If a person can cultivate caution and not allow evil winds to invade the jingluo (meridians); maintain balance in the jingluo, and not let it flow into the zangfu (organs), then treat it; if the limbs feel heavy and stagnant, then apply dao yin (guiding exercises), tuna (breath regulation), acupuncture, and gāo mó (medicated ointment application), and do not allow the jiu qiao (nine orifices) to become blocked; furthermore, do not violate the laws of the state, avoid harm from beasts and disasters, and do not exhaust the essence of the shēn (kidney); regulate the temperature and flavors of food, and do not let the body weaken, as illness will have no way to enter the cǎo lǐ (skin pores).
——《金匮要略·脏腑经络先后病脉证第一》
Notes
【1】干忤: This refers to invasion.
【2】导引、吐纳: Dao yin refers to self-massage. Tuna is a method of adjusting breathing. Both are ancient physical therapies that promote health and prevent disease.
【3】膏摩: A method of external treatment using medicated ointments to apply to the body surface.
【4】九窍: The seven orifices of the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, plus the front and back yin, make up the nine orifices.
【5】无犯王法: Do not violate state laws to avoid punishment. Wangfa refers to state laws.
Commentary
This text from the Jin Kui Yao Lue discusses methods and suggestions for the early prevention and treatment of diseases. Before illness occurs, it is necessary to cultivate the zheng qi (upright qi) internally and be cautious of external evil qi. Specific measures include: moderation in sexual activity to avoid depleting shen jing (kidney essence); attention to dietary regulation to avoid excessive cravings; and simultaneously avoiding harm from external evils, insects, beasts, and injuries, so that the body’s upright qi is abundant, making it difficult for pathogenic factors to cause illness. If one unfortunately contracts a disease, treatment should be initiated as soon as possible; if the jingluo has just been invaded, timely treatment should be applied to prevent the pathogenic factors from entering the zangfu; if the limbs feel heavy and stagnant, various methods should be employed to expel the evil outward, preventing the evil qi from penetrating and blocking the jiu qiao.
Appendix
The Jin Kui Yao Lue is a part of the Shang Han Za Bing Lun written by the famous physician Zhang Zhongjing during the Eastern Han Dynasty, and it is the earliest existing specialized book on the diagnosis and treatment of miscellaneous diseases in China, originally titled Jin Kui Yao Lue Fang Lun. “Jin Kui” refers to the place where ancient emperors stored sacred teachings and records, indicating the preciousness of the book’s content. The entire book is divided into three volumes, containing 25 chapters, covering over 60 diseases and 262 prescriptions. The diseases discussed mainly focus on internal medicine, but also include surgical, gynecological diseases, emergency treatments, dietary taboos, and more. It has been praised by later generations as the “ancestor of prescription books.”
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