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(Su Wen: Qi Xue Lun, continuing from the previous chapter)
The Yellow Emperor said: I have already known the locations of Qi acupoints and the places where needles travel. I wish to hear whether Sun Luo (collaterals of collaterals) and Xi Gu (valleys between muscles) also have corresponding correspondences? ("You Zhen Zhi Ju" refers to the places where needles can travel. "Sun Luo" refers to the small, branching collateral vessels. The meaning of "Xi Gu" is seen later.) Qibo replied: There are three hundred and sixty-five intersections of Sun Luo and acupoints, which also correspond to the days in a year. (The term "Xue Hui" [acupoint intersection] implies that collaterals and acupoints meet here. Acupoints are deep internally, while collaterals are shallow externally; their meeting internally and externally is thus called "Xue Hui". It does not mean that there are another three hundred and sixty-five Luo points outside the Qi acupoints.) Their function is to overflow with odd pathogens and to unblock Ying Wei (Nutritive and Defensive Qi). ("Yi" means to pour or fill. "Qi" means abnormal. Pathogens entering from the skin and hair and overflowing into the collaterals flow from left to right and right to left, having no fixed location and not entering the meridians; this is called "Qi Xie" [odd pathogen]. The Qi of the exterior and interior is connected through the collaterals, thus unblocking Ying and Wei. Ying and Ying are used interchangeably, as below.) If Ying Wei stagnate, Wei Qi scatters and Ying Qi overflows, leading to internal exhaustion of Qi and external stasis of Blood, it manifests externally as fever and internally as shortness of breath. (Pathogens remaining in Ying Wei cause Wei Qi to scatter and Ying Qi to overflow. Internal exhaustion of Qi results in shortness of breath. Blood stasis in the meridians results in fever. "Zhuo" [pronounced zhi lüè qiē] means retention and stagnation.) One should employ rapid draining techniques without delay to unblock Ying Wei. Upon seeing pathological condensation, drain it by needling, without questioning whether it is an intersection point of meridians. (When pathogens lodge in the collaterals, they affect Ying Wei; thus, rapid draining allows Ying Wei to flow freely. "Ji" means fast. However, when draining collaterals, one may needle wherever condensation is visible, without needing to ask if it is a meridian intersection.) The Yellow Emperor said: I wish to hear about the convergence of Xi Gu. Qibo said: The large convergence of flesh is called "Gu" (valley), and the small convergence of flesh is called "Xi" (stream). Between the muscle fibers, the convergence of Xi Gu serves to circulate Ying Wei and gather Great Qi. (The convergence of flesh is based on bones, and the convergence of bones lies in joints. Therefore, between major and minor joints lie the sites of great and small convergences, from which Xi Gu arise. All gaps between muscle fibers, being the convergence of Xi Gu, serve to circulate the Great Qi of Ying Wei. My commentary notes: According to Shuo Wen Jie Zi, a valley is where spring water flows out to connect with rivers. Also, Shi Jing contains "Gu Feng" (Wind from the Valley), and Shi Gu explains that wind emerges from valleys. Song Jun stated: A place without water is called Gu, and a place with water is called Xi. Thus, in heaven and earth, Xi Gu ventilate wind and water; in the human body, they unblock blood and Qi. Acupoints named Tian (Heaven) or Xing (Star) correspond to Heaven. Those named Di (Earth), Shan Ling (Mountain Ridge), Xi Gu (Valley), Yuan Hai (Abyssal Sea), Quan Ze (Spring Marsh), Du Li (Metropolis) correspond to Earth. Furthermore, acupoints named Fu (Storehouse) are where Shen (Spirit) gathers; those named Men Hu (Gate/Portal) are where Shen enters and exits; those named Zhai She (Residence) are where Shen rests; those named Tai (Terrace) are where Shen travels. These naming conventions by ancient sages have specific origins, allowing for analogical reasoning to understand various matters.) If pathogens overflow and Qi becomes obstructed, causing heat in the pulse and decay of flesh, and Ying Wei cannot circulate, pus will inevitably form. Internally, it consumes bone marrow; externally, it ruptures the skin/cuticle. (The character "Chen" should be "Cou" [skin pores], an error. Because Cou can be described as large, Chen need not be.) If it remains in the joint intervals, it will inevitably lead to ruin. (If pathogens overflow and obstruct in the Xi Gu,郁结 becoming heat, Ying Wei cannot circulate, inevitably forming diseases such as abscesses and ruptured skin pores; if it lodges in the joint intervals, it becomes even more severe, leading to ruin.) If accumulated cold remains and lodges, Ying Wei cannot reside, muscles curl, tendons contract, and the ribs and elbows cannot extend. Internally, it manifests as Bone Bi (Bone Impediment); externally, as numbness and insensitivity. This is termed deficiency, caused by severe cold lodging in the Xi Gu. (If accumulated cold lodges in the Xi Gu, Yin condenses and stagnates, so Ying Wei Qi cannot reside. Muscles curl and tendons contract, hence ribs and elbows cannot extend, resulting in diseases like Bone Bi and insensitivity. These are all due to Yang Qi deficiency allowing Cold pathogens to lodge. "Juan" is identical to "Quan" [curl].) There are three hundred and sixty-five Xi Gu in the body, and the acupoint intersections also correspond to the number of days in a year. (With bone joints come Xi Gu; with Xi Gu come acupoints. The human body has three hundred and sixty-five bone joints, and the Xi Gu and acupoints correspond to them. Hence, it is said that acupoint intersections correspond to the number of days in a year.) For mild Bi syndromes where pathogens overflow and move along the pulses, fine needles are sufficient, and the method is the same as usual. (Pathogens in Sun Luo are not yet deep; this is called Xiao Bi [minor Bi], so it can be treated with fine needles, using methods identical to the standard ones.) The Yellow Emperor then dismissed his attendants, stood up, and bowed twice, saying: Today, you have enlightened me and resolved my doubts. I shall store this in the Golden Cabinet and dare not show it again. Thus, it was stored in the Chamber of Gold and Orchids, titled "Locations of Qi Acupoints". ("Shu" means to mark or label.) Qibo said: Among the Sun Luo branches diverging from the meridians, those with abundant blood that require draining also number three hundred and sixty-five vessels. They all feed into the collaterals and transmit to the large collaterals of the twelve meridians, not just the fourteen collaterals. (The three hundred and sixty-five vessels refer to the meaning of the three hundred and sixty-five acupoint intersections mentioned at the beginning. The multitude of Sun Luo all transmit to the large collaterals of the twelve meridians, not merely the fourteen Luo points. There are fifteen collaterals, but here it mentions fourteen; the Da Bao [Great Bag] belongs to the Spleen meridian.) Ten vessels allow for internal resolution and draining within the middle. ("Jie" means to resolve or disperse, referring to "Jie Jie" [untying knots] in the Ci Jie Zhen Xie chapter. "Xie" means to drain excess. "Zhong" refers to the Five Zang organs. Although the collaterals belong to the twelve meridians, they are distributed among the five Zang organs, allowing for internal resolution and draining. There are five on the left and five on the right, hence ten vessels.)