ST36 and LR 3 足三里-太冲 by Wang Leting 王乐亭

ST36 and LR 3 足三里-太冲  by  Wang Leting 王乐亭 (1895 to 1984)

ST-36 is able to supplement blood, invigorate blood, cool blood and clear blood, and LR-3 is able to drain the liver and gallbladder, descend counterflow qi, regulate, free the menses, move qi, stop pain and also cool and invigorate the blood. When the two are paired together, they can calm the liver and descend counterflow, move blood and free the menses, cool and invigorate blood, course and free the qi mechanism of the liver and stomach, clear and regulate brewing heat of hte liver, stomach and gallbladder, it governs the treatment of painful menstruation, qi counterflow of the liver and gallbladder, dizziness and headache, vexation and tendency to anger, vomiting and retching, stomach pain, patterns that below to qi counterflow or stagnation or brewing heat, also patterns of rib-side pain, zang-zao (visceral vexation), mania and withdrawal, disharmony between the gallbladder and stomach, and oppression within the stomach.

 

The Fourth Point of the Heart Channel – Líng Dào – Spirit Pathway (HE-4)

The Fourth Point of the Heart Channel
Líng Dào – Spirit Pathway (HE-4)
心經第四靈道

[This is from the upcoming translation of Explanations of Channels and Points, translated by Michael Brown and edited by Allen Tsaur, published by Purple Cloud Press. This work may not reflect the final edition. This blog will be updated approximately every 10 days.]

穴在掌後一寸五分,手少陰心脈所行爲經金。《銅人》:鍼三分,灸三壯。

This point is located 1 cùn and 5 fēn behind palm. The hand shàoyīn heart vessel flows here, as the river and metal [point]. The Tóngrén states “needle 3 fēn, moxa 3 cones”.

注:心主神靈,此穴爲心經所行,故曰靈道,走而不守也。

Explanation: the heart governs the spirits[1], this point is where the heart channel travels, therefore it is called Líng Dào (Spirit Pathway), as it moves and does not guard[2].

心之心病:心痛乾嘔,悲恐,相引瘈瘲,肘攣,暴瘖不能言。

Heart diseases of the heart: heart pain with dry retching, sorrow and fear, alternating tugging and slackening[3], hypertonicity of the elbow, sudden loss of voice with inability to speak.

注:心痛而乾嘔,乃心氣之逆也,悲恐乃心氣之虛也,相引瘈瘲,心爲一身神明之主,而邪乘之,故有是症,

Explanation: heart pain leading to dry retching is a result of the counterflow of heart qì. Sorrow and fear are due to the deficiency of heart qì. For alternating tugging and slackening, the heart governs the bright spirit of the entire body, when an evil overwhelms it, then there are these signs.

肘攣乃本經所行之部分也,暴瘖不能言,乃心氣不至於舌也。以上症皆心經所行部分,責之以通其滯。

For hypertonicity of the elbow, this is the area where this channel travels. Sudden loss of voice with inability to speak is a result of the heart qì not arriving at the tongue. The above signs are all areas where the heart the channel travels, seek this [point] in order to free the stagnation.

[1] This is the two terms神 Shén and靈 Líng together. For the distinction between the two types of spirit, please refer to the explanation in HE-2.

[2] This is a common phrase in herbal treatment. The Practical Dictionary notes that this phrase describes the mobile nature of the medicinals, that tend to cause movement.

[3] Alternating tugging and slackening 相引瘈瘲 may be similar to the condition of clonic convulsions.

Lung Shu (BL-13) – Part 1

[This is from the upcoming translation of Explanations of Channels and Points, translated by Michael Brown and edited by Allen Tsaur, published by Purple Cloud Press. This work may not reflect the final edition. Part 2 next will include the diseases that BL-13 treats]

BL-13 Fèi Shù – Lung Shu
膀胱經第十三穴肺腧

穴在第三椎下兩旁,相去脊一寸五分。《千金》云:對乳引繩度之。甄權云:以搭手,左取右,右取左,當中指末是穴,正坐取之。

This point is located beside and below the third vetebra, 1 cùn 5 fēn from the spine, on each side. The Qiānjīn states [it is] opposite the breast, draw a string to locate it. The Zhēnquán states put the hand over the shoulder, for left [point] use right [hand], for right [point] use left [hand], spot under the tip of the middle finger is the point, sit upright to locate it.

《甲乙》:鍼三分,留七呼,得氣即泄。甄搏:灸百壯。《明下》:灸三壯。《素》戒云:刺中肺,三日死,其動爲咳。

The Jiǎyǐ states needle 3 fēn, retain for 7 respirations, obtain qì then promptly drain. Zhēn bó states moxa 100 zhuàng. The Míngxià states moxa 3 cones. The Sùwèn warns piercing into the lung, in three days there will be death, and manifest as coughing.[1]

注:五臟六腑皆系於背,乃系於背之挾脊脂絡中,其腧穴,按臟腑之高下而定焉,實臓腑至要之處,爲臓腑之本也。太陽一經,歷主其穴,所謂巨陽者,蓋一身之臓腑無所不統也。

Explanation: the five zàng-viscera and six fǔ-bowels all have connectors on the back, that connect to the fatty network on the back that clasps the spine. As for the [back] transport points, [their locations] are determined by the relative height of the zàng-viscera and fǔ-bowels. They are truly the most crucial places and foundations of the zàng-viscera and fǔ-bowels. The channel of the tàiyáng passes through and governs these points. This is the reason it is called the great yáng, as all the zàng-viscera and fǔ-bowels of the body are governed by it, without exception.

各腧即統其原於挾脊之兩旁,而各腧臟腑之餘,本經背一行之支别者,又再分按其部而主之,故臓腑外受之邪,無不取於本經在背之穴也。

Each back transport [point] precisely controls its origin on the [lateral] side of the paravertebrals, and transports the surplus of its respective zàng-viscera and fǔ-bowels. For the diverging branch of first line of this channel on the back, it also governs based on its location. Thus, when the zàng-viscera and fǔ-bowels externally contract an evil, without exception always select a point of this channel that is on the back.

肺處五臓最高之所,故肺腧首取之,乃系肺之原本處也。仲景曰傷寒太陽與少陽並病,頭項强痛或眩冒,時如结胸,心下痞者,當刺足太陽肺腧、肝腧。

The lung is situated in the highest place of the five zàng-viscera, therefore Fèi Shù (BL-13) is the first to adopt [this category], it also connects place that is the origin and foundation of the lung. Zhòngjǐng says “When there is cold damage of the tàiyáng together with the shǎoyáng, this is dragover disease. There is headache and stiff painful nape, or possibly veiling dizziness, periodically feeling as if there is chest bind, glomus below the heart, one should peirce the foot tàiyáng Fèi Shù (BL-13) and Gān Shù (BL-18)”.[2]

又諸腧穴,皆爲臟腑至要之所,鍼之深斷不可過三分,故古人著戒有中肺、中心、中膈之戒,非真中肺、中心也,謂中其系肺、系心之本也。

For all the back transport points, they are the most crucial places for all the zàng-viscera and fǔ-bowels, thus the depth of needling should certainly not exceed 3 fēn; therefore, the ancients composed warnings against [piercing] into lung, heart, and diaphragm; however, this is not truly [piercing] the lung and the heart, but the foundation of the connector to the lung, and of the connector to the heart.

所謂前邊深似井,言在腹諸穴也,後邊薄似餅,言在背諸穴也,可不慎哉。

It is said that the front [of the body] is deep like a well, that is regarding all the points on the abdomen. The back of the body is thin like a round flat cake. Regarding all the points on the back, [one] cannot carelessly [pierce] them!

[1] From Sùwèn Chapter 52.

[2] This is slightly modified quote from Line 171 of the Shānghán Lùn.