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Figure of the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian

Figure of the Lung Organ

The *Wei Yan* states: The Lung is the organ that covers the upper part, acting as a canopy (Huagai) above the five zang organs. The *Yi Zhi Xu Yu* states that "Lung" implies vigorous stagnation (Boyu), referring to its qi mechanism being vigorous and stagnant. The *Nan Jing* states: The weight of the Lung is three jin and three liang.

The Lung belonging to the Hand-Taiyin Meridian is known as the "Minister of Instruction" (Xiangfu), from which governance and regulation arise. It unifies the qi of the whole body, primarily houses the Po (Corporeal Soul), and stands in interior-exterior relationship with the Large Intestine. Spleen Earth is the mother of Lung, and Kidney Water is the child of Lung. Lung controls Liver Wood and restricts Heart Fire. Its brilliance manifests in the hair, and it nourishes the skin. It corresponds to the West, the season of Autumn, the color White, the pulse texture is choppy and short, the musical note is Shang, the number is nine, the odor is fishy, it fears Cold, its fluid is nasal discharge, its sound is crying, and its taste is Pungent. In the Five Elements, it belongs to Metal; its external manifestation connects through the nose orifice. Its shape hangs down like a canopy, consisting of six lobes and two ears, totaling eight lobes, attached to the third thoracic vertebra of the spine. Inside, there are twenty-four hollow spaces, empty like a honeycomb, with no perforations at the bottom; thus, it fills upon inhalation and empties upon exhalation, with breathing occurring naturally. It governs the transformation and transportation of clear and turbid qi, serving as the bellows (Tuoyue) of the human body, distributing in rows to circulate qi among the various zang organs. This meridian has abundant qi and scarce blood, with qi and blood entering this meridian during the Yin hour (3-5 AM). When Lung qi is deficient, sighing occurs; when excessive, panting and coughing occur. The normal pulse of the Lung is floating and short; the pulse indicating restriction/restriction by the controlling element is surging. The Lung fails on Bing-Ding days (Fire days). Its associated animal is the Horse, its grain is Rice, and in the heavens, it corresponds to the Great White Star (Venus).

Its clinical manifestations include: propensity to sneezing, sadness, worry, and desire to cry, aversion to cold alternating with fever, pain in the supraclavicular fossa, abdominal pain, shoulder and back pain, distending pain in the lower abdomen to the right of the umbilicus, frequent urination, loose stools, skin pain and numbness, panting, shortness of breath, and visible qi manifestation on the upper cheeks. External cold exposure or consumption of cold drinks damages the Lung. Excess patterns manifest as dreams of weapons and war chaos; deficiency patterns manifest as dreams of fields and plains. Worry injures the Lung, Joy overcomes Worry. Heat injures the skin and hair, Cold overcomes Heat. Pungent taste injures the skin and hair, Bitter taste overcomes Pungent. Pungent enters the Qi level; in Qi disorders, one should not consume much pungent food. Consuming too much bitter taste leads to dry skin and loss of lanugo hair.

The meridian pathway of the Lung begins at the Middle Jiao, receives intersection from the Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian, descends to connect with the Large Intestine, then returns along the exterior of its own meridian, winds around the stomach opening, meanders upward through the diaphragm, and converges with the Lung organ. From the Lung system (trachea and related tissues), it emerges and runs horizontally across the chest, passing through Zhongfu (LU1) and Yunmen (LU2), then exits under the axilla; it descends along the medial aspect of the arm, passing Tianfu (LU3) and Xiabai (LU4), running anterior to the Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian and Hand-Jueyin Pericardium Meridian, descends into the elbow center, reaches Chize (LU5), follows the medial forearm below the radius, passes Kongzui (LU6) and Lieque (LU7), enters the Cun Kou area at Jingqu (LU8) and Taiyuan (LU9), ascends along Yuji (LU10), and exits at the tip of the thumb at Shaoshang (LU11); the branch of the collateral vessels diverges from Lieque (LU7) behind the wrist, reaches the medial end of the index finger, intersects with the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, passes Hegu (LI4), Erjian (LI2), Sanjian (LI3), up to Shangyang (LI1), and ascends from Shangyang.