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Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian

The Hand-Taiyang meridian originates at the tip of the little finger. It follows the lateral aspect of the hand upward to the wrist, emerging from the middle of the ankle bone (styloid process of the ulna).
The end of the arm bones is called the wrist; the prominent bone below the wrist is called the ankle. This meridian begins at the Shaose (Small Pool) point at the tip of the little finger. From there, it follows the anterior aspect of the lateral side of the hand through the Qian Gu (Front Valley) and Hou Xi (Rear Stream) points, ascends to the wrist, emerges from the middle of the ankle bone, and sequentially passes through the Wang Gu (Wrist Bone), Yang Gu (Yang Valley), and Yang Lao (Nourishing Old Age) points.
It goes straight up along the lower border of the arm bone, emerges between the two bones on the medial side of the elbow, ascends along the posterior-lateral border of the elbow, emerges from the shoulder joint, and winds around the scapula, intersecting at the shoulder.
The areas beside the spine are called Lü; the two angles above Lü are called Jian Jie (Shoulder Resolution); the flat bone below Jian Jie is called Jian Jia (Scapula). From the Yang Lao point straight up, following the lower border of the arm bone, it passes through the Zheng (Support) point, Zong (Gathering) point, Bing Feng (Holding Wind), Qu Yuan (Curved Ridge), Jian Wai Shu (Outer Shoulder Shu), and Jian Zhong Shu (Inner Shoulder Shu) points, then meets the Da Zhui (Great Vertebra) point. Because they intersect left and right above the two shoulders,
it enters the Que Pen (Clavicular Fossa), connects with the Heart, follows the pharynx downward through the Diaphragm, reaches the Stomach, and belongs to the Small Intestine.
From where it intersects at the shoulder, it enters the Que Pen, descends along the shoulder toward the axilla, connects with the Heart at the level of Dan Zhong (Center of Chest), follows the stomach system downward through the Diaphragm, passes above the Shang Wan (Upper Stomach) point to reach the Stomach, descends outside the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel), and belongs to the Small Intestine at the level of two cun above the umbilicus.
Its branch, from the Que Pen, penetrates the neck, ascends to the cheek, reaches the outer canthus of the eye, turns back, and enters the ear.
The outer corner of the eye is called Rui Zi (Sharp Corner). The branch, separately from the Que Pen, follows the Tian Chuang (Heavenly Window) and Tian Rong (Heavenly Reception) points of the neck, ascends to the cheek, reaches the zygomatic bone, goes up to the outer canthus, passes through the Tong Zi Liao (Child's Pupil Cleft) point, turns back, and enters the ear, ending by following the Ting Gong (Listening Palace) point.
Another branch separates and follows the cheek upward to the infraorbital region, reaches the nose, and arrives at the inner canthus.
The area below the eye is the infraorbital margin; the large angle of the eye is the inner canthus. Its branch, separately, follows the cheek upward to the infraorbital margin, reaches the nose, and arrives at the inner canthus's Jing Ming (Bright Eyes) point, thereby connecting with the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian.
This meridian has abundant blood and scarce Qi. Qi and Blood flow into it during the Wei hour (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM). It receives transmission from the Hand-Shaoyin Heart Meridian. There are nineteen acupoints in total, thirty-eight acupoints on both sides combined.

Shaose (Small Pool) (also known as Xiao Ji): Located on the lateral side of the tip of the little finger, one fen depression below the corner of the nail. It is the Jing-Well point where the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian issues, belonging to Metal. *Su Wen* notes: It treats convulsions, cough, salivation, stiff neck unable to turn the head, leukoma covering the pupil, and headache.

Qian Gu (Front Valley): Located in the depression lateral to the little finger, proximal to the metacarpophalangeal joint. It is the Ying-Spring point where the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian flows, belonging to Water. *Tong Ren*: Needle 1 fen, retain for three breaths, moxa. It treats nasal congestion, cough with hemoptysis, arm pain unable to lift, and postpartum agalactia in women.

Hou Xi (Rear Stream): Located in the depression lateral to the little finger, distal to the metacarpophalangeal joint; take the point with a clenched fist. It is the Shu-Stream point where the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian pours, belonging to Wood. Deficiency of the Small Intestine should be tonified. It treats difficulty turning the head, epilepsy, spasm of the arm and elbow, crusts, and scabies.

Wang Gu (Wrist Bone): Located in the depression under the prominent bone at the anterior aspect of the lateral wrist. It is the Yuan-Source point where the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian passes. Both excess and deficiency of the Small Intestine should be treated with needle extraction. *Tong Ren*: Needle 3 fen, retain for three breaths, moxa 3 cones. It treats heat disease with no sweat, hypochondriac pain, dyspnea, swelling of the neck and jaw, chills and fever, tinnitus, cold tears and leukoma, mania and palpitations, hemiplegia, inability to flex and extend the elbow, malaria headache, irritability, infantile convulsions, pulling pain in the five fingers, and headache.

Yang Gu (Yang Valley): Located in the depression below the sharp bone in the center of the lateral wrist. It is the Jing-River point where the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian travels, belonging to Fire. *Su Wen* notes: Moxa 3 cones, needle 2 fen, retain. It treats pain in the lateral arm unable to lift, protruding tongue, torticollis, delirious speech, looking left and right, vertigo, infantile convulsions, stiff tongue unable to suckle milk.

Yang Lao (Nourishing Old Age): Located anterior-superior to the wrist ankle bone. Another view says it is in the depression one cun posterior to Wang Gu. *Tong Ren*: Needle 3 fen, moxa 3 cones. It treats soreness and pain of the shoulder and arm, sensation of shoulder breaking, sensation of arm being pulled, inability to move hands up and down, and blurred vision.

Zheng Zheng (Correct Support): Located five cun posterior to the wrist; it is the Luo-Connecting vessel of the Hand-Taiyang, diverging to the Shaoyin. *Tong Ren*: Needle 3 fen, moxa 3 cones. *Ming Tang*: Moxa 5 cones. It treats wind-deficiency, excessive thirst, stiff neck, and warts. In excess syndromes, joints relax and elbows become useless; drain it. In deficiency syndromes, small warts like fingers grow, crusts, and scabies appear; tonify it.

Xiao Hai (Small Sea): Located in the depression lateral to the large bone inside the elbow, five fen from the elbow end; take the point with the hand bent toward the head. It is the He-Sea point where the Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian enters, belonging to Earth. It treats Small Intestine excess syndromes, neck pain, abscesses with chills, swelling and pain in the elbow and axilla, lower abdominal pain, epilepsy with bleating sounds, torticollis, convulsions with wild running, swollen jaw unable to turn the head, shoulder sensation of being pulled or broken, deafness, yellow eyes, and swollen cheeks.

Jian Zhen (Shoulder Integrity): Located in the depression between the two bone junctions below the curved scapula, posterior to Jian Yu. *Tong Ren*: Needle 5 fen; *Su Wen* notes: Needle 8 fen, moxa 3 cones. It treats chills and fever from cold damage, tinnitus and deafness, heat and pain in the clavicular fossa and shoulder, wind-bi, numbness and inability to lift hands and feet.

Shu Point (Referring to Jian Wai Shu or similar based on context, literally "Shu"): Located posterior to the large bone under the shoulder (Shaoyang point), in the depression at the upper border of the scapula; take the point with the arm raised. It is the intersection of the Hand-Taiyang, Yang Wei, and Yang Qiao meridians. *Tong Ren*: Needle 8 fen, moxa 3 cones. It treats arm soreness and weakness, shoulder pain radiating to the scapula, cold-heat qi swelling, and neck pain.

Tian Zong (Heavenly Master): Located in the depression below the large bone posterior to Bing Feng. *Tong Ren*: Moxa 3 cones, needle 5 fen, retain for six breaths. It treats soreness and pain of the shoulder and arm, pain at the posterior-lateral border of the elbow, and swelling of the cheek and jaw.

Bing Feng (Holding Wind): Located posterior to the small bone on the shoulder lateral to Tian Zong; there is a gap when the arm is raised. It is the intersection of the Hand-Taiyang, Yangming, Hand-Shaoyang, and Foot-Shaoyang meridians. *Tong Ren*: Moxa 5 cones, needle 5 fen. It treats shoulder pain unable to lift.

Qu Yuan (Curved Ridge): Located in the depression of the curved scapula in the center of the shoulder; pressing elicits pain. *Tong Ren*: Moxa 3 cones, needle 5 fen. *Ming Tang*: Needle 9 fen. It treats bi-syndrome heat pain of the shoulder, qi stagnation causing stiffness and painful oppression in the scapula.

Jian Wai Shu (Outer Shoulder Shu): Located at the upper border of the scapula, three cun from the spine in the depression. *Tong Ren*: Needle 6 fen, moxa 3 cones. *Ming Tang*: 1 cone. It treats scapular pain and cold reaching the elbow in generalized bi-syndrome.

Jian Zhong Shu (Inner Shoulder Shu): Located at the medial border of the scapula, two cun from the spine in the depression. *Su Wen* notes: Needle 6 fen, moxa 3 cones. *Tong Ren*: Needle 3 fen, retain for seven breaths, moxa 10 cones. It treats cough with rebellious Qi, hemoptysis with chills and fever, and blurred vision.

Tian Chuang (Heavenly Window) (also known as Chuang Long): Located in the depression where the pulse beats behind the Fu Tu point, anterior to the chin curve between the large tendons of the neck. *Tong Ren*: Moxa 3 cones, needle 3 fen. *Su Wen* notes: 6 fen. It treats hemorrhoids, neck pain, shoulder and scapula pulling the neck making turning difficult, deafness, swollen cheeks, lockjaw, and stroke.

Tian Rong (Heavenly Reception): Located posterior to the curved jaw below the ear. *Su Wen* notes: Moxa 3 cones. It treats goiter, neck carbuncles, inability to turn the head, aphonia, chest pain and fullness with dyspnea, vomiting and frothing, lockjaw, tinnitus, and deafness.

Quan Liao (Zygomatic Cleft): Located in the depression at the end of the sharp bone under the cheekbone. It is the intersection of the Hand-Shaoyang and Taiyang meridians. *Su Wen* notes: Needle 3 fen. *Tong Ren*: Needle 2 fen. It treats facial deviation with redness, involuntary eye movement, swelling, and toothache.

Ting Gong (Listening Palace) (also known as Duo Suo Wen): Located in the ear, pearl-sized like a red adzuki bean. It is the intersection of the Hand-Shaoyang, Foot-Shaoyang, and Hand-Taiyang meridians. *Tong Ren*: Needle 3 fen. It treats buzzing tinnitus like cicadas.

Bladder Diagram

The bladder weighs nine liang and two zhu, is nine cun long and wide, resides below the kidney and on the side of the large intestine. The lower opening of the small intestine is the upper opening of the bladder; fluids seep in from here. It holds nine sheng and nine he of urine.
The bladder is the official of the metropolitan area; it stores body fluids. Through Qi transformation, they can be excreted.
The bladder is the black intestine (because organs belong to the Northern color).

Wang Andao said: Some say that *Ling Shu* states: Food and drink often reside together in the stomach, become dregs, and descend together to the large intestine, forming the Lower Jiao, seeping and descending together to be excreted. Yang Jie said: Food and drink are received in abundance from the small intestine at the Lan Men (Gate of Filter) to be separated. The water seeps into the upper opening of the bladder to become urine. Examining these three theories, urine is simply the separated fluid that seeps into the bladder to be excreted. *Su Wen* states: When food enters the stomach, its essence floats and overflows, is transported upward to the Spleen, the Spleen scatters the essence, which returns upward to the Lung, regulates the water passages, and transports downward to the bladder. Thus, urine seems to be formed after the ascending of fine Qi from water and drinks, processed by the Spleen and Lung. What governs this? What is the basis? I say: It relies on principle. Moreover, what exactly is urine? It is only water. For water to ascend, there must be a prior path for ascent. Thus, *Su Wen* again states: The bladder stores body fluids; through Qi transformation, they can be excreted. Water is the child of Qi, and Qi is the mother of water. Where Qi moves, water moves; where Qi stagnates, water stagnates. Others claim that urine is purely from separation, not from transformation, because they do not understand this principle. Nevertheless, although the bladder is indeed the mansion of body fluids, regarding the reception and storage of body fluids, there is a bladder sac (Pao) residing within the bladder. Thus, *Su Wen* states: Heat from the bladder sac transfers to the bladder. *Ling Shu* states: The bladder's sac is thin and moist. *Lei Zan* states: The bladder is the chamber of the sac. Furthermore, the sac residing in the bladder has an upper opening but no lower opening. Since fluids accumulate in the sac, they cannot exit spontaneously; they must rely on Qi transformation to gradually infiltrate the bladder, accumulating externally in the empty space below the sac, thus becoming urine, which exits through the anterior yin. What *Su Wen* means by "the bladder stores body fluids" is essentially referring to the bladder encompassing the sac. If one says there is no empty space below the sac, how can urine be excreted immediately upon urgency? Only when the empty space below the sac is filled and cannot hold more does urgency arise; with urgency, one goes to the toilet and excretes immediately. Some say the sac has an upper opening but no lower opening; some say it has openings both above and below; some say it has small pores as channels for excretion. Is this not absurd?