燥金秋令。属处暑后寒露前。而其上为阳明者。前此湿土溽蒸埃昏。阳而不明。至处暑则气物敛收。阳气已高。天
晶地明。故曰阳明。非在人两阳合明于胃之阳明也。胃应相火。旺于巳午。故曰阳明者午也。若在主令司天。则为燥金。
属七八月。在人属肺。故肺主秋令也。燥金者生于湿土母腹。至此则出三庚伏后。凉风至而秋敛成。故曰燥金司天。则
标本同气。人以手太阴肺应之。故阳明所至为浮虚。金气过敛。阴营不副。外伤表气故也。为鼽肺主鼻也。为尻阴股膝
足病。燥伤肾也。为胁痛皴揭。燥伤肝也。自病皮毛。甲错而皴揭。皆燥病也。为鼽嚏。金寒而肃敛也。要以燥胜
则干。故诸病起也。是以岁金太过。邪伤肝木。民病两胁下少腹痛。目赤 伤。耳无闻。木不能舒。气敛不营。反生火
就燥。劫其本气。故见诸症。甚则体重烦冤。体重者。肃杀之甚。无生动之气也。烦冤者。肝气逆而不舒也。经曰。肾
虚脾虚肝虚。皆令人体重烦冤。又肝不及。令人胸痛引背。两胁满。痛引少腹。前言两胁下少腹痛者。病肝脏之气也。
此复言两胁满且痛引少腹者。病肝脏之经也。盖脏气外应运气。故所感必先病脏气。而后及经脉。诸脏皆然。与四时猝
然感冒。先皮毛而次入经脉者不同也。甚则喘咳逆气。肃杀太甚。则金气自虚。而火气来复也。肩背痛。尻阴股膝髀
皆病。金气虚其经。而又下及所生之水脏也。暴痛 胁。不可反侧。金收则木生令收气峻而生气伏。故肝胆病也。至
夫燥淫所胜。筋骨肉变。民病左 胁痛。伤肝甚也。寒清于中。感而成疟。金木相搏。寒热格拒。故成疟也。咳腹中鸣。
注泄 溏。咳为肺家自伤。腹鸣为肺气 隘。中焦不治。注泄 溏。为寒清过甚。而伤中也。心胁暴痛。不可反侧。木
干火抑。火木俱损。故痛不可转也。嗌干面尘。燥伤廉泉。故干。血不华色。故尘。腰痛 疝。肝感寒清。而下蕴结也。
目昧 伤疮痤。皆木郁而火遏于经也。盖阳和者物之生。 敛者物之死。金燥过。则肺心脾肾皆病。不止肝病矣。若金
不及。而火乘之。则又病肩背瞀重鼽嚏。肩背之重。由肺气之失位也。鼽嚏之来。寒乘则见。热乘亦见也。至若血便注
下。火伤二肠。金化不能及也。若乃金郁者。咳逆胁满。引小腹。善暴痛。不可反侧。皆肺气自壅也。故满引小腹。脉
气不行于下也。痛不可反侧。金不行。则木气不达也。又嗌干面尘色恶。皆燥胜则干也。病机曰。诸气 郁。皆属于肺。
郁者。若咳喘鸣仰息胸胁痛。支满引少腹之类。诸气则诸经之气也。又曰。诸痿喘呕。皆属于上。金燥其荣伤筋。故
痿属肺上焦。郁而不通故喘。且呕唯肺气不行。故胃气乃逆。所以属上也。金燥之令。大概如此。司天与此略同。而主
客乘除皆可察矣。
Dryness corresponds to the seasonal command of Autumn. It occurs after Chushu (End of Heat) and before Hanlu (Cold Dew). The reason it is called Yangming (Two Yangs Combining into Brightness) is that prior to this, the damp earth qi causes humid steaming and dusty obscurity; yang is present but not bright. Upon reaching Chushu, the climate and things begin to gather and store; yang qi has reached its peak, the sky becomes crystal clear, and the earth becomes bright, hence it is called Yangming. This does not refer to the Yangming of the Stomach channel where two yangs combine into brightness in the human body. The Stomach corresponds to Ministerial Fire, which prospers during the Si and Wu hours; thus, Yangming refers to the Wu hour. If it governs the main command or acts as the Sovereign Heaven (Si Tian), it manifests as Dry Metal. This belongs to the seventh and eighth lunar months. In the human body, it corresponds to the Lung, so the Lung governs the Autumn command. Dry Metal is born from the womb of Damp Earth; by this time, after passing three Geng days of the Sanfu period, cool winds arrive, and autumnal gathering is formed. Therefore, when Dry Metal governs the Sovereign Heaven, the Root and Mark are of the same qi. The human body responds to this via the Hand-Taiyin Lung channel. Thus, what arrives with Yangming manifests as floating and deficient pulse. This is because Metal qi over-gathers, causing Yin-Nutritive qi to fail to correspond, resulting in external injury to the exterior qi. Nasal congestion and runny nose (Qiu) occur because the Lung opens into the nose. Diseases of the sacrum, yin region, thighs, knees, and feet occur because dryness injures the Kidney. Hypochondriac pain and skin cracking/peeling (Cunjie) occur because dryness injures the Liver. When dryness affects the skin and hair itself, causing rough, scaly skin (Jiacuo) and cracking/peeling, these are all manifestations of dryness disease. Nasal congestion and sneezing (Qiu Ti) occur because Metal qi is cold and肃ly gathers. In essence, when dryness prevails, dryness results, so various diseases arise. Therefore, when the annual Metal qi is excessive, evil injures Liver Wood. The people suffer from pain in the lower hypochondrium and lower abdomen, red eyes with injury, and deafness. This is because Wood qi cannot relax; qi gathers without nourishing, generating fire that seeks dryness, robbing the root qi, hence these symptoms appear. In severe cases, there is heaviness of the body and vexation/oppression. Heaviness of the body indicates excessive肃-kill energy with no dynamic life force. Vexation/oppression indicates rebellious Liver qi failing to relax. The Classic states: Kidney deficiency, Spleen deficiency, and Liver deficiency all cause heaviness of the body and vexation/oppression. Furthermore, if Liver qi is insufficient, it causes chest pain radiating to the back, fullness in both hypochondria, and pain radiating to the lower abdomen. The previously mentioned pain in the lower hypochondrium and lower abdomen refers to pathology of the Liver Zang qi. The subsequent mention of fullness and pain in both hypochondria radiating to the lower abdomen refers to pathology of the Liver Meridian. Generally, because Zang qi externally corresponds to the Annual Luck (Yun Qi), pathogenic factors first affect the Zang qi before involving the meridians. This applies to all Zang organs, differing from sudden cold damage in the four seasons, which first affects the skin and hair before entering the meridians. In severe cases, wheezing, coughing, and rebellious qi occur because肃-kill is too extreme, causing Metal qi to become deficient internally, leading to the return of Fire qi. Shoulder and back pain, along with diseases of the sacrum, yin region, thighs, knees, and thighs (Bi), occur because Metal qi is deficient in its meridian and further affects the generated Water Zang (Kidney). Sudden hypochondriac pain preventing turning to either side occurs because Metal's gathering makes Wood's generation command restrictive, suppressing the generative qi, thus causing Gallbladder and Liver disease. Regarding excessive Dryness淫 (Yin), bones, sinews, and flesh change; the people suffer from left-sided hypochondriac pain, indicating severe Liver injury. Cold and clear qi in the middle, contracted to form Malaria, occurs because Metal and Wood contend, with cold and heat blocking each other, thus forming Malaria. Cough, borborygmus in the abdomen, projectile diarrhea, and loose stools: Cough is self-injury of the Lung; borborygmus is due to narrowness of Lung qi, failure of the Middle Jiao to regulate, and projectile diarrhea/loose stools result from excessive cold/clear qi injuring the Middle Jiao. Sudden pain in the heart and hypochondrium preventing turning to either side occurs because Wood interferes and Fire is suppressed, damaging both Fire and Wood, hence pain prevents turning. Dry throat and dusty complexion occur because dryness injures Lianquan, causing dryness; blood fails to flourish the complexion, causing a dusty appearance. Lower back pain and hernia occur because the Liver contracts cold/clear qi, leading to accumulation below. Blurred vision, eye discharge, sores, and acne all occur because Wood is depressed and Fire is blocked in the meridians. Generally, warm and harmonious qi is the generation of things; gathering/constricting is the death of things. If Metal dryness is excessive, the Lung, Heart, Spleen, and Kidney all become diseased, not just the Liver. If Metal qi is insufficient and Fire exploits it, shoulder and back oppression, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing recur. Shoulder/back heaviness stems from Lung qi losing its proper position. Nasal congestion/sneezing appears whether exploited by Cold or Heat. As for bloody stool and projectile diarrhea, Fire has injured the Large and Small Intestines, beyond the reach of Metal's transformation. If Metal is depressed, there is coughing with rebellious qi, hypochondriac fullness radiating to the lower abdomen, frequent sudden pain, and inability to turn sides; all these are self-obstruction of Lung qi. Fullness radiating to the lower abdomen indicates pulse qi cannot flow downward; pain preventing turning indicates Metal qi stagnates, so Wood qi cannot reach. Again, dry throat, dusty complexion, and poor color are all due to dryness prevailing causing dryness. The Pathogenesis says: All qi depressions belong to the Lung. Depression includes cough, asthma, wheezing, orthopnea, chest/hypochondriac pain, distension radiating to the lower abdomen, etc. "All qi" refers to the qi of all meridians. It also says: All atrophy, asthma, and vomiting belong to the Upper Jiao. Metal dryness damages the flourishing and sinews, so atrophy belongs to the Lung/Upper Jiao. Depression and obstruction cause asthma. Vomiting occurs only when Lung qi fails to descend, causing Stomach qi to rebel, hence it belongs to the Upper. Such is the general nature of the Metal-Dryness command. The Sovereign Heaven case is roughly similar, and the multiplication/division of Host and Guest can be observed.