseases develop from the right. The young depend in their activities on yang qi. Hence, they die in autumn and winter. The old depend in their activities on yin qi. Hence, they survive in autumn and winter.” Lin Yi et al.: Yang Shangshan: “  ‘Depleted’ means 厥, ‘recession.’ When all the yang qi moves upwards into the head and does not move downwards into the feet, the feet and the shinbones are de­pleted. Hence, cold [because of ] recession reaches up to the knees.” Zhang Jiebin: “In old people, the yang qi starts from above. Cold knees do not constitute a problem. In youth, the yang qi starts from below and cold knees are a ‘movement contrary [to a regular course].’ The yang of the youth should not be weak, but if it is weak the season when yin dominates is to be feared most. In old people the yang qi is weak in itself. That is a normal condi­tion. Hence, there is no reason to worry in autumn and win­ter.” Wu Kun: “When the yang qi rises contrary [to its regular course] and does not move down, then the yin accumulates below. Hence the cold reaches to the knees. In old people the yang qi follows [a course] above. Hence it is normal when their knees are cold. In young people the yang qi follows [a course] below. When their knees are cold, this is contrary [to regular]. In autumn and winter when the yang is weak and the yin

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80-568-3 When the qi moves up and does not move down, headache and peak illness [result]. Searching the yang: one does not get [its movement]. searching the yin: one does not recognize it.10 The five sections are barred; there is no evidence. As if one lived in a vast wilderness; as if one [tried to] hide in an empty chamber. A thin thread; it belongs to [the signs] of early death.11 flourishes, cold recession increases. In young people this is contrary [to regular]; hence they die. In old people this is normal; hence they survive.”   Wang Bing: “  ‘Peak’ refers to the very top of the body. ‘Peak disease’ is a disease of the head.” Yao Shaoyu: “That is to say, when qi and blood move upwards, then not only the feet become cold up to the knees, a disease must develop above too, in the peak [of the head].” Zhang Jiebin: “Such diseases occur because of re­pletion above and depletion below.” 2738/14: “  ‘Peak disease’ does not refer here to 癲癇, ‘epilepsy,’ or 癲狂, ‘madness.’ It is a disease of the top [of the head], that is, a type of headache.” Similarly, 1505/2: “巔疾 refers to all diseases in the head.”

10  Cf. Su wen 23: 夏得秋脈, “when in summer one feels a winter [movement in the] vessels.” In contrast, Gao Jiwu/726: “得 stands for 合適, ‘fitting,’‘appropriate.’ 審 stands for 確實,‘reliable.’When the nature of the disease is doubtful, it is difficult to diffe­rentiate its pathoconditions. Hence, 不得 and 不審 have the meaning of ‘difficult to define.’  ” 11  Wang Bing: “When he calls it a yang [movement in the] vessels, then there is a [movement in the] vessels resembling a yin abundance, and when he calls it a yin [movement], then there is a [movement in the] vessels resembling a yang abundance. Hence, [the text] states: ‘search for a yang [movement]: one cannot get it; search for a yin [movement]: one cannot recognize it.’ ‘The five sections’ refers to the sections of the five depots. 隔 is to say 隔遠, ‘far apart.’ 無徵 is like 無可信驗, ‘nothing that could be trusted as evidence.’ That is, one searches for yang [qi] but cannot feel its heat, one searches for yin [qi] but cannot recognize its cold and the five sections of the depots are far apart, with nothing being present that could be trusted as evidence. Hence, [the text] states: ‘search for a yang [movement]: it cannot be felt; search for a yin [movement]: it cannot be recognized. The five sections are separate and there is no evidence.’ Now, such a situation results from qi moving contrary [to its regular course] for a long time; it does not result from the cold or heat of yin or yang qi. Hence, ‘as if one lived in a vast wilderness’ is to say: the spirit of the heart is dispersed beyond its boundaries. ‘As if one were to hide in an empty house’ is to say: mind and sentiments lie hidden in the depth. [The spirit of the heart] is dispersed beyond its boundaries because the qi moves contrary [to its regular course] generating extreme and incessant pain.

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80-568-5 It is therefore that a recession of [the type] being short of qi lets one have absurd dreams.12 In extreme cases, this leads to hallucinations. {When the [flow of the] [qi] in the three yang [conduits] is interrupted and when the [flow of the qi] in the three yin [conduits] is feeble, this is being short of qi.}13 80-569-1 Therefore, when the lung qi is depleted, then this causes man in his dreams to see white items,14 to see people executed,15 with [their] blood flowing in all directions.16 [Mind and sentiments] lie hidden in the depth because the pain was stabilized and there is fear that it will return. 綿綿乎 is to say: movement and breathing are weak. Even though the body is extremely weak, it is still present nevertheless. However, the expectations in his heart are such that he will not live through the end of his days.” Gao Shishi: “With the extreme weakness of each breathing, the prognosis of survival is such that he will not reach the end of this day.” 12  Wang Bing: “A recession of diminished qi, [i.e.,] a movement contrary [to its regular course], causes a person to develop foolish dreams. When this recession reaches an extreme, the dreams of that person will turn to bewilderment.” Zhang Jiebin, Ma Shi and others have 少陰 instead of 少氣. Zhang Jiebin: “The hand minor yin is the heart. The heart con­trols the yang; it stores the spirit. The foot minor yin is the kidneys; the kidneys control the yin; they store the essence. Hence, when the minor yin is ceasing and counteracts, then heart and kidneys do not interact and essence as well as spirit di­sperse. As a result one has wild dreams. In extreme cases, the respective person will be confused and benighted.” 13  Wang Bing: “When the three yang [movements in the] vessels are suspended and interrupted and when the three yin [movements in the] vessels are diagnosed as very subtle, these are indications of diminished qi.” Zhang Jiebin: “When the three yang are separated and interrupted, then the yin vanishes above. When the three yin are subtle and weak, then the yang vanishes below. [This is a situation where] yin and yang do not create and transform each other; hence, the qi is diminished and it is insufficient for breathing.” Lin Yi et al.: Yang Shangshan: “Extreme yang and inter­ rupted yin, this is ‘diminished qi.’  ” 14  Wang Bing:”‘White items’ are images reflecting the color of metal.” 15  Wang Bing: “An execution is an operation of metal.” 16  Wang Bing: “藉藉 is to dream of dead appearances.” Zhang Zhicong: “藉藉 is 狼藉, ‘disorder,’ ‘mixed up.’  ” NJCD: “The Han shu 漢書, biography of 燕刺王旦 has

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When it is its time, then he dreams of weapons and combat.17 When the kidney qi is depleted, then this causes man to see boats and drow­ning people in his dreams.18 When it is its time,19 then he dreams he was lying in water; as if there was something to be feared. When the liver qi is depleted, then he sees fragrant plants and fresh herbs in his dreams.20 When it is its time,21 then he dreams he was lying under a tree and did not dare to get up.22 When the heart qi is depleted, then he dreams of stopping a fire and of yang items.23 When it is its time,24 he dreams of burning. 80-569-5 When the spleen qi is depleted, 籍籍. The commentary explains 籍籍 as 從橫貌, ‘in all directions’, lit. ‘vertically and horizontally’.”(See Han shu 63, 2757.) 915/59, on the basis of the use of this term in Han shu 漢書, biography of Sima Xiangru 司馬相如, first chapter, interprets 藉 as 眾 多紛亂, “profuse,” “many.” The text of the present edition has 借借, a variant of 藉藉. 17  Wang Bing: “  ‘Its time’ are the three months of autumn. Weapons are made of metal. Hence, one dreams of weapons and fighting.” 18  Wang Bing: “Boats and drowning people are related to water. The kidneys reflect the water. Hence, [the water] takes shape in one’s dreams.” 19  Wang Bing: “These are the three months of winter.” 20  Wang Bing: “Fra­grant plants and fresh herbs belong to the category of herbs and trees. The liver is associated with herbs and trees. Hence, one sees them in his dreams.” 21  Wang Bing: “These are the three months of spring.” 22  Zhang Zhicong: “  ‘One does not dare to get up’ is to say, even though one is supported by the qi of the seasons, one is unable to gain the upper hand.” 23  Wang Bing: “The heart is associated with fire. Hence, one dreams of it. Yang items belong to the category of fire, too.” Zhang Zhicong: “  ‘ To put out fire,’ this indicates the heart qi is depleted. ‘Yang items’ are dragons.” 24  Wang Bing: “These are the three months of summer.”

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then he dreams of insufficient drinking and eating.25 When it is its time,26 he dreams of putting up walls and buil­ding a house.27 In all these [cases], the qi of [one of ] the five depots is depleted. The yang qi has a surplus, while the yin qi is insufficient.28 [How] to combine this with the five diagnostic indicators and [how] to assess it in view of yin and yang, this is already [outlined] in the Conduit Vessels.29 31

25  Wang Bing: “The spleen takes in water and grains. Hence, one dre­ams of insufficient beverages and food.” 26  Wang Bing: “  ‘Its time’ refers to the third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth month. In each of these months [the soil] rules for 18 days.” 27  Wang Bing: “To put up walls and to build houses are operations of soil.” 28  Wang Bing: “The palaces [are filled with] yang qi; the depots [store] yin qi.”

29  Wang Bing: “The Ling shu classic has exhausting [discussions] of balancing yin and yang and combines this with the five diagnoses. Hence, it is quoted here as being outlined in the ‘Conduit vessels.’ ‘Conduit vessels’ is the title of a Ling shu treatise.” Qian Chaochen-88/282: “Mr.Wang fails to discuss the cha­racter 在. Mr.Gu has stated: ‘在 stands for 察, to ex­amine.’ 在 and 察 were pronounced in ancient times with identical initial consonant and were often used interchan­geably. Hence, the Er ya states: ‘在 is 察.’  ” 30  Zhang Qi: “The two characters 度人 are an insertion.”

31  Wang Bing: “Each measurement includes two. Hence, two times five makes ten measure­ments.” Ma Shi: “Basically, diagnosis comprises five measurements. When it speaks of ten measurements here, this is because the vessels, the depots, the flesh, the mu­scles, and the transportation [holes] are identical left and right. Hence, one may also speak of ten measurements.” Zhang Zhicong: “  ‘ Ten measurements’ is to measure

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80-569-9 If yin and yang qi are exhausted, a person’s disease will fully develop by itself.32 The vessel movement is irregular, with yin dispersed and yang unilaterally [increased].33 The [qi in the] vessels is lost and incomplete. No regular diagnosis can be carried out. The diagnosis must take high and low [status into account]. Assess whether [the patient] is a com­moner, a lord, or an official.34 80-570-1 If the [instructions] received from a teacher are incomplete, the [movement in the] hu­man vessels, to measure the depots, to measure the flesh, to measure the sinews, to measure the transportation [holes], to measure yin and yang qi, to measure above and below, to measure the [common] people, to measure the rulers, and to measure the noble.” Gao Shishi suggested to move the four charac­ters 度民 君卿 behind the characters 陰陽氣盡. and he com­mented: “As for the ten measurements, the first is to measure man ..., the second is to measure the [movement in the] ve­ssles ..., the third is to measure the depots ..., the fourth is to measure the flesh ..., the fifth is to measure the sinews ..., the sixth is to measure the transportation [holes] ..., the seventh is to measure the exhaustion of yin and yang qi ..., the eighth is to measure the [common] people, the ninth is to measure the rulers, and the tenth is to measure the noble. .. The common people cannot be equated with the noble and the noble cannot be equated with the rulers. [For dia­gnosis], their different minds must be assessed.” 32  Wang Bing: “When a diagnosis takes all the principles of yin and yang depletion and abundance into account, the diseases of the persons [examined] can all be known.” 33  Zhang Jiebin: “散陰頗陽 is to say the yin qi is dispersed [散] and lost and the [movement in the] vessels is mostly [頗] to be classified as yang.” Wu Kun: “頗 stands for 跛, ‘to be partial.’  ” Gu Guanguang: “頗 should be explained as 偏頗, ‘unilaterally strong.’  ” 34  Wang Bing: “When the diagnosis of the [movement in the] vessels reveals a loss [of qi] that has resulted in an incomplete [presence of qi], there is no basis to carry out a regular diagnosis. To examine such [a patient] it is necessary to assess whether [the patient belongs to one of ] the three [social classes, i.e.,] commoner, ruler, or official, because of the differences in their taking care of their life. Why? Because different social ranks are allotted with different shares of grief, joy, and suffering.” Zhang Jiebin: “That is to say, the yin is dispersed and only yang is pre­sent. The [movement in the] vessels appears mainly as yang and has no root. This is not a true yang [movement in the] vessels. In this case, the [movement in the] vessels has a loss and yin and yang are not complete.”

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if practicing the art is not enlightened, and if [a practitioner] fails to investigate whether a movement is contrary to or follows [its regular course], this is an absurd practice. [Such a practitioner] holds onto the female and neglects the male, discards the yin and attaches himself to the yang and does not know how to combine [both sides]. His diagnosis, hence, will not be enlightened.35 He transmits [this] to later generations, contradicting the [regular] discourse to make his own light shine.36 80-570-3 When the extreme yin is depleted, the qi of heaven is inter­rupted; when the extreme yang abounds, the qi of the earth is insufficient.37 The merging and interacting of yin and yang, this it what the ac­complished man practi­ces.38 35 See 1254/1 for a discussion of the ethics of diagnosis proposed here. 36  Wang Bing: “章 is 露, ‘to expose,’ ‘to disclose.’ Because [the practitioner] has not understood [what he was taught] but hands [his incomplete knowledge] to others nevertheless, the evidence [that this knowledge] contradicts the ancient [teachings] will come to light by itself.” Zhang Yizhi et al.: “Judging from Wang Bing’s commentary, the character 論 [in today’s version] may be an error for 古, ‘ancient.’  ” 37  Wang Bing: “When the extreme yin is depleted, the heavenly qi is interrupted and does not descend. When the extreme yang abounds, the qi of the earth is weak and does not rise. This is meant by ‘absence of mutual penetration.’ 至 stands for 至盛, ‘extreme abundance.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “The statement ‘the extreme yin is depleted’ is to say, the earth qi is weak and does not rise. When it does not rise, then there is nothing that could descend. Hence, the qi of heaven is interrupted. ‘The extreme yang is abundant’ is to say the qi of heaven is strong and does not descend. When it does not descend, there is nothing that could rise. Hence, the earth qi is insufficient. That is, the two qi of yin and yang contain each other’s roots and they depend on each other. There can be no de­formation to only one side.” Wu Kun: “The extreme yin is the spleen; the qi of heaven is the lung. The extreme yang is manifested in fire. The qi of the earth is the qi of spleen and stomach. That is to say, when the spleen qi is depleted, the lung qi is necessarily interrupted. Metal has soil as its mother. When the mother has a disease, the [activities of the] son will be interrupted.” 38  Wang Bing: “交 stands for 交通, ‘mutual penetration.’  ”

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As for the merging and interacting of yin and yang, the yang qi ar­rives first, the yin qi arri­ves second.39 Therefore, the Way of diagnosis by feeling [the vessels followed by] the sages [was such that] when they felt [the vessels, they examined which comes] first or second, [what is] yin or yang. 80-570-6

Therefore, if squeezing [the vessels, one only gets] a yin [movement], but does not get a yang [movement], the diagnosis is futile. If one gets a yang [movement], but does not get a yin [movement], the teaching one clings to is not profound. [Such practitioners,] when they know left, they do not know right; when they know right, they do not know left;

39  Wang Bing: “When the qi of yin and yang pass alongside and pe­netrate each other at one specific location, then the yang qi must arrive first and the yin qi arrive second. Why? Because yang is fast and yin is slow.” 40  Wang Bing: “[A text with the title] 奇恆勢 with sixty entries is no lon­ger transmitted nowadays,” and Ma Shi: “  ‘奇恆’ is the title of an ancient treatise. 六十首 refers to the therapeutic methods of people in antiquity.” Wu Kun: “六十首 refers to the begin of each year in a cycle of 60 years. That is to say, all changes and normal states of yin and yang occur within a period of 60 years.” In the Nan jing, 16th difficult issue, the term 六十首 appears to refer to “sixty indicators” offering hints on the condition of the or­ganism.

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when they know the above, they do not know the below; when they know what is first, they do not know what is second. Hence, [the results of ] their treatments will not last long. To know what is bad and to know what is good; to know what is a disease and to know what is no disease; to know what is high and to know what is below; to know about resting and to know about rising; to know about movement and to know about hal­ting, and to apply [all] this [knowledge] on the basis of basic rules, in this case the Way of diagnosis is complete and within a myriad generations there will be no failure. Start from that which has surplus and know what is insufficient.41 Measure the circumstances above and below. This will [enable one] to arrive at a proper [diagnosis of the] circumstances of the ves­sels.42 80-571-1 Therefore, when the physical appearance is weak and the qi is depleted, [the patient will] die.43

41  Wang Bing: “Su wen 25 states: 內外相得無以形先, ‘outer and inner [signs must] be brought together [in diagnosis]; no priority is to be given to the [condition of the] physical appearance.‘ This is to say, start from your own body‘s having a surplus and then you will know the patient’s in­sufficiencies.“ Wu Kun: „起 stands for ‘begin of a disease.’ 有余 is: ‘an evil has settled and there is surplus.’ 不足 is ‘insuf­ficiency of proper qi.’ That is to say, when a disease emer­ges, even though it is said to be related to surplus, one still will know that [basically] there was depletion which allowed the evil to be received.” 42  Wang Bing: “If one measures what should be present above and below, [in assessing the movement in] the vessels one will arrive at the subtleties. 格 stands for 至, ‘to reach,’ ‘to arrive.’  ” Wu Kun: “格 stands for ‘investigate its princi­ples.’ That is to say, assess the nature of the disease, whether it is above or below, and subsequently investigate its principle through the [movement in the] vessels.” 43  Wang Bing: “That is, both the interior and the external have in­sufficiencies.”

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When the qi of the physical appearance has a surplus, while the qi in the vessels is in­sufficient, [the patient will] die.44 When the qi in the vessels has a surplus, while the qi of the physical appearance is in­sufficient, [the patient will] survive.45 Therefore, diagnosis has an important method. Resting and rising are to be based on regularity;46 leaving and entering should follow a [proper] conduct,47 to focus [one’s] spirit brilliance on [the patient].48 80-571-3 It is essential to be clear and to be pure, to behold the above and to behold the below,49 to control the evils of the eight cardinal [turning points],50 to distinguish between the sections of the five inside.51 44  Wang Bing: “The depots are weak. Hence, insufficiency [shows up] in the [movement in the] vessels.” 45  Wang Bing: “The [qi stored in the] depots abounds. Hence, the qi in the vessels is present in surplus.” 46  Wang Bing: “When sitting and rising are regular, the force of breathing is balanced. Hence, this [technique] is to be applied at the begin of a diagnosis.” See also 1818/45. 47  Zhang Jiebin: “The heart of the phyisician is set at keeping people alive. In all his daily ac­tivities, his thoughts must always be true and there should not be a single incidence where he is not careful. As a result, his virtue will be able to move heaven and his sincereness can rectify the minds. Hence, he can move around and practice ever­ywhere and nowhere will he lose his spirit.” 48  Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘ To focus spirit brilliance’ means one focusses one’s own deficient spirit to examine the qi of someone else.” 49  Wang Bing: “  ‘ To behold the above’ is to say: [behold] the [patient’s] comple­xion. ‘To behold the below’ is to say: [behold] the [patient’s] pysical appearance.” 50  Wang Bing: “  ‘Eight cardinal [turning points]’ refers to the regular indicators at the eight seasonal turning points.” The eight seasonal turning points include spring begins, summer begins, autumn begins, winter begins, spring equinox, autumn equinox, summer sol­stice, and winter solstice. “Evil” refers to evil qi. 51  Wang Bing: “  ‘Five internal sections’ refers to the sections of the five depots.”

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Press the vessels [whether they have] a movement or not,52 and pass along the foot-long section to examine whether it is] smooth or rough. [To understand] the significance of cold or warmth, observe the [patient’s] feces and urine and combine [all] this with the manifestations of the disease.53 Once it is understood whether [a movement] is contrary to or follows [its regular course] and if further the name of the disease is known, then diagnosis can bring success in all [cases treated] and a person‘s [normal] nature cannot be missed. 54 Hence, if the regular structure [of diagnostic steps] is not missed,55 the Way is very clear; hence, it can last long.

52  Wang Bing: “Afterwards press [the vessels in] the inch and foot sections [to find out whether there is] movement or not and determine [a patient’s] death or survival.” 53 A comment by the anonymous editors of the Huang Di nei jing su wen edition of 1963/1983 by Renmin weisheng chubanshe interprets 病能 as 病態 because “態 rhymes with 意.” However, 能 may rhyme with 意, too, and, more importantly, it is unclear whether the rhyming of 意 and 能 is relevant here.

54  Zhang Jiebin: “  ‘ To observe the breathing’ is to examine inhalation and exhalation to reco­gnize the [patient’s] qi. ‘To observe the meaning’ is to examine the physical appea­rance and the complexion in order to recognize the [patient’s] condition.” In contrast, Gao Jiwu/729: “The first 視 is to be interpreted as 瞻, ‘to regard.’ The se­cond 視 is to be intepreted as 　審察, ‘to examine.’ It may also be that 　視 equals 示, ‘to dis­play.’ The meaning is: the breathing of the patient may pro­vide evidence of the condition of his spirit.” 55  Wang Bing: “Count the lengths of [the patient’s] breathing and examine the frequency of the arrival [of the movement in his] vessels. Hence, the pattern of diagnosis occasionally includes an observation of [the patient’s] breathing. Once the breathing and the [movement in the] vessels are known, the location of the disease [in the body] will be known too. The system underlying the examinations carried out by the sages was to combine all these [diagnostic steps].”

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He who does not know this Way, he misses the conduits and breaks the [skin] structures;56 he [utters] absurd words57 and offers absurd predictions. This is called ‘to miss the Way.’  ”

56  In contrast, Gao Jiwu/725 interprets 經 here as in Su wen 77 as “normal:” “to oppose the normal rules and patterns.” 546/43 identifies 絕 as 違背, “to oppose.” For the interpretation of 絕理 as “to break [skin] structures”, see Su wen 25-159-2 where the text speaks of 絕皮, “to break the skin.” 57  Zhang Qi: “亡言 should be 妄言, ‘foolish speaches.’  ” Yu Chang agrees.

Chapter 81

Discourse on Explaining the Subtleties of Essence 81-571-11 Huang Di was in the Hall of Light. Lei Gong requested: “[I, your] subject, give instructions [in medical practice and thereby] I transmit it. When I give lessons, they are based on the discourses in the classics, [including] the Natural Approach and the Patterns of Physical Appearance, Yin and Yang and Piercing and Cauterization, as well as the nourishing effects of drugs prepared as decoctions. When I give treatments, [though,] they show [instances of ] exemplary and [others of ] non-exemplary [therapies]; I cannot yet definitely achieve success in all [cases I treat]. 81-572-1 When [you] have spoken before of sadness and grief, joy and anger, dryness and dampness, cold and summerheat, yin and yang, women and girls,  Lin Yi et al.: “In the Quan Yuanqi edition, this treatise was named 方論解.”

  The Tai su has 受 instead of 授. Hence some commentators read this cha­racter as “[I was] taught.”   This passage was punctuated differently by various authors. For example, Zhang Yizhi et al. reads it as follows: 臣授業傳之, 行教以經論, 從容形法, 陰陽刺灸, 湯藥 所滋. Gu Guanguang: “All these are ancient book titles. Su wen 77 refers to the classics Bi lei 比類 and Xing ming 形名. Maybe, [the] 形法 [referred to here] is the 形 名 [referred to there].” Mori: “藥滋 means: liquids produced by boiling drugs. .. The meaning of 滋 is 津汁, ‘liquid juice.’  ” The Tai su, ch. 29, ties 傳之 to the following sentence. It has 傳之以教, 皆以經論. Instead of 藥, it has 液, “liquid”; instead of 所 it has 藥, “drug.” Yang Shangshan: “從容 refers to an investigative attitude. In the Tai su jing discourse received [by Lei Gong], the patterns of nourishing life, of calming down the physical appearance, and of examination, that is to say: the four arts of yinyang, piercing and cauterizing, of decoctions and drug liquids, all are important.”   Zhang Yizhi et al. quotes Sun Dingyi 孫鼎宜: “That is as if he had said: sometimes I have sucess; sometimes I do not.”

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I would have liked to ask why all this is so. A low position and poverty, wealth and nobility, they constitute that which the physical body of man adapts himself to. To have [your] subordinates fulfill [their] tasks, and, when confronted with an actual case, to make them act in accordance with the art of the Way, I respectfully [ask to] hear [your] instructions. Among the questions I should like to ask, some are stupid and vulgar, [they concern issues] that are not in the classics; I wish to hear about these conditions.” [Huang] Di: “This is a large [terrain].”

  Gao Shishi reads this passage as follows: 人之形體, 所從群下, 通使臨事, 以適 道術. He commented: “Lei Gong received his instructions from [Huang] Di; and [Huang] Di taught him on the basis of discourses in the classics. Hence, [the text] states: 臣受業傳之行教以經論. Among these [teachings were instructions on] the patterns of [generating] a relaxed state of one’s physical appearance, on piercing and cauterizing on the basis of yin and yang, and on the nourishment achieved by medicinal decoctions. When earlier it was spoken of inner harm caused by grief, sadness, joy, and anger, and of external affections caused by dryness, dampness, cold, and summerheat, as well as of the Way of yin and yang, women and girls, and when it was asked, why all this is so, [Huang Di] discussed the [varying states of the] physical body of people by referring to their being of lower or higher social status. 所從群下 are people of a low social position; 通使臨事 are the rich and noble. That is, how the human body can adapt to the art of the Way, this has been outlined in the discourses of the classics and [Lei Gong] has attentively listened to [Huang Di’s] instructions [on this]. What [Lei Gong] begs to ask now, these are foolish and vulgar questions. If something is ‘foolish,’ then the heart is not enlightened; if something is ‘vulgar,’ then the body is not in best shape. [The issues raised by Lei Gong] differ from the questions raised in the ancient classics. Hence, [the text] states: ‘of those that are not [dealt with] in the classics, I should like to hear an outline.’  ” Tanba: “Gao Shishi’s statement shows that he did not realize that these are words of Lei Gong directed at [Huang] Di. Hence, 所從群下 refers to all officials and the common people; it is a summarizing statement referring to those of low status and to the rich and noble mentioned above. [The statement in the Su wen is] to say: enable the masses [of officials and common people] to adapt to the art of the Way so that they may nourish what is proper.”   Zhang Jiebin: “ stands for 妄, ‘foolish;’ 漏 stands for 陋, ‘vulgar,’ ‘rude.’ The questions [raised by Lei Gong] are not in the classics; hence, [he terms them] ‘foolish and vulgar.’ This is a self-depreciatory expression.”

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[Lei] Gong requested to ask: “When [a person] weeps and no tears leave [the eyes], or if [tears] leave [the eyes] with only a little snivel, what is the reason?” [Huang] Di: “This is [written] in the classics.” [Lei Gong] asked once again: “I do not know where the water originates from,10 where the snivel leaves from.” 81-572-7 [Huang] Di: “When you ask such questions, this is of no benefit to treatment. The knowledge acquired by practitioners is generated by the Way.11 Now, as far as the heart is concerned, it is that of the five depots which concentrates the es­sence.12   384/57: “In the early Qin era, 涕 carried the meaning of ‘tears.’ The Shuo wen jie zi of the Eastern Han explained 涕 as ‘tears.’ But beginning with the Han, 涕 was already wi­despread used to signify ‘snivel.’  ” 1679/25: “The character 涕 was used, in ancient times, for tears. Only beginning with the Han dynasty its meaning was changed to ‘snivel.’  ” For a critique of this passage as “unexplainable” see 2637/48.   Wang Bing: “That is to say, which depot is responsible for this?”   Gao Shishi: “This is elucidated in Ling shu 28.”

10  Cheng Shide et al.: “  ‘ Water’ refers to tears here.”

11  Wang Bing: “That is to say, snivel and water are generated by the pathways of qi. Why should one ask about this?” Gao Shishi: “Even though [you,] practitioner, wish to know this, it is, in fact, present in the Way [of the classics already].” Zhongyi yanjiuyuan...: “  ‘ The Way’ refers here to the normal physiological laws of the hu­man body. That is, tears and snivel are produced by man’s normal physiological faculties.” Mori: “道 is 液道, ‘pathways of liquids.’ Ling shu 28 states: 上液之道開則泣, ‘when the upper pathways of the liquids open, then weeping results.’  ” Ma Shi, Wu Kun, and Gao Shishi have 道之所在, ‘it is in the Way,’ instead of 道之所生. 12  Wang Bing: “專 stands for 任, ‘to be responsible for.’ That is to say, the essence qi of the five depots relies on the heart for becoming activated. It is the palace of spirit

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The eyes are its orifice.13 Effulgence and complexion show its splendor.14 Therefore, when a person makes gains,15 then [his] qi [displays] harmony in [his] eyes.16 In the case of loss, anxiety can be noticed in [that person’s] complexion. Therefore, once there is sadness and grief, then tears flow. When tears flow, they have originated from the water.

brilliance. Hence, it is able to carry out these [tasks].” Zhang Zhicong: “[All] the five de­pots store es­sence, but the heart is the ruler of the five depots and six palaces. Hence, among the five depots it is especially [responsible for] the essence.” The Tai su does not have the character 之 following 藏. Yang Shangshan: “The heart is the overall ruler of the body’s five depots. Hence, it ‘controls the essence.’  ” 13  Wang Bing: “When the spirit is guarded internally, brilliance is re­flected externally. Hence, the eye is the orifice of the [spirit].” 668/73 considers the identification of the eye as the orifice of the heart as contradicting the general association of the eye with the liver, as, for instance, in Su wen 4.

14  Wang Bing: “Effulgence and complexion are the external signs of the spirit brilliance.” Gao Shishi: “The essence of the five depots fol­lows the heart qi and manifests itself in the complexion. Hence, effulgence and complexion are its splendor.”

15 Lin Yi et al.: “The Tai su has 得 instead of 德.” Gao Shishi reads 德 as 得. Qian Chaochen-88/149 and 419/4 agree on the basis that 德 and 亡 form a pair of opposites here, with 德 meaning 獲得, ‘to obtain,’ and 亡 meaning 失掉, ‘lost.’  ” In contrast, Wang Bing: “德, ‘virtue,’ is the operation of the Way; it is the life of man. Lao zi says: ‘The Way creates it; the virtue nourishes it.’ The qi is the ruler of life; it is the abode of the spirit. Heaven spreads virtue; the earth trans­forms the qi. Hence, man comes to life.” 16  Wang Bing: “When the qi is in harmony, then the spirit is in peace. When the spirit is in pe­ace, then this is clearly reflected externally. When the qi is not in harmony, then the spirit is not guarded. When the spirit is not guarded, then the ex­ternal luster de­creases. Hence, [the text] states: “When a person has virtue, the eyes offer evidence of his harmonious qi. When it is lost, grief is noticeable in his complexion.” Zhang Yizhi et al.: “知 can also be interpreted as 見, ‘to see.’  ” Yang Shangshan: “If one has suffered a personal loss, the [respective] qi will become visible in one’s complexion. [Hence,] looking at his complexion one can see a person’s grief.”

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81-573-1 As for the basis of water,17 that is accumulated water. As for the accumulated water, that is the extreme yin. As for the extreme yin, that is the essence of the kidneys. The reason why the water of basic essence18 does not come out is that the es­ sence holds it.19 It supports it; it wraps it up. Hence, the water does not flow.20 81-573-3 Now, the essence of the water is the will; the essence of the fire is the spirit.21 When water and fire affect each other,

17 Yang Shangshan: “宗 is 本, ‘origin.’  ” Lin Yi et al.: “The Jia yi jing has 眾精 instead of 水宗.” Wu Kun: “水宗 is 水之始, ‘the origin of water.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “水宗 stands for 水之原, ‘the source of water.’  ” Gao Shishi: “宗 stands for 聚, ‘to gather.’ 水 宗 is where the water gathers.” Tanba considers the Jia yi jing version to be correct.

18  Wu Kun: “宗精 is the essence of the kidneys. The five liquids originate from the kidneys. Hence the kidney essence is called 宗精, ‘basic essence.’  ” Zhang Jiebin: “宗 精 is the source of water.” Gao Shishi: “精 is like 聚, ‘to accumulate.’ Accumulations of water form through gradual collection. Hence [the text] states: ‘water accumulations are collections of water.’  ” The Jia yi jing has 眾精 instead of 宗精. Tanba considers this as the correct version. Zhongyi yanjiuyuan...: “宗精 is the place where all the essence accumulates; it refers to the eyes. In the Ling shu, 大惑論, [it is said:] ‘精之窠為眼,’ ‘the nest of the essence is the eye.’ Also in the Ling shu, 口問, [it is said:] ‘目者宗脈之 所聚也,’ ‘As for the eye, it is where all the vessels gather.’  ” 19  Zhongyi yanjiuyuan...: “  ‘Essence’ is here the essence of the five depots and six palaces mentioned above. But because [it is said] in Su wen 1 ‘the kidneys rule the water, they receive the essence of the five depots and six palaces and store it,’ the essence stored in the kidneys is most impor­tant. The character 持 stands for 主持, ‘to control.’  ” 20  Zhang Jiebin: “All the five liquids originate from the kidneys. Hence it is also called 宗精, ‘that which is origin to the essence.’ The essence is able to control the pas­ sageways of water. Hence it does not let them move irregularly.” 21  “Water” and “fire” referring here to kidneys and heart respectively.

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both spirit and will are sad. Therefore, the water of the eyes is generated.22 Hence, a saying states: ‘Heart sadness is called will sadness.’ The [essence of the] will and the es­sence of the heart,23 they both collect in the eyes.24 Therefore, when both are sad, then the spirit qi is trans­mitted to the essence of the heart. [...] Above, there is no transmission to the will, and the will alone is sad.25 Hence, tears leave [the eyes].26 22  Wang Bing: “The eye is the passageway of the upper li­quids. Hence, when water and fire affect each other, spirit and will are both sad. The water-liquid moves upwards and is gene­rated in the eyes.” Ling shu 28: “The heart is the ruler of the five depots and six palaces. The eye is where all the vessels gather. It is the passageway of the liquids above. .. Hence the heart is moved by grief and sadness. When the heart is moved, then the five depots and six palaces are excited. When they are excited, then the gathering of all the ve­ssels is affected. When the gathering of all the vessels is affected, then the passa­geway of the liquids opens. As a result of the opening of the passageway of the li­quids, tears and snivel appear.” 23  The “essence of the heart” is the spirit. 24  Wang Bing: “Both spirit and will ascend. Hence, the will and the heart-spirit both rush to and collect in the eyes.” Gao Shishi: “That is, as outlined earlier, the essence of will and heart pour into the eyes together.” 25  Zhang Qi: “The sixteen characters from 則神氣傳 to 而志獨悲 are a later insertion.” 26  Zhang Jiebin: “In case of grief the heart connection is tightened. Hence the spirit qi is transmitted to the heart. When it is transmitted to the heart then the essence is not transmitted downwards to the will. The essence collects above. The will is de­ pleted below. As a result, the will alone generates grief and the essence has nothing to control. Hence the wa­ter is not stored below and tears appear above.” Gao Shishi: “When the heart qi fails to be transmitted to the will and when the will alone is sad, the sadness of the will occurs inside. Hence, when tears appear this is because the eyes generate water, and as a result tears appear outside. Because the eyes generate water, hence, tears appear outside. When the will in the kidneys is sad alone, then tears appear inside. From this one can know wherefrom the water originates.” This passage is not entirely clear. Wu Kun changed the text to: 身氣上傳于心, 精氣下傳于腎志. 心志俱悲故泣出也, “the spirit qi is transmitted above to the heart, the essence qi is

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Tears and snivel are brain.27 The brain is yin.28 Marrow is what fills the bones. Hence, when the brain leaks, this generates snivel.29 81-573-7 The will is the ruler of the bones.30 Therefore, when water31 flows and snivel follows it, this is because their passage is of one type.32 Now, snivel and tears, they are comparable to elder and younger brother among men. In a critical situation, they both die. When they survive, they both sur­vive.33 transmitted below to the will [associated with the] kidneys. Both heart and will are sad. Hence, tears flow.”

27  Zhang Yizhi et al.: “The character 泣 is a later insertion. The Shuo wen states: “涕 that appear without noise are 泣. Obviously, 涕 and 泣 are identical.”

28  The Tai su, the Jia yi jing, and the Quan Yuanqi edition all have 陽, “yang”, instead of 陰, “yin.” 29  Wang Bing: “The nose orifice communicates with the brain. Hence, ‘when the brain leaks, this is snivel,’ and it flows in the nose.” 30  The kidneys store the will and the kidneys rule the bo­nes. See Su wen 23.

31  “Water” refers here to tears.

32  Wang Bing: “類 is to say 同類, ‘same type.’  ” Gao Shishi: “Whenever one weeps with tears, there will also be snivel. But the origin of the snivel is not identical with that of the tears. Hence, [the text says]: Tears and snivel are brain. The brain is the see of es­sence and marrow. Hence, the brain is yin. The brain is the sea of the marrow; the marrow is located in the bones. Hence, the marrow is that which fills the bones. Tears and snivel are brain. Hence, when the brain leaks this generates snivel. The marrow is that which fills the bones, and the will, in turn, is ruled by the bones. Hence, when the water flows and the snivel must follow it, this is because their passage is of one type.” Zhongyi yanjiuyuan...: “Above it is said that the essence of the water is the will. This explains that the tears are ruled by the kidneys. Here now [the text] says: the will is the ruler of the bones. This explains that tears and snivel are two liquids that are both ruled by the kidneys.” 33  Wang Bing: “They are of identical origin; hence, they come to life and die together.” The Tai su has 出則俱亡, “when they go out [to fight] they both perish”, instead of 生則俱生.

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81-573-10 Because the will is sad34 first,35 tears and snivel leave [eyes and nose] together and flow36 uncontrolled.37 Now, when a person’s snivel and tears leave [eyes and nose] together and follow each other, [this is be­cause] of the [identical] type38 of their association.” 39 Lei Gong: “This is great! I should like to ask: When a person weeps and tears do not leave [the eyes], or if they leave [the eyes] in small quantities and if the snivel does not follow them, why is that?”40

34  The Tai su has 搖, “to incite,” instead of 早. Hence, one could read 早悲 as “moved to sadness.”

35  The Tai su has 搖, “to shake”, “to excite”, instead of 早, “early”, “first.” Yang Shangshan: “When the will it moved to grief, then tears appear uncontrolled.” 36  Wang Bing: “I suspect 行, ‘to move,’ should be 流, ‘to flow.’  ” 37  Zhang Jiebin: “橫 means ‘a lot.’  ” Wu Kun: “橫行 stands for 橫流, ‘a river flowing out of its usual channel.’  ” 38  2568/47 reads 之類 as 這一類. 39  Wang Bing: “  ‘ Their association’ is to say: [their association] with the brain. Why? Above the text states: ‘Snivel and tears are brain.’  ” 40  Wang Bing: “[Lei Gong] wonders how their association is the same, while their movement and their appearance differ.” Gao Shishi: “[Lei] Gong asked [earlier] where the water originates from and where the snivel appears from. The principles of spirit and will, grief and weeping are extremely essential and extremely subtle. They are truly part of the Way, they are not something an [ordinary] practitioner would know. Hence, [Lei Gong] says ‘Great!.’ In the beginning [he raised] the question of weeping without the appearance of tears and of when they appear of the presence of only a little snivel. [Huang] Di replied: ‘This is in the classics.’ Here now [Lei Gong] once again asks about weeping without the appearance of tears, why there may be only a little snivel if they appear. [That is,] there is weeping, but tears and snivel do not [necessarily] follow it. Why?”

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81-573-12 [Huang] Di: “Now, when tears do not leave [the eyes],41 the weeping is not [caused by] grief. Absence of tears [indicates] the spirit lacks compassion. When the spirit lacks compassion, then the will is not sad. Yin and yang hold each other. How could tears come alone?42 Now, when the will is sad, this is distress.43 When there is distress, then [it] rushes against the yin.44 When it rushes against the yin, then the will leaves the eye. When the will has left, then the spirit no longer guards the essence. When essence and spirit have left the eye, [then] snivel and tears leave [eyes and nose].45 Moreover, are you the only46 one who has not recited, who has not thought about the [following] words in the classic: ‘In case of recession, the eyes have nothing to see’ ?47 41  The Tai su has 下, “to [flow] downwards”, instead of 出.

42  Zhang Jiebin: “When the spirit has no compassion, the will is not sad. This is because the spirit is yin and the will is yang and yin and yang control each other.” 43  Zhang Jiebin: “惋 stands for 慘郁, ‘sad,’‘distressed.’  ” 44  Zhongyi yanjiuyuan...: “Above, the text states ‘the brain is yin.’ Hence, ‘it moves against the yin’ means: it ascends and moves against the brain.” 45  Wang Bing: “惋 is to say: 內爍, ‘internal melting.’ 衝 is identical with 升, ‘to rise.’ When spirit and will affect each other, tears are generated from this. Hence, when there is internal melting, then yang qi rises to the yin. Yin is the brain. 去目 is to say: neither yin nor yang [qi] guard the eyes. The will leaves the eyes, hence, the spirit moves around disorderly, too. Now, when the will leaves the eyes, then there is no light that could shine internally. When the spirit fails to guard, then the essence does not shine externally. Hence, [the text] states: essence and spirit leave the eyes.”

46  NJCD/343 reads 獨 here as 難道, “is it possible that ..?” If one were to follow this interpretation, the sentence could be translated as “Moreover, is it possible, Sir, that you have not read, that you have not considered ...” 47  Gao Shishi: “厥 is like 極, ‘apex,’ ‘peak.’  ”

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81-574-5 Now, when a person [experiences] recession, then the yang qi collects48 above, the yin qi collects below. When the yang collects above, then the fire alone has luster. When the yin collects below, then the feet are cold. When the feet are cold, then they swell. Now, one water cannot dominate five fires.49 Hence, the eyes and the canthi are blind.50 Therefore, when one encounters wind, tears flow and do not stop.51 81-574-7 Now, when the wind hits the eyes, the yang qi is internally guarded by the essence. In this [situation], the fire burns the eye. Hence, when one meets wind, then tears flow.52

48  Wang Bing: “并 is to say: each gathers at its original position.” Zhang Jiebin: “并 stands for 偏盛, ‘unilateral abundance.’  ” 49  Wang Bing: “  ‘One water’ refers to the eyes. ‘Five fires’ ist to say: the reversely moving yang [qi] of the five depots.” The Tai su has 兩火, “two fires.”

50  Wang Bing: “眥 is 視, ‘to behold.’  ” Zhang Jiebin agrees. Lin Yi et al.: “The Jia yi jing does not have the character 盲.

51  Zhang Jiebin: “When wind hits the eyes, the qi of the fire burns in­ternally and the water cannot be guarded. Hence, tears ap­pear.”

52  Wang Bing: “When wind hits [a person, his] yang [qi] hides and does not effuse. Hence, it burns internally.”

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There is something to compare this with. Now, when [in the event of ] fire a swift wind emerges, this can lead to rain.53 This is the same type [of phenomena].”54

53  The Tai su has 天之疾風生, “when the rapid wind of heaven emerges”, instead of 夫火疾風生. 54  Wang Bing: “Hence, when yang [qi] collects, then the shine of the fire abounds only above; it does not shine below. Now, the eyes are generated from yang [qi]; they are tied to the depots. Hence, when yin and yang [qi] are balanced harmoniously, then the essence shines. When yang [qi] recedes, then the light does not rise; when the yin [qi] recedes, then the feet are cold and swollen. When [the text] states: one water cannot dominate five fires, that is: the yang [qi] of the hands and feet constitute five fires. The yin [qi] below is the qi of the liver. ‘To move against wind and to develop incessant tear flow’ is to say: the wind strikes against the eyes. In such a situation, the yang qi is guarded by the essence internally. Hence, the yang qi abounds and fire qi burns at the eyes. Wind and heat interact; hence, there is tear flow. Hence, when a rapid fire generates wind, this may result in rain. This is comparable to the tears resulting from wind generated by the heat of a yang fire.”

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BI BLIO GRap h y Vol . 2 S u w e n Cha pt ers 53-71 and 74 -82

The following list of Chinese dictionaries, encyclopedias, monographs, and articles includes data from an encompassing bibliography we have prepared to include close to 3000 articles written by Chinese authors over the past decades and more than 600 Chinese and Japanese monographs from the past 1600 years that appeared to us relevant, and were consulted by us, for a better understanding of the history and contents of the Huang Di nei jing su wen. We have excerpted here for easy reference only those titles that we considered sufficiently essential to enter our annotations to our translation of Su wen chapters 53-71 and 74-81. Chinese dictionaries and encyclopedias are quoted in the notes by abbreviations combining the first letters of the words constituting their titles. Chinese and Japanese monographs, and those few written by Western authors, are quoted by the names of their authors, or, in cases of anonymous Chinese compilations, by the name of the academic units identified as editors. As for ancient Chinese works, e.g. the dynastic histories, philosophical texts, or ancient medical compilations apart from the Su wen, these are identified by their titles. Finally, articles are quoted in the annotations by their number in the comprehensive bibliography. These numbers are also provided in the listing below. Where necessary, references to page numbers follow the names of authors/compilers (in the case of monographs) or the title numbers from the encompassing bibliography (in the case of articles), separated by a slash. All Chinese monographs that examine and annotate the received text of the Su wen in the present sequence of its contents are quoted simply by the name of the author/compiler without page numbers. The complete bibliography of articles and monographs, except for commonly known texts such as the Han dynastic history or works by Chinese philosophers with no special reference to the Su wen, is added on a CD to the first volume of the present Su wen translation.

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1. DICTIONARIES AND ENCYCLOPEDIAS –

CY: Wu Ziyan 吳澤炎 et al., Ci yuan (xiu ding ben) 辭源(修定本). Beijing 北京: Shangwu yinshu guan 商务印书馆 1998

–

GHYZD : Zhang Yongyan 张永言et al., Jian ming gu han yu zi dian 簡明古漢語 字典. Chengdu 成都: Sichuan renmin chubanshe 四川人民出版社1986

–

HDNJCD : Guo Aichun 郭霭春, Li Siyuan 李思源 et al., Huang Di nei jing ci dian 黄帝内经辞典. Tianjin 天津: Tianjin Science and Technology Press 天津 科学技术出版社 1991

–

HYDCD : Luo Chufeng 罗竹风 et al., Han yu da ci dian 漢語大詞典. Shanghai上 海: Han yu da ci dian chubanshe 漢語大詞典出版社1986 - 1994

–

JJZG: Ruan Yuan 阮元 et al.,  Jing ji zuan gu 經籍纂詁. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju 1982

–

JMZYCD: Zhongyi da cidian bianji weiyuanhui 中医大辞典编辑委员会, Jian ming zhong yi ci dian 简明中医词典. Beijing北京: People's Hygiene Press 人民 卫生出版社1986

–

NJCD : Zhang Dengben 张登本, Wu Changchun 武长春 et al., Nei jing ci dian 内经词典. Beijing  北京: People's Hygiene Press 人民卫生出版社1990

–

SWJZ: Xu Shen 許慎,  Shuo wen jie zi 說文解字. Beijing 北京: Zhonghua shuju 中华书局1981

–

SWJZGL: Yang Jialuo 楊家駱 et al., Shuo wen jie zi gu lin zheng bu he bian 說文 解字詁林正補合编. Taipei 臺北: Ding wen shuju 鼎文書局1983

–

SWJZZ:  D uan  Yucai  段玉裁,  Shuo  wen  jie  zi  zhu  说文解字注. Shanghai 上海: Shanghai guji chubanshe yingyin 上海古籍出版社影印 1988

–

SWTXDS: Zhu Junsheng 朱骏声, Shuo wen tong xun ding sheng 说文通训定 声. Wuhan 武汉: Wuhanshi guji chubanshe 武汉市古籍出版社影印. Cited according to Zhang Yizhi et al.

–

TPYL: Li Fang 李昉 ed., Tai ping yu lan 太平御覽. Taipei 臺北: Taiwan shangwu yinshu guan 臺灣商務印書館 1967

–

WLGHYZD : Wang Li 王力 ed., Wang Li Gu han yu zi dian 王力古漢話字典. Beijing 北京: Zhong­hua Shuju 中華書局 2000

–

YHHYZYCD : Wiseman, Nigel: Ying-Han/ Han-Ying zhong yi ci dian = EnglishChinese/ Chinese-English Dictionary of Chinese Medicine. Hunan 1995

–

ZGYXDCD : Xie Guan  謝觀 et al., Zhong guo yi xue da ci dian 中國醫學大辭典. Taipei 臺北: Taiwan shangwu yinshu guan 臺灣商務印書館1982

 

Bibliography 

733

2. MONOGRAPHS –

Beijing zhongyi xueyuan: 北京中医学院, Nei jing shi yi 内经释义. Shanghai上 海: Shanghai kexue jishu chubanshe 上海科学技术出版社 1978

–

Beijing zhongyi xueyuan (2): 北京中医学院,  Nei jing xuan du   内经选读. Shang hai  上海: Shanghai kexue jishu chubanshe 上海科学技术出版社 1978

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Beijing zhongyi xueyuan et al.: 北京中医学院, 北京市中医学校, Zhong yi yuan zhu xuan du 中医原著选读. Beijing北京： Beijing renmin chubanshe 北京人民 出版社1978

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Chen Guying 陳鼓應, Zhuang zi jin zhu jin yi 莊子今註今譯. Taipei 臺北: Taiwan shangwu yinshu guan 臺灣商務印書館本之木1981

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Chen Menglei 陈梦雷, Yi bu quan lu 醫部全錄. Beijing 北京: People's Hygiene Press人民卫生出版社1963

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Chen Zhuyou 陈竹友, Yi yong gu han yu 医用古汉语. Fuzhou  福州: Fujian renmin chubanshe 福建人民出版社1981

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Cheng Shide 程士德 et al., Su wen zhu shi hui cui 素问注释汇粹. Beijing 北京: People's Hygiene Press 人民卫生出版社1982

–

Cullen, Christopher: Some Further Points on the Shih. Early China 6, 1980-81, p. 39

–

Duan Yishan 段逸山, Yi gu wen 医古文. Beijing北京: People's Hygiene Press 人 民卫生出版社 1986

–

Fang Wenhui 方文辉, Zhong yi gu ji tong jie gu jin zi li shi 中医古籍通借古今字 例释. Guangzhou 广州：科学普及出版社广州分社 1982

–

Fang Yaozhong 方药中 & Xu Jiasong 许家松, Huang Di nei jing su wen yun qi qi pian jiang jie 黄帝内经素问运气七篇讲解. Beijing 北京：People’s Hygiene Press 人民卫生出版社 1984

–

Fu Weikang 傅维康 & Wu Hongzhou 吴鸿洲, Huang Di nei jing dao du 黄帝内 经导读. Chengdu 成都: Bashu Books 巴蜀书社 1987

–

Gao Jiwu 高纪武, Yi gu wen yu fa yu xiu ci 医古文语法与修辞. Xining 西宁: Qinghai renmin chubanshe 青海人民出版社 1987

–

Gao Shishi 高世栻, Huang Di su wen zhi jie 黄帝素问直解 (or Su wen zhi jie 素 问直解). Beijing 北京: Beijing kexue jishu wenxian chubanshe 北京科学技术文 献出版社 1980

–

Gu dian yi zhu xuan bianxiezu: Quanguo zhongdeng weisheng xuexiao shiyong jiaocai Gu dian yi zhu xuan bianxiezu 全国中等卫生学校试用教材《 古典医 著选》编写组, Gu dian yi zhu xuan 古典医著选. Chenyang沈阳：Liaoning renmin chubanshe 辽宁人民出版社 1979

734

Huang Di nei jing su wen

–

Gu Guanguang 顾观光, Su wen jiao kan ji 素问校勘记. Cited according to Zhang Yizhi et al.

–

Gu Yanwu 顧炎武, Ri zhi lu 日知錄. Cited according to Zhang Yizhi et al.

–

Guan Jisheng 管济生, “Su wen shang gu tien zhen lun” yi shi er ze《 素问·上古天 真论》异释二则. Guo yi lun tan 国医论坛 1989 期 2(14), 43

–

Gui Fu 桂馥, Shuo wen jie zi yi zheng 说文解字义证. Cited according to Zhang Yizhi et al.

–

Guo Aichun-81: Guo Aichun 郭蔼春, Huang Di nei jing su wen jiao zhu yu yi 黄 帝内经素问校注语译. Tianjin 天津: Tianjin kexue jishu chubanshe 天津科学技 术出版社 1981

–

Guo Aichun-92: Guo Aichun 郭蔼春, Huang Di nei jing su wen jiao zhu 黄帝 内经素问校注. Beijing 北京：People's Hygiene Press 人民卫生出版社1992

–

Guo Tian 郭湉, Nei jing jiang yi 内经讲义. Beijing: People’s Hygiene Press 人民 卫生出版社 1989

–

Han Fei zi:  Shao Zenghua 邵增樺, Han Fei zi jin zhu jin yi 韓非子今註今譯. Taipei: Taiwan shangwu yinshu guan 臺灣商務印書館1983

–

Han shu: Ban Gu 班固, Han shu 漢書. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju 1987

–

Harper 1998: Harper, Donald: Early Chinese Medical Literature. London: Kegan Paul International 1998

–

Harper 1978-79: Harper, Donald: The Han Cosmic Board. Early China 4, p.1–10

–

Harper 1980-81: Harper, Donald: The Han Cosmic Board - A Response to Christopher Cullen. Early China 6, p. 50 – 51

–

Hou Han shu: Fan Ye 范曄, Hou Han shu 後漢書. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju 1973

–

Hsü, Elisabeth: Yinyang and Mao’s Dialectics in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Asiatische Studien/Études Asiatiques, LII, 2, 1988, p. 438.

–

Hu Shu 胡澍, Su wen jiao yi 素问校义, Huang Di nei jing su wen jiao yi 黄帝内 经素问校义. Cited according to Cheng Shide et al. and Zhang Yizhi et al.

–

Hu Tianxiong 胡天雄, Su wen bu shi 素问补识. Beijing 北京: Chinese Medical and Pharmaceutical Science and Technology Press 中国医药科技出版社 1991

–

Hua Shou 滑寿,  Du su wen chao 读素问钞. Cited according to Cheng Shide et al.

–

Huai nan zi: Liu An 劉安, Huai nan zi 淮南子. Er shi er zi 二十二子, p. 12041308. Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe 上海古籍出版社 1986

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Huang Sanyuan 黄三元, Zhong yi gu wen ji chu 中医古文基础. Taipei台北： Bade jiaoyu wenhua chubanshe 八德教育文化出版社 1983

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Hucker, Charles O.: A Dictionary of Official Titles in Imperial China. Stanford 1985

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Jia yi jing: Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, Huang Di zhen jiu jia yi jing 黄帝針灸甲乙經. Taipei: Tailian guofeng chubanshe yinxing 台聯國風出版社印行 1975

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Lao zi: Wang Bi王弼, Lao zi dao de jing zhu 老子道德經注. Wang Bi ji jiao shi 王弼集校釋, shang ce 上册. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju 1980

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Legge, James: The Chinese Classics in Five Volumes. Taipei: SMC Publishing Inc  1991

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Li Guoqing 李国清, Su wen yi shi 素问疑识. Harbin 哈尔滨: Heilongjiang renmin chubanshe 黑龙江人民出版社1988

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Li Jinyong 李今庸,  Xin bian Huang Di nei jing gang mu 新编黄帝内经纲目. Shanghai上海: Shanghai Science and Technology Press 上海科学技术出版社 1988

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Lin Yi et al. 林億等 (Song commentators of  Wang Bing´s Su wen edition), Xin jiao zheng 新校正. Cited according to our editions of Wang Bing 王冰, Huang Di nei jing su wen 黄帝内經素問, see below.

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Ling shu: Dai Xinmin 戴新民, Huang Di nei jing zhang ju suo yin 黄帝内經章句 索引, p. 263-482 Ling shu jing 靈樞經. Taipei台北: Qiye shuju 啓業書局 1987

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Liu Zhenmin et al. 刘振民等, Yi gu wen ji chu 医古文基础. Beijing 北京：人民 卫生出版社1980

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Ma Jixing 马继兴, Ma wang dui gu yi shu kao shi 马王堆古医书考释. Changsha 长沙: Hunan kexue jishu chubanshe 湖南科学技术出版社1992

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Ma Kanwen 马堪温, “Classic Chinese Medical Literature in Contemporary China: Texts Selected for Modern Editions, and Problems Associated with this Work”. In Paul U. Unschuld, ed., Approaches to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Press 1989, p. 7

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Ma Shi 马莳, Huang Di nei jing su wen zhu zheng fa wei 黄帝内经素问注证 发微. (Written in 1586.) Beijing 北京：科学技术文献出版社1999. Normally cited according to Cheng Shide et al.

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Mai jing: Wang Shuhe王叔和, Mai jing 脈經. Fuzhou shi renmin yiyuan 副州市 人民醫院, Mai jing jiao shi 脈經校釋. Beijing: People‘s Hygiene Press 人民卫生 出版社1988

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Mori: Mori Risshi (or Tatsuyuki) 森立之, Somon Kôchû 素问考注. Cited according to Zhang Yizhi et al.

–

Nan jing: Hua Shou 滑夀,  Nan jing ben yi, nan jing gu yi 難經本義, 難經古義. Taipei: Wenguang tushu youxian gongsi yinxing 文光圖書有限公司印行 1984

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Nanjing zhongyi xueyuan: Nanjing zhongyi xueyuan yijing jiaoyanzu 南京中医学 院医经教研组, Huang Di nei jing su wen yi shi 黄帝内经素问译释. Shanghai上

736

Huang Di nei jing su wen

海: Shanghai kexue jishu chubanshe上海科学技术出版社 1959 Cited according to Cheng Shide et al –

Qian Chaochen-88: Qian Chaochen 钱超尘, Zhongyi guji xungu yanjiu 中医 古籍训诂研究. Guiyang 贵阳：Guizhou renmin chubanshe 贵州人民出版社 1988

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Qian Chaochen-90: Qian Chaochen 钱超尘, Nei jing yu yan yan jiu 内经语言研 究. Beijing 北京: People's Hygiene Press 人民卫生出版社 1990

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Ruan Yuan 阮元 et al.,Shi san jing zhu shu 十三經注疏.Beijing: Zhonghua shuju 1987

–

Shanghai zhongyi xueyuan: Shanghai zhongyi xueyuan yiguwen jiaoyanzu 上海 中医学院医古文教研组, Gu dai yi xue wen xuan 古代医学文选. Shanghai上海: Shanghai kexue jishu chubanshe 上海科学技术出版社 1980

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Shanghai zhongyi xueyuan et al.: Shanghai zhongyi xueyuan, Zhejiang zhongyi xueyuan 上海中医学院、浙江中医学院, Yi gu wen 医古文. Shanghai上海： Shanghai kexue jishu chubanshe上海科学技术出版社1978

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Shen Nong ben cao jing: Wang Jumo 王筠默, Wang Hengfen 王恒芬, Shen Nong ben cao jing jiao zheng 神農本草經校證. Changchun長春: Jilin kexue jishu chubanshe 吉林科学技术出版社1988

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Shen Zumian 沈祖绵, Du su wen yi duan 读素问臆断. Cited according to Zhang Yizhi et al.

–

Shi ji : Sima Qian 司馬遷, Shi ji 史記. Beijing: Zhonghua shuju 1989

–

Soothill, W. E.: The Hall of Light. New York 1952

–

Sun Dingyi 孙鼎宜, Huang Di nei jing zhang ju 黄帝内经章句. Cited according to Zhang Yizhi et al., Hu Tianxiong, etc.

–

Sun Yirang 孙诒让, Su wen Wang Bing zhu jiao 素问王冰注校. Cited according to Zhang Yizhi et al.

–

Tai su: Yang Shangshan 楊上善 (ed.), Huang Di nei jing tai su 黄帝内經太 素. Critical edition by Xiao Yanping 萧延平 (1924).Beijing: Renmin weisheng chubanshe yingyin 人民卫生出版社影印 1955-1958

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Tanba: Tanba Genkan 丹波 元简, Somon Shi 素問識. Beijing北京：人民卫生出 版社1984

–

Tanba Genken 丹波 元堅, Somon Shôshi 素問绍識. Cited according to Cheng Shide et al. and Zhang Yizhi et al.

–

Tang Rongchuan 唐容川, Yi jing jing yi 醫經精義. Cited according to Cheng Shide et al.

–

Unschuld, Paul U. 2003: Huang Di nei jing su wen - Nature, Knowledge, Imagery in an Ancient Chinese Medical Text. Berkeley: University of California Press 2003

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Wan Lanqing 万兰清 et al., Zhong yi si da jing dian zhu zuo ti jie 中医四大经典 著作题解. Nanchang 南昌: Jiangxi renmin chubanshe 江西人民出版社 1982

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Wang Ang 汪昂, Su wen ling shu lei zuan yue zhu 素问灵枢类纂约注, or Su ling lei zuan 灵素类纂. Shanghai 上海：上海科学技术出版社1959

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Wang Bing 王冰 (ed.), Huang Di nei jing su wen 黄帝内經素問 (ed. 762). Taipei 台北: 国立中国医药研究所影印明嘉靖顾从德本1960

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Wang Bing王冰 (ed.), Huang Di nei jing su wen 黄帝内經素問. Beijing 北京： People's Hygiene Press 人民卫生出版社1963/ 1983

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Wang Hongtu 王洪图 et al., Huang Di nei jing yan jiu da cheng 黄帝内经研究大 成. Beijing 北京: Beijing chubanshe 北京出版社1997

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Wang Ji 汪机, Xu su wen chao 续素问钞. Cited according to Cheng Shide et al.

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Wang Qi 王琦 et al., Su wen jin shi 素问今释. Guiyang 贵阳：Guizhou renmin chubanshe 贵州人民出版社1981

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Wang Shaozeng王绍增, Yi gu wen yu fa 医古文语法. Harbin 哈尔滨: Heilongjiang kexue jishu chubanshe 黑龙江科学技术出版社1983

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Wang Shaozeng 王绍增 & Xu Yongnian 徐永年, Yi gu wen xiu ci 医古文修辞. Harbin 哈尔滨：Heilongjiang kexue jishu chubanshe 黑龙江科学技术出版社 1985

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Wu Kun 吳崐: Nei jing su wen Wu zhu 内经素问吴注.  Jinan 济南: Shandong kexue jishu chubanshe 山东科学技术出版社 1984

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Xun zi: Zhang Shitong 章诗同, Xun zi jian zhu 荀子簡注. Shanghai: Shanghai renmin chubanshe上海人民出版社1974

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Xue Xue 薛雪, Yi jing yuan zhi 医经原旨. Cited according to Cheng Shide et al.

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Yan Hongchen 阎洪臣 & Gao Guangzhen 高光振, Nei nan jing xuan shi 内难经 选释. Chang chun 长春: Jilin renmin chubanshe 吉林人民出版社 1979

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Yan Zhenhai 严振海, Gu yi ji de ju dou biao dian 古医籍的句读标点. Shanghai上 海：Shanghai kexue jishu chubanshe上海科学技术出版社1987

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Yang Shangshan 楊上善 (ed.), Huang Di nei jing tai su 黄帝内經太素. Taipei 台 北: Wenguang Tushu Ltd. 文光圖書有限公司 1990

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Yao Shaoyu 姚紹虞 (zi: Zhi’an 止庵), Su wen jing zhu jie jie 素問經注節解. (Written in 1669.) Beijing 北京: Renmin weisheng chubanshe 人民卫生出版社, 1963 . Normally cited according to Cheng Shide et al.

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Yang Weijie 楊維傑, Huang Di nei jing su wen yi jie 黄帝内經素問譯解. Taipei: 樂群出版公司1977

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Ye Gang 叶岗, Zhong yi gu ji yue du tan 中医古籍阅读谈. Guangzhou 广州： Guangdong keji chubanshe 广东科技出版社 1980

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Yu Chang 于鬯, Xiang cao xu jiao shu - Su wen jiao 香草续校书，素问校. Cited according to Zhang Yizhi et al.

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Yu Yue 俞樾, Nei jing bian yan 内经辩言. Cited according to Zhang Yizhi et al.

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Yu Zihan et al. 余自汉等, Nei jing ling su kao 内经灵素考. Beijing 北京: Zhongguo zhongyiyao chubanshe 中国中医药出版社 1992

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Zhang Canjia 张灿玾, Huang Di nei jing su wen jiao shi 黄帝内经素问校释. Beijing 北京: People's Hygiene Press 人民卫生出版社 1980

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Zhang Jiyou 张继有, Huang Di nei jing su wen Wu zhu ping shi 黄帝内经素问吴 注评释. Beijing 北京: Chinese Ancient Literature Press 中医古籍出版社 1986

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Zhang Jiebin 张介宾, Lei jing 類經. Beijing 北京: Renmin weisheng chubanshe 人民卫生出版社 1957

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Zhang Jiebin (2): 张介宾,  Lei jing tu yi 類經圖翼. Beijing 北京: Renmin weisheng chubanshe 人民卫生出版社 1985

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Zhang Qi 张琦, Su wen shi yi 素问释义. Cited according to Cheng Shide et al. and Zhang Yizhi et al.

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Zhang Wenhu 张文虎, Shu yi shi xu bi - nei jing su wen 舒艺室续笔∙内经素问. 同治十三年金陵冶城刊本. Cited according to Zhang Yizhi et al.

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Zhang Yizhi 张毅之 et al., “Nei jing su wen” yi nan wen ti zhu du《 内经•素问》 疑难问题助读. Beijing 北京: Zhongguo yiyao keji chubanshe 中国医药科技出 版社 1993

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Zhang Zhicong 张志聪 (=Zhang Yin’an 张隐庵), Huang Di nei jing su wen ji zhu 黄帝内经素问集注, or Su wen ji zhu 素问集注. Taipei 台北：Wenguang tushu youxian gongsi  yingyin  文光图书有限公司影印 1982

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Zhen Lifen et al. 陈丽芬等, Yi wen jing hua 医文精华. Shanghai 上海：Shanghai kexue jishu chubanshe 上海科学技术出版社1986

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Zhongyi yanjiuyuan: Zhongyi yanjiuyuan zhongyi yanjiushengban 中医研究院中 医研究生班, Huang Di nei jing zhu ping 黄帝内经注评. Published in Beijing by Research Class in Chinese Medicine of the Academy of Chinese Medicine 1980

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Zhou Fengwu 周凤梧 et al., Huang Di nei jing su wen bai hua jie 黄帝内经素问 白话解. Beijing 北京: People's Hygiene Press 人民卫生出版社1958

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Zhou Xuehai 周学海, Nei jing ping wen  内经评文. Cited according to Cheng Shide et al.

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Bao Laifa 包来发  1984. Tan tan Huang Di nei jing zhong de hu wen 谈 谈《 黄帝内经》中的互文. Zhong yi han shou tong xun 中医函授通讯 4, 141,144

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Bao Laifa 包来发  1985. Huang Di nei jing zhu shi fen qi yuan yin qian xi《 黄帝内经》注释分歧原因浅析. Zhong yi za zhi 中医杂志 11, 54-55

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