灵枢经·脉度 The Measure of the Vessels
黄帝曰：愿闻脉度。歧伯答曰：手之六阳，从手至头，长五尺，五六三丈。手之六阴，从手至胸中，三尺五寸，三六一丈八尺，五六三尺，合二丈一尺。足之六阳，从足上至头，八尺，六八四丈八尺。足之六阴，从足至胸中，六尺五寸，六六三丈六尺，五六三尺合三丈九尺。蹻脉从足至目，七尺五寸，二七一丈四尺，二五一尺，合一丈五尺。督脉、任脉，各四尺五寸，二四八尺，二五一尺，合九尺。凡都合一十六丈二尺，此气之大经隧也。
经脉为里，支而横者为络，络之别者为孙，盛而血者疾诛之，盛者写之，虚者饮药以补之。五藏常内阅于上七窍也。故肺气通于鼻，肺和则鼻能知臭香矣；心气通于舌，心和则舌能知五味矣；肝气通于目，肝和则目能辨五色矣；脾气通于口，脾和则口能知五谷矣；肾气通于耳，肾和则耳能闻五音矣。五藏不和，则七窍不通；六府不合则留为痈。故邪在府则阳脉不和，阳脉不和则气留之，气留之则阳气盛矣。阳气太盛，则阴不利，阴脉不利则血留之，血留之则阴气盛矣。阴气太盛则阳气不能荣也，故曰关。阳气太盛，则阴气弗能荣也，故曰格。阴阳俱盛，不得相荣，故曰关格。关格者，不得尽期而死也。
黄帝曰：蹻脉安起安止，何气荣水？歧伯答曰：蹻脉者，少阴之别，起于然骨之后。上内踝之上，直上循阴股，入阴，上循胸里，入缺盆，上出人迎之前，入頄，属目内眦，合于太阳，阳蹻而上行，气并相还，则为濡，目气不荣，则目不合。
黄帝曰：气独行五藏，不荣六府，何也？歧伯答曰：气之不得无行也，如水之流，如日月之行不休，故阴脉荣其藏，阳脉荣其府，如环之无端，莫知其纪，终而复始，其流溢之气，内溉藏府，外濡腠理。
黄帝曰：蹻脉有阴阳，何脉当其数？歧伯曰：男子数其阳，女子数其阴，当数者为阴，其不当数者为络也。
Huangdi said: 'I wish to hear about the measurements of the vessels.' Qibo replied: 'The six yang channels of the hand run from the hand to the head, a length of five chi (a chi being roughly a Chinese "foot"); five sixes make three zhang (a zhang being ten chi). The six yin channels of the hand run from the hand to the chest, three chi five cun (a cun being roughly a Chinese "inch"); three sixes make one zhang eight chi, and five sixes make three chi, together two zhang one chi. The six yang channels of the foot run from the foot up to the head, eight chi; six eights make four zhang eight chi. The six yin channels of the foot run from the foot to the chest, six chi five cun; six sixes make three zhang six chi, and five sixes make three chi, together three zhang nine chi. The qiaomai (Springing Vessel) runs from the foot to the eye, seven chi five cun; two sevens make one zhang four chi, and two fives make one chi, together one zhang five chi. The Governing Vessel (Du Mai) and the Conception Vessel (Ren Mai) are each four chi five cun; two fours make eight chi, and two fives make one chi, together nine chi. In all, the total sum is sixteen zhang two chi — this is the great thoroughfare of the channel passageways through which qi travels.'
The channels lie in the interior; their branching, transverse offshoots are the network vessels; and the further branches of the network vessels are the grandchild vessels (sunluo). Where fullness and blood-stasis occur, one should swiftly eliminate them by needling; where there is excess, one should drain it; where there is deficiency, one should supplement it by administering medicinal decoctions. The five viscera constantly make themselves manifest above, at the seven orifices. Thus the lung qi communicates with the nose, and when the lung is harmonious, the nose is able to distinguish foul and fragrant odors. The heart qi communicates with the tongue, and when the heart is harmonious, the tongue is able to distinguish the five flavors. The liver qi communicates with the eyes, and when the liver is harmonious, the eyes are able to distinguish the five colors. The spleen qi communicates with the mouth, and when the spleen is harmonious, the mouth is able to distinguish the five grains. The kidney qi communicates with the ears, and when the kidney is harmonious, the ears are able to hear the five notes. When the five viscera are not harmonious, the seven orifices fail to communicate; when the six bowels are not in accord, [qi and fluids] linger and form welling-abscesses. Thus, when evil qi resides in the bowels, the yang vessels become disharmonious; when the yang vessels are disharmonious, qi lingers there, and when qi lingers there, the yang qi becomes excessive. When yang qi becomes excessively full, the yin fails to flow freely; when the yin vessels fail to flow freely, blood lingers there, and when blood lingers there, the yin qi becomes excessive. When yin qi becomes excessively full, the yang qi can no longer nourish it — this is called 'closure' (guan). When yang qi becomes excessively full, the yin qi can no longer nourish it — this is called 'blockage' (ge). When yin and yang are both excessively full and can no longer nourish each other, this is called 'closure and blockage' (guange). One who suffers closure and blockage will die before living out his allotted years.
Huangdi said: 'Where does the qiaomai arise and where does it terminate, and what qi nourishes it?' Qibo replied: 'The qiaomai is a branch of the Shaoyin; it arises behind Rangu (Blazing Valley) point. It ascends above the medial malleolus, rises directly along the inner thigh, enters the genital region, ascends along the interior of the chest, enters the Empty Basin, emerges above in front of Renying (Man's Prognosis) point, enters the cheek, attaches to the inner canthus of the eye, and joins with the Taiyang; together with the yang qiaomai it ascends, and when the qi converges and returns, it provides moisture — when the qi that nourishes the eyes fails to arrive, the eyes will not close [in sleep].'
Huangdi said: 'Why does qi travel through the five viscera alone and not nourish the six bowels?' Qibo replied: 'It is not that qi fails to travel [to the bowels] — it flows like water, like the sun and moon in their motion, without ceasing. Thus the yin vessels nourish the viscera, and the yang vessels nourish the bowels, circling like a ring without end, so that none can discern where it begins; it ends and begins again. The overflowing qi that spills forth irrigates the viscera and bowels within, and moistens the interstices of the flesh without.'
Huangdi said: 'The qiaomai has both a yin and a yang branch — which vessel should be counted in the reckoning?' Qibo said: 'In counting for a man, one counts his yang [qiaomai]; in counting for a woman, one counts her yin [qiaomai]. The one that is counted is regarded as the [primary] channel, while the one not counted is regarded as a network vessel.'