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Huangdi Neijing · The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon
Suwen 22 · Organ Qi and Seasonal Timing
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
The Yellow Emperor asked: “In treating the human form according to the four seasons and five phases, what follows their order, and what opposes it? I wish to hear the meaning of success and failure.”
Qi Bo replied: “The five phases are Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth. Each in turn is ascendant or subordinate. Through them one knows life and death, judges success and failure, and determines the qi of the five zang organs, the times of easing or aggravation, and the periods of life or death.”
The Emperor said: “I wish to hear it fully.”
Qi Bo said: “Liver governs spring; Foot Jueyin and Shaoyang govern its treatment. Its days are jia and yi. Liver suffers from urgency: promptly use sweet flavor to relax it. Heart governs summer; Hand Shaoyin and Taiyang govern its treatment. Its days are bing and ding. Heart suffers from slackness: promptly use sour flavor to gather it.
Spleen governs long summer; Foot Taiyin and Yangming govern its treatment. Its days are wu and ji. Spleen suffers from dampness: promptly use bitter flavor to dry it. Lung governs autumn; Hand Taiyin and Yangming govern its treatment. Its days are geng and xin. Lung suffers from qi rising contrary: promptly use bitter flavor to discharge it. Kidney governs winter; Foot Shaoyin and Taiyang govern its treatment. Its days are ren and gui. Kidney suffers from dryness: promptly use acrid flavor to moisten it, opening the interstices, bringing forth fluids and freeing qi.”
Illness in Liver recovers in summer. If it does not recover in summer, it worsens in autumn. If death does not occur in autumn, it holds steady in winter and rises toward recovery in spring. Exposure to wind is forbidden.
Liver illness recovers on bing and ding days. Without recovery then, it worsens on geng and xin days. If death does not occur then, it holds steady on ren and gui days and rises toward recovery on jia and yi days. In Liver illness, clarity returns at dawn, illness worsens in late afternoon and is quiet at midnight. Liver desires dispersal: promptly use acrid flavor to disperse it. Acrid supplements it; sour drains it.
Illness in Heart recovers in long summer. Without recovery then, it worsens in winter. If death does not occur in winter, it holds steady in spring and rises toward recovery in summer. Warm food and hot clothing are forbidden.
Heart illness recovers on wu and ji days. Without recovery then, it worsens on ren and gui days. If death does not occur then, it holds steady on jia and yi days and rises toward recovery on bing and ding days. In Heart illness, clarity returns at midday, illness worsens at midnight and is quiet at dawn. Heart desires softness: promptly use salty flavor to soften it. Salty supplements it; sweet drains it.
Illness in Spleen recovers in autumn. Without recovery in autumn, it worsens in spring. If death does not occur in spring, it holds steady in summer and rises toward recovery in long summer. Warm food, eating to fullness, damp ground and wet clothing are forbidden.
Spleen illness recovers on geng and xin days. Without recovery then, it worsens on jia and yi days. If death does not occur then, it holds steady on bing and ding days and rises toward recovery on wu and ji days. In Spleen illness, clarity returns after midday, illness worsens at sunrise and is quiet in late afternoon. Spleen desires relaxation: promptly use sweet flavor to relax it. Bitter drains it; sweet supplements it.
Illness in Lung recovers in winter. Without recovery in winter, it worsens in summer. If death does not occur in summer, it holds steady in long summer and rises toward recovery in autumn. Cold food and drink and cold clothing are forbidden.
Lung illness recovers on ren and gui days. Without recovery then, it worsens on bing and ding days. If death does not occur then, it holds steady on wu and ji days and rises toward recovery on geng and xin days. In Lung illness, clarity returns in late afternoon, illness worsens at midday and is quiet at midnight. Lung desires gathering: promptly use sour flavor to gather it. Sour supplements it; acrid drains it.
Illness in Kidney recovers in spring. Without recovery in spring, it worsens in long summer. If death does not occur in long summer, it holds steady in autumn and rises toward recovery in winter. Exposure to heated treatment, hot food and clothing warmed by a fire is forbidden.
Kidney illness recovers on jia and yi days. Without recovery then, it worsens on wu and ji days. If death does not occur then, it holds steady on geng and xin days and rises toward recovery on ren and gui days. In Kidney illness, clarity returns at midnight, illness worsens in the four seasonal transition periods and is quiet in late afternoon. Kidney desires firmness: promptly use bitter flavor to firm it. Bitter supplements it; salty drains it.
Reading note: The supplied 焠薮 is read in the context of 焠㶼, heating or cautery, in the annotated classical text; no specific modern procedure is substituted.
When harmful qi lodges in the body, it acts through the overcoming relationships. Illness recovers when it reaches the phase generated by the affected phase; worsens when it reaches the phase it cannot overcome; holds steady when it reaches the phase that generates it; and rises toward recovery when it regains its own position. First determine the pulses of the five zang organs. Only then can one speak of the times of easing and aggravation and the periods of life and death.
Reading note: The source repeats 所生 for two relations; the preceding five organ accounts distinguish the generated phase from the generating phase, which this rendering makes explicit.
Liver illness causes pain below both flanks drawing into the lower abdomen, with frequent anger. In deficiency, the eyes are dim and see nothing, the ears hear nothing, and fear is frequent, as though someone were about to seize the person. Treat its channels, Jueyin and Shaoyang. If qi rises contrary, there is headache, deafness or impaired hearing, and swollen cheeks: treat the blood-filled vessels.
Reading note: The supplied 恢 in the flank passages is read contextually as 脇.
Heart illness causes pain within the chest, fullness spreading into the flanks, pain beneath them, pain in the breast, back and between the shoulder blades, and pain inside both arms. Deficiency brings enlargement of chest and abdomen and drawing pain between the flanks and lower back. Treat its channels, Shaoyin and Taiyang, and the blood-filled vessels beneath the tongue. In transformed illness, needle the blood-filled vessel within the hollow behind the knee.
Reading note: The last location follows the supplied 膕中, the knee hollow. It is not replaced with the different 郄 reading found in some annotated editions.
Spleen illness causes a heavy body, a tendency to wilting weakness of the flesh, feet that cannot be drawn back or controlled, frequent spasms while walking and pain under the feet. Deficiency brings abdominal fullness, rumbling intestines, flux of undigested food and failure to digest food. Treat its channels, Taiyin, Yangming and the blood-filled vessels of Shaoyin.
Lung illness causes panting, cough, counterflow qi, pain in shoulders and back, sweating, and pain through the buttocks, private parts, thighs, knees, hip region, calves, shins and feet. Deficiency brings scant qi and inability to complete the returning breath, deafness and a dry throat. Treat its channel, Taiyin, and the blood-filled vessels outside Foot Taiyang and inside Jueyin.
Reading note: The irregular 鴎 in the supplied body-part list is read as 腨, calf, attested in the classical annotated text. The final channel-location wording is retained without adding a modern point number.
Kidney illness causes an enlarged abdomen, swollen shins, panting, cough, a heavy body, sweating during sleep and aversion to wind. Deficiency brings pain within the chest, pain in the upper and lower abdomen, cold counterflow and an unhappy state of mind. Treat its channels, Shaoyin and Taiyang, at their blood-filled vessels.
Liver’s color is blue-green; sweet foods are appropriate. Non-glutinous rice, beef, jujubes and mallow are all sweet. Heart’s color is red; sour foods are appropriate. Small beans, dog meat, plums and Chinese chives are all sour. Lung’s color is white; bitter foods are appropriate. Wheat, mutton, apricots and Chinese scallions are all bitter. Spleen’s color is yellow; salty foods are appropriate. Soybeans, pork, chestnuts and bean leaves are all salty. Kidney’s color is black; acrid foods are appropriate. Yellow millet, chicken, peaches and scallions are all acrid.
Acrid disperses; sour gathers; sweet relaxes; bitter firms; salty softens. Potent medicinals attack harmful influences. The five grains nourish; five fruits assist; five domestic animals enrich; five vegetables complete the supply. Their qi and flavors are combined in consumption to supplement essence and increase qi.
These five classes contain acrid, sour, sweet, bitter and salty flavors, each with its benefit: dispersing or gathering, relaxing or tightening, firming or softening. Through the four seasons and five zang organs, illness is addressed according to the appropriate five flavors.
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