夫天食人以五气。地食人以五味。五气入鼻。藏于心肺。上使五色修明。音响能彰。五
味入
口。藏于肠胃。味有所藏。以养五气。气和而生。津液相成。神乃自生。经脉别论云。食气
入胃。浊气归心。淫精于脉。脉气流经。经气归肝。朝百脉输精于皮毛。毛脉合精行气于腑
腑精神明。留于四脏。气归于权衡。权衡以平。气口成寸。以决死生。饮入于胃。游溢
精气。上输于脾。脾气散精。上通于肺。通调水道。下输膀胱。水精四布。五经并行。
此说营气谷气。上升奉生者也。上升于头。入手之三阳。三阳得之。散之六腑。六腑下
行。滋养五脏。通九窍。利周身百脉也。
黄帝针经曰。手少阴之别。名通理。系舌本。是少阴之正系舌本。是太阴之正贯舌本。
足太
阴之脉散舌下。足少阴之脉侠舌本。针经云。足阳明之脉。根于厉兑结于廉泉。一名舌本。
在颔下结喉上。治舌下肿难言。舌纵涎退场门噤。舌根急缩。下食难。刺疟论云。舌下两脉者
廉泉也。刺禁论云。刺舌下脉太过。血不止为喑。刺节真邪论云。取廉泉穴。血变而止。
以明宜出血。禁用气针。或问。取廉泉穴二说不同。一说取颔下结喉上。一说取舌下两脉。
何者为当。答曰。舌本者。乃舌根蒂也。若取舌下两脉。是取舌梢也。舌标也。此法误也。
当取颔下者为当。此舌根也。况足阳明之脉。根于厉兑。结于廉泉。颔下、乃足阳明脉之所
行也。若取舌下两脉。非阳明经也。戊与癸合。廉泉、少阴也。治涎下。解辞云。胃中热上
溢。廉泉开故涎下。当出血。以泻胃中之热。又知非舌下之两脉也。以颔下喉咙者为准。胀
论曰。廉泉玉英者。津液之道路也。
天通过五气滋养人类，地通过五味滋养人类。五气从鼻吸入，藏纳于心肺，向上使面色红润光泽，声音洪亮清晰。五味从口摄入，藏纳于肠胃，味道所化生的精微物质用来滋养五气。五气调和则生命产生，津液与精气相互成就，神气便自然生成。《经脉别论》说：食物之气进入胃后，浊气归于心，精气浸润于脉中，脉气流行于经脉，经气归于肝，汇聚全身血脉并向皮毛输布精气。毛脉结合的精气运行于腑，腑的精神光明，留存于四脏（心、肝、脾、肾），气机回归平衡状态。平衡协调后，气口形成寸脉，以此判断生死。饮水进入胃后，游溢精气，向上输送给脾。脾气散播精微，上通于肺，肺通调水道，向下输送到膀胱。水精四布，五条经脉并行。这是说营气和谷气上升以奉养生命的过程。精气上升至头部，进入手三阳经，三阳经得到精气，将其散布于六腑。六腑下行，滋养五脏，通达九窍，利周身百脉。
《黄帝针经》说：手少阴心经的络穴名为通里，联系舌根。这是少阴经正系联系舌根。足太阴脾经的正经贯入舌根。足太阴脾经的经脉散布于舌下。足少阴肾经的经脉夹行于舌根两侧。《针经》说：足阳明胃经的经脉，起始于厉兑穴，结止于廉泉穴。廉泉穴又名舌本，位于下颌下、结喉上方，主治舌下肿胀言语困难、舌纵流涎、牙关紧闭、舌根急缩、吞咽困难。《刺疟论》说：舌下的两条脉络就是廉泉穴。《刺禁论》说：针刺舌下脉络如果过深，导致出血不止会造成失音。《刺节真邪论》说：取廉泉穴，直到血液颜色由暗变红即可停止，以此说明适宜采用放血疗法，禁用毫针行气手法。有人问：关于取廉泉穴有两种说法不同，一说取下颌下结喉上方的穴位，一说取舌下的两条脉络，哪种是正确的？回答说：舌本是指舌根蒂。如果取舌下的两条脉络，那是取舌梢，即舌标，这种方法是错误的。应当取下颌下的位置才是正确的，这才是舌根所在。况且足阳明胃经，起始于厉兑，结止于廉泉，下颌下正是足阳明胃经循行的部位。如果取舌下的两条脉络，那就不是阳明经了。天干中戊与癸相合，廉泉穴属少阴经，治疗口水直流。解辞说：胃中热气上溢，廉泉开泄所以口水流出，应当放血以泻除胃中的热邪。由此可知不是指舌下的两条脉络。应以咽喉下方的位置为准。《胀论》说：廉泉和玉英穴，是津液运行的道路。
Heaven nourishes humans with the Five Qi (Wu Qi, five elemental energies), and Earth nourishes humans with the Five Flavors (Wu Wei, sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, salty). The Five Qi enter through the nose and are stored in the Heart and Lungs, manifesting upward as a lustrous complexion and clear voice. The Five Flavors enter through the mouth and are stored in the Stomach and Intestines; the essence derived from flavors nourishes the Five Qi. When the Qi is harmonious, life arises; when fluids and essence are mutually formed, Spirit (Shen) naturally emerges. *Jingmai Bie Lun* (Treatise on the Distinct Channels) states: "When food qi enters the Stomach, the turbid qi returns to the Heart, saturating the vessels with essence. Vessel qi flows through the channels, channel qi returns to the Liver, gathering in all vessels to transmit essence to the skin and hair. The essence of skin and vessels combines to move qi through the Fu organs. The spirit of the Fu organs remains bright, residing in the Four Zang organs (Heart, Liver, Spleen, Kidney). Qi returns to balance. Through this balance, the Cun Kou pulse is formed, used to determine life and death." When water enters the Stomach, its essence overflows and is transported upward to the Spleen. The Spleen disperses essence, transmitting it upward to the Lung. The Lung regulates the water passages, transporting them downward to the Bladder. Water essence distributes throughout, and the Five Channels run in parallel. This describes how Ying Qi (Nutrient Qi) and Gu Qi (Grain Qi) ascend to sustain life. Ascending to the head, they enter the Hand Three Yang Channels. Upon receiving this essence, the Three Yang Channels disperse it to the Six Fu organs. The Six Fu organs descend to nourish the Five Zang organs, unblocking the Nine Orifices and benefiting the hundred vessels of the body.
*Huangdi Zhenjing* (The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Acupuncture) states: "The Luo-connecting vessel of the Hand Shaoyin (Heart) channel is named Tongli, connecting to the root of the tongue." This indicates that the Zheng (Regular) branch of the Shaoyin connects to the root of the tongue. The Zheng branch of the Taiyin (Spleen) penetrates the root of the tongue. The meridian of the Foot Taiyin (Spleen) scatters beneath the tongue. The meridian of the Foot Shaoyin (Kidney) runs alongside the root of the tongue. *Zhenjing* states: "The meridian of the Foot Yangming (Stomach) originates at Lidui (ST45) and terminates at Lianquan (RN23)." Lianquan is also known as Sheben (Root of the Tongue), located below the mandible and above the laryngeal prominence. It treats swelling under the tongue making speech difficult, tongue deviation with drooling, trismus, acute retraction of the tongue root, and difficulty swallowing. *Cinu Lun* (Treatise on Needling for Malaria) states: "The two vessels under the tongue are Lianquan." *Cijin Lun* (Treatise on Acupuncture Taboos) states: "If needling the vessels under the tongue is too deep, continuous bleeding will cause aphonia." *Cijie Zhenxie Lun* (Treatise on Needling Sections and True Pathogens) states: "Select the Lianquan point; stop when the blood changes color [from dark to bright]." This clarifies that bloodletting is appropriate, while using needles to manipulate Qi (Qi needle technique) is contraindicated. A question arises: There are two different interpretations regarding the selection of Lianquan. One interpretation selects the point below the mandible and above the larynx; the other selects the two vessels under the tongue. Which is correct? The answer is: Sheben refers to the root of the tongue. If one selects the two vessels under the tongue, one is selecting the tip of the tongue (Shebiao), which is erroneous. One should select the location below the mandible, which is the true root of the tongue. Furthermore, the Foot Yangming meridian originates at Lidui and terminates at Lianquan; the area below the mandible is where the Foot Yangming meridian travels. Selecting the vessels under the tongue does not correspond to the Yangming channel. In Heavenly Stems, Wu (Yang Earth) combines with Gui (Yin Water); Lianquan belongs to the Shaoyin category and treats excessive salivation. Commentary explains: "Heat in the Stomasm rises and overflows; because Lianquan opens, saliva flows down. Bloodletting should be performed to drain the heat in the Stomach." From this, we know it does not refer to the two vessels under the tongue. The standard is the location below the throat. *Zhang Lun* (Treatise on Distension) states: "Lianquan and Yuying are the pathways for fluids."