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

Chapter 19. Discourse on the Jade Mechanism and the True [Qi of the] Depots

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.”1 [Huang] Di: “When in spring the [movement in the] vessels is greatly excessive or inadequate , what are all the respective diseases like?” 1 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.’ ” 324 Huang Di nei jing su wen Qi Bo: “When it is greatly excessive, then this causes a person to be forgetful;2 he experiences vertigo and suffers from peak illness.3 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].”4 [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?” 2 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. 3 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.” 4 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.” Chapter 19 325 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.5 When this qi comes not abounding and leaves, on the contrary, abounding, this is called ‘inadequate.’6 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.7 When it is inadequate, then it lets a person have a vexed heart. 5 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.’ ” 6 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...