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Diagram of the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian

The kidneys are two in number, each weighing one jin and two liang, shaped like stone eggs, attached below the 14th thoracic vertebra of the spine, each located one and a half cun lateral to the midline. The *Suwen: Linglan Midian Lun* states: "The Kidney is the official responsible for strength and vigor, and dexterity arises from it." The *Ben Cang* chapter states: "If the Kidney is small, its storage is secure and difficult to injure; if large, it is prone to lower back pain, inability to bend forward or backward, and susceptibility to pathogenic invasion. If the Kidney is high, there is suffering from arm and back pain, with inability to bend forward or backward; if low, there is pain in the loins and sacrum, with inability to bend forward or backward, leading to Hu Hernia (fox hernia). If the Kidney is firm, there is no lower back pain; if fragile, there is suffering from Xiao Dan disease (wasting-thirst syndrome) and easy injury. If the Kidney is centered, harmony prevails and it is hard to injure; if tilted, there is suffering from loins and sacral pain. Black skin with fine texture indicates a small Kidney; coarse texture indicates a large Kidney. High ears indicate a high Kidney; sunken areas behind the ears indicate a low Kidney. Firm ears indicate a firm Kidney; thin and unfirm ears indicate a fragile Kidney. Ears that are well-formed and positioned forward and centered without defects indicate a centered Kidney; ears positioned higher indicate a tilted Kidney."

The Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian has twenty-seven acupoints. Yongquan flows to RanGu; Tianxi, Taichong, and Shuiquan originate; Zhaohai, Fuliou, and Jiaoxin continue; from Zubin ascending to Yinggu; Henggu, Dahe, and Lu (referring to the region/acupoints); Qixue, Siman, and Zhongzhu connect; Huangshu ascends to reach Shangqu; Shiguan and Yindu are guarded; Tonggu and Youmen are serene; Bulang, Shenfeng, and Lingxu exist; Shencang, Zhongfu, and Yufulu are abundant.

Yongquan is in the center of the sole of the foot. RanGu is one cun anterior to the medial malleolus. Taixi is posterior to the medial malleolus on top of the calcaneus. Dazhong is at the back of the heel, between the ankle and the calcaneus (at the gate of the two tendons above the great bone of the heel). Shuiquan is found one cun below Shuiquan stream. Zhaohai is truly four cun below the medial malleolus. Fuliou is one cun anterior to the medial malleolus. Jiaoxin is linked two cun above the medial malleolus. These two points are separated only by the front and back of a tendon, located posterior to the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian and anterior to the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian (the bone adjacent anteriorly is Fuliou, the bone adjacent posteriorly is Jiaoxin, separated by only one tendon). Zubin is five fen above the medial malleolus. Yinggu is between the knee and the bent leg. Henggu, Dahe, and Qixue, as well as Siman and Zhongzhu, are connected, each opening one and a half cun from the midline, with one cun distance between upper and lower points. Ge Shu and Huangshu are also one cun apart. Huangshu is at half a cun lateral to the umbilicus. From Huangshu to Shangqu, Shiguan, Yindu, Tonggu, and Youmen open, each five fen lateral to the midline, with one cun spacing vertically among these six points. Bulang, Shenfeng, and Lingxu exist; Shencang, Zhongshu, and Yufulu are honored, each two cun lateral to the midline, with one and six-tenths cun spacing vertically among these six points. Yufulu is two cun lateral to Xuanji. Correct needle retrieval leads to success. (Ma Xuantai says: Yindu is five fen lateral to Zhongwan. Tonggu is five fen lateral to Shangwan. Youmen and Juque. Furthermore: Lower down, from Henggu and Qixue, to Siman and Zhongzhu, the vertical distance is one cun. It is said that Henggu is five cun below Huangshu, which has basis. However, from Henggu to Zhongzhu, each opens one and a half cun from the midline; Huangshu, Shangqu, Shiguan, Yindu, Tonggu, and Youmen each open five fen from the midline; from Bulang, Shenfeng, Lingxu, Shencang, Zhongshu, and Yufulu, each is two cun from the midline. Their curvature is thus. The *Xu's Acupuncture Book* erroneously describes them as two rows. Totaling twenty-seven points, left and right equal fifty-four points.)

Diagram of the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian