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Shan Qi (Hernia) is commonly known in folk medicine as "Small Intestine Qi" (Xiao Chang Qi). However, it is actually not a disease of the Small Intestine. Its associated meridian is the Jueyin Liver Meridian (Jueyin Gan Jing). Among all parts of the human body, only the two hypochondriac regions, the lower abdomen, and the scrotum with testicles are collectively governed by the Liver. The Liver governs the sinews (Jin), and its meridians circulate through the genital organs (Yin Qi). The genital organs are the masters of the sinews. When people engage in excessive drinking or overeating, physical exhaustion, sexual indulgence, or anger, internal fire is stirred. If this fire remains郁 (stagnant) for a long time, dampness (Shi) arises. This causes turbid fluids to coagulate, merge into the blood team (blood level), and flow into the Liver Meridian. Due to the rapid nature of Liver Fire, combined with a sudden invasion of external Cold, pain occurs. In some cases, the pain may ascend into the abdomen. If one were to discuss cold patterns solely as cold, it would be incomplete. Generally speaking, Heat-pattern Shan Qi manifests upon exposure to heat, presenting with red and scanty urine and stool, heat sensation in the lower abdomen and anus, flaccid hanging of the external kidneys (testicles), rigid erection of the penis, and a洪数 (surging and rapid) pulse in all six positions. Cold-pattern Shan Qi manifests upon exposure to cold, presenting with free urination and defecation, cold sensation in the hypochondrium and abdomen, tight retraction of the external kidneys, and a沉细 (deep and fine) pulse. There are also mixed cold-heat patterns where the external kidneys and lower abdomen feel alternately cold or hot, and urination/defecation alternate between obstruction and freedom. Furthermore, pain that wanders without a fixed form belongs to Qi Pain (Qi Tong). Pain with a fixed location and palpable mass is caused by the accumulation of Damp-Phlegm, Food Stagnation, or Blood Stasis in the lower region. Tenderness absent upon pressure indicates a Deficiency pattern. Additionally, if there is a sensation of Qi movement beside the hypochondrium, sometimes swelling and extending horizontally into the yin region with sounds like frog croaking, accompanied by a bearing-down sensation, this is also considered Cold Shan Qi. Regarding cases caused by Dampness: one testicle gradually enlarges while the other shrinks, and the smaller one may eventually disappear, merging into the larger one to form a single large testicle. It feels cold as ice, hard as stone, as large as a goose egg, heavy and painful, radiating up to the lower abdomen, with tendon and vessel traction causing restlessness in sitting and lying down. This occurs when Liver Wood is affected by Dampness; although Liver Wood naturally desires to flourish and spread freely, like a tree benefiting from earth qi to grow easily, here it refers to the accumulation of Dampness, constituting Damp Shan Qi (Shi Shan). Another type involves bodily fever, scrotal enlargement with skin rupture and fluid leakage, and unbearable pain. This results from sexual fatigue, where unclean vaginal fluids invade and moisten, causing steaming heat infection, known as Labor Shan Qi (Lao Shan). Another type presents with bodily fever, sudden onset of mumps (Zhou Che, swelling behind the ears) with redness, swelling, and pain. As the mumps subside, the testicles suddenly swell, one extremely large and the other extremely small, resembling unilateral herniation but not being true herniation. The area beside the ear belongs to the Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian (Shaoyang Dan Jing), which is exterior-interiorly related to the Jueyin Liver Meridian. When the Shaoyang channel contracts Wind-Heat, mumps appear suddenly. Later, the pathogen lingers in the Liver Meridian, so as the mumps decrease, the testicles enlarge. This is also a Heat Shan Qi. Another condition features a scrotum swollen as large as a bucket, the penis retracting inward, dribbling urine unable to pass smoothly, difficulty walking, and lack of agility. This is not Shan Qi but Bladder Qi Disease (Pang Guang Qi). The Kidney and Bladder are exterior-interiorly related. The Kidney governs water metabolism but cannot store alone, thus the Bladder receives it; only through Qi transformation can urine be excreted. Only when Kidney Deficiency allows pathogens to lodge, transmitting illness to the Bladder, does the Bladder receive pathogenic Qi, leading to obstruction and bearing-down, allowing urine to seep into the scrotum. Over months and years, it swells as large as a bucket. Treatment focuses on eliminating Kidney pathogens. For children with unilateral scrotal swelling, treatment should address Food Stagnation. Because undigested food leads to Spleen Dampness descending into the Liver region, causing this condition. One cannot treat it using adult hernia protocols. In women, sudden binding, swelling, and pain in both sides of the lower abdomen near the yin region, or subcutaneous nodules the size of a goose egg, result from Cold Qi accumulating in the Jueyin Liver Meridian. Once the lower abdomen is invaded by Cold Qi, the disease manifests. This is called Yin Shan Qi. Who says women do not suffer from hernias? The general principles are: use Heat-clearing methods for Cold patterns, Dryness-promoting methods for Dampness patterns, and Blood-invigorating methods for Fatigue/Labor patterns. Disperse Food Stagnation if present, attack Pathogens if present, dispel Cold if present. Thus, the treatment will be successful.