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Huangdi Neijing · The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon
Suwen 14 · Decoctions and Fermented Drinks
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
The Yellow Emperor asked: “How are grain decoctions and fermented drinks prepared?”
Qi Bo replied: “Use rice, cooking it with rice straw as fuel. The rice must be whole and the straw firm.”
The Emperor asked: “Why?”
Qi Bo said: “They obtain the harmony of heaven and earth and what suits high and low ground, so the grain can be perfectly whole. Harvested at the proper time, the straw can be perfectly firm.”
The Emperor asked: “Ancient sages made decoctions and fermented drinks but did not use them. Why?”
Qi Bo said: “Sages prepared them as a precaution. In high antiquity they were made but not taken. In middle antiquity, the Way and virtue gradually declined and harmful influences arrived at times; taking them then ensured recovery.”
The Emperor asked: “Today they do not necessarily end illness. Why?”
Qi Bo said: “Today potent medicinals must be compounded to attack within, and lancing stones, needles and moxa applied outside.”
The Emperor asked: “Why is there no achievement when the form is worn out and blood exhausted?”
Qi Bo said: “Spirit does not exercise its direction.”
The Emperor asked: “What does spirit not exercising direction mean?”
Qi Bo said: “Needles and stones are methods. If essence and spirit do not advance and intention is disordered, illness cannot recover. Now essence is damaged and spirit gone; nutritive and defensive qi cannot be gathered again. Why? Desires have no limit and worries never stop. Essential qi slackens and breaks down; nutritive qi is impeded and defensive qi lost. Thus spirit departs and illness does not recover.”
The Emperor asked: “Illness begins so subtly that it first enters and binds in the skin. Skilled practitioners all say that established illness is called contrary, beyond the reach of needles, stones and good medicines. Yet practitioners possess their methods and keep their reckonings. Relatives and brothers, near and far, have voices heard daily and colors seen daily. When illness still fails to recover, why was there not time to act earlier?”
Qi Bo said: “Illness is the root and the practitioner the branch. When branch and root fail to accord, harmful qi does not submit. This is what is meant.”
The Emperor asked: “What of illness not beginning through the fine body hairs? Yang of the five zang organs is exhausted, and fluids fill the outer enclosure. The po remains alone, essence isolated within and qi consumed outside. The swollen form can no longer fit its clothing. The four extremities become urgent and movement disturbs within. Qi is resisted inside and the form expands outside. How is this treated?”
Qi Bo said: “Regulate evenly according to the balance. Remove what is stagnant, old and accumulated. Gently move the four extremities, use warm clothing and apply crossing needling at the affected places to restore form. Open the ghost gate and cleanse the clear fu. Essence submits in its proper time. Once the five yang are distributed, clear and wash the five zang organs: essence naturally arises, form naturally flourishes, bones and flesh sustain one another, and great qi is balanced.”
Reading note: The classical commentary explains opening the ghost gate as releasing sweat, and cleansing the clear fu as promoting urination. These metaphors are not recast as named modern procedures.
The Emperor said: “Good.”
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