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

Chapter 12. Discourse on Different [Therapeutic] Patterns Suitable [for Use in Different] Cardinal Points

Chapter 12 Discourse on Different [Therapeutic] Patterns suitable [for Use in Different] Cardinal Points 12-80-2 Huang Di asked: “When physicians treat diseases, one identical disease may be treated differently1 in each case, and is always healed. How is that?” Qi Bo responded: “Physical features of the earth let it be this way.2 The fact is, the region of the east,3 this is where heaven and earth give life first. [This is] the land of fish and salt; beaches border on the water. Its people eat fish and crave for salty [meals]. all of them consider their place of residence as comfortable and they regard their food as delicious.4 as for the fish, it lets one develop a heated center;5 1 Wang Bing: “ ‘Differently’ is to say: with needle-stones, cauterisation, toxic drugs, physical exercises, and massage.” 2 Wang Bing: “That is to say, [treatment] follows [locally characteristic] features of generation, growth, gathering, and storage stimulated by heaven and earth, and whether a region is high or low, dry or damp.” Zhang Jiebin: “When the features of the earth differ, the customs differ too. Hence the therapeutic patterns follow [these differences] too, and are not alike.” 3 Zhang Zhicong: “域 is 區界, ‘region;’ 宇內, ‘within the universe.’ ” 4 1932/72: “They all are convinced that their residential area is peaceful and suitable and they are convinced that their food and beverages are exquisite.” Gao Jiwu/418419 and 157/56 agree. 5 Wang Bing: “When fish causes the development of ulcers, this is evidence of heat in the center. When salt causes the development of thirst, this is proof of blood being overpowered.”Zhang Zhicong: “The nature of fish is associated with fire; hence [fish] causes heat in the center of man.” Gao Jiwu/411: “Causes heat accumulation inside the body.” 212 Huang Di nei jing su wen as for the salty [meals], they defeat the blood.6 Hence, its people all have a black complexion and open [skin] structures. their diseases are always yong-abscesses and ulcers.7 for their treatment, pointed stones are suitable.8 Hence, it is for sure that [the therapy with] pointed stones originated in the east.9 12-80-7 The West, this is the region of gold and jade. It is the location of sand and stones. It is where heaven and earth contract and pull [things together].10 Its people live in earthen mounds and the winds are frequent.11 6 Chen Zhuyou/30 and Huang sanyuan/40: “勝 is 傷害, ‘to harm.’ ” Gao Jiwu/484: “Between 鹽者 and 勝血, the two characters 使人, ‘cause man,’ have been omitted.” 536/33: “鹽 is a mistaken character here and should be 鹹, ‘salty flavor.’ 鹹者勝血 is the same principle as 鹹走血, ‘salty flavor moves to the blood,’ in Su wen 23.” 7 Wang Bing: “When the blood is weak and hot, one tends to develop abscesses and ulcers.” 8 Wang Bing: “砭石 is to say: needles made from stone. The Shan hai jing 山海經 states: The mountain of Mr.Gao has stones resembling jade. needles can be produced from them. These then are the pointed stones.” Zhang Jiebin: “砭石 is 石針, ‘stone needles.’ The people of the east have wide skin structures and they suffer from abscesses and ulcers. Their diseases are in the external muscles. Hence they use pointed stones.The treatment carried out with pointed stones is shallow.” 9 Wang Bing: “The people in the east use them [even] today.” 10 Wang Bing: “following the pattern of the [operation of the] qi of autumn. 引 is: to pull and gather.” 11 Wang Bing: “Their residences resemble earthen mounds. Hence [the text] states: ‘they live in mounds.’ ” lin yi et al.: “overall, the West is a region of high elevation and the people live on high mounds. Hence winds are frequent. This does not mean that their residences resemble earth mounds.” Zhang Zhicong: “an elevated plain is called 陸. a large 陸 is called 阜. a large 阜 is called 陵, ‘mound.’ Because they live on mountains and mounds, winds are frequent.” yao shaoyu: “The Western people live in holes.This is so up to the very present. Because they use mounds as residences, [the text] states: 陵居.”yu Chang in his Xiang cao xu jiao shu 香草續校書 points out: “The [two characters] 其民 should be 其地,‘its land.’ The text further down states for the first time ‘its people do not dress in clothes but in hair and grasses.’ To connect Chapter 12 213 The water and the soil are hard...