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The Meridian System:According to the “Lingshu” (Spiritual Pivot) in the section on pulse measurement, “The meridians are internal, while the collaterals that branch out are external, and the branches of the collaterals are called ‘sun’ (孙).” This categorizes the pulses based on size and depth into “meridians,” “collaterals,” and “sun pulses.” The meridians serve as pathways for the flow of Qi and blood, primarily consisting of the twelve primary meridians, which connect the internal organs and the external limbs, forming an organic whole. The meridians are divided into: primary meridians and collaterals. The primary meridians are further divided into twelve branches, twelve sinews, twelve skin areas, twelve meridians, and the eight extraordinary meridians. The collaterals are divided into fifteen collaterals, superficial collaterals, and sun collaterals.
The distribution of the fifteen collaterals follows a specific pattern. The branches of the twelve primary meridians are named after the collaterals from the collaterals’ points.
1. The collateral of the Hand Taiyin (太阴) originates from the Lieque (列缺) point, starting above the wrist joint, at half an inch behind the wrist, and runs towards the Hand Yangming (阳明) meridian; its branch runs alongside the Hand Taiyin meridian, entering the palm and spreading to the Thenar (鱼际) area.
2. The collateral of the Hand Yangming originates from the Pianli (偏历) point, starting three inches behind the wrist, and runs towards the Hand Taiyin meridian; its branch ascends along the arm, passes through the shoulder, rises to the angle of the jaw, spreads to the teeth, and its branch enters the ear, connecting with the Zong (宗) meridian.
3. The collateral of the Foot Yangming originates from the Fenglong (丰隆) point, starting eight inches above the outer ankle, and runs towards the Foot Taiyin (太阴) meridian; its branch follows the outer edge of the tibia, ascends to connect with the head and neck, and descends to connect with the throat.
4. The collateral of the Foot Taiyin originates from the Gongsun (公孙) point, starting one inch behind the first toe metatarsophalangeal joint, and runs towards the Foot Yangming meridian; its branch enters the abdominal cavity, connecting with the intestines and stomach.
5. The collateral of the Hand Shaoyin (少阴) originates from the Tongli (通里) point, starting one inch behind the wrist, and runs towards the Hand Taiyang (太阳) meridian; its branch, one and a half inches behind the wrist, diverges and ascends along the meridian into the heart, connecting to the root of the tongue and the eyes.
6. The collateral of the Hand Taiyang originates from the Zhizheng (支正) point, starting five inches behind the wrist, and injects into the Hand Shaoyin meridian; its branch ascends through the elbow, networking at the shoulder.
7. The collateral of the Foot Taiyang originates from the Feiyang (飞扬) point, starting seven inches above the outer ankle, and runs towards the Foot Shaoyin meridian.
8. The collateral of the Foot Shaoyin originates from the Dazhong (大钟) point, starting five inches above the inner ankle, wrapping around the heel, and running towards the Foot Taiyang meridian; its branch ascends along the meridian to the pericardium, connecting externally to the lumbar spine.
9. The collateral of the Hand Jueyin (厥阴) originates from the Neiguan (内关) point, starting two inches behind the wrist, superficially between the two tendons, ascending along the meridian, connecting to the pericardium and the heart.
10. The collateral of the Hand Shaoyang (少阳) originates from the Waiguan (外关) point, starting two inches behind the wrist, circling around the outer arm, entering the chest, and connecting with the Hand Jueyin meridian.
11. The collateral of the Foot Shaoyang originates from the Guangming (光明) point, starting five inches above the inner ankle, running towards the Foot Jueyin meridian, and descending to connect with the dorsum of the foot.
12. The collateral of the Foot Jueyin originates from the Ligou (蠡沟) point, starting five inches above the inner ankle, running towards the Foot Shaoyang meridian; its branch passes through the tibia, ascending to the testicular area, and converging at the penis.
13. The collateral of the Ren (任) meridian originates from the Jiutai (鸠尾) point (also known as the Tail Wing), descending from the xiphoid process and spreading throughout the abdomen.
14. The collateral of the Du (督) meridian originates from the Changqiang (长强) point, running alongside the spine, ascending to the nape of the neck, and spreading over the head; the descending collateral starts from the shoulder blade, diverging to the left and right, entering the muscles alongside the spine.
15. The Great Collateral of the Spleen originates from the Dabao (大包) point, emerging three inches below the Yuanye (渊腋) point, and spreading throughout the chest and ribs.
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