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Chapter 37 Discourse on Qi recession 37-212-4 Huang Di asked: “The five depots and six palaces, when they move cold and heat among each other, how [is that]?”1 Qi Bo: “When the kidneys move cold to the spleen,2 [this results in] yong-abscesses, swelling, and being short of qi.3 When the spleen moves cold to the liver, [this results in] yong-abscesses, swelling, and sinew cramps.4 1 Zhang Jiebin: “相移 is to move a disease from its present location to another.” 2 The textus receptus has 肝; the Tai su and the Quan yuanqi edition have 脾instead of 肝. Judged from the structure of the following discourse, “liver” appears indeed to be a mistake here for “spleen.” 3 Wang Bing: “The liver stores the blood. However, when cold enters [the liver], then the yang qi is not dispersed. When the yang qi is not dispersed, then the blood collects and the [flow of the] qi roughens. Hence this results in abscesses and swellings and causes diminished qi (i.e., one is short of breath).” lin yi et al.: “The Quan yuanqi edition and the Jia yi jing have ‘moves cold to the spleen.’ When Wang Bing based his comments on [the presence of the character] ‘the liver,’ he started from an erroneous version.” Zhang Jiebin: “The spleen rules the muscles and the flesh. When it is affected by cold then [its] qi collects and hardens. When it has hardened and does not disperse, this causes swelling and boils. ‘Diminished qi’ [is to say:] when cold abounds, then the yang is depleted below. When the yang is depleted, then there is nothing that could be transformed into qi.” Zhang Zhicong: “The spleen rules the muscles and the flesh. When cold qi transforms itself into heat, then the flesh rots and this causes boils and pus. The spleen collects the original and true qi. [Here] the spleen depot is affected by evil [qi], hence the [original and true] qi is diminished.” Wu Kun: “‘Diminished qi’ [is to say:] The kidneys inhale yin qi. In the present case, the yin qi of the kidneys has moved [elsewhere] and has collected in the spleen. as a result, the yin qi of the kidneys is feeble. There is nothing [the kidneys] could inhale. Hence [the text speaks of] ‘diminished qi.’ ”Hua shou: “The flesh is transformed into pus; hence, this causes boils. The blood is harmed and the qi is diminished. Hence, [the text] states: ‘diminished qi.’ ” 4 Wang Bing: “The spleen depot rules the flesh; the liver depot rules the sinews. When the flesh is warm, then the sinews are relaxed; when the flesh is cold, then the sinews are tense. Hence, the sinews are cramped. When the flesh is cold, then the guard qi accumulates. Hence this causes abscesses and swelling.” 568 Huang Di nei jing su wen When the liver moves cold to the heart, [this results in] craziness and ge-zhong.5 When the heart moves cold to the lung, [this results in] fei-xiao.6 {as for fei-xiao, one drinks one [part] and urinates two [parts]. This is fatal and cannot be treated.}7 5 Wang Bing: “The heart is a yang depot; the spirit is located in it.When cold presses against it (or: accumulates in it), then the spirit becomes confused and leaves. Hence craziness results. The yang qi and the cold press against each other. Hence the diaphragm is blocked and the center is impassable.” Zhang Jiebin: “When the liver moves cold to the heart, it transmits [the cold] to the [depot] it generates. The heart rules the fire; it stores the spirit. When it receives reversely moving cold of a liver evil the spirit becomes confused and craziness results.” Zhang Qi: “隔中 is: the qi of the central burner does not flow freely.” a literal translation of ge-zhong is “barred center ”. We consider this term to be a transliteration of an originally non-Chinese term the meaning of which was lost prior to the lifetime of Wang Bing. 6 yang shangshan: “The heart transmits cold to the lung. When the lung receives cold, it develops heat. When the lung burns, this results in thirst. This is called ‘the lung dissolves.’ ” 2241/27: “消 is short for 消癉, ‘wasting dan.’ The three terms 肺消, 鬲消, and 消渴 refer to [the condition of] 上消, ‘upper wasting,’ when [a person] drinks a lot but his thirst does not end.” We consider 肺消 to be a term of foreign or non-Han Chinese...

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