Library

There is this discussion. Only the citation from *Suwen* (Plain Questions) to prove the section on "Henggu" (Transverse Bone) is quite exquisite, so it is recorded below, and several lines discussed by like-minded scholars are attached, so that readers of this book may refer to them.

*Ren Shen Tu Shuo* (Illustrated Description of the Human Body) states that the area of the transverse bone at the external genitalia is where "Bi Du" (abscesses occurring in the groin or abdomen) originates. Whenever one engages in sexual intercourse with an unclean woman, heat arises in the bone, causing the toxin to move and subsequently trigger this disease, as well as ailments such as "Mei Chuang" (Syphilis).

Mr. Yu said: Consulting *Suwen · Gu Kong Lun* (Bone and Joint Theory), it says: "The Du Mai (Governing Vessel) originates from the center of the lower bone of the lower abdomen." It also says: "When the Du Mai is diseased, treat the Du Mai; the treatment site is above the bone." Interpreters believe this refers to the vertebral column, but in fact, the "lower bone of the lower abdomen" mentioned in this meridian is precisely the transverse bone above the external genitalia. *Suwen · Qi Fu Lun* states: "The Qi of the Chong Mai (Penetrating Vessel) accompanies Jiutui outside to one cun below the umbilicus, and accompanies the side below the umbilicus to Henggu one cun apart." This is the method of abdominal meridians. Generally, the Du, Ren (Conception Vessel), and Chong meridians are exterior-interior pairs. The Du Mai originates at Henggu; its descending part is what the Chong attacks, and its part that circles the genitalia and ascends along the spine to intersect at the vertex and reach the inner canthus is the Du Mai. Disliking injury to the Du Mai, the disease thus reaches the chest. The Du Mai attaches to the Juyang Bladder Meridian and merges with the Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. Later medical books did not understand this, and thus separately classified it as one of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels. They also stated it should be discussed alongside the Twelve Regular Meridians, but in reality, the Twelve Regular Meridians end at the fingers and toes, while the Du and Ren meridians are at Henggu, and the Chong is at Qihai (Sea of Qi). Yangmei Chuang (Chancre/Syphilis) was called Mei Chuang in Song Dynasty Dou Hanqing's *Chuang Yang Quan Shu* (Complete Book of Sores and Ulcers) and *Ming Yi Lei An* (Classified Cases of Famous Physicians). Since it exists in foreign lands, it should be called Yang Mei Chuang (Foreign Syphilis). *Zheng Zhi Zhun Sheng* (Standard for Diagnosis and Treatment) claims it involves the Liver and Kidney meridians, and *Jing Yue Quan Shu* (Complete Works of Jingyue) claims it involves the Chong Mai; both are plausible yet incorrect. Obtaining this book's mention of "Henggu" hits the mark accurately. Xiong notes: *Neijing* (Inner Canon) continues after "center of the bone": "In women, it enters and connects to Ting Kong." That opening is the end of the urethral orifice. Thus, the so-called "lower bone of the lower abdomen" undoubtedly refers to the transverse bone of the external genitalia. "Treatment above the bone" means treating the origin point of its meridian.

Mr. Yu Lichu of Yi County, in his *Guisi Leigao*, wrote an essay on the Western *Ren Shen Tu Shuo*, stating that their country's internal organs differ from China's, listing several matters as if black and white were distinct. When I first read it, I thought Western medicine's knowledge of internal anatomy ended there. Later, upon reading *Ren Shen Tu Shuo*, I realized Mr. Yu's reading was superficial, grasping only the surface without investigating the essence. Later, borrowing Tai Xi's *Ren Shen Shuo Gai* (General Description of Human Anatomy) and Wang Qingren's *Yi Lin Gai Cuo* (Correction of Errors in Medical Forest) from Qianzhai, I further recognized Mr. Yu's errors. Mr. Yu said: Their people's heart is located on the left, and the pulse originates from the left of the heart. He believed Westerners' constitution differs from Chinese people. Now, checking *Tu Shuo*, there is no statement that the heart is on the left; there is only one line saying "the heart ought to be on the left," likely referring to the movement and respiration observed here. Saying "left-side heart beating" implies that the movement on the left is due to the accumulation of life force (Sheng Huo De) at the left acupoint and the root of the meridian emission, hence appearing more prominent than the right. Examining the text, it seems to be a Q&A format. The questioner doubts the heart is on the left; the responder says the left-side movement is caused by the left heart acupoint, not that the heart itself is on the left. Mr. Yu misunderstood the text. As for the pulse originating from the left of the heart, this is consistent between China and the West. Mr. Wang visually examined over thirty Chinese corpses and found that the major collaterals emerge from the left heart acupoint, which contradicts *Lingshu* (Spiritual Pivot) but agrees with *Tu Shuo*. Whether this is a difference between ancient and modern times or an error in ancient texts? One cannot cite ancient texts to forcefully claim they have different lungs and intestines. Mr. Yu also said: *Tu Shuo* states blood vessels are visible, while meridians are invisible, meaning blood vessels are the Luo Collaterals of *Lingshu*, and the meridians mentioned are the Jing Main Channels. These two interpretations are literal and completely miss the point. Westerners believe there are two types of networks in the human body: one blood network inside, one meridian network outside, adhering closely together, each having trunks and branches, and warp and weft. Both *Shuo Gai* and *Gai Cuo* confirm this. It is acceptable to say the meridian network corresponds to Wei Qi (Defensive Qi) and the blood network to Ying Qi (Nutritive Qi); however, forcibly assigning the meridian network as the trunk and the blood network as the branch is like groping in the dark. Mr. Yu also said: The "Gong Xi Xian" (Public Fine Thread) is the mainspring of a pocket watch. According to the book's convention, a single object used alone is called "Ben" (Root), while combined objects are called "Gong" (Public/Common), hence names like Gong Mo (Public Membrane), Gong Guan Lu (Public Pipeline), Gong Xi Ti (Public Fine Body), etc., exist; Gong Xi Xian is just one of them, and cannot be interpreted as a watch spring. Mr. Yu also said: Chinese people have six-lobed lungs, theirs have four. According to Mr. Wang's visual examination of Chinese lungs being four-lobed, China does not exclusively have six-lobed lungs. *Tu Shuo* states lungs have four lobes, sometimes five, with a small lobe emerging between two lobes, so their land does not exclusively have four-lobed lungs either. Mr. Yu also said: Chinese people have seven-lobed livers, theirs have three. Mr. Wang's visual examination of Chinese livers being four-lobed shows China does not exclusively have seven-lobed livers. *Tu Shuo* states human liver lobes may be one or two, at most three, so their land does not exclusively have three-lobed livers. Mr. Yu also said: Chinese hearts have seven apertures, theirs have four. Mr. Wang's visual examination showed Chinese hearts have no apertures, only one aperture on the left which is the root of the major collateral; how can it be seen as seven apertures? Mr. Yu also said: Chinese people have two intestines, theirs have six. The "six" refers to the twelve-intestine, Jie Chang (Clean Intestine), Hui Chang (Filthy Intestine), Xia Chang (Blind Intestine), Jing Chang (Neck Intestine), and Xia Zhi Chang (Lower Straight Intestine) described in *Tu Shuo*, totaling six intestines. The upper straight intestine is the pylorus; the lower straight intestine is the anus. The blind intestine is open at one end and closed at the other, located left and right in the abdomen with the neck intestine; whether this is unique to their land or common to Chinese people, one dares not decide without personal observation. In short, the coiled intestines are only the Jie and Hui intestines; Jie is the Small Intestine, Hui is the Large Intestine; no significant difference is seen. Mr. Yu also said: Chinese people have two testicles, theirs have four. He also said: Confucians feel two testicles themselves, merely vaguely mentioning four testicles in the text. Since *Tu Shuo* is vague, how could Mr. Yu guess it is four? Now, checking *Tu Shuo*'s section on testicles clearly states the number is two, not four. Moreover, the book discusses testicular meridians extensively, with no words to support four testicles. It only mentions small bodies within the testicles; could this be the error? However, the previous note explicitly states these are turning collaterals, resembling small bodies branching from the base of the testicle; thus, the small body is an activating collateral, not the testicle itself. Furthermore, the diagram draws the testicles as two sacs divided left and right; two sacs might seem to imply four testicles, leading to this error? But the drawing depicts testicles, not sacs, to clarify the meridians, hence drawn separately left and right; it is not two sacs containing four testicles. Mr. Yu confuses deer for horses and blames the book's vagueness, is this not absurd? There is no time to refute everything else. Mr. Yu claims this book has been in China for two hundred years and unreadable until now, when he finally grasped its gist. Yet when I questioned him with the original book, his omissions were so glaring, proving he still hasn't read it. Ancients said that to study classics, one must research all classics to understand one. Mr. Yu has only seen *Tu Shuo*, hence these speculations. If he had seen *Ren Shen Shuo Gai* and other books and cross-referenced them, he would have achieved comprehension. Now, wishing to write a preface for Western internal anatomy books, I hesitate to put pen to paper, fearing my limited exposure to Western books will lead me to repeat Mr. Yu's mistakes. Hu Kun, courtesy name Ci Yao, of Renhe.