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Huangdi Neijing · The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon
Lingshu 14 · Bone Measurements
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
The Yellow Emperor asked Bo Gao: “The Vessel Measures speaks of long and short channel vessels. How are their lengths established?”
Bo Gao said: “First measure the size, breadth and length of bones and joints. Then the vessel measures are determined.”
The Yellow Emperor said: “I wish to hear ordinary people’s measures. For a person seven chi and five cun tall, what are the sizes and lengths of the bones and joints?”
Bo Gao said: “The great head bones measure two chi and six cun around; the chest four chi and five cun; the waist four chi and two cun.”
“The hair-covered region from skull to nape is one chi and two cun. From below the hairline to the chin is one chi; the gentleman’s measure is taken by folding the divisions.
“From below the throat knot to the collarbone hollow: four cun.
“From the collarbone hollow to the breastbone tip: nine cun. More means a large Lung; less a small Lung.
“From that tip to Tianshu: eight cun. More means a large Stomach; less a small Stomach.
“From Tianshu to the transverse bone: six and a half cun. More means a broad, long returning intestine; less a narrow, short one.
“The transverse bone itself: six and a half cun.
“From its upper edge to the inner supporting bone’s upper edge: one chi and eight cun.
“From that bone’s upper to lower edge: three and a half cun.
“From its lower edge to the inner ankle: one chi and three cun.
“From inner ankle to ground: three cun.
“From below the knee hollow to the instep connection: one chi and six cun.
“From instep connection to ground: three cun.
“Thus large bone circumferences exceed the standard; small ones fall short.”
The gentleman/folding clause is obscure and has variant readings; no missing division is invented. The rare breastbone label is rendered through its location at the Jiuwei region. All dimensions and organ-size claims remain the source’s historical account.
“From below the head corner to the pillar bone: one chi.
“The hidden course within the armpit: four cun.
“From armpit to lowest ribs: one chi and two cun.
“From lowest ribs to hip pivot: six cun.
“From hip pivot to middle of the knee: one chi and nine cun.
“From knee to outer ankle: one chi and six cun.
“From outer ankle to Jinggu: three cun.
“From Jinggu to ground: one cun.”
“Behind the ears at Wangu: nine cun across.
“Before the ears at the ear gates: one chi and three cun across.
“Between cheekbones: seven cun.
“Between nipples: nine and a half cun.
“Between hips: six and a half cun.
“The foot: one chi and two cun long, four and a half cun broad.”
“Shoulder to elbow: one chi and seven cun.
“Elbow to wrist: one chi and two and a half cun.
“Wrist to the middle finger’s root joint: four cun.
“Root joint to fingertip: four and a half cun.
“Below the nape hairline to the back bone: two and a half cun.
“Below the spinal bone to the tail end: twenty-one sections, three chi long. An upper section is one cun and four fen with one further fractional part; the remainder lies below. Thus the upper seven sections to the spinal bone are nine cun and eight fen with seven fractional parts.”
The fractional wording is unclear. Older interpretations differ between smaller-unit readings and remainder calculations. The source’s one/seven fractions and dimensions are retained without silently selecting a decimal, changing the total or converting to modern units.
“These are the ordinary bone measures used to establish channel lengths. In observing vessels on the body, floating and firm, clear and large vessels have much blood; fine and sinking vessels have much qi.”
The supplied “much qi” is retained, distinct from a variant reading of little qi.
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