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Chapter 59 Discourse on Qi Palaces1 59-303-3 There are 78 holes on the foot major yang vessel where qi is effused:2 one each at the tips of the two eyebrows.3 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 .4 1 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 locations 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. 2 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. 3 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.” 4 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] 62 Huang Di nei jing su wen {Those [lines] where floating qi is in the skin5 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...

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