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Huangdi Neijing · The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon
Suwen 42 · Wind
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
The Yellow Emperor asked: “Wind injuring people may produce cold and heat, internal heat, internal cold, destructive Wind, one-sided withering or Wind illness itself. The illnesses differ and their names vary; some enter the five zang and six fu organs. I do not understand and wish to hear the explanation.”
Qi Bo replied: “Wind qi is stored between the skin layers, unable to communicate inward or discharge outward. Wind moves readily and changes often. Open interstices bring shivering cold; closed interstices bring heat and oppression. Its cold diminishes eating and drinking; its heat consumes flesh. Thus the person shivers and cannot eat: this is called cold and heat.”
Wind qi enters Stomach with Yangming and follows the vessel upward to the inner corners of the eyes. In a fleshy person Wind qi cannot discharge outward, producing internal heat and yellow eyes. In a thin person it discharges outward and brings cold: internal cold with flowing tears.
Wind qi enters with Taiyang and travels through the vessels’ transport sites, dispersing between the divisions of flesh. It interferes with defensive qi and obstructs its pathways, making flesh swell and develop sores. Where defensive qi congeals and stops, the flesh becomes numb.
In destructive illness, nutritive qi is hot and corrupt; its qi is impure. Thus the nasal pillar is damaged, color deteriorates and skin develops ulcerated sores. Wind and cold lodging in the vessels without leaving are called destructive Wind, or sometimes cold and heat.
Wind injury in spring on jia and yi days is Liver Wind; in summer on bing and ding days, Heart Wind; harmful influence striking in late summer on wu and ji days, Spleen Wind; in autumn on geng and xin days, Lung Wind; in winter on ren and gui days, Kidney Wind.
Wind striking the transport sites of the five zang and six fu organs also becomes Wind of the zang and fu organs. Each enters its own gate; where it strikes one side, it becomes one-sided Wind.
Wind qi following the Wind Palace upward becomes brain Wind.
Wind entering the connecting system of the head becomes eye Wind with cold eyes.
Being struck by Wind while drinking liquor becomes leaking Wind.
Being struck by Wind while sweating after intercourse becomes internal Wind.
Being struck by Wind just after washing the hair becomes head Wind.
Longstanding Wind entering the center becomes intestinal Wind with flux of undigested food.
Wind remaining externally in the interstices becomes discharging Wind.
Thus Wind leads the hundred illnesses. Through its transformations it becomes other illnesses. It has no constant pattern, yet Wind qi is present in their arising.
The Emperor asked: “How do the forms of the five zang organs’ Wind differ? I wish to hear their examination and manifestations.”
Qi Bo said: “Lung Wind brings much sweat and aversion to wind, a plainly white complexion, occasional cough and shortness of qi. It eases by day and worsens toward evening. Examine above the brows, where the color is white.”
Heart Wind brings much sweat and aversion to wind, dryness and cracking, frequent anger and threatening cries, and red color. In severe illness speech cannot be fluent. Examine the mouth, where the color is red.
Reading note: Dryness and cracking follows the classical gloss of 焦絕 as dry throat and tongue with cracked mouth and lips; 嚇 is retained as threatening cries.
Liver Wind brings much sweat and aversion to wind, frequent grief, a slightly blue-green complexion, dry throat and frequent anger. At times the person dislikes women. Examine below the eyes, where the color is blue-green.
Spleen Wind brings much sweat and aversion to wind, bodily lassitude and no wish to move the four limbs. The complexion is pale and slightly yellow and appetite lacking. Examine the nose, where the color is yellow.
Kidney Wind brings much sweat and aversion to wind, a puffy, swollen face, spine pain preventing upright standing, a dark complexion and impaired private functions. Examine the flesh region, where the color is black.
Reading note: The unusual supplied color graph 捲 is read through the classical 炲, dark or soot-black. The source’s 肌 examination region is retained rather than changed to chin or cheekbone.
Stomach Wind brings much sweat at the neck and aversion to wind. Food and drink will not descend; the diaphragm region is blocked and the abdomen frequently full. Loss of clothing brings swelling distention; cold food brings diarrhea. Examination shows a thin form with a large abdomen.
Head Wind brings much sweat on head and face and aversion to wind. The day before wind arrives, illness worsens: headache prevents going outside. On the windy day itself, the illness eases somewhat.
Leaking Wind may bring much sweat, with persistent inability to wear only a single layer. Eating brings sweat; in severe cases the body sweats with panting and aversion to wind. Clothing is constantly damp; the mouth dry and thirst frequent. Exertion is impossible.
Discharging Wind brings much sweat soaking the clothing and dryness in the mouth. The upper body is steeped in this Wind’s sweat. Exertion is impossible; the whole body hurts and becomes cold.
Reading note: The obscure 上漬其風 follows Wu Kun’s reading of the upper body soaked with sweat; other classical discussion questions the wording. The phrase is not omitted.
The Emperor said: “Good.”
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