终始/Zhong Shi

(The Beginning and Terminal of the Channels)

凡刺之道，半于终始，明知终始，五脏为纪，阴阳定矣，阴者主脏，阳者主腑[阴者主脏，阳者主腑:注有浩曰:“二句据韵互易，当作‘阳者主腑，阴者主脏”]，阳受气于四末，阴受气于五脏。故泻者迎之，补者随之，知迎知随，气可令和。和气之方，必通阴阳，五脏为阴，六腑为阳，传之后世[传之后世，《甲乙》卷第五无“传之”以下二十四字]，以血为盟，敬之者昌，慢之者亡，无道行私，必得天殃。

The regulations of acupuncture are all written on the chapter of 《Beginning and Terminal of the Channel》, when one understands the meaning of the beginning and terminal of the channel, he will be able to determine the relation between the Yin channel and the Yang channel. The Yin channel is interlinked with the five solid organs and the Yang channel is interlinked with the six hollow organs. The Yang channel inherits the channel-energy of the four extremities, and the Yin energy inherits the channel-energy from the five viscera. So, when one twists the needle against the running direction of the channel, it is the purging therapy; when one twists the needle along with the running direction of the channel, it is the invigorating therapy. When one knows the way of twisting the needle to purge the coming sthenic energy and to invigorate the going asthenic energy , the channel energies can be harmonized, thus, the clue of harmonizing the channel energy is in the understanding of the law of Yin and Yang. The five solid organs are Yin inside, and the six hollow organs are Yang outside.

谨奉天道，请言终始，终始者，经脉为纪，持其脉口人迎，以知阴阳有余不足，平与不平，天道毕矣。所谓平人者不病，不病者，脉口人迎应四时也，上下相应而俱往来也，六经之脉不结动也，本末之寒温之相守司也，形肉血气必相称也，是谓平人。少气者，脉口人迎俱少而不称尺寸也。如是者，则阴阳俱不足，补阳则阴竭，泻阴则阳脱。如是者，可将以甘药，不[不:“不”下脱“愈”字]可饮以至剂。如是者，弗灸[弗灸:“灸”当作“久”]，不已者，因而泻之，则五脏气坏矣。

Now, let us discuss the meaning of the beginning and terminal of channels prudently according to the principle of overabundance and deficiency of Yin and Yang in heaven and earth. The so called the beginning and terminal is to examine whether the Yin and Yang, asthenia and sthenia are keeping balance by palpating the Cunkou (radial artery proximal to the wrist) and Renying (cervical arteries lateral to the thyroid cartilage), taking the twelve channels as the guiding principle, in this way, the reasons of the overabundance and deficiency of Yin and Yang can be understood. The so called a healthy person is the one who has no disease and the Cunkou and Renying pulse-condition of a healthy man is corresponding with the seasons; the Cunkou and Renying pulse conditions are in consonance with each other, they come and go continuously and the pulsations of the six channels are unceasing; although there are changes of cold and heat in the four seasons, yet the Cunkou and Renying are each having the specific pulse condition without interfering each other, the physique, muscle, blood and energy are harmonious and are keeping in line with each other. These are the conditions of a healthy man. When a man is short of breath, his Cunkou and Renying pulse conditions will appear to be fine, and his skin of the anterolateral side of the forearm is not matching the pulse condition, which shows both his Yin and Yang are deficient. When treating the disease of deficiency in both Yin and Yang, if Yang is invigorated, it will cause the exhaustion of Yin energy: if Yin is purged, it will cause the exhaustion of Yang energy. So, to the patient of this kind, it can only be invigorated with a slow-acting prescription. If the disease is not cured, the quick-acting prescription may be used. The disease of this kind can by no means be cured in a short time. When one does not treat in this way, but treat with acupuncture, it will injure the healthy energy of the five viscera.

人迎一盛，病在足少阳，一盛而躁，病在手少阳。人迎二盛，病在足太阳，二盛而躁，病阳，溢阳为外格。脉口一盛，病在足厥阴，厥阴一盛而躁，在手心主。脉口二盛，病在足少阴，二盛而躁，在手少阴，脉口三盛，病在足太阴，三盛而躁，在手太阴。脉口四盛，且大且数者，名曰溢阴，溢阴为内关，内关不通死不治。人迎与太阴脉口俱盛四倍以上，命名关格，关格者，与之短期。

When the Renying pulse is twice as large as the Cunkou pulse, the disease is in the Foot Shaoyang Channel of Gallbladder. When it is twice as large and impetuous, the disease is in the Hand Shaoyang Channel of Triple Warmer. When the Renying pulse is three times as large as the Cunkou pulse, the disease is in the Foot Taiyang Channel of Bladder. When it is three times as large and impetuous, the disease is in the Hand Taiyang Channel of Small Intestine. When the Renying pulse is four times as large as the Cunkou pulse, the disease is in the Foot Yangming Channel of Stomach. When it is four times as large and impetuous, the disease is in the Hand Yangming Channel of Large Intestine. When the Renying pulse is five times as large as the Cunkou pulse, being gigantic and rapid, it is called the overflowing of Yang which shows the six Yang channels are all partial-overabundant and the Yang fails to communicate with the Yin energy, it is also called rejecting from outside”.

When the Cunkou pulse is twice as large as the Renying pulse, the disease is in the Foot Jueyin Channel of Liver. When it is twice as large and impetuous, the disease is in the Hand Jueyin Channel of Pericardium. When the Cunkou pules is three times as large as the Renying pulse, the disease is in the Foot Shaoyin Channel of Kidney. when it is three times as large and impetuous, the disease is in the Hand Shaoyin Channel of Heart. When the Cunkou pulse is four times as large as the Renying pulse, the disease is in the Foot Taiyin Channel of Spleen. When it is four times as large and impetuous, the disease is in the Hand Taiyin Channel of lung. When the Cunkou pulse is five times as large as the Renying pulse, being gigantic and rapid, it is called the overflowing of Yin which shows the six Yin channels are all partial overabundant and fail to communicate with the Yang energyv it is also called "closing from inside." When the superficies and the interior are being obstructed due to the closing from inside, it is a fatal disease. When the Renying pulse and the Cunkou pulse are both more then five times as large as usual, it is called "Guan Ge" (close and reject). When one has Guan Ge, he will soon die.

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