Discussion on Seasonal Dew

The Yellow Emperor asked Qi Bo: "The classics say that if one is injured by summer heat in summer, malaria will occur in autumn. The of malaria has a fixed time pattern. What is the reason for this?" Qi Bo replied: "When pathogenic qi invades the Wind Mansion, it travels downward along the spine. The defensive qi normally gathers at the Wind Mansion once during a day and night cycle, then moves down one segment the next day. Thus the time of onset is delayed day by day because the pathogenic qi first enters the spine. Therefore, whenever the defensive qi reaches the Wind Mansion, the interstices open; when the interstices open, the pathogenic qi enters; when the pathogenic qi enters, the disease strikes. This is why the time of onset is progressively delayed. When the defensive qi reaches the Wind Mansion, it moves down one segment each day, reaching the coccyx in twenty-one days, entering the spine in twenty-two days, pouring into the Chong Channel, moving for nine days, then emerging from the supraclavicular fossa. Its qi then moves upward, so the time of onset gradually becomes earlier. When the pathogenic qi strikes the five viscera internally and connects transversely with the membranes, its path is distant, the qi is deep, and its movement is slow, so it cannot strike daily. Hence it accumulates and strikes the next day."

The Yellow Emperor said: "Each time the defensive qi reaches the Wind Mansion, the interstices open, and when they open, the pathogenic qi enters. But since the defensive qi moves down one segment each day, it does not necessarily arrive exactly at the Wind Mansion. How is this?" Qi Bo replied: "The position of the Wind Mansion is not fixed. Wherever the defensive qi should converge, it will necessarily open the interstices there. The segment where the pathogenic qi lingers is its Wind Mansion."

The Yellow Emperor said: "Well said. Wind and malaria are of the same category, yet wind often persists continuously while malaria stops at regular intervals. Why is this?" Qi Bo said: "Wind stays at the site it invades, whereas malaria follows the channels and vessels, sinking inward and striking. Thus when the defensive qi converges, malaria strikes." The Yellow Emperor said: "Well said."

The Yellow Emperor asked Shao Shi: "I have heard that the four seasons and eight winds invade the human body, originally with cold and heat differences. When cold, the skin contracts and the interstices close; when hot, the skin relaxes and the interstices open. Can thieving wind and pathogenic qi take advantage of this? Or must they wait for the eight-directional deficient winds to harm people?" Shao Shi replied: "It is not so. Thieving wind and pathogenic qi invade the human body not necessarily at fixed times, but they must take advantage of when the interstices are open. If they invade deeply and develop internally, they become severe illness, and their onset is sudden and violent. If they take advantage of when the interstices are closed, they invade shallowly and stay on the surface, and their onset is slow and delayed."

The Yellow Emperor said: "There are cases where cold and warmth are appropriate and the interstices are not open, yet people suddenly fall ill. What is the reason for this?" Shao Shi replied: "Does Your Majesty not understand the principle of pathogenic qi invasion? Even in ordinary times, the opening and closing, slowness and urgency of the interstices often have a fixed temporal pattern." The Yellow Emperor said: "Can you explain this to me?" Shao Shi said: "Humans are interconnected with Heaven and Earth and correspond with the sun and moon. Thus when the moon is full, the sea water surges westward; human blood and qi are abundant, muscles are firm, skin is dense, hair is strong, interstices are closed, and grime adheres. At such a time, even if one encounters thieving wind, it invades shallowly and not deeply. When the moon is empty, the sea water surges eastward; human blood and qi are deficient, defensive qi disperses, the form stands alone, muscles diminish, skin relaxes, interstices open, hair is sparse, texture is thin, and grime falls away. At such a time, encountering thieving wind, it invades deeply, and its onset is sudden and violent."

The Yellow Emperor said: "Some people suddenly die or suddenly fall ill. What is the reason?" Shao Shi replied: "Those who encounter the three deficiencies will die suddenly or fall ill suddenly; those who obtain the three abundances, pathogenic qi cannot harm them." The Yellow Emperor said: "I wish to hear what the three deficiencies are." Shao Shi said: "Meeting a year with weakened qi, encountering the time of the empty moon, and losing the harmony of the four seasons, and thus being injured by thieving wind—this is called the three deficiencies. Therefore, if one does not know the three deficiencies in discourse, the physician will become coarse." The Yellow Emperor said: "I wish to hear what the three abundances are." Shao Shi said: "Meeting a year with abundant qi, encountering the time of the full moon, and obtaining the harmony of the four seasons—even if there is thieving wind and pathogenic qi, it cannot harm them." The Yellow Emperor said: "This discourse is truly exquisite! The principle is truly clear! Let me store it in the golden casket and name it the Three Abundances. However, this is only a discussion concerning individuals."

The Yellow Emperor said: "I wish to know why people in a given year all suffer the same disease. What causes this?" Shao Shi replied: "This is the climatic manifestation of the eight directions." The Yellow Emperor said: "How does one observe these manifestations?" Shao Shi said: "Observing these manifestations usually occurs on the winter solstice. On this day, the Great One is located in the Ye Zhe Palace. When it arrives, there must surely be wind and rain in response. If the wind comes from the south, it is called deficient wind, a thieving wind that harms people. If it arrives at midnight, all the people are asleep and do not encounter it, so that year the people rarely fall ill. If it arrives during the day, the people are lax and negligent and all encounter the deficient wind, so many people fall ill. Deficient qi invades the bones but does not manifest externally. When spring begins, the yang qi disperses greatly and the interstices open. Because on the day spring begins, if the wind comes from the west, the people again all encounter the deficient wind. Thus the two pathogens strike each other, and the qi of the channels and vessels becomes blocked and alternates. Therefore, whenever one encounters such wind and such rain, it is called encountering Year Dew. If the year is harmonious and thieving winds are few, the people are rarely ill and rarely die. If the year has many thieving winds and pathogenic qi, and cold and warmth are not harmonious, then the people are often ill and often die."

The Yellow Emperor said: "Regarding deficient pathogenic wind, how does one observe the noble and base among those it harms?" Shao Shi replied: "On the first day of the first month, the Great One is located in the Tian Liu Palace. If on this day a northwest wind blows and there is no rain, many people will die. On the first day of the first month, if a north wind blows at dawn, by spring many people will die. On the first day of the first month, if a strong north wind blows at dawn, of those who fall ill, three out of ten will die. On the first day of the first month, if a north wind blows at noon, by summer many people will die. On the first day of the first month, if a north wind blows at dusk, by autumn many people will die. If the north wind blows all day, of those who become seriously ill and die, six out of ten will die. On the first day of the first month, if the wind comes from the south, it is called Drought Land; from the west, it is called White Bones; the state will have calamities, and many people will die. On the first day of the first month, if the wind comes from the east, it lifts roofs and raises sand and stones; the state will have great disaster. On the first day of the first month, if the wind comes from the southeast, there will be deaths in spring. On the first day of the first month, if the weather is warm and there is no wind, grain prices are low and the people do not fall ill; if the weather is cold and there is wind, grain prices are high and many people fall ill. This is what is called observing the wind of the year, which can injure people. If there is no wind on the Chou day of the second month, many people will suffer from heart and abdominal diseases; if it is not warm on the Xu day of the third month, many people will suffer from cold and heat diseases; if it is not hot on the Si day of the fourth month, many people will suffer from jaundice; if it is not cold on the Shen day of the tenth month, many people will die suddenly. All the winds mentioned above are those that can lift roofs, break trees, raise sand and stones, lift hair, and open the interstices."