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The Classic states: The Pericardium (Xin Bao Luo) serves to protect the Heart Master, preventing turbid Qi from invading it, just as a monarch has a palace city for protection.

It is also stated that regarding the Hand-Jueyin Pericardium Meridian, the *Nan Jing* (Classic of Difficult Issues) describes it as formless.

Hua Boren said: The Pericardium, also known as the Hand-Center Master, can be verified by the visceral manifestations. The Heart is located above the horizontal diaphragm and below the vertical diaphragm; the tissue adhering to the horizontal diaphragm and wrapped in yellow fat is the Heart. Outside this yellow fat, there are fine fibrous membranes like silk connecting to the Heart and Lungs; this is the Pericardium. This view is correct, and the claim that the Pericardium is formless is incorrect.

Furthermore, examining the "Treatise on the Secret Canon of the Twelve Officials" in the *Ling Shu*, the office of the Pericardium is missing, while an extra section appears: "The Danzhong (Chest Center) is the official of the minister, where joy and laughter originate." Upon examination, the Pericardium resides above the diaphragm, with its meridian starting in the chest, precisely at the location of the Danzhong. Occupying the position of Ministerial Fire, it acts on behalf of the Sovereign, truly serving as a ministerial official. This office is undoubtedly the Pericardium.

It is also stated: The Hand-Jueyin Meridian is the Pericardium Meridian.

It is also stated: This meridian has abundant Blood but scarce Qi.

It is also stated: At Xu hour (7-9 PM), blood flows into the Pericardium.

Tonification herbs: Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix).
Purgation herbs: Zhi Qiao (Aurantii Fructus), Wu Yao (Linderae Radix).
Warming herbs: Rou Gui (Cinnamomi Cortex).
Cooling herbs: Zhi Zi (Gardeniae Fructus).
Guiding herbs (Yin Jing Bao Shi): Chai Hu (Bupleuri Radix), Qing Pi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride), Chuan Xiong (Chuanxiong Rhizoma).

The *Ling Shu* states: Among the Twelve Yuan-Source points, Da Ling (PC7) of the Pericardium Meridian serves as the Yuan-Source point of the Heart, indicating that the True Heart does not accept pathogenic factors, thus confirming that the Hand-Center Master substitutes for the Sovereign Fire.

It is also stated: When this meridian is disturbed, symptoms include heat in the palm, spasm and stiffness of the arm and elbow, swelling of the axilla, and if severe, distension and fullness in the chest and hypochondrium, palpitations (heart beating heavily), red face, excessive laughing, and yellow eyes. These are the primary manifestations of the Pericardium.

Song of Guiding Herbs for the Hand-Jueyin Pericardium Meridian:
At Xu hour, for the Pericardium, use Bai Jiang Cao, Chai Hu, and Bai Zhu; Mu Dan Pi, Shu Di Huang, and Sha Shen; along with herbs descending the meridians, Qing Pi, Chai Hu, and Shu Di Huang are compatible.

The Classic states: The San Jiao (Triple Burner) is the official of drainage, through which water passages flow.

The *Zhong Zang Jing* states: The San Jiao is the Qi of the Three Primes (San Yuan) in the human body, governing ascending, descending, exiting, and entering, and commanding all Five Zang and Six Fu organs, Ying and Wei, meridians, and the Qi of the interior, exterior, left, right, upper, and lower.

When the San Jiao is unobstructed, the interior, exterior, left, right, upper, and lower are all unobstructed. It irrigates the entire body, harmonizes the interior and exterior, nourishes the left and protects the right, guides the upper and vents the lower. It is called the Mansion of Middle Clarity, and nothing surpasses it. Its color is the reddest, protecting all Yang aspects; it is not something without form or mere empty name.

The Classic states: The Hand-Shaoyang Meridian is the San Jiao Meridian.

It is also stated: This meridian has scarce Blood but abundant Qi.

It is also stated: At Hai hour (9-11 PM), Qi and Blood flow into the San Jiao.

The *Ling Shu* states: The Upper Burner is like mist, the Middle Burner like fermentation, and the Lower Burner like a ditch.

The *Ru Men* states: The Upper Burner primarily outputs Yang Qi, warming the skin and muscle interstices like mist and dew, hence "Upper Burner like mist." The Middle Burner primarily transforms the flavors of food and drink; its essence ascends to the Lung, transforms into Blood, travels through the vessel tunnels, and nourishes the Five Zang organs and the whole body, hence "Middle Burner like fermentation." The Lower Burner primarily facilitates urination and defecation, transmitting downward in due time, expelling without retaining, opening blockages, hence "Lower Burner like a ditch."

It is also stated: Without the Upper Burner, how could the Heart and Lungs command Ying and Wei? Without the Middle Burner, how could the Spleen and Stomach rot and ripen food and drink? Without the Lower Burner, how could the Liver and Kidneys drain fluids? Though formless, it has function and governs all Qi. The San Jiao is the pathway of food and drink and the beginning and end of Qi.

The *Zheng Zhuan* states: The San Jiao refers to the body cavity, acting as the general manager containing the intestines and stomach. Above the hui membrane in the chest is the Upper Burner; below the hui membrane and above the navel is the Middle Burner; below the navel is the Lower Burner. Collectively named the San Jiao.

Li Dongyuan said: The Upper, Middle, and Lower Burners constitute one Qi, guarding the body. The San Jiao is not a proper Fu organ; it is formless yet functional.

The *Ru Men* states: The San Jiao is the Fu organ of Bing Fire, so when it manifests, it appears as rootless Ministerial Fire.

The Classic states: Overflow from the Lower Burner leads to edema.

The Classic states: The Hand-Shaoyang San Jiao Meridian is interior-exterior paired with the Hand-Jueyin Pericardium Meridian. The San Jiao is the pathway of food and drink and the beginning and end of Qi. The Upper Burner is below the heart, piercing the diaphragm, governing intake without output; its treatment site is the Danzhong, directly between the breasts. The Middle Burner is in the middle of the stomach, four cun above the navel, neither high nor low, governing the rotting and ripening of food and drink; its treatment site is beside the navel. The Lower Burner is below the navel, near the bladder, governing the separation of clear and turbid, expelling without retaining, for transmission; its treatment site is one cun below the navel, at Guanyuan. The San Jiao is the Qi of the Three Origins. (Nei sounds like Na. The Upper Burner outputs Yang Qi, warming the skin and muscles like mist and dew. The Middle Burner transforms food flavors into Blood to nourish the Five Zang and Six Fu. The Lower Burner facilitates passage, urine transmits downward in time, so it exits but does not enter. Sou sounds like Sou.)

The *Jiu Xu* says: The Middle Burner also merges with the stomach, emerging after the Upper Burner. Here the Kidney receives Qi, separates dregs, steams fluids, transforms their essence, and sends it up to the Lung meridian, where it becomes Blood to sustain life, thus traveling alone in the vessel tunnels, named Ying Qi. Hence, "Middle Burner like fermentation." Zhang Zhongjing said: If the Lower Burner is disharmonious, there will be heavy stool and difficult defecation, and pounding pain in the umbilical and abdominal region. Thus, it is said: The San Jiao resides in the chest.

The *Mai Jue* says: The San Jiao has no form, only an empty name. I believe the San Jiao is the Qi of the Three Origins; it is actually not formless, but merely does not exclusively govern one Zang organ. Since it is the special envoy of Original Qi and a transforming Fu organ, and since the Twelve Meridians begin at the Middle Burner, often traveling with Wei Qi, Bian Que pointed to it as the pathway of food and drink and the beginning and end of Qi. The Upper Burner emerges from the upper orifice of the stomach, goes up the throat, pierces the diaphragm, distributes in the chest, travels to the axilla, and reaches the Taiyin division. The Middle Burner also merges with the stomach, emerging after the Upper Burner. The Lower Burner branches from the ileum, pours into the bladder, and渗 (seeps) therein. The Hand-Jueyin Pericardium is its union. The Pericardium network spreads to the San Jiao, and the San Jiao meridian scatters to network the Pericardium. If there were no form, what would it rely on? From where would the Pericardium attach to transmit and transform?

The *San Yuan Can Zan* says: Its body is a palm-shaped fatty membrane, opposite the bladder, with white vessels emerging from it, flanking the spine and penetrating the brain. I privately hold that "like mist and fermentation" metaphorically describes its thin and clear areas, while "like a ditch" refers to the area seeping into the bladder. It is also named Outer Mansion and Empty Viscus, which is true. Fan said: That the San Jiao is named but formless correctly reflects the meaning of excess in Zang and Fu. If there were only Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung, and Kidney, without the Fu organ where the San Jiao resides, the human body would be separate from Heaven and Earth.

It is also stated: Those who say there are five Zang and Fu mean that the Hand-Center Master is not a Zang, and the San Jiao is not a Fu. Those who say there are six Zang and Fu combine the Hand-Center Master and the San Jiao.

The *Nan Jing* asks: Why are there only five Zang but six Fu? The six Fu include the San Jiao. It has distinctions of Original Qi, governs all Qi, is named but formless, its meridian belongs to the Hand-Shaoyang, and it is an external Fu, hence "six Fu."

It also says: There are Twelve Meridians, Five Zang and Six Fu, totaling eleven. What is the extra meridian? The extra meridian is the distinct pulse of the Hand-Shaoyin and the Hand-Center Master. The Hand-Center Master and the San Jiao are interior-exterior paired, both named but formless, hence "Twelve Meridians." Because they do not exclusively govern one Zang, they are described as named but formless.

The *Zheng Li Lun* says: The San Jiao is named but formless, joining the Hand-Center Master above and the Right Kidney below, leading to theories of Mingmen and San Jiao interior-exterior pairing. Little do they know that the Ministerial Fire of the Pericardium attaches to the name of the Right Kidney. Human Zang and Fu have fixed Yin-Yang pairs; how can one meridian pair with two? Saying it joins the Hand-Center Master means they are interior-exterior; saying it joins the Right Kidney means it combines with the Pericardium's Ministerial Fire, and since the San Jiao is the special envoy of Original Qi, understanding this reveals that Mingmen and Kidney connect, and the San Jiao has no dual pairing.

The *Mai Jue* says: A floating pulse at the Right Chi indicates Wind-Evil lodging in the Lower Burner, causing hot constipation. Floating and deficient indicates insufficient Original Qi. Deep indicates Water disease, waist and leg pain. Deep and fine indicates dysentery, cold pain pressing at the navel. Slow indicates cold diarrhea, cold lower abdomen, heavy waist and legs. Rapid indicates red urine, dry stool. Floating-rapid indicates Exterior Heat, Deep-rapid indicates Interior Heat. Slippery indicates flourishing Ministerial Fire, nocturnal emission, Yin deficiency. In women, a slippery pulse indicates pregnancy. Choppy indicates dry stool, decline of Body Fluids; other diagnostic methods are the same as the Kidney pulse.

It is also stated: When this meridian is disturbed, symptoms include deafness with muffled hearing, swollen throat, and throat obstruction. These primarily reflect Qi disorders.

Song of Guiding Herbs for the Hand-Shaoyang San Jiao Meridian:
At Hai hour, for the San Jiao, use Di Gu Pi, Chuan Xiong, Bai Zhu; Fu Zi, Qing Pi, Chai Hu, and Shu Di meet; Bai Hu Tang and Xi Xin are included; Qing Pi and Chai Hu descend together with Chuan Xiong.

It is also stated: All treatment methods imitate those used for the Heart Meridian.

Zhang Congzheng (Hai Zang) said: The Upper Burner is like mist; if the mist does not disperse, there is wheezing and fullness, which is exit without entry. The Middle Burner is like fermentation; if fermentation is unfavorable, there is retained fluid. If retained fluid does not dissipate, it becomes long-term fullness in the middle, which is inability to enter above and exit below. The Lower Burner is like a ditch; if the ditch is unfavorable, there is swelling and fullness, which is ability to enter above but not exit below.

The *Ling Shu* states: Rising from the center of the nasal bridge is the San Jiao, representing restraint.

It is also stated: In San Jiao disease, there is abdominal Qi fullness, especially hardness in the lower abdomen, inability to urinate, urgency, and if water remains, it becomes distension.

It is also stated: Pain and swelling in the lower abdomen, inability to urinate, is evil constrained in the San Jiao.

The Classic states: The San Jiao is the pathway of food and drink for the Upper, Middle, and Lower Burners. Its diseases primarily concern the patency of urination and defecation.

Tonification herbs: Huang Qi, Gan Cao, Yi Zhi Ren.
Purgation herbs: Ze Xie.
Warming herbs: Fu Zi.
Cooling herbs: Shi Gao.
Guiding herbs: Chai Hu, Qing Pi, Chuan Xiong.