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Chapter 31 Discourse on Heat1 31-183-2 Huang Di asked: “now, as for heat diseases, they all are of the type ‘harm caused by cold.’2 some are healed, some end in death. When they end in death, this happens always within six or seven days. When they are healed, this takes always ten days or more. Why is that? I do not know an explanation of this; I should like to hear a reason for this.”3 Qi Bo responded: “as for the great yang [conduit], it is connected with all the yang [conduits].4 1 Various Chinese commentators have focussed on the close relationships between the contents of Su wen 31 and of the Shang han lun. see especially 2506/1, 1690/13, 885/1, 2275/3, 2843/44, and 1248/13. 2 yang shangshan: “extreme cold turns into heat. When the three yin or the three yang vessels, the five depots or the six palaces receive heat and develop a disease, this is called ‘heat disease.’ The ‘heat disease’ [discussed] here, though, has its origin in the reception of cold, in massive harm [caused by cold]. Because one was harmed by cold, one got this heat disease. It is named [‘harm caused by cold’] because of its origin. Hence these heat diseases are said to belong to the group of ‘harm caused by cold.’ ” 3 Wang Bing: “Cold is the qi of winter. In winter time there is severe cold and the ten thousand types [of living beings] are concealed in the depth. The gentleman is securely covered [with clothes] and is not harmed by the cold. If one is affected, then this is called ‘harm caused by cold.’ Harm caused by any of the qi of the four seasons can result in disease, but the harm caused by cold is the most poisonous. When one is struck by [this] deadly aggressive qi and falls ill, this is called ‘harm caused by cold.’ In those cases which do not fall ill immediately, the cold poison is stored in the muscles and in the skin until before summer arrives.Then it changes to a warmth disease.after summer has arrived, it changes to a heat disease. Its outbreak, then, is always brought about by a harm caused by cold. Hence [the text] states: ‘all heat diseases do belong to the group of ‘harm caused by cold.’ ” 4 Wang Bing: “巨 is 大, ‘great.’ ” Guo Tian: “巨 is 太, ‘major.’ ” Cheng shide et al.: “巨 is 大, ‘great.’ In antiquity, 大 and 太 were identical. 巨陽, then, is 太陽.” Zhang Zhicong: “屬 is 會, ‘to meet.’ That is to say, the major yang is the meeting point of all 492 Huang Di nei jing su wen Its vessel is linked to the wind palace. Hence, it rules the qi of all the yang [conduits].5 When a person is harmed by cold, then the disease he develops is heat.6 The heat may be extreme, but he will not die.7 In cases where one develops a disease because of double affection by cold, there is absolutely no way to escape death.”8 31-183-7 [Huang] Di: “I should like to hear about the appearance of such a [diseases].” Qi Bo: “[In the case of] harm caused by cold, the yang.”Zhang yizhi et al.: “屬 is identical with 注,‘to pour into.’ ..That is,the great yang [conduit] is where all yang is poured into.” 5 Wang Bing:“ ‘Wind Palace (風府)’is the name of a hole [used for piercing].It is located above the nape one body-standardized inch into the hair line.” Guo Tian: “The ‘Wind Palace’ is a hole on the supervisor vessel. ‘supervisor’ is ruler. The supervisor vessel rules all yang vessels. Hence the Wind Palace is the meeting point of all yang. The major yang is the meeting point of all the yang and it rules the camp and the guard qi. Its physiological function is to ward off wind and cold.” Hua shou: “The 21 characters from 巨陽者 to 諸陽主氣也 should be moved to behind [the passage] 傷 寒一日,巨陽受之.”Cheng shide et al.: “These 21 characters are a commentary to the statement ‘all heat diseases belong to the group of ‘harm caused by cold.’’ This is to say, the major yang rules the qi of all the yang [conduits]; it oversees the exterior of the entire body. When cold evil attacks the outside, it will harm first the major yang. When the major yang has received the evil, the muscles and the exterior are closed firmly and the yang...

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