Suwen · On Qi Reversal

The text

The Yellow Emperor asked: The five zang and six fu — cold and heat moving across to one another: what of this? Qi Bo said: When the kidney moves cold to the liver, there is welling swelling and little qi. When the spleen moves cold to the liver, there is welling swelling and contracted sinews. When the liver moves cold to the heart, there is mania and a barrier in the center. When the heart moves cold to the lung, there is lung wasting. In lung wasting one drinks one and passes two; it is death, and cannot be treated. When the lung moves cold to the kidney, it becomes surging water. In surging water, pressing the belly is not hard; water-qi lodges as a guest in the large intestine; walking quickly, there is a sound, wash-wash, as of a sack holding broth. This is an illness of water. When the spleen moves heat to the liver, it becomes startle and nosebleed. When the liver moves heat to the heart, there is death. When the heart moves heat to the lung, it is transmitted as diaphragm wasting. When the lung moves heat to the kidney, it is transmitted as soft tetany. When the kidney moves heat to the spleen, it is transmitted as vacuity; intestinal flux, death, cannot be treated. When the womb moves heat to the bladder, there is blockage and bloody urine. When the bladder moves heat to the small intestine, the diaphragm and intestines will not pass; above, it becomes sores in the mouth. When the small intestine moves heat to the large intestine, it becomes a hidden conglomeration, becomes sinking. When the large intestine moves heat to the stomach, one is fond of eating and yet thin; this is also called eating-and-yet. When the stomach moves heat to the gallbladder, it is also called eating-and-yet. When the gallbladder moves heat to the brain, there is acridness at the bridge of the nose and deep-source snivel. Deep-source snivel is turbid snivel descending without stop. It is transmitted as nosebleed, staining, and the eyes dimming. Thus it is obtained from qi reversal.

The line

The Yellow Emperor asked: The five zang and six fu — cold and heat moving across to one another: what of this?

The note

Cold and heat moving across is offices pushing the burden from one to another. Reversal is qi walking the wrong way. First ask who moved it to whom; then ask whether the hands and feet are cold or hot.