Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen: An Annotated Translation of Huang Di’s Inner Classic - Basic Questions: 2 volumes, Volumes of the Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen Project. Paul U. Unschuld, General Editor

1553 Pages·2011·7.55 MB·English

by  Paul U. Unschuld

Huang Di nei jing su wen
An Annotated Translation of
Huang Di’s Inner Classic – Basic Questions
Volume I
Chapters 1 through 52
Paul U. Unschuld and Hermann Tessenow
in Collaboration with Zheng Jinsheng
UnIVersITy of CalIfornIa Press
Berkeley los angeles
Huang Di nei jing su wen
Volume I

Huang Di nei jing su wen
An Annotated Translation of
Huang Di’s Inner Classic – Basic Questions
Volume I
Chapters 1 through 52
Paul U. Unschuld and Hermann Tessenow
in Collaboration with Zheng Jinsheng
UnIVersITy of CalIfornIa Press
Berkeley los angeles
acknowledgment
This annotated translation of the Su wen was made possible by a long-term commit-
ment from the Volkswagen foundation, following up an initial pilot phase funded
by the German research association (DfG). It is with utmost gratitude that we
acknowledge this generous support and an understanding of the complexities of our
project.
University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United
states, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social
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University of California Press
Berkeley and los angeles, California
University of California Press, ltd.
london, england
© 2011 by the regents of the University of California
library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Unschuld, Paul U., 1943–.
Huang Di nei jing su wen: an annotated translation of Huang Di’s Inner Classic — Basic
Questions / Paul U. Unschuld and Hermann Tessenow in collaboration with Zheng Jinsheng.
— 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
IsBn 978-0-520-26698-8 (set)
1. su wen. 2. Medicine, Chinese—early works to 1800. I. Unschuld, Paul U. (Paul
Ulrich), 1943- II. Tessenow, Hermann, 1945- III. Zheng, Jinsheng, 1946- IV. su wen.
english. V. Title: annotated translation of Huang Di’s Inner Classic — Basic Questions.
r127.1.s93H7 2011
616’.09—dc21 2010039378
Manufactured in the United states of america
19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
ansI/nIso Z39.48-1992 (r 1997) (Permanence of Paper).
Contents
Volume I
Prolegomena
I. On the Significance of the Huang Di nei jing Su wen / 10
II. Principles of Translation
1. On Methodology / 12
2. Individual Terms as Examples of Uncertainties as to which Translation Is
Most Appropriate / 14
經
2.1. jing / 14
督脈 任脈
2.2. du mai andren mai / 15
府 臧
2.3. fu and zang / 16
募 俞
2.4. mu and shu / 18
榮 營
2.5. rong /ying / 18
肌
2.6. ji / 19
穴
2.7. Names of Needle Insertion Holes, xue / 19
3. Individual Terms as Examples of Translation Difficulties: Alternative
Meanings of the Same Term / 19
氣
3.1. qi / 19
病
3.2. bing / 20
脈
3.3. mai / 21
3.4. Identical Terms Used for a Morphological Structure and an Insertion
Point (“hole”) / 21
III. Textual Structures in the Su wen Translation
1. Textus Receptus and Predecessors / 22
2. Structural Markers in the Translation / 23
IV. Italics, Upper Case and Lower Case Writings of Titles and
Terms / 24
V. Footnotes / 24
Annotated Translation of Su wen 1 through 52
Chapter 1 Discourse on the True [Qi Endowed by] Heaven in High
Antiquity / 29
Chapter 2 Comprehensive Discourse on Regulating the Spirit [in
Accordance with] the Qi of the Four [Seasons] / 45
Chapter 3 Discourse on how the Generative Qi Communicates with
Heaven / 59
Chapter 4 Discourse on the True Words in the Golden Chest / 83
Chapter 5 Comprehensive Discourse on Phenomena Corresponding to
Yin and Yang / 95
Chapter 6 Discourse on the Division and Unity of yin and yang / 127
Chapter 7 Further Discourse on Yin and Yang / 137
Chapter 8 Discourse on the Hidden Canons in the Numinous Orchid
[Chambers] / 155
Chapter 9 Discourse on the Six Terms [of a Year] and on Phenomena
[associated with the Condition] of the Depots / 163
Chapter 10 The Generation and Completion of the Five Depots / 185
Chapter 11 Further Discourse on the Five Depots / 203
Chapter 12 Discourse on Different [Therapeutic] Patterns Suitable [for
Use in Different] Cardinal Points / 211
Chapter 13 Discourse on Moving the Essence and Changing
the Qi / 219
Chapter 14 Discourse on Decoctions and Wines / 233
Chapter 15 Jade Tablet Discourse on the Essentials / 247
Chapter 16 Discourse On The Essentials of Diagnosis and On Exhaustion
in the Conduits / 257
Chapter 17 Discourse on the Essentials of Vessels and the Subtleties of the
Essence / 273
Chapter 18 Discourse on Phenomena [reflecting the status of] Qi in a
normal Person / 301
Chapter 19 Discourse on the Jade Mechanism and the True [Qi of the]
Depots / 323
Chapter 20 Discourse on the Three sections and nine Indicators / 351
Chapter 21 further Discourse on the Conduit Vessels / 369
Chapter 22 Discourse on How the Qi in the Depots follow the Pattern of
the seasons / 383
Chapter 23 Wide Promulgation of the five Qi / 401
Chapter 24 Blood and Qi, Physical appearance and Mind / 413
Chapter 25 Discourse on Treasuring life and Preserving Physical
appearance / 419
Chapter 26 Discourse on the eight Cardinal [Turning Points] and on
spirit Brilliance / 433
Chapter 27 Discourse on the Division and Union of True [Qi] and evil
[Qi] / 447
Chapter 28 Discourse Thoroughly Deliberating upon Depletion and
repletion / 459
Chapter 29 Discourse on the Major yin and on the yang Brilliance
[Conduits] / 479
Chapter 30 explanation of the yang Brilliance Vessel / 487
Chapter 31 Discourse on Heat / 491
Chapter 32 To Pierce Heat / 499
Chapter 33 Discourse Deliberating upon Heat Disease / 515
Chapter 34 Discourse on the assessment of Movements Contrary [to their
regular Course] / 527
Chapter 35 Discourse on Malaria / 535
Chapter 36 To Pierce Malaria / 553
Chapter 37 Discourse on Qi recession / 567
Chapter 38 Discourse on Cough / 575
Chapter 39 Discourse on Pain / 583
Chapter 40 Discourse on abdomen and Center / 599
Chapter 41 To Pierce lower Back Pain / 613
Chapter 42 Discourse on Wind / 625
Chapter 43 Discourse on Blocks / 639
Chapter 44 Discourse on limpness / 653
Chapter 45 Discourse on recession / 665
Chapter 46 Discourse on Disease Manifestations / 677
Chapter 47 Discourse on strange Diseases / 689
Chapter 48 Discourse on Very strange [Diseases] / 705
Chapter 49 explanations on the Vessels / 719
Chapter 50 Discourse on the essentials of Piercing / 733
Chapter 51 Discourse on the restrictions of Piercing / 737
Chapter 52 Discourse on Prohibitions in Piercing / 741
Bibliography
1. Dictionaries and encyclopedias / 754
2. Monographs / 755
3. articles / 761
Prolegomena
This is the first of two volumes of an annotated english translation of the ancient
Chinese life sciences text Huang Di nei jing su wen (short: Su wen). In contrast
to the available translations, this version is the outcome of a full application of
rigorous philological principles. furthermore, as shall be indicated in detail be-
low, it takes the views of numerous Chinese and Japanese scholarly and clinical
authors into consideration so that readers of these volumes will always have a
choice between our interpretation of debatable text passages, and the views of
others. This translation was not prepared primarily with an eye on the contem-
porary clinical applicability of its physiological and pathological views, as well
as the text’s therapeutic advice, provided by the authors of the Su wen two mil-
lennia ago. rather, it has been the task of this translation to introduce readers to
ideas, and their linguistic expression, developed in the context of the manipula-
tion of the length and the quality of human life in such a way that it lasted as
long as possible with minimal physical and mental suffering.
If these ancient ideas are restored to life by our translation they will serve vari-
ous useful purposes. first, these ideas will lend themselves to a comparison with
similar traditions from the beginning of european medicine and may help us
to gain a better understanding of “what is medicine”.1 for us to appreciate the
basic differences and parallels between the more than two millennia of Western
and Chinese medical traditions, access to english translations of the seminal life
science texts of Chinese antiquity, unadulterated by modern biomedical concepts
1 Paul U. Unschuld, What is Medicine? Eastern and Western Approaches to Heal-
ing. University of California Press. Berkeley and los angeles, 2009.