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Huangdi Neijing · The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon
Suwen 56 · Skin Regions
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
The Yellow Emperor asked: “I have heard that skin has divided regions, vessels guiding channels, sinews knots and networks, and bones measurable dimensions. Their illnesses differ. I wish to hear how the regions are distinguished, left and right, above and below, yin and yang, and the beginning and ending of illness.”
Qi Bo replied: “To know the skin regions, take the channel vessels as the guide. This applies to all channels.”
Yangming’s yang is called Haifei; the same rule applies above and below. All floating networks seen in its region belong to Yangming. Predominantly blue-green color means pain; black obstruction; yellow and red heat; white cold. All five colors together mean cold and heat. Abundant networks let harmful influence enter and lodge in the channel. Yang governs outside; yin inside.
Shaoyang’s yang is called Shuchi; the same rule applies above and below. All floating networks seen in its region belong to Shaoyang. Abundant networks let harmful influence enter the channel. Thus what is in yang governs inward, while what is in yin governs emergence to seep within. All channels follow this.
Reading note: The supplied inward/outward wording is retained alongside the preceding chapter-region account rather than silently regularized.
Taiyang’s yang is called Guanshu; the same rule applies above and below. All floating networks seen in its region belong to Taiyang. Abundant networks let harmful influence enter and lodge in the channel.
Shaoyin’s yin is called Shuru; the same rule applies above and below. All floating networks seen in its region belong to Shaoyin. Abundant networks let harmful influence enter the channel. Its entry pours from the yang region into the channel; its emergence pours from within yin into bone.
The Heart Master’s yin is called Haijian; the same rule applies above and below. All floating networks seen in its region belong to the Heart Master. Abundant networks let harmful influence enter and lodge in the channel.
Taiyin’s yin is called Guanzhe; the same rule applies above and below. All floating networks seen in its region belong to Taiyin. Abundant networks let harmful influence enter the channel. The twelve channels and network vessels constitute the skin regions.
Reading note: Haifei, Shuchi, Guanshu, Shuru, Haijian and Guanzhe preserve the source’s historical region names; they are not replaced with modern dermatological divisions.
The hundred illnesses necessarily begin in skin and hair. When harmful influence strikes, the interstices open; it enters the network vessels. Remaining without leaving, it transmits into the channels; remaining there, it transmits into the fu organs and gathers in intestines and Stomach.
On first entering skin and hair, it raises fine hairs with a chill and opens the interstices. Entering networks makes them abundant and changes their color. Entering channels, it encounters deficiency and sinks within. Remaining between sinews and bones, abundant cold contracts sinews and pains bone; abundant heat loosens sinews and consumes bone, wastes flesh, breaks muscle masses and leaves hair upright and deteriorating.
The Emperor asked: “You speak of twelve skin regions. How do illnesses arise in them?”
Qi Bo said: “Skin is the vessels’ region. Harmful influence lodging in skin opens the interstices and enters the networks. Full networks pour it into channel vessels; full channel vessels let it enter and lodge in fu and zang organs. Thus skin has divided regions. Failure to accord with them produces grave illness.”
The Emperor said: “Good.”
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