Library

To understand the constitution of the Zang-Fu organs, one must first clarify the pathways for exhalation, inhalation, and the intake of food and drink. The ancients called the area behind the root of the tongue "Hou" (throat), where "Hou" implies "to monitor," serving as the passage to monitor the entry and exit of Qi, which is the upper opening of the Lung tube. Behind the "Hou" is the "Yan" (pharynx), where "Yan" implies "to swallow," serving as the passage for food and drink to enter the Stomach, which is the upper opening of the Stomach tube. The Yan accepts food, and the Hou accepts air; this is an unchangeable truth since ancient times. From the *Ling Shu* and *Su Wen* until now, over four thousand years have passed, yet no one has identified these errors and corrected them. For instance, that the Yan accepts food into the Stomach is common knowledge; however, the section regarding the Hou monitoring the entry and exit of air is particularly unclear.

It is unknown that the Lungs have two lobes, with their broad surfaces facing the back, four tips facing the chest above, and a small lower segment also facing the chest. The Lung tube divides downward into two branches entering the two lung lobes; each branch divides into nine middle branches, and each middle branch divides into nine small branches. Each small branch grows several tiny twigs, at the ends of which there are no orifices. Their shape resembles *Eucheuma spinosum* (Qilin Cai). The outer skin of the lungs also has no orifices, and what remains inside is all light, floating white foam. There are actually no perforations in the lower part of the lungs, nor are there twenty-four holes for the movement of Qi. The earlier sages' discussion that "inhalation fills the lungs and exhalation empties them" contains such errors that do not require detailed refutation. When human Qi is inhaled inward, the abdomen becomes full and large; this is not the lungs becoming full and large. When Qi is exhaled outward, the abdomen becomes empty and small; this is not the lungs becoming empty and small. Exhalation, inhalation, expectoration of phlegm, vomiting of fluids, spitting saliva, and drooling have absolutely nothing to do with the Lungs.

Behind the Lung tube and in front of the Stomach tube, on both the left and right concave sides, there are two tracheal tubes, as thick as chopsticks. Their upper openings are located below the epiglottis. The left is called the Left Qi Gate, and the right is called the Right Qi Gate. Phlegm, fluids, saliva, and drool exit through these tracheal tubes. The ancients mistakenly attributed symptoms such as cough, wheezing, and stridor to Lung diseases because they observed that these symptoms seemed to originate from the chest. Furthermore, in clinical practice, when external pathogens were present, dispersing methods cured them; when dry phlegm was present, cooling methods cured them; when accumulated heat was present, purgative methods cured them; when Qi deficiency was present, middle-tonifying methods cured them; when Yin deficiency was present, Yin-nourishing methods cured them; when blood stasis was present, blood-dispelling methods cured them. Physicians would be proud of themselves, write books, and claim without doubt that these were Lung diseases.

However, they did not know that the Left Qi Gate and Right Qi Gate tubes descend from both sides of the Lung tube and merge into one tube halfway down the front of the Lung tube, similar to two tree branches merging into one trunk. They are as thick as chopsticks, descend into the Heart, turn left out of the Heart, become as thick as a pen tube, travel from the left rear of the Heart, pass by the left side of the Lung tube through the Lung to the front of the spine, and descend to the coccyx. This is named the Wei Zong Guan (Master Tube of Defensive Qi), commonly known as the Waist Tube. Below the waist, two tubes grow toward the abdomen, as thick as chopsticks. The upper tube connects to the Qi Fu (Qi Mansion), commonly known as Ji Guan You (Chicken Comb Oil), shaped like an inverted chicken comb. The Qi Fu surrounds the Small Intestine. The Small Intestine lies horizontally within the Qi Fu. Between the exterior of the Small Intestine and the interior of the Qi Fu lies the reservoir of Yuan Qi (Original Qi). Yuan Qi is Fire, and Fire is Yuan Qi; this Fire is the source of human life. Food enters the Small Intestine from the Stomach, relying entirely on the steaming and transformation by Yuan Qi. If Yuan Qi is sufficient, food is easily digested; if Yuan Qi is deficient, food is difficult to digest. This records the upper tube growing toward the abdomen. The lower tube likely connects to the spermatic duct in men and the uterus in women. Regarding this single tube alone, careful examination failed to verify it definitively, so I express doubt and leave it for future practitioners to supplement upon opportunity.

The Wei Zong Guan has two tubes on either side of the back, as thick as chopsticks, growing toward the shoulders; two tubes opposite the waist connecting to the Kidneys; two tubes below the waist connecting to the hips; and eleven branches opposite the midline of the spine connecting to the spine. These tubes transport Qi and body fluids. When Qi is abundant and Fire is vigorous, the Qi in the tubes attacks upward, passes the Heart, and exits through the Left and Right Qi Gates via the trachea in front of the Lung tube. Phlegm, fluids, saliva, and drool are substances originally within these tracheal tubes. Why did the ancients mistakenly consider them substances within the Lungs? Because they did not know that tracheal tubes connect and extend in front of the Lung tube. Knowing only that phlegm and fluids come from the chest, they suspected them to be Lung substances, simply because they had never personally seen the Zang-Fu organs. Hand grasping, foot stepping, head turning, body swaying, using movement and storing stillness—all rely on this Qi. When human Qi is inhaled inward, the Qi Fu becomes full; when the Qi Fu is full, the abdomen becomes large. When Qi is exhaled outward, the Qi Fu becomes empty; when the Qi Fu is empty, the abdomen becomes small. The Wei Zong Guan is the mansion for transporting Qi, containing no Blood. If Blood enters the Qi Fu, Blood will exit along with Qi. Ascending, it causes hematemesis and epistaxis; descending, it causes hematuria and hematochezia.

In front of the Wei Zong Guan, extending continuously, as thick as chopsticks, is the Rong Zong Guan (Master Tube of Nutritive Qi), which is the blood vessel, holding Blood. It is equal in length to the Wei Zong Guan, and the Blood within it is irrigated by the Xue Fu (Blood Mansion). The Xue Fu is a sheet of diaphragm below the chest, thin as paper and extremely solid. Its anterior length aligns with the depression of the heart pit, extending from the hypochondrium to above the waist, sloping downwards from front to high to back to low. This refers to the white membrane behind the tongue, which covers the Left and Right Qi Gates and the throat gate.