Chinese Medicine Series 10:
Explanations of Channels and Points Vol.2
The following post is an excerpt from《Explanations of Channels and Points Vol. 2》from the chapter ‘The Foot Shàoyīn Kidney Channel 足少陰腎經’ translated by Michael Brown and edited by Allen Tsaur. Typesetting is in its final stage and the title is already available on pre-sale at a reduced price on our website:
https://purplecloudinstitute.com/…/explanations-of…/
The Foot Shàoyīn Kidney Channel
足少陰腎經
思蓮子曰：腎經爲足少陰，氣多而血少，與膀胱爲表裏。
Master Sīlián says, the kidney channel is the foot shàoyīn, its qì is copious and blood is scant, it is an exterior-interior [pair] with the bladder.
Third Point of the Kidney Channel
Tài Xī – Great Ravine (KI-3)
腎經第三穴太谿
一名吕細
Alternate name: Thin Spine
穴在内踝後五分，跟骨上動脈陷中，屈足五指乃得穴。男、婦病，有此脈則生，無則死，足少陰所注爲腧土。《素》注：鍼二分，留七呼，灸三壯。
This point is located 5 fēn behind the inner ankle [bone], in the depression above the heel bone, on the pulsating vessel; by contracting the five toes, the point will be located. For the diseases of men and women, if this pulse is present, there will be life; if absent, there will be death. The foot shàoyīn pours here, as the stream and earth point. The Sùzhù states, “Needle 2 fēn, retain for 7 respirations, and moxa 3 cones.”
注：穴名太谿者，腎爲人身之水，自湧泉發源，尚未見動之形，溜於然谷，亦未見動之形，至此而有動脈可見。谿乃水流之處，有動脈則水之形見，故曰太谿。谿者，水之見也；太者，言其淵不測也。
Explanation: this point is named Tài Xī (Great Ravine), as the kidneys are the water of the human body: at the commencing source at Yng Quán (KI-1), there is yet an observable appearance of the pulse; as it gushes into Rán Gu (KI-2), again, there is yet an observable appearance of the pulse; yet, once arriving here, the pulsating vessel becomes observable.
Xī (Ravine) is the place where water flows; where a pulsating vessel is present, the form of water can be observed [there], thus it is called Tài Xī (KI-3). Whereas Xī (Ravine) is the water that can be observed, Tài (Great) is depicting its immeasurable abyss.
腎之本病：熱病汗不出，默默嗜卧，溺黄，傷寒手足厥冷，大便難，消癉。
Principal diseases of the kidneys: febrile disease with absence of sweating, taciturnity with somnolence, yellow urine, cold damage with reversal cold of the hands and feet, difficult defecation, and pure-heat dispersion [thirst].
注：熱病汗不出，默默嗜卧，乃寒邪直中少陰，真少陰症也，宜補之。溺黄者，膀胱熱也，腎與膀胱爲表裏，泄此穴以去其熱。
Explanation: for febrile disease with absence of sweating and taciturnity with somnolence, these are due to the direct strike of cold evil at the shàoyīn; these are true shàoyīn signs, it is appropriate to supplement this [point]. Regarding yellow urine, because the kidneys and the urinary bladder are an exterior-interior [pair], drain this point in order to eliminate the heat.
傷寒手足厥冷，寒甚矣，泄之以去其寒。大便難者，腎司二便，氣化則出，泄此穴則氣調，而大便出矣。消癉者，下消也，乃房事不滿欲之症，腎之邪氣盛，而正氣將絶，急刺此穴，以復正去邪。
When there is cold damage with reversal cold of the hands and feet, this is severe cold, drain this [point] in order to eliminate the cold. Regarding difficult defecation, as the kidneys control both the urine and stool, which will be discharged when qì transformation takes place, by draining this point, the qì will be regulated and the stool will be discharged. Pure-heat dispersion is dispersion [thirst] in the lower [jiāo], this sign is due to an insatiable desire for sexual intercourse; as evil qì is exuberant in the kidneys and the upright qì is on the verge of expiration, urgently pierce this point in order to restore the upright [qì] and eliminate the evil.Post-Scriptum: Vol 1 is available the cheapest with worldwide free shipping on our website under the following link:
https://purplecloudinstitute.com/…/explanations-of…/
Post-Post-Scriptum: Image available through the Wellcome Collection from Lingmen chuanshou Tongren zhimai (Acupuncture Instruction Manual of the Bronze Man), an anonymous manuscript treatise on acupuncture, probably written before 1654.
