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[Ping An]: This chapter, from the beginning to the end, is found in *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), Volume 4, Chapter 14 "Bone Measurements" (Gu Du), and also in *Jia Yi Jing* (The Classified Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion), Volume 2, Chapter 7 "Bone Measurements, Intestinal Lengths, and Digestive Capacities".

Huang Di asked Bo Gao: The chapter on "Meridian Lengths" (Mai Du) discusses the lengths of the meridians; how are these lengths established? ("Mai Du" refers to the measurements of the starting and ending points of the Six Yin and Six Yang meridians, but the specific lengths were unknown.)

(Ping An: The phrase "discusses the lengths of meridians" appears as "discusses the lengths of the Jing-Meridians" in *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing*.)

Bo Gao replied: First, measure the size, width, and length of the skeletal joints, and then the lengths of the meridians can be determined. (The flesh and skin of a person may vary in thickness due to obesity or emaciation, but the dimensions of the skeletal joints cannot be extended or contracted. Therefore, to establish the lengths of the meridians, one must first describe the standards for bone measurements.)

Huang Di asked: I wish to hear about the bone measurements of ordinary people. For a person who is seven chi five cun tall, what are the sizes and lengths of their skeletal joints? (Apart from sages, worthies, and those without social distinction, the bone measurements of ordinary people are mostly the same. Thus, I inquire about the bone measurements of ordinary people and the specific dimensions of individuals of medium stature. Ping An: *Jia Yi Jing* lacks the six characters "yuan wen zhong ren zhi du" [wish to hear about the bone measurements of ordinary people], and adds the character "zhi" [know] before each measurement.)

Bo Gao answered: The circumference of the large bones of the head is two chi six cun. (Among ordinary people, there are three categories: those taller than seven chi six cun are called "adults"; those shorter than seven chi four cun are called "children"; those exactly seven chi five cun tall are called "medium-sized persons." Now, using the medium-sized person as the standard, both adults and children are measured against this. Why? If we take a person of seven chi five cun as the unit, it comprises seventy-five fen. Then, an adult of seven chi six cun is also calculated based on seventy-five fen; similarly, those below seven chi four cun down to infants are also calculated based on seventy-five fen. This serves as the fixed standard to separately determine the lengths of the meridians and locate the acupoints. The bone above the neck is the cranial bone, referred to as the large bone of the head, measured at its widest point with a cord.) The circumference of the chest is four chi five cun. (The chest is defined as the area from below the Quepen [LI 15] acupoint to above the Jiuwei [CV 15] acupoint, measuring the middle circumference. Ping An: The character "du" in the note originally written as "du" is likely a transcription error. The bone covering the heart is called "bi xin zhe," also known as Jiuwei, the sternum's xiphoid process. Corrected to "bi." Other editions use "yi.") The circumference of the waist is four chi two cun. (Measured at the middle circumference of the Yaoshu [BL 23] acupoint at the twenty-first vertebra.) The area covered by hair, from the top of the skull to the nape, is one chi two cun long. (The cranial bone is measured from where the hair covers, front to back. Ping An: In "suo fu" [covered by hair], the character "suo" was erroneously printed as "zhi" in Yuan's edition.) From the hairline to the chin is one chi long, divided into three equal parts for a gentleman. (From the hairline to the tip of the chin measures one chi. One chi is divided into three equal parts, representing Heaven, Earth, and Man. A gentleman's proportions are equally divided into three, differing from ordinary people. "Can" means three. Ping An: "Can zhe" in *Ling Shu* is written as "Zhong zhe," and in *Jia Yi Jing* as "Can," with notes stating it is also written as "San" [three] or "Zhong" [end].) From the Adam's apple (Jiehou) to the center of Quepen is four cun long. (The tip of the chin is horizontally aligned with the Adam's apple. The distance from the Adam's apple to the center of Quepen is not measured vertically.) From Quepen to Jiuwei is nine cun long. (Measured from the center of Quepen to Jiuwei along the skin surface. Ping An: The explanation of "Jiuwei" is seen earlier. *Ling Shu* notes: pronounced 'he yu', referring to the shoulder bone. This seems incorrect. The character "pi" [skin] in the note is also written as "qi" in other manuscripts.) If greater, the lungs are large; if less, the lungs are small. (Both the heart and lungs reside in the chest cavity, with the heart situated between the lungs, so their relative sizes are not discussed here.) From Jiuwei to Tianshu is eight cun long. (Tianshu [ST 25] is beside the umbilicus, hence the measurement downwards is only eight cun.) If greater, the stomach is large; if less, the stomach is small. (Although the spleen is within these eight cun, since the focus is on the stomach's size, only the stomach is mentioned.) From Tianshu to the Transverse Bone is six chi and half cun long. If greater, the Hui Chang (large intestine) is wide and long; if less, it is short. (The Transverse Bone is the horizontal bone above the genitalia. Hui Chang refers to the large intestine. The large intestine is located at the level of the umbilicus, and the small intestine attaches posteriorly to the upper spine, so they are not discussed here. Ping An: In *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing*, "ze duan" [then short] is written as "ze xia duan" [then narrow and short].) The Transverse Bone itself is six chi and half cun long. (Horizontal measurement is not a fixed numerical value.) From below the Transverse Bone to the upper margin of the medial epicondyle is one chi eight cun long. (Nei Fu refers to the tibia below the knee, the inner condyle. Ping An: "Xia zhi nei fu zhi shang lian" [down to the upper margin of the medial epicondyle] in *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing* is written as "Heng gu shang lian yi xia zhi nei fu zhi shang lian" [from the upper margin of the transverse bone down to the upper margin of the medial epicondyle]. The character "jing" [neck] in the note was erroneously printed as "jing" [tibia] in Yuan's edition.) From the upper margin of the medial epicondyle to the lower margin is three chi and half cun long. (The medial epicondyle bone is three chi and half cun long.) From the lower margin of the medial epicondyle to the medial malleolus is one chi three cun long; from the medial malleolus to the ground is three cun long, which is the distance from the end of the medial malleolus to the ground. From the knee to the foot-shu (connection of foot and leg) is one chi six cun long; from the foot-shu to the ground is three cun long. (Measured from below the knee, at the posterior bend of the knee.) Therefore, if the bone circumference is large, the corresponding body part is large; if too small, it is insufficient. (Thus, if the head bone circumference is large, it exceeds that of the body's other bones; if small, it is less than that of the body's other bones.) From the ear angle to the Zhu Gu (pillar bone) is one chi long. (The high bones on the left and right sides above and below the Quepen are named Zhu Gu. From the posterior forehead angle to the end of this Zhu Gu totals one chi, aligning with the chin. Calculating the vertical length of the Zhu Gu as four cun, though not stated in the text.) The invisible portion in the axilla while walking is four cun long. (When spreading the arms to walk, the invisible area under the axilla up to the Zhu Gu measures four cun.) From the axilla to the Ji Xie (last rib) is one chi two cun long. (The last rib is called Ji Xie.) From the Ji Xie to the Bi Shu (hip pivot) is six cun long. (The junction of the sacrum and hip bone is named Bi Shu.) From the Bi Shu to the middle of the knee is one chi nine cun long. (At the lateral middle of the knee.) From the knee to the lateral malleolus is one chi six cun long. (To the center of the lateral malleolus.) From the lateral malleolus to the Jing Gu is three cun long; from the Jing Gu to the ground is one cun long. (The high bone below the lateral malleolus is named Jing Gu.) The width behind the ear at the Wan Gu (complete bone) is nine cun; the width in front of the ear at the Er Men (ear gate) is one chi three cun. (The circumference of the head is two chi six cun. Here, the distance between the Wan Gu bones is nine cun, and between the Er Men is one chi three cun, totaling two chi two cun. The missing four cun is accounted for by taking two cun from the front of each Wan Gu to the ear, totaling four cun for both sides, which when added to the front section equals two chi six cun, as not detailed in the text. Ping An: "Guang chi san cun" [width one chi three cun] in *Jia Yi Jing* is written as "Guang yi chi er cun" [width one chi two cun], with notes stating it is also written as "san cun" [three cun].) The distance between the two cheekbones is seven cun; the width between the two breasts is nine chi and half cun; the width between the two thighs is six chi and half cun. (For the cheekbones and breasts, the endpoints are taken; for the thighs, the middle is taken. Ping An: The original manuscript has seven characters next to the right cheekbone: "Quan, ju yuan fan, jia gu ye" [Cheekbone, pronounced ju yuan, meaning cheekbone], which is likely a later scholar's annotation, not Yang Shangshan's note.) The foot is one chi two cun long and four chi and half cun wide. (Length is measured from the tip of the second toe to the heel; width is measured transversely at the midpoint of the one chi two cun length.) From the shoulder to the elbow is one chi seven cun long. (Measured from the shoulder end to the elbow end.) From the elbow to the wrist is one chi two chi and half cun long. (From the elbow end to the wrist. Wrist is the junction of arm and hand.) From the wrist to the proximal phalanx of the middle finger is four cun long. (The finger has three segments; this is the lower segment, hence called the proximal joint.) From the proximal joint to the fingertip is four chi and half cun long. (From the end of the proximal joint to the tip of the middle finger totals four chi and half cun. The modern method of using the first segment of the thumb as one cun to determine acupuncture distances is not equivalent.) From the posterior hairline to the Spine Bone (Lu Gu) is three chi and half cun long. (Lu Gu refers to the spinal column. Measured from the posterior hairline down to the end of the spine. Ping An: "Lu" in *Ling Shu* is written as "Bei" [back], and in *Jia Yi Jing* as "Ji" [spine]. Three chi and half cun in *Ling Shu* is two chi and half cun; *Jia Yi Jing* notes state it is also written as two chi and half cun.) From the Spine Bone down to the twenty-one coccygeal segments is three chi long. (Each segment is one cun long, so twenty-one segments total three chi, as detailed below.) The upper segment is one chi four fen long, with the fractional remainder below. (Taking the upper segment as an example, the rest are the same. The fraction implies that beyond one chi, there is a remaining fraction, actually two-sevenths of a fen. Ping An: "Fen zhi yi qi fen zai xia" [fraction one, odd fraction below] in *Jia Yi Jing* is written as "Fen zhi qi qi fen zhi yi" [seven fractions, one fraction of seven]. Two characters are missing after "yi cun" in the note; based on the text, "si fen" [four fen] should be inserted.) Therefore, the upper seven segments down to the Lu Gu total nine chi and eight-fen-seven-tenths. (This is the count for seven segments. Each segment is one chi four fen, so seven segments yield nine chi and eight-fen-seven-tenths, which actually equals one chi whole. Why? Each segment has a remainder of two-sevenths of a fen. Seven segments have a total remainder of fourteen. Dividing fourteen by seven gives two. Adding two to nine chi and eight-fen-seven-tenths results in one chi.) These are the bone measurements of ordinary people, used to establish the lengths of the meridians.

(This uses the standard that ordinary people's bone measurements are mostly the same to establish meridian lengths.) Therefore, observing the meridians and collaterals in the body: those that appear floating and firm, or bright and large, indicate abundant blood; those that are fine and sunken indicate deficient Qi. (Those appearing floating and firm are the collaterals. Those appearing bright and large indicate abundant blood. Fine and sunken indicates deficient Qi and blood. Some versions read "abundant Qi." Ping An: "Shao Qi" [deficient Qi] in *Ling Shu* and *Jia Yi Jing* is written as "Duo Qi" [abundant Qi]. The note "jian er ming da" [appearing bright and large] was erroneously printed as "qi jian ming er da" [its appearing bright and large] in Yuan's edition.)