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The Heart governs the blood vessels of the body. The Lung governs the skin and hair (mao) of the body. Skin and hair are the exterior correspondence of the Lung. The Taiyin meridian is the Lung meridian, which circulates Qi and warms the skin and hair. If analyzed in detail, the pathways of the meridians and the division of regions each have their specific dominions. Why? The Du Mai (Governing Vessel) runs along the back, and the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel) runs along the abdomen. The three Yin meridians of the hand travel from the zang organs to the hands; the three Yang meridians of the hand travel from the hands to the head. The three Yang meridians of the foot travel from the head to the feet; the three Yin meridians of the foot travel from the feet to the abdomen. Yin meridians run internally, while Yang meridians run externally. By observing the meridians and distinguishing the regions: when the Qi and Blood of a meridian are abundant, they fill the skin and warm the flesh; when Blood is particularly abundant, it permeates the skin and generates hair. Those who discuss the abundance or scarcity of Qi and Blood in the twelve regular meridians are discussing the normal state; what is stated here regarding filling the skin, warming the flesh, and generating hair refers to observing variations. Hair varies in length, thickness, and quality (beauty or ugliness), depending on the quantity, clarity, turbidity, and strength or decline of Qi and Blood. These differences vary from person to person. Changes due to disease also differ. When hair stands straight up entirely, it indicates a syndrome of external contraction by Wind-Cold. When hair breaks off or falls out, it is a sign of internal exhaustion of the Lung organ. When hair shivers and stands up, it indicates pathogenic invasion of the Taiyang channel. When hair stands erect restlessly, it indicates invasion by deficient evil (false pathogens). When hair becomes scorched, it indicates Cold-Heat residing in the skin and muscles. When hair appears withered, it indicates injury to the zang-fu organs by emotional factors. When hair deteriorates, it indicates Lung Heat where Metal is overcome by Fire. When hair becomes dry and brittle, it indicates malnutrition syndrome (Gan disease) where Earth fails to generate Metal. These are the essentials of diagnostic methods. From this perspective, coarse and long hair indicates abundant Blood, while fine and short hair indicates scarce Blood. Erect and upright hair indicates Excess of Evil, while scorched, dry, and deteriorated hair indicates Deficiency of Healthy Qi. Withered and broken hair presages death, while beautiful and lustrous hair presages life. A skilled diagnostician observes the hair, inspects the complexion, listens to the voice, and correlates pulse findings with symptoms to ascertain the prognosis. As for the number of hair follicles, some say eighty-four thousand, others say one hundred eight thousand, yet the exact number remains unknown. Even if one knew the precise number, why would such a figure be significant? The complexity of meridians and the diversity of pathological conditions were described by ancient sages in the past and verified by former worthies in later times. Even Western medical dissection cannot achieve such detail, let alone the subtlety of acupuncture points and the efficacy of mineral medicines (Shi Yao), which certainly cannot be fathomed by mere technical skill. Thus, modern people fall far short of ancient sages. The Book of Documents states: "In affairs, if one does not model oneself on antiquity, few will succeed."