Huangdi Neijing · The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon

Suwen 10 · Formation and Manifestation of the Five Zang Organs

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Heart joins with vessels, its flourishing appears in color, and Kidney governs it. Lung joins with skin, its flourishing appears in body hair, and Heart governs it. Liver joins with sinews, its flourishing appears in nails, and Lung governs it. Spleen joins with flesh, its flourishing appears in lips, and Liver governs it. Kidney joins with bones, its flourishing appears in head hair, and Spleen governs it. Much salty food congeals and impedes the vessels and changes the complexion. Much bitter food withers skin and sheds body hair. Much acrid food tightens sinews and withers nails. Much sour food hardens and contracts flesh and draws back the lips. Much sweet food brings bone pain and loss of head hair. These are injuries of the five flavors. Heart desires bitter, Lung acrid, Liver sour, Spleen sweet and Kidney salty. These are the five flavors’ affinities. The qi of the five zang organs: blue-green like withered grass means death; yellow like an unripe zhi fruit means death; black like soot means death; red like clotted blood means death; white like dry bone means death. These are the five colors manifesting death. Blue-green like kingfisher feathers means life; red like a cock’s comb means life; yellow like a crab’s belly means life; white like pig’s fat means life; black like crow feathers means life. These are the five colors manifesting life. Reading note: The supplied black-color comparison 卷 is read as 炱, soot, following the parallel passage preserved in Huangdi Neijing Taisu. The Chinese source is retained. What arises from Heart is like vermilion wrapped in white silk; from Lung, red wrapped in white silk; from Liver, dark blue wrapped in white silk; from Spleen, a trichosanthes fruit wrapped in white silk; from Kidney, purple wrapped in white silk. These are the outward splendors generated by the five zang organs. Colors and flavors correspond to the five zang organs: white to Lung and acrid; red to Heart and bitter; blue-green to Liver and sour; yellow to Spleen and sweet; black to Kidney and salty. Thus white corresponds to skin, red vessels, blue-green sinews, yellow flesh and black bones. All vessels belong to the eyes; all marrow to the brain; all sinews to the joints; all blood to Heart; all qi to Lung. These sustain the four limbs and eight valleys morning and evening. When a person lies down, blood returns to Liver. Liver receiving blood can see; feet receiving blood can walk; palms receiving blood can grasp; fingers receiving blood can hold. If one goes out from lying down and wind blows upon the body, blood congealed in skin causes painful obstruction; congealed in vessels, impeded flow; congealed in feet, counterflow. In these three, blood moves but cannot return to its openings, producing obstruction and counterflow. People have twelve divisions of great valleys and three hundred fifty-four named small streams, apart from twelve transport points. These are where defensive qi remains and harmful qi lodges. Needles and stones follow them to remove it. At the beginning of diagnosis, five decisions provide the ordering principle. To know the beginning, first establish the mother. The five decisions are the five pulses. Headache and illness at the crown, with deficiency below and excess above, indicate fault in Foot Shaoyin and Greater Yang; severe involvement enters Kidney. Dizziness and obscuration, dim eyes and deafness, with excess below and deficiency above, indicate fault in Foot Shaoyang and Jueyin; severe involvement enters Liver. Abdominal fullness and distention, with support pressing against diaphragm and flanks, counterflow below and obscuration above, indicate fault in Foot Taiyin and Yangming. Cough and upward qi, with counterflow in the chest, indicate fault in Hand Yangming and Taiyin. Agitation at the Heart, headache and illness in the diaphragm indicate fault in Hand Greater Yang and Shaoyin. Small or large, slippery or rough, floating or sinking pulses can be distinguished by the fingers. Images of the five zang organs can be inferred by category; their corresponding sounds understood through attention; subtle diagnosis of the five colors observed with the eyes. Joining pulse and color allows complete assurance. A red-associated pulse arriving panting and firm indicates accumulated qi within, sometimes disturbed by food. It is called Heart obstruction. It arises through external illness and worried thought that leaves Heart deficient, allowing harmful influence to follow. A white-associated pulse arriving panting and floating, with deficiency above and excess below, alarm, and accumulated qi in the chest, panting and deficiency, is called Lung obstruction with cold and heat. It arises from sexual activity while drunk. A blue-green-associated pulse arriving long and springing to both sides indicates accumulated qi below Heart and at the flanks. It is Liver obstruction, arising from cold and dampness, judged by the same method as hernia, with waist pain, cold feet and headache. A yellow-associated pulse arriving large and deficient indicates accumulated qi in the abdomen with counterflow qi: counterflow hernia. The same method applies to women. It arises from rapidly exerting the four limbs and meeting wind while sweating. A black-associated pulse arriving firm and large above indicates accumulated qi in the lower abdomen and genital region: Kidney obstruction. It arises from bathing in cold water and then lying down. In examining unusual pulse and five-color combinations, a yellow face with blue-green eyes, red eyes, white eyes or black eyes does not signify death. A blue-green face with red eyes, red face with white eyes, blue-green face with black eyes, black face with white eyes, or red face with blue-green eyes signifies death.

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