素问·脉解 Explanation of the Channels
太阳所谓肿腰脽痛者，正月太阳寅，寅，太阳也，正月阳气出在上，而阴气盛，阳未得自次也，故肿腰脽痛也。病偏虚为跛者，正月阳气冻解地气而出也，所谓偏虚者冬寒颇有不足者，故偏虚为跛也。所谓强上引背者，阳气大上而争故强上也。所谓耳鸣者，阳气万物盛上而跃，故耳鸣也。所谓甚则狂巅疾者，阳尽在上，而阴气从下，下虚上实，故狂巅疾也。所谓浮为聋者，皆在气也。所谓入中为喑者，阳盛已衰，故为喑也。内夺而厥，则为喑俳，此肾虚也。少阴不至者，厥也。
少阳所谓心脇痛者，言少阳盛也，盛者心之所表也。九月阳气尽而阴气盛，故心脇痛也，所谓不可反侧者，阴气藏物也，物藏则不动，故不可反侧也。所谓甚则跃者，九月万物尽衰，草木毕落而堕，则气去阳而之阴，气盛而阳之下长，故谓跃。
阳明所谓洒洒振寒者，阳明者，午也，五月盛阳之阴也，阳盛而阴气加之，故洒洒振寒也。所谓胫肿而股不收者，是五月盛阳之阴也，阳者衰于五月，而一阴气上，与阳始争，故胫肿而股不收也。所谓上喘而为水者，阴气下而复上，上则邪客于藏府间，故为水也。所谓胸痛少气者，水气在藏府也，水者，阴气也，阴气在中，故胸痛少气也。所谓甚则厥恶人与火，闻木音则惕然而惊者，阳气与阴气相薄，水火相恶，故惕然而惊也。所谓欲独闭户牖而处者，阴阳相薄也，阳尽而阴盛，故欲独闭户牖而居。所谓病至则欲乘高而歌，弃衣而走者，阴阳复争，而外并于阳，故使之弃衣而走也。所谓客孙脉则头痛鼻鼽腹肿者，阳明并于上，上者，则其孙络太阴也，故头痛鼻鼽腹肿也。
太阴所谓病胀者，太阴子也，十一月万物气皆藏于中，故曰病胀；所谓上走心为噫者，阴盛而上走于阳明，阳明络属心，故曰上走心为噫也；所谓食则呕者，物盛满而上溢，故呕也；所谓得后与气则快然如衰者，十二月阴气下衰，而阳气且出，故曰得后与气则快然如衰也。
少阴所谓腰痛者，少阴者，肾也，十月万物阳气皆伤，故腰痛也；所谓呕咳上气喘者，阴气在下，阳气在上，诸阳气浮，无所依从，故呕咳上气喘也；所谓色色不能久立，久坐起则目䀮䀮无所见者，万物阴阳不定未有主也。秋气始至，微霜始下，而方杀万物，阴阳内夺故目䀮䀮无所见也；所谓少气善怒者，阳气不治，阳气不治，则阳气不得出，肝气当治而未得，故善怒，善怒者，名曰煎厥；所谓恐如人将捕之者，秋气万物未有毕去，阴气少，阳气入，阴阳相薄，故恐也；所谓恶闻食臭者，胃无气，故恶闻食臭也；所谓面黑如地色者，秋气内夺，故变于色也；所谓咳则有血者，阳脉伤也，阳气未盛于上而脉满，满则咳，故血见于鼻也。
厥阴所谓㿉疝妇人少腹肿者，厥阴者，辰也，三月阳中之阴邪在中，故曰㿉疝少腹肿也。所谓腰脊痛不可以俛仰者，三月一振荣华万物，一俛而不仰也。所谓㿉癃疝肤胀者，曰阴亦盛而脉胀不通，故曰㿉癃疝也。所谓甚则嗌乾热中者，阴阳相薄而热，故嗌乾也。
As for the Taiyang disorder in which there is swelling and pain in the lower back and buttocks: in the first month, Taiyang corresponds to the earthly branch yin; yin is Taiyang. In the first month the yang qi is emerging and rising above, while the yin qi is still abundant, so the yang has not yet been able to take its proper place in sequence; hence there is swelling and pain in the lower back and buttocks. As for the disease in which one side becomes deficient, causing lameness: in the first month the yang qi is thawing the frozen ground and the earth-qi is emerging; what is called 'one-sided deficiency' refers to the residual insufficiency left by the winter cold, and hence the one-sided deficiency causes lameness. As for what is called 'stiffness above pulling on the back': the yang qi is rising vigorously upward and contending with the remaining yin, and therefore there is stiffness above. As for what is called 'ringing in the ears': the yang qi, together with the qi of the ten thousand things, is flourishing and rising upward and leaping about, and therefore there is ringing in the ears. As for what is called, in severe cases, 'mania and epileptic disorders': the yang is entirely above while the yin qi follows from below, so that below is deficient and above is in excess, and therefore there is mania and epileptic disorder. As for what is called 'floating pulse causing deafness': this is entirely a matter of qi. As for what is called 'entering the interior and causing muteness': the yang, having been abundant, has now declined, and therefore there is muteness. When there is an internal loss of qi leading to reversal, this becomes 'muteness and flaccidity'; this is a case of kidney deficiency. When the Shaoyin qi fails to arrive, this is reversal.
As for the Shaoyang disorder in which there is pain in the heart region and the ribs: this means that the Shaoyang qi is in excess, and this excess is expressed on the exterior of the heart. In the ninth month the yang qi is exhausted and the yin qi is abundant, and therefore there is pain in the heart region and ribs. As for what is called 'unable to turn from side to side': the yin qi stores away the ten thousand things, and when things are stored away they do not move, and therefore the patient cannot turn from side to side. As for what is called, in severe cases, 'leaping': in the ninth month the ten thousand things are all in decline, the grasses and trees have all shed their leaves and fallen, so that the qi departs from the yang and goes to the yin; when the qi is abundant, the yang grows below, and hence this is called 'leaping.'
As for the Yangming disorder in which there is shivering and chills: Yangming corresponds to the branch wu; the fifth month is when yang is at its most abundant, yet already contains the beginning of yin. When the yang is abundant and yin qi is added to it, there is shivering and chills. As for what is called 'swelling of the shins with inability to draw in the thighs': this too belongs to the fifth month when yang is most abundant yet turning toward yin. The yang begins to decline in the fifth month, and a single yin qi rises and begins to contend with the yang; therefore there is swelling of the shins and inability to draw in the thighs. As for what is called 'panting above and turning into water': the yin qi descends and then rises again; when it rises, evil qi lodges between the viscera and bowels, and therefore water results. As for what is called 'chest pain and shortness of breath': water qi is present in the viscera and bowels; water is yin qi, and when yin qi is in the center, there is chest pain and shortness of breath. As for what is called, in severe cases, 'reversal, aversion to people and to fire, and being startled with alarm on hearing the sound of wood being struck': the yang qi and yin qi are clashing with each other, water and fire mutually detest each other, and therefore the patient starts with alarm. As for what is called 'wishing to shut oneself alone behind closed doors and windows': yin and yang are clashing with each other; the yang is exhausted and the yin is abundant, and therefore the patient wishes to dwell alone behind closed doors and windows. As for what is called, when the disease arrives, 'wishing to climb to a high place and sing, or to cast off one's clothes and run about': yin and yang are once again contending, and on the outside they combine with the yang, and this causes the patient to cast off his clothes and run about. As for what is called 'lodging in the grandchild vessels, causing headache, nasal congestion, and abdominal swelling': the Yangming qi combines above; when it is above, it is because its grandchild-connecting vessels reach the Taiyin, and therefore there is headache, nasal congestion, and abdominal swelling.
As for the Taiyin disorder called 'distension': Taiyin corresponds to the branch zi; in the eleventh month the qi of the ten thousand things is all stored within, and therefore the disease is called 'distension.' As for what is called 'rising to the heart and causing belching': the yin is abundant and rises to the Yangming, and the connecting vessel of the Yangming attaches to the heart, and therefore it is called 'rising to the heart and causing belching.' As for what is called 'vomiting upon eating': things are abundant and full and overflow upward, and therefore there is vomiting. As for what is called 'feeling relieved as though the illness had eased after passing stool or gas': in the twelfth month the yin qi is declining below while the yang qi is about to emerge, and therefore it is said that after passing stool or gas, one feels relieved as though the illness had eased.
As for the Shaoyin disorder called 'lower back pain': Shaoyin is the kidney; in the tenth month the yang qi of the ten thousand things is all injured, and therefore there is lower back pain. As for what is called 'vomiting, coughing, and panting with qi rising': the yin qi is below and the yang qi is above; all the yang qi is floating, with nothing to depend upon or follow, and therefore there is vomiting, coughing, and panting with rising qi. As for what is called 'restlessness, inability to stand for long, and upon rising after sitting long the eyes grow dim and see nothing': the yin and yang of the ten thousand things are unsettled and have not yet found their ruler. As the autumn qi begins to arrive and the first light frost begins to fall, it is just then killing off the ten thousand things; the yin and yang are drawn inward, and therefore the eyes grow dim and see nothing. As for what is called 'shortness of breath and irritability': the yang qi is not governing properly; when the yang qi does not govern, it cannot emerge, and the liver qi, which ought to govern, cannot yet do so, and therefore there is irritability; this condition of being prone to anger is called 'simmering reversal.' As for what is called 'fear as though someone were about to seize the patient': in autumn the qi of the ten thousand things has not yet entirely departed; the yin qi is scant and the yang qi is entering, and yin and yang clash with each other, and therefore there is fear. As for what is called 'aversion to the smell of food': the stomach has no qi, and therefore there is aversion to the smell of food. As for what is called 'the face being black as the color of earth': the autumn qi has been drawn inward, and therefore the complexion changes. As for what is called 'coughing accompanied by blood': the yang vessel has been injured; the yang qi, not yet fully abundant above, causes the vessel to become full, and when it is full there is coughing, and therefore blood appears from the nose.
As for the Jueyin disorder called 'scrotal hernia-swelling and, in women, swelling of the lower abdomen': Jueyin corresponds to the branch chen; in the third month, evil qi lies within the yin that is contained within the yang, and therefore it is called 'hernia-swelling and swelling of the lower abdomen.' As for what is called 'pain in the lower back and spine, unable to bend forward or backward': in the third month all things burst forth in a single wave of flourishing growth, bending down but not rising back up. As for what is called 'hernia-swelling, urinary blockage, and skin swelling': it is said that the yin is also abundant, so that the vessels are distended and impassable, and therefore it is called 'hernia-swelling and urinary blockage.' As for what is called, in severe cases, 'dryness of the throat and heat in the middle': yin and yang clash with each other and produce heat, and therefore the throat is dry.