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Huangdi Neijing · The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon
Lingshu 19 · The Qi of the Four Seasons
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
The Yellow Emperor asked Qi Bo: “The four seasons’ qi have differing forms and illnesses each have their origin. What determines the Way of moxibustion and needling?”
Qi Bo replied: “Each season’s qi has its location. Obtaining the qi opening determines moxibustion and needling. In spring, address channel blood vessels and flesh divisions: deeply for severe illness, shallowly for lesser illness. In summer, address abundant channels, small networks and dividing intervals, passing the skin. In autumn, address channel streams; for harmful influence in the fu, their seas. In winter, wells and springs, with depth and retention.”
“For warm intermittent fever without sweat, the text gives fifty-nine punctures.”
“For Wind water with skin distension, it gives fifty-seven punctures, addressing all the skin’s blood-bearing sites.”
The displayed repeated anomalous graph is read as water from this and the later water-disorder context.
“For diarrhea with undigested food, supplement above the three yin and supplement Yinlingquan, retaining both long and stopping when warmth moves.”
The source’s “above the three yin” wording is retained without silently substituting a named point from a different reading.
“For cramping in yang, treat yang; for cramping in yin, treat yin. In both, needle promptly.”
“For isolated water disorder, first address three cun below Huangu with the sword needle. After needling, the account describes tubing, insertion and repeated entry to exhaust the water. Firmness is required; slow arrival brings vexation and bending, swift arrival calm. Needle once on alternate days and stop when the water is exhausted.
“Drink medicinals for blockage. At needling, give only the drink; when drinking, no food, and when eating, no drink. Eat no other foods. One hundred thirty-five days.”
The source’s water graph is anomalous. Huangu, tubing, firmness and the unfinished dietary-duration account have differing or unclear readings. The quantities and actions are retained at their supplied level; no tube placement, medicinal formula, named food or completed modern regimen is invented.
“For fixed obstruction that does not leave and longstanding cold that does not cease, promptly address Sanli.”
“For intestinal difficulty, address Sanli: drain abundance, supplement emptiness.”
“For li-Wind, first needle above the swelling, then use a sharp needle there and press out the bad qi until swelling is gone. Keep to the prescribed food and eat no other food.”
Li-Wind remains a historical disorder name; the source does not specify the food or supply a modern diagnosis here.
“Constant abdominal rumbling, qi rushing to the chest, panting and inability to stand long mean harmful influence is in the Large Intestine. Needle the source of huang, Juxu Shanglian and Sanli.”
“Lower abdominal pulling on the testicles, drawing into lower back and spine and rushing toward the heart means harmful influence is in the Small Intestine. It connects the testicular attachment, belongs to the spine, passes Liver and Lung and networks with the Heart connection. Abundant qi counterflows upward to intestines and stomach, steams the Liver, spreads through huang and binds at the navel.
“Address the huang source to disperse it, Taiyin to support it, Jueyin to send it downward and Juxu Xialian to remove it. Press along its channel course to regulate it.”
“Frequent bitter vomiting, long sighs and fluttering in the heart, with fear of being seized, mean harmful influence is in the Gallbladder and counterflow in the Stomach. Gallbladder fluid leaking makes the mouth bitter; Stomach counterflow makes the vomit bitter: vomiting gall. Address Sanli for downward action. If Stomach qi counterflows, needle Shaoyang blood networks to stop Gallbladder counterflow, then regulate emptiness and repletion and remove the harmful influence.”
The compressed Sanli/downward wording is retained without adding a location below the point or another point.
“If food and drink do not descend and the diaphragm is blocked, harmful influence is in the stomach cavity. At the upper cavity, needle to restrain and send it down; at the lower cavity, disperse and remove it.”
“Lower abdominal pain and swelling with inability to urinate mean harmful influence is in the Triple Burner’s binding. Address Taiyang’s great network. Inspect its networks and Jueyin’s small networks for binding and blood. If swelling rises to the stomach cavity, address Sanli.”
“Seeing complexion and examining it to know scattering and return means observing eye color to know whether illness remains or is gone. Attending wholly to form and listening to movement and stillness means holding Qikou and Renying to observe the pulses. Firm, abundant and slippery pulses mean illness advances daily; soft pulses mean it is about to decline. With repletion in the channels, the text says illness ceases in three days. Qikou observes yin; Renying yang.”
The displayed opening omits the object after “examining.” The following eye-color explanation is retained without silently adding a Chinese word.
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