Library

(From *Juying*)

**Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian:** Originates in the Middle Jiao (Middle Burner), descends to connect with the Large Intestine, emerges from the贲门 (cardia/pylorus region), passes through the diaphragm, and belongs to the Lung. From the lung system (trachea, larynx, and associated tissues), it emerges horizontally at the axilla, travels along the anterior aspect of the medial side of the upper limb, passes through the elbow fossa, forearm, Cun Kou (radial pulse point), reaches the Yu Ji (鱼际) area, and terminates at the radial corner of the nail root on the thumb. A branch emerges from behind the wrist, runs to the radial side of the index finger, and connects with the Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian. This meridian has abundant Qi but scarce Blood. When the meridian Qi is disturbed, symptoms include wheezing and cough; lung distension with fullness and pain in the Que Pen (supraclavicular fossa); crossing both hands over the chest indicates Bi Jue (Arm Reversal). Diseases generated by this meridian involve Qi rebellion and cough, thirst, irritability, chest fullness and stagnation, pain along the anterior-medial aspect of the arm, frequent urination, and heat in the palm. If Lung Qi is deficient, there is cold pain in the shoulder and back; if Lung Qi is excessive, there is pain, aversion to wind, sweating, yawning and stretching, shortness of breath, involuntary defecation, and urine color resembling that of the Yangming meridian (yellow).

**Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian:** Begins beside the nose, descends along the lateral side of the nose into the upper gum, returns to surround the lips, intersects at Cheng Jiang (chin groove), ascends posteriorly along the mandible to Da Ying and Jia Che, then up to the hairline before the ear, reaching the forehead. A branch descends from below Ren Ying, passes through the Que Pen (supraclavicular fossa), crosses the diaphragm, enters the Stomach, and connects with the Spleen. The main trunk descends from the Que Pen to the inner breast. Another branch follows the midline of the abdomen from You Men down to Qi Chong, passing through Bi Guan to the patella, then descending to the medial aspect of the middle toe. A further branch diverges at San Li, connecting externally to the middle toe. Another branch diverges at the foot dorsum, terminating at the tip of the big toe. This meridian has abundant Qi and abundant Blood. Disturbance of meridian Qi manifests as yawning and stretching, darkened facial complexion, shivering aversion to cold, fear of people, palpitations upon hearing wooden sounds, climbing high to sing, discarding clothes and running, and abdominal distension with borborygmi. These conditions are attributed to Qi reversal. Diseases generated include mania, malaria, sweating and epistaxis due to warm pathogens, cracked lips, throat obstruction, knee-patella pain, abdominal distension and binding, pain in Qi Ying, Fu Tu, and the lateral leg, severe pain in the foot dorsum and middle toe. Excess leads to rapid digestion and yellow urine; deficiency leads to cold trembling of the anterior body, gastric distension, indigestion, and heat in the anterior body when Qi is excessive.

**Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian:** Begins at the tip of the big toe, ascends along the medial white flesh margin, passes posterior to the nuclear bone (base of the first metatarsal) and anterior to the medial malleolus, ascends along the medial tibia, enters the anterior-medial thigh, enters the abdomen, belongs to the Spleen, connects with the Stomach, and communicates with the diaphragm. It flanks the pharynx, connects to the tongue root, and spreads under the tongue. A branch diverges from the Stomach and enters the Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian. This meridian has abundant Qi but scarce Blood. Disturbance manifests as Qi stagnation, immediate vomiting after eating, epigastric pain, body pain difficult to shift, abdominal distension, frequent belching, stiffness of the tongue root, and relief after defecation or passage of gas. Diseases generated include tongue pain, heavy body, anorexia, mental restlessness, urgent pain in the heart region, watery diarrhea, loose stools, abdominal masses, cold malaria, inability to lie down, swelling of thighs and knees when standing forcibly, jaundice with yellow skin, and pathology of the big toe.

**Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian:** Originates in the Heart, descends through the diaphragm to directly connect with the Small Intestine. A branch emerges from the lung system, ascends to the throat, and connects with the eye system (optic nerve/connections). The main trunk emerges from the lung to the axilla, travels along the posterior-medial aspect of the upper arm, passes through Shao Hai (elbow interior), along the posterior-medial forearm to the palm, terminating at Shao Chong (ulnar corner of the little fingernail). This meridian has abundant Qi but scarce Blood. Disturbance causes unbearable chest-heart pain, thirst with desire to drink, and dry throat. Diseases generated include hypochondriac pain, eyes appearing golden-yellow, pain along the posterior-medial arm, and heat in the palm; treatment should follow the meridian.

**Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian:** Begins at the ulnar corner of the little finger at Shao Ze, ascends along the lateral hand to the wrist, along the ulnar border of the forearm out of the medial elbow, up the posterior-lateral upper arm, passes the shoulder joint, winds around the scapula, intersects at the shoulder, descends into the Que Pen (supraclavicular fossa), moves toward the axilla and heart, along the pharynx. Crosses the diaphragm, reaches the Stomach, and belongs to the Small Intestine. A branch from the Que Pen penetrates the neck to the outer canthus, enters the ear; another from the ear ascends to the cheek, reaches the nose, goes to the inner canthus, and obliquely connects to the zygoma. This meridian has scarce Qi but abundant Blood. Disturbance causes sore throat, submandibular swelling preventing turning of the head, shoulder pain like pulling, and elbow pain like breaking. Diseases generated mainly involve shoulder-elbow pain, deafness, yellow eyes, swollen cheeks, pain in the posterior-lateral elbow-arm, requiring careful differentiation of painful areas.

**Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian:** Begins at the inner canthus, ascends to the vertex. A branch goes from the vertex to the supra-auricular angle. The main trunk enters the brain from the vertex, emerges separately down the nape, runs along the paraspinal muscles to the waist, enters the paravertebral muscles, connects with the Kidney, and belongs to the Bladder. One branch connects with the anterior and posterior orifices. It penetrates the buttocks, obliquely enters Wei Zhong (popliteal fossa). Another branch separates medially and laterally within the arm, penetrates the scapula, flanks the spine, passes the hip pivot, merges in the posterior-medial buttock, descends through the medial and lateral malleoli, below Jing Gu, to the lateral side of the little toe. This meridian has abundant Blood but relatively scarce Qi. Disturbance causes unbearable headache, neck stiffness like pulling, lumbar pain like breaking, hip pain radiating to the spine, hamstring tendon contraction like a knot, calf pain like tearing, known as An Jue (Ankle Reversal) with tendon injury. Diseases generated include malaria, hemorrhoids, little toe paralysis, vertex pain, yellow eyes, low back/buttock/leg pain connected to the back, lacrimation, epistaxis, and epilepsy.

**Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian:** Begins at Yong Quan (sole), slopes from the little toe, below Ran Gu, posterior to the medial malleolus, enters the heel, invades inward. Emerges anterior to the medial malleolus, ascends the medial thigh, penetrates the spine, belongs to the Kidney, and connects with the Bladder. The main trunk belongs to the Kidney, penetrates the Liver and Diaphragm, enters the Lung, follows the throat to the tongue root. A branch from the Lung connects with the Heart and injects into the chest. This meridian has abundant Qi but scarce Blood. Disturbance causes hunger without appetite, wheezing/cough with hemoptysis, hoarseness, desire to rise when sitting, dull facial complexion, blurred vision, insufficient Qi, empty feeling like hunger, and constant palpitations. Diseases generated include dry tongue, oral heat, sore throat, Qi rebellion, pain in the posterior-medial thigh and spine, heart-intestinal irritability, jaundice, flaccidity syndrome, reversal syndrome, somnolence, lethargy, and hot painful soles, all constituting Kidney Reversal.

**Hand-Jueyin Pericardium Meridian:** Originates in the chest, belongs to the Pericardium, descends through the diaphragm to sequentially connect with the Upper, Middle, and Lower Jiao. A branch follows the chest out to the hypochondrium, three cun below the axilla, ascends to the axilla, along the medial upper arm between the Hand-Taiyin and Hand-Shaoyin meridians, reaching the tip of the middle finger at Zhong Chong. A branch diverges from Zhong Chong, connecting via the gap between the little and index fingers to the Hand-Shaoyang Triple Energizer Meridian. This meridian originally has scarce Qi but abundant Blood. Disturbance causes hot palms, spasm and tightness of the elbow-arm, axillary swelling, and severe chest-hypochondriac fullness/stagnation. Palpitations ("dandan"), excessive laughter, yellow eyes, and red face occur. Diseases generated include vexation, heart pain, and hot palms.

**Hand-Shaoyang Triple Energizer Meridian:** Begins at the tip of the index and middle fingers, between the metacarpal bones at the dorsal wrist, ascends between the two bones of the forearm, passes the posterior elbow, along the shoulder, intersecting posterior to the Hand-Taiyang meridian, descends into the Que Pen, distributes in the Dan Zhong (chest center), scatters to connect with the Pericardium, and pierces through the diaphragm. A branch from Dan Zhong and Que Pen ascends the neck, behind the ear, rotates to the ear apex, curves down to the chin and cheek; another branch exits the ear, enters the front of the ear, intersects at Shang Guan, meets at Qu Che, ending at the inner canthus. This meridian has scarce Blood but abundant Qi. Disturbance causes tinnitus and throat swelling/obstruction. Diseases generated include spontaneous sweating, post-auricular pain, outer canthus pain, shoulder-elbow-arm lateral pain, and similar symptoms in the index and middle fingers.

**Foot-Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian:** Begins at the outer canthus, reaches the head, follows the temporal angle down behind the ear, passing sequentially through Nao Kong and Feng Chi. Anterior to the Hand-Shaoyang meridian, it reaches the shoulder, intersects above the Hand-Shaoyang, enters the Que Pen. A branch enters the ear from behind the ear, exits anterior to the ear, and follows the outer canthus. Another branch from the outer canthus descends to Da Ying, combines with the Hand-Shaoyang at Che Gu, adds to Jia Che and Que Pen, enters the chest, pierces the diaphragm, connects with the Liver, and belongs to the Gallbladder, passing through the hypochondrium. It descends to Qi Chong and the pubic region, transverse into the hip joint Huan Tiao. The main trunk descends from Que Pen to the axilla and chest, passes the costal margin, enters the hip joint internally, emerges at the lateral knee at Yang Ling Quan, passes anterior to the fibular head/Jue Gu and ankle, dividing at the foot dorsum between the fourth and fifth toes. A branch diverges from the big toe, connecting to the Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian at the hair fringe. This meridian has abundant Qi but scarce Blood. Disturbance causes bitter taste, frequent sighing, heart-hypochondriac pain difficult to move, dusty complexion, hot feet, and lackluster body. Diseases generated include headache connected to the outer canthus, swelling/pain in Que Pen and axillae, "horse knife" and "collar tumor" (scrofula/lymphadenopathy) on both sides, sweating with chills, malaria, pain from chest-hypochondrium to thigh-knee-shin, Jue Gu/ankle pain, and various joint pains.

**Foot-Jueyin Liver Meridian:** Terminates at the Liver. Begins at the hair fringe of the big toe, along the superior-medial foot dorsum to Tai Chong, entering Zhong Feng one cun anterior to the ankle. At eight cun above the ankle, it crosses posterior to the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian, follows the medial tibia, ascends the medial thigh, surrounds the genitalia, reaches the lower abdomen, flanks the Stomach, belongs to the Liver, and connects with the Gallbladder. It pierces the diaphragm, distributes in the hypochondrium, flanks the pharynx, connects with the eye system, ascends to the vertex to meet the Du Mai, and emerges. A branch arises from the eye system, descends to network the cheeks and lips. Another branch from the diaphragm connects to the Lung. This meridian has abundant Blood but scarce Qi. Disturbance causes lower back pain, difficulty bending and extending, male hernia, female lower abdominal swelling, dusty complexion, loss of luster, and dry throat. Diseases generated include chest fullness, vomiting, profuse diarrhea, dysuria, enuresis, and fox hernia; clinical diagnosis requires careful observation.