心经脉名手少阴经,小肠经脉名手太阳经,肺经脉名手太阴经,大肠经脉
名手阳明经,心包络经脉名手厥阴经,三焦经脉名手少阳经,以各脉俱行于手,故
言手,以别于足经也。肾经脉名足少阴经,膀胱经脉名足太阳经,脾经脉名足太阴
经,胃经脉名足阳明经,肝经脉名足厥阴经,胆经脉名足少阳经,以各经俱行于足,
故言足,以别于手经也。阴阳之分,则从其所系之脏腑而命之耳。然太阳、少阳、
太阴、少阴,四象也。四象之外,又增阳明、厥阴名色,非蛇足乎?则何不直以心
经、小肠经等称称之之为得乎?又《内经》尝以厥阴为一阴,少阴为二阴,太阴
为三阴;少阳为一阳,阳明为二阳,太阳为三阳矣。则又何不以一阴、二阴等称称
之乎?窃谓五脏配五行,六经配六爻。三阴经,坤之三画也;三阳经,干之三画也。
以一、二、三为序命之,似为妥当。而必立此太、少、厥等名色,且泥此生解,支
离牵强,无当病情,千古相沿不改。此庄生所谓,呼牛者姑应以牛,呼马姑应以马耳。
六气,风、热、暑、湿、燥、寒也。风属木;暑、热皆属火,而分热为君火,
暑为相火;(此与心为君火,肾为相火之说各别。)湿属土;燥属金;寒属水,此《内经》之说
也。夫四时之气,春则温,夏则热,秋则凉,冬则寒。然温热蒸而为湿,凉寒肃而
为燥,此四气之外,又添燥、湿二气也。湿极于夏,燥始于秋,故系湿于长夏,系
燥于秋。一以终言,一以始言,乃互文以见意,非谓春无湿而冬无燥也。又四时皆
有风,而属巽木,故系之春,岂夏秋冬无风乎?不言温凉者,以寒热为举隅,非谓
春必当以风易温,秋必当以燥易凉也。此等最宜活看,倘若执运气之说,则于理难
通矣。何则?阴阳水火,相为对待,本无偏胜,故四序不愆。若泥分大寒、立
春、雨水、惊蛰属风木,则混冬月之节令入于春矣。分春分、清明、谷雨、立夏
属热火,小满、芒种、夏至、小暑属暑火,则春夏混乱,火令过多矣。分大暑、立
秋、处暑、白露属湿土,则秋气反多于夏,而土为失位矣。九秋皆属燥气,而
割三节以与相反之湿,止存秋分、寒露、霜降三节,反取立冬一节以益之,牵混破
碎,节序皆愆,尚可信乎?虽云阳有余阴不足,亦何至火二而水一。因分火为热暑
二气,以致此盈彼缩,而四序皆愆,亦何为乎?窃谓温凉寒热四气,分布四时,铁
板不易。燥湿二气,皆属之土,有寒湿,有热湿,有寒燥,有热燥,分布四季,月辰未
为湿土,温热之所蒸也;戌丑为燥土,寒凉之所肃也,是为热湿寒燥。又火在地中而土燥,
坤土次于离火之后是也。水在地中而土湿,艮土次于坎水之后是也。是为热燥寒湿。盖土
德兼该,有如是也。风则无时不有,而秋冬更为凛烈,合之为七气,夫何不可
之有哉。昔人谓《内经》非岐黄书,乃后人之假托,要未必出于一手,故有醇
有疵,分别观之可耳。
The Heart Meridian is named the Hand-Shaoyin Meridian, the Small Intestine Meridian is named the Hand-Taiyang Meridian, the Lung Meridian is named the Hand-Taiyin Meridian, the Large Intestine Meridian is named the Hand-Yangming Meridian, the Pericardium Meridian is named the Hand-Jueyin Meridian, and the Sanjiao (Triple Burner) Meridian is named the Hand-Shaoyang Meridian. Since these meridians all run along the upper limbs (hands), they are designated as "Hand" to distinguish them from the Foot meridians. The Kidney Meridian is named the Foot-Shaoyin Meridian, the Bladder Meridian is named the Foot-Taiyang Meridian, the Spleen Meridian is named the Foot-Taiyin Meridian, the Stomach Meridian is named the Foot-Yangming Meridian, the Liver Meridian is named the Foot-Jueyin Meridian, and the Gallbladder Meridian is named the Foot-Shaoyang Meridian. Since these meridians all run along the lower limbs (feet), they are designated as "Foot" to distinguish them from the Hand meridians. The distinction of Yin and Yang is named according to the Zang-Fu organs they are associated with. However, Taiyang, Shaoyang, Taiyin, and Shaoyin represent the Four Images (Si Xiang). Beyond these four images, the names Yangming and Jueyin were added; is this not superfluous? Why not simply call them by their organ names, such as Heart Meridian or Small Intestine Meridian? Furthermore, the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) once referred to Jueyin as First Yin, Shaoyin as Second Yin, and Taiyin as Third Yin; and Shaoyang as First Yang, Yangming as Second Yang, and Taiyang as Third Yang. Then why not simply use designations like First Yin or Second Yin? I propose that the Five Zang organs correspond to the Five Elements, and the Six Meridians correspond to the Six Lines (Yao) of the I Ching. The Three Yin meridians correspond to the three lines of the Kun trigram; the Three Yang meridians correspond to the three lines of the Qian trigram. Naming them in sequence as One, Two, and Three seems more appropriate. Yet, it was necessary to establish names like Tai, Shao, and Jue, adhering rigidly to these interpretations, leading to forced and convoluted explanations that do not align with clinical reality, yet have been passed down unchanged for millennia. This is what Zhuangzi meant when he said, "If called a cow, one should accept being a cow; if called a horse, one should accept being a horse."
The Six Qi refer to Wind, Heat, Summer-heat, Dampness, Dryness, and Cold. Wind belongs to Wood; Summer-heat and Heat both belong to Fire, but Heat is distinguished as Ministerial Fire (Jun Huo), while Summer-heat is distinguished as Ministerial Fire (Xiang Huo); (this differs from the theory that the Heart is Ministerial Fire and the Kidney is Ministerial Fire). Dampness belongs to Earth; Dryness belongs to Metal; Cold belongs to Water. This is the teaching of the *Huangdi Neijing*. The Qi of the four seasons: Spring is warm, Summer is hot, Autumn is cool, and Winter is cold. However, warmth and heat evaporate to create Dampness, while coolness and cold condense to create Dryness. Thus, beyond these four Qi, Dryness and Dampness are added. Dampness peaks in Summer, and Dryness begins in Autumn; therefore, Dampness is associated with Late Summer, and Dryness with Autumn. One refers to the end, the other to the beginning; this is a rhetorical device where meaning is revealed through mutual context, not implying that there is no Dampness in Spring or no Dryness in Winter. Moreover, Wind exists in all four seasons and belongs to Xun Wood, so it is associated with Spring; does this mean there is no Wind in Summer, Autumn, or Winter? Warmth and Coolness are not listed separately because Cold and Heat serve as examples, not implying that Spring must replace Warmth with Wind, or Autumn must replace Coolness with Dryness. Such matters should be viewed flexibly. If one rigidly adheres to the theories of Five Movements and Six Qi, the logic becomes difficult to reconcile. Why? Because Yin and Yang, Water and Fire, are mutually opposing and balanced, without excess or deficiency, ensuring the seasons proceed without error. If one rigidly assigns Major Cold, Li Chun, Rain Water, and Jingzhe to Wind-Wood, winter solar terms are mixed into spring. Assigning Spring Equinox, Qingming, Guyu, and Lixia to Hot-Fire, and Xiaoman, Mangzhong, Summer Solstice, and Xiaoshu to Summer-heat-Fire, results in confusion between spring and summer, with an excess of Fire commands. Assigning Dashu, Liqiu, Chushu, and Bailu to Damp-Earth causes autumn Qi to exceed summer Qi, displacing Earth. The entire autumn belongs to Dryness, yet three solar terms are carved out to assign to the opposing Dampness, leaving only Autumn Equinox, Hanlu, and Frost Descent, and adding Lidong to compensate. This is forced, mixed, fragmented, and disrupts the order of solar terms; can this be trusted? Although it is said that "Yang is in excess and Yin is deficient," how could Fire occupy two parts while Water occupies only one? By dividing Fire into Heat and Summer-heat, this imbalance occurs, causing the seasons to err. What purpose does this serve? I believe the four Qi of Warmth, Coolness, Cold, and Heat are distributed across the four seasons immutably. Dryness and Dampness both belong to Earth, manifesting as Cold-Damp, Hot-Damp, Cold-Dry, and Hot-Dry, distributed throughout the four seasons. Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei months are Wet Earth, resulting from the steaming of Warm and Hot Qi; Xu and Chou are Dry Earth, resulting from the chilling of Cold and Cool Qi, constituting Hot-Damp and Cold-Dry. Additionally, Fire within the Earth makes Earth dry; Kun Earth follows Li Fire, which is the case. Water within the Earth makes Earth damp; Gen Earth follows Kan Water, which is the case, constituting Hot-Dry and Cold-Damp. Such is the comprehensive nature of Earth. Wind is present at all times, becoming particularly biting in Autumn and Winter. Combined, they form Seven Qi; what harm is there in this? Ancients claimed the *Huangdi Neijing* was not written by Qibo and Huangdi, but forged by later generations, likely not the work of a single hand. Therefore, it contains both essence and flaws, and should be observed critically.