Contrary and Favorable, Fat and Thin

The Yellow Emperor asked Qi Bo: "I have studied the principles of acupuncture from you, Master, and have fully grasped them. Your theories, when applied, yield remarkable effects, as if nothing remains fixed. Is it because your knowledge has matured, or have you gained insight through careful observation of things?" Qi Bo said: "When sages establish theories and methods, they correspond above to Heaven, below to Earth, and in the middle to human affairs. They must have clear principles to set standards and measures as models and norms, and only then can they be transmitted. Thus, a craftsman cannot abandon the ruler and guess at length, cannot discard the ink line and seek levelness, cannot set aside the compass to draw a circle, or discard the square to draw a rectangle. Those who understand and apply these principles follow the natural order; they are easy to teach and represent the constant pattern of adverse and favorable."

The Yellow Emperor said: "I wish to hear what is meant by the natural order." Qi Bo said: "If you breach a dike in deep water, little effort is needed to drain the water. If you cut a channel along a cavity, the path becomes passable. This refers to the smoothness or stagnation of qi, the clarity or turbidity of blood, and the adverse or favorable movement." The Yellow Emperor said: "I wish to hear about differences in human skin color, body fat or thinness, height, and whether there are different standards." Qi Bo said: "In older, robust individuals, blood and qi are abundant, skin and muscles are firm. If external pathogens also invade, acupuncture for such people should be deep and with retained needles; this is the method for fat people. Those with broad shoulders, armpits, and neck, thin muscles yet thick skin, dark complexion, thick lips, dark and turbid blood, sluggish and slow qi movement—such people are greedy in taking and giving. Acupuncture for them should be deep with retained needles, and the number of needle insertions should be increased." The Yellow Emperor said: "How should thin people be needled?" Qi Bo said: "Thin people have thin skin, light complexion, lean muscles, thin lips, low voice, clear blood, smooth qi movement, and are prone to qi depletion and blood injury. Acupuncture for such people should be shallow with quick needle removal." The Yellow Emperor said: "How should ordinary people be needled?" Qi Bo said: "Observe the blackness or whiteness of their skin and regulate accordingly. Those with a well-proportioned body and gentle disposition have harmonious blood and qi; acupuncture for them should not deviate from the regular method." The Yellow Emperor said: "How should those with robust physique and strong bones be needled?" Qi Bo said: "For those with robust physique and strong bones, they have firm muscles, relaxed joints, and prominent bones. If such a person has a stable temperament, then qi moves sluggishly and blood is turbid; acupuncture should be deep with retained needles and increased insertions. If the temperament is light and agile, then qi moves smoothly and blood is clear; acupuncture should be shallow with quick needle removal." The Yellow Emperor said: "How should infants be needled?" Qi Bo said: "Infants have tender muscles, scanty blood, and weak qi. Acupuncture for them should use fine needles, shallow insertion, and quick removal, and can be performed twice daily." The Yellow Emperor said: "What does 'breaching a dike in deep water' mean?" Qi Bo said: "When blood is clear and qi is turbid and chaotic, rapid draining with purging will deplete qi." The Yellow Emperor said: "What does 'cutting a channel along a cavity' mean?" Qi Bo said: "When blood is turbid and qi is sluggish, rapid draining with purging will open the channels."

The Yellow Emperor said: "What is the adverse and favorable movement of the channels?" Qi Bo said: "The three yin channels of the hand run from the internal organs to the hand; the three yang channels of the hand run from the hand to the head; the three yang channels of the foot run from the head to the foot; the three yin channels of the foot run from the foot to the abdomen."

The Yellow Emperor said: "Why does the Foot Shao Yin channel alone descend?" Qi Bo said: "That is not the case. The Chong channel is the sea of the five viscera and six bowels; all the viscera and bowels receive nourishment from it. The upper branch of the Chong channel emerges above the throat, infiltrates the various yang channels, and infuses essence. Its lower branch enters the great collateral of the Foot Shao Yin channel, emerges at qi street, descends along the inner thigh into the popliteal fossa, runs hidden within the tibia, reaches behind the medial malleolus, and then branches. Another branch descends, runs parallel with the Foot Shao Yin channel, and infiltrates the three yin channels. Its anterior branch runs hidden and emerges on the dorsum of the foot, descends along the dorsum into the space between the big toes, infiltrates the various collaterals, and warms the muscles. Thus, if the collaterals have stagnation, the artery on the dorsum of the foot will not pulse; if it does not pulse, reversal cold occurs, and reversal cold leads to coldness." The Yellow Emperor said: "How can this be verified?" Qi Bo said: "Guide with words, and verify by palpation. If indeed it is not the place of pulsation, then the adverse and favorable movement can be clarified." The Yellow Emperor said: "Profound indeed! The principles established by sages are brighter than the sun and moon, finer than a hair's tip. Were it not for you, Master, who could expound them?"