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Huangdi Neijing · The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon
Lingshu 13 · Channel Sinews
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
“The Foot Taiyang sinew begins at the little toe, binds above at the ankle and obliquely at the knee. Below, it follows the foot’s outer side, binds at the heel and rises to the knee hollow. A divergence binds outside the calf, rises inside the knee hollow and joins there before binding at the buttock, then ascends beside spine and nape. A branch enters to bind the tongue’s root. The straight course binds at the occiput, passes over the head and descends the face to bind at the nose. A branch makes the eye’s upper net and binds below at the cheekbone. Another runs from the armpit’s rear outer edge to the shoulder. Another enters beneath the armpit, emerges at the collarbone hollow and binds at Wangu. Another leaves that hollow obliquely toward the cheekbone.
“Illness brings painful swelling along little toe and heel, contracted knee hollow, backward-bending spine, tense nape sinews, inability to raise the shoulder and twisting pain in armpit and collarbone hollow, preventing turning left or right. Treatment uses heated needles and seizing needling, with the response determining repetitions and pain marking the transporting site. It is named mid-spring obstruction.”
The anomalous shoulder and armpit graphs are read by their route context; no modern muscle or insertion depth is supplied.
“The Foot Shaoyang sinew begins at the toe next to the little toe, binds at the outer ankle, follows the outer shin and binds at the outer knee. A branch starts at the outer supporting bone and rises to the hip: its front portion binds above Futu, its rear at the buttock. The straight course rises over the lowest ribs, follows the front armpit, binds to chest and breast and gathers at the collarbone hollow. It rises from the armpit through that hollow, emerges before Taiyang, follows behind the ear, rises to the forehead’s corner, crosses the crown, descends to the jaw and binds at the cheekbone. A branch binds at the eye corner as the outer support.
“Illness brings cramping along the neighboring little-toe region and outer knee, inability to bend or extend the knee and tense knee-hollow sinews, drawing forward to the hip and backward to the buttock. Pain rises through the lowest ribs, collarbone hollow and breast, with tense neck-supporting sinews. Crossing left to right prevents the right eye opening. It passes over the right head corner and runs with Qiao; left networks to right. Thus injury at the left corner disables the right foot: supporting sinews cross. Treatment uses heated needles and seizing needling, response determining repetitions and pain the site. It is early-spring obstruction.”
The lowest-rib phrase has corrupt graphs; its context is retained without constructing a corrected Chinese sentence.
“The Foot Yangming sinew begins at the three middle toes, binds on the instep, rises obliquely outside to the supporting bone, binds at the outer knee and ascends to the hip pivot, then follows the ribs and belongs to the spine. Its straight course follows the shin and binds at the knee. A branch binds at the outer supporting bone and joins Shaoyang. The straight course follows Futu, binds at the hip and gathers at the genitals. It spreads up the abdomen to bind at the collarbone hollow, rises along the neck beside the mouth, joins the cheekbone, binds below at the nose and joins Taiyang above. Taiyang forms the eye’s upper net; Yangming its lower net. A branch binds before the ear from the cheek.
“Illness brings cramping from the middle toe through the shin, a firm, jumping foot, Futu cramping, swelling before the hip, hernial swelling, tense abdominal sinews drawing to collarbone and cheek, and sudden crooked mouth. Tightness prevents eye closure; heat loosens the sinews and prevents opening. Cold in cheek sinews pulls the cheek and shifts the mouth; heat leaves them slack and unable to draw in, also producing crookedness.
“The text describes horse fat applied to the tense side, white wine mixed with cassia to the slack side, and a mulberry hook to draw it. Fresh mulberry ash is placed in a hollow at seated height; warmed fat is applied to the tense cheek. Fine wine and good roast meat are taken; one who does not drink is urged to do so. It says three applications bring an end. Treatment uses heated needles and seizing needling, response determining repetitions and pain the site. It is late-spring obstruction.”
The hernial modifier is anomalous. The preparation and three-count remain the historical account, without added quantities, heat settings or a reconstructed modern procedure.
“The Foot Taiyin sinew begins inside the great toe’s tip and binds above at the inner ankle. Its straight course networks with the inner supporting bone at the knee, follows the inner thigh, binds at the hip and gathers at the genitals. It ascends the abdomen, binds at the navel, follows within the abdomen, binds at the ribs and spreads through the chest. Its inner course attaches to the spine.
“Illness brings pain from great toe to inner ankle, painful cramping, pain in the knee’s inner supporting bone and inner thigh drawing to the hip, twisting genital pain drawing below toward the navel and both rib-sides, and pain drawing through chest and inner spine. Treatment uses heated needles and seizing needling, response determining repetitions and pain the site. It is early-autumn obstruction.”
“The Foot Shaoyin sinew begins below the little toe, runs with Foot Taiyin’s sinew obliquely below the inner ankle and binds at the heel with Taiyang’s sinew. Together they rise to bind below the inner supporting bone, then follow Taiyin’s sinew up the inner thigh and bind at the genitals. It follows within the spine beside the spinal muscles to the nape and binds at the occiput, joining Foot Taiyang’s sinew.
“Illness brings cramping beneath the foot and pain and cramping at every place it passes and binds. It governs convulsions, spasms and rigidity. An external disorder prevents bending forward; an internal one prevents bending backward. Thus yang illness bends the lower back backward and prevents forward bending; yin illness prevents backward bending. Treatment uses heated needles and seizing needling, response determining repetitions and pain the site; internal illness also uses warming, guiding and medicinal drinks. If this sinew breaks and twists severely, the text says death follows and it cannot be treated. It is mid-autumn obstruction.”
“The Foot Jueyin sinew begins above the great toe, binds before the inner ankle, ascends the shin and binds below the inner supporting bone. It follows the inner thigh, binds at the genitals and networks with the other sinews.
“Illness brings pain from great toe to the front inner ankle, pain at the inner supporting bone, inner-thigh pain and cramping, and impaired genital function. Internal injury prevents rising; cold injury draws the genitals inward; heat injury leaves them extended and unable to retract. Treatment lies in moving water and clearing yin qi. For cramping, it uses heated needles and seizing needling, response determining repetitions and pain the site. It is late-autumn obstruction.”
The moving-water clause is retained generally, without specifying an unmentioned washing or medicinal method.
“The Hand Taiyang sinew begins above the little finger, binds at the wrist, follows the arm’s inner edge and binds behind the elbow’s pointed bone. Flicking there answers above the little finger. It enters and binds below the armpit. A branch follows the rear armpit, circles the shoulder blade, follows the neck, emerges before Taiyang and binds at Wangu behind the ear. Another enters the ear. The straight course emerges above the ear, binds below at the jaw and belongs above to the outer eye corner.
“Illness brings pain from little finger to the rear inner elbow bone, along the inner arm into the armpit, at its rear edge and around the shoulder blade drawing to the neck. Ringing and pain in the ear draw to the jaw; eyes remain dim before sight returns. Tense neck sinews produce sinew-type neck swelling. For cold and heat in the neck, use heated needles and seizing needling, response determining repetitions and pain the site. For swelling, return and use a sharp approach. A root branch rises to the curved jaw, follows before the ear, belongs to the outer eye corner, ascends the jaw and binds at the head corner. Illness brings cramping along its course, treated by the same heated and seizing method. It is mid-summer obstruction.”
The neck-swelling graph and sharp-approach clause are uncertain; no more specific operation is supplied.
“The Hand Shaoyang sinew begins at the tip of the finger next to the little finger, binds at the wrist, follows the forearm and binds at the elbow. It circles the upper arm’s outer edge, rises to shoulder and neck and joins Hand Taiyang. One branch enters at the curved cheek to bind the tongue’s root. Another rises to the curved jaw, follows before the ear, belongs to the outer eye corner, ascends the jaw and binds at the head corner.
“Illness brings cramping along its course and a curled tongue. Treatment uses heated needles and seizing needling, response determining repetitions and pain the site. It is late-summer obstruction.”
“The Hand Yangming sinew begins at the tip of the finger next to the thumb, binds at the wrist, follows the forearm to bind outside the elbow, rises along the upper arm and binds at the shoulder. A branch circles the shoulder blade and runs beside the spine. The straight course rises from shoulder to neck. A branch rises along the cheek and binds at the cheekbone. The straight course emerges before Hand Taiyang, rises to the left head corner, networks over the head and descends to the right jaw.
“Illness brings pain and cramping along its course, inability to raise the shoulder and inability to turn the neck to look left or right. Treatment uses heated needles and seizing needling, response determining repetitions and pain the site. It is early-summer obstruction.”
The displayed shoulder graph is anomalous and is read through its repeated location context.
“The Hand Taiyin sinew begins above the thumb, follows the finger upward and binds behind the fish-like eminence. It runs outside Cunkou, ascends the forearm, binds within the elbow and rises along the inner upper arm. Entering the armpit, it emerges at the collarbone hollow and binds at the front shoulder. It binds above at that hollow and below inside the chest, spreads through the ben region, joins below it and reaches the lowest ribs.
“Illness brings cramping along its course. Severe pain becomes urgent breathing, with tense rib-sides and vomiting blood. Treatment uses heated needles and seizing needling, response determining repetitions and pain the site. It is mid-winter obstruction.”
Ben is the text’s upper-stomach gate region; the repeated label is retained without replacing it with a modern muscle or membrane.
“The Hand Heart Ruler sinew begins at the middle finger, runs with Taiyin’s sinew, binds at the inner elbow, rises along the inner arm and binds below the armpit. It spreads downward before and behind beside the rib-sides. A branch enters the armpit, spreads in the chest and binds at the arm.
“Illness brings cramping along its course, anterior and chest pain, and urgent breathing. Treatment uses heated needles and seizing needling, response determining repetitions and pain the site. It is early-winter obstruction.”
The supplied arm-binding label is retained rather than silently changed to the ben label of the neighboring course.
“The Hand Shaoyin sinew begins inside the little finger, binds beside the pointed bone and above at the inner elbow, enters the armpit, crosses Taiyin, runs inside the breast and binds in the chest. It follows the arm and binds downward at the navel.
“Illness brings internal tightness, the heart bearing the hidden-beam disorder, and elbow netting below. Pain and cramping follow its course, with sinew pain. Treatment uses heated needles and seizing needling, response determining repetitions and pain the site. If hidden-beam disorder forms with spitting of blood and pus, the text says death follows and it cannot be treated.
“In channel-sinew illness, cold causes backward bending and tense sinews; heat leaves them slack and unable to draw in. Yin wilts and fails to function. Tense yang bends backward; tense yin bends forward without straightening. Heated needling addresses cold tightness; it is not used for heat with slack sinews. This is late-winter obstruction. In Foot Yangming and Hand Taiyang, tight sinews make mouth and eyes crooked; tight eye corners prevent promptly looking. Treatment follows the foregoing methods.”
The arm-to-navel course and elbow-netting expression are difficult but remain as supplied, without replacing the arm by a different structure.
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