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(Shenji Chuyan - Advice on Cautious Treatment of Illness)

For diseases that can be cured solely by taking decoctions, this applies only to exogenous patterns (patterns caused by external pathogenic factors). For all other conditions, it is necessary to employ internal medicines such as pills (Wan), powders (San), pastes (Gao), and elixirs (Dan), as well as therapeutic methods including acupuncture (Zhenjiu), stone needle therapy (Bianshi), cupping with scarification (Bianlian), soaking and washing, hot compresses and fumigation (Yun), and tuina massage. Treatments must be applied according to the specific disease. However, contemporary physicians lack financial resources and are reluctant to invest effort; they do not study ancient prescriptions nor inherit manual techniques. Instead, they merely copy a universal decoction formula, considering their skills complete. Meanwhile, patients do not hesitate to travel long distances or pay high fees, seeking only a single decoction prescription, which greatly satisfies their wishes. The sages of antiquity pondered deeply and devised various methods for treating diseases, yet these are completely ignored today. Under such circumstances, expecting to cure major illnesses and stubborn chronic diseases is unreasonable. Therefore, people nowadays may still recover from mild and superficial conditions by taking decoctions; however, for long-standing or severe diseases, time will merely pass, and recovery is impossible. Thus, as a physician, one must extensively seek treatment methods to meet the patients' needs. Regarding medications previously used, if they cannot be prepared immediately, one should prepare them in advance for emergency use. As the saying goes: "A craftsman who wishes to do his work well must first sharpen his tools." Why would one engage in the art of saving lives while possessing no tools to save lives?

(Ancient bone measurements are listed below. However, some individuals have larger bones, exceeding the standard, while others have smaller bones, falling short of it; this text merely states the general principle.)

The circumference of the cranial bones is two chi six cun. (The skull is called 'Dulou'. In men, there are eight bones from the neck to the ears and the back of the head; people from Caizhou have nine bones. There is a transverse suture at the back of the head, and another vertical suture directly below it down to the hairline. In women, there are six skull bones, also with a transverse suture at the back of the head, but no vertical suture directly below it.) The area covered by hair, from the vertex to the nape, measures one chi two cun. ("Covered" refers to the distance from the anterior hairline to the posterior hairline at the nape.) From the hairline to the chin measures one chi. The distance between the two zygomatic bones is seven cun. (The high bone below the eye is called 'Quan'.) The width at the ear front, corresponding to the Ear Gate point, is one chi three cun. The width at the back of the ear, corresponding to the Complete Bone point, is nine cun. (Complete Bone refers to the prominent bone behind the ear at the hairline. The distance between left and right is nine cun. ○ Above are the dimensions of the front and back of the head.)

From the Adam's apple to the middle of the Clavicle Fossa point is four cun. (Clavicle Fossa corresponds to the location of Tiantu CV22.) From the Clavicle Fossa to Jiuwei CV15 is nine cun. (Jiuwei.) From Jiuwei to Tianshu ST25 is eight cun, and from Tianshu to Henggu is six and a half cun (should be five cun; Henggu is located in the pubic hair region, corresponding to Qugu CV2). The horizontal length of Henggu is six and a half cun. (Another version says seven and a half cun.) The chest circumference is four chi five cun. (The chest is between the breasts. There are three transverse bones in the front of the chest, and twelve ribs on each side, eight long and four short. Women have two additional clavicular-like bones, fourteen on each side.) The waist circumference is four chi two cun. (The waist is defined as the area surrounding the umbilicus. Due to differences in body fat, waist sizes vary; four chi two cun represents the average measurement for a medium-sized person.) The distance between the two breasts is nine and a half cun. The distance between the inner sides of the two thighs is six and a half cun. (This corresponds to the middle of the thighs, where the ends of the pubic bones meet, commonly known as the thigh seam. ○ Above are the dimensions of the chest and abdomen.)

From the lateral corner bone of the head to the pillar bone (base of the neck) is one chi. (The large bone on the side of the head is called 'Jiao'; the root of the neck is called 'Zhugu'.) The invisible portion when walking, from the pillar bone through the axilla, is four cun. (The part from the pillar bone to the axilla that is not visible.) From the axilla to the costal margin (Ji Xie) is one chi two cun. (From the axilla to the end of the hypochondrium.) From the costal margin to the Bi Shu point (hip pivot) is six cun. (The thigh is called 'Bi'; the bony groove on the outer upper thigh is called 'Shu', which is the pivot of movement. ○ Above are the dimensions of the lateral head and body.)

From the posterior hairline to the dorsal bone is three and a half cun. (From the posterior hairline to the third cervical vertebra at Dazhui GV14. *Ling Shu* states two and a half cun, *Tu Yi* states three and a half cun; here it is calculated as three and a half cun.) From the spinal column to the coccyx, comprising twenty-one segments, is three chi. (Lv Gu refers to the spine. The spine is small externally and large internally, totaling twenty-four segments. The mention of twenty-one segments excludes the three cervical vertebrae. Men have pointed coccyges, while women have flat ones. ○ Above are the dimensions of the head and back.)

From the shoulder to the elbow is one chi seven cun. From the elbow to the wrist is one chi two and a half cun. (The joint of the arm and palm is called 'Wan'.) From the wrist to the proximal interphalangeal joint of the middle finger is four cun. From the proximal joint to the tip is four and a half cun. (The distal segment of the finger is called 'Ben Jie'; its end is the fingertip. ○ The thumb has three segments, two outside and one in the palm; the index, middle, ring, and little fingers have four segments each, three outside and one in the palm. All joints are connected by fragmented bones and fascia, similar in the toes.)

From the upper border of the pubic bone to the upper border of the medial epicondyle is one chi eight cun. (Bone edge is called 'Lian'; the inner bone beside the knee is the medial condyle/epicondyle, and the outer is the lateral.) From the upper border of the medial condyle to the lower border is three and a half cun. From the lower border of the medial condyle to the medial malleolus is one chi three cun. (Malleolus refers to the condylar bone.) From the medial malleolus to the ground is three cun. (From the pubic bone to here is the medial side; below is the lateral side.) From the Bi Shu point to the middle of the knee is one chi nine cun. (Middle of the knee refers to the space next to the lateral bony groove of the knee.) From the knee to the lateral malleolus is one chi six cun. From the lateral malleolus to Jinggu BL64 is three cun. (Jinggu, located at the red-white flesh junction below the large bone behind the base of the fifth toe.) From Jinggu to the ground is one cun. From the knee to the dorsum of the foot (Fu Shu) is one chi two cun. (Knee is anterior, ankle is posterior; Fu Shu refers to the junction of the tibia, ankle, and sole anteriorly and posteriorly.) From the dorsum of the foot to the ground is three cun. The foot is one chi two cun long and four and a half cun wide. (Foot refers to the sole, implying breadth. ○ Below are the dimensions of the limbs.)