第一环十干主日。
环周一图。内外有四环。第一环用天干十字。分析地之五运。为五阴五阳。五阴分
合于五脏。五阳分合于五府（余三焦一府名曰孤府）。甲日阳木合胆府。乙日阴木合肝
脏。丙日阳火合小肠。丁日阴火合心脏。戊合胃阳土。己合脾阴土。庚辛金合大肠与
肺。壬癸水合肾与膀胱。孤府三焦无所合。决渎之官。附属于膀胱。此第一环十日天干
之大分也。
第二环 穴流注。
第三环干支定时。
第二环第三环细分一日为十二时。起于子。终于亥。上冠以天干十字。十日共一百
二十时。地支用十次。天干用十二次。甲己之日。同起甲子。乙庚之日。同起丙子。丙
辛日。起戊子。丁壬起庚子。戊癸起壬子。照次序推之。甲日十二时。重见甲为戍时。
故开胆井窍阴穴。甲为阳木。胆府亦属木之阳也。癸日十二时。重见癸为亥时。故开肾
井涌泉穴。癸为阴水。肾脏亦属水之阴也。或问癸日缺十时。肾不开丑时而移开亥时何
也。盖肾者主水。为人身立命之根。注重生木。如不能转注于甲日。则流而不注。不合
乎阴阳相生之道也。以此例推之。乙日乙酉时。开肝井大敦穴。乙为阴木。肝亦阴藏之
属木也。丙日丙申时。丁日丁未时。阳火阴火。则开小肠井少泽。心井少冲。戊日戊午
时。己日已巳时。则开胃井厉兑。脾井隐白。戊阳土。己阴土也。庚日辰时。开商阳。
辛日卯时。开少商。大肠阳金。肺藏阴之金也。壬为阳水。壬寅时开膀胱水府之至阴井
穴。转注癸日壬子时。壬重见壬。成为十日一大周。井穴通用红字。表示每日旺气主穴
之起点。过穴亦书红字。盖本藏之俞。本府之原。与流而注者不同也。何谓流。阳日开
阳时阳穴。根据相生次序。仍流在阳日阳时之谓也。何谓注。阳日阳时取穴不足。则转注
而取阴日之阳时。反言之。阴日阴时取穴不足。则转注而取阳日之阴时。均谓之注。流
与注不同。注与过不同。阳日之末。气纳三焦。阴日之末。血归包络。取生我者。我生
者亦各不同。试举一甲日分析言之。甲日戌时。开胆井窍阴。其在戌时前。酉未巳卯丑
五阴时。所列中冲。尺泽。商丘。神门。行间。各藏阴穴。皆由前癸阴日。根据木火土金
水相生之次序。转注而来。甲日重见甲。至戌时。仅开窍阴一穴。甲为阳日。开阳时。
亥为阴时不取。转注到乙日丙子阳时。开小肠荥穴前谷。盖甲胆属木。丙小肠属火。胆
开第一穴。而转溜于小肠之第二穴。木生火也。阳井窍阴属金。阳荥前谷属水。又金水
相生之义也。再注到乙日戊寅时。则开胃之俞穴曰陷谷。小肠马火。胃属土。火生土
也。并过丘墟一穴。因六腑六 。各多一原穴。超出五行相生之外。故并过于俞位。反
求其本。与窍阴一脉相承。并过于此。列于下位。以其非五行相生之正经也。用红书一
过字。表示有所本也。乙日庚辰时。注大肠阳溪穴。壬午时。注膀胱委中穴。言其府。
则大肠属金。膀胱属水。金水相生。言其穴。则阳经火。阳俞土。火生土也。末甲申
时。复列三焦荥穴液门。盖三焦孤府。六 无所寄。故分列于各府开穴之最末。独取一
荥者。阳荥为水穴。胆为木府。水能生木也。甲日始戌时。终于乙日申时。凡十一时。
六腑各开一穴。胆居主位。多过一原穴。凡七穴。此甲日流注细分之理也。其余九日。
环周流注。脏各五 。腑各六 。腑为阳。脏为阴。阳井金。阴井木。各根据相生之次序
流注展转而取之。腑过一原穴。脏以俞代原而过之。末一穴。阳日气纳三焦。取生我
者，阴日血归包络。取我生者。均详列前图。一见而知。不赘也。
第四环同宗错落。
天干十字。地支十二字。一日十二时。五日六十时。十日一百二十时。地支十二
字。每日用一次。五日五次。十日十次。与天干十字配合用之。五日六十时。地支用五
次。天干当用六次。甲子小周。五日一候。六日又另起甲子时。与一日同。此一六同宗
甲己同宗之义也。甲日己日。一奇一偶。一阴一阳。日干阴阳虽不同。时干支全同。故
甲日流注诸穴。交落列于己日时干支之下。己日流注诸穴。转交落列于甲日时干支之
下。以此推之。二七为乙庚。三八为丙辛。四九为丁壬。五十为戊癸。皆一阴一阳之同
宗。故流注各穴。除一过穴不交落。余均互相交错落列于下环。根据时取之。其效一也。
第一环：十天干主日。
环周图共有四圈，最内圈为第一环，使用天干十个字来分析地之五运，分为五阴和五阳。五阴分别对应五脏，五阳分别对应六腑（其中三焦这一腑被称为“孤府”）。甲日属阳木，对应胆腑；乙日属阴木，对应肝脏；丙日属阳火，对应小肠；丁日属阴火，对应心脏；戊日属阳土，对应胃；己日属阴土，对应脾；庚辛金分别对应大肠与肺；壬癸水分别对应肾与膀胱。孤府三焦没有对应的脏腑相合，它是决渎之官，附属于膀胱。这是第一环十日天干的大致划分。
第三环：干支定时。
第二环和第三环将一天细分为十二个时辰，从子时开始，到亥时结束。上方冠以天干十个字，十天共有一百二十个时辰。地支使用十次，天干使用十二次。甲日和己日，都从甲子时开始；乙日和庚日，都从丙子时开始；丙日和辛日，从戊子时开始；丁日和壬日，从庚子时开始；戊日和癸日，从壬子时开始。按此顺序推算，甲日的十二个时辰中，再次出现甲的是戌时，因此开启胆经的井穴窍阴穴。甲为阳木，胆腑也属木之阳。癸日的十二个时辰中，再次出现癸的是亥时，因此开启肾经的井穴涌泉穴。癸为阴水，肾脏也属水之阴。有人问：癸日缺少十个时辰，为什么肾经不在丑时开穴而移到亥时呢？这是因为肾主水，是人身立命的根本，注重生木。如果不能在甲日转注，就会只流不注，不符合阴阳相生的道理。以此类推，乙日乙酉时，开启肝经的井穴大敦穴。乙为阴木，肝脏也属阴脏中之木。丙日丙申时，丁日丁未时，阳火和阴火，则分别开启小肠经的井穴少泽和心经的井穴少冲。戊日戊午时，己日己巳时，则分别开启胃经的井穴厉兑和脾经的井穴隐白。戊为阳土，己为阴土。庚日辰时，开启商阳穴；辛日卯时，开启少商穴。大肠属阳金，肺脏属阴金。壬为阳水，壬寅时开启膀胱水府的至阴井穴。转注到癸日壬子时，壬再次出现，形成十天的一大周。井穴通用红字标示，表示每日旺气主穴的起点。过穴也书写红字，因为它们是本脏的俞穴、本腑的原穴，与一般的流注不同。什么叫“流”？阳日开阳时阳穴，根据相生次序，仍然在阳日阳时流转，这就叫“流”。什么叫“注”？阳日阳时取穴不足，就转注去取阴日的阳时穴；反过来说，阴日阴时取穴不足，就转注去取阳日的阴时穴，都叫做“注”。“流”与“注”不同，“注”与“过”也不同。阳日的末尾，气纳于三焦；阴日的末尾，血归于包络。取穴原则是取“生我者”或“我生者”，两者各不相同。试举甲日为例进行分析。甲日戌时，开启胆经井穴窍阴。在此之前的酉、未、巳、卯、丑五个阴时，所列的中冲、尺泽、商丘、神门、行间等藏阴穴，都是由前一日癸日，根据木、火、土、金、水相生的次序，转注而来的。甲日再次见到甲，到了戌时，仅开启窍阴一穴。甲为阳日，开阳时，亥时为阴时不取，而是转注到乙日的丙子阳时，开启小肠经的荥穴前谷。因为甲胆属木，丙小肠属火，胆开第一穴，然后流转于小肠的第二穴，这是木生火的道理。阳井穴窍阴属金，阳荥穴前谷属水，这又体现了金水相生的意义。再转注到乙日戊寅时，则开启胃经的俞穴陷谷。小肠属马火，胃属土，这是火生土的道理。并经过丘墟一穴，因为六腑各有六个特定穴，各多出一个原穴，超出了五行相生的范围，所以一并经过俞位，反向追溯其本源，与窍阴一脉相承，一并经过此处，列在下位，因为它不属于五行相生的正经。用红字写一个“过”字，表示有所本。乙日庚辰时，注重大肠经阳溪穴；壬午时，注重大肠经委中穴。说其脏腑，则大肠属金，膀胱属水，金水相生；说其穴位，则阳经的火穴、阳经的土穴，也是火生土的道理。最后甲申时，又列出三焦经的荥穴液门。因为三焦是孤府，六腑中无所寄托，所以分列在各腑开穴的最后，单独取一个荥穴，是因为阳荥为水穴，胆为木腑，水能生木。甲日从戌时开始，到乙日申时结束，共十一时。六腑各开一穴，胆居主位，多过一个原穴，共七穴。这是甲日流注细分的原理。其余九日，环周流注，脏各五个特定穴，腑各六个特定穴。腑为阳，脏为阴。阳井穴属金，阴井穴属木，都根据相生的次序流转辗转取穴。腑经过一个原穴，脏以俞穴代替原穴经过。最后一个穴，阳日气纳三焦，取生我者；阴日血归包络，取我生者。这些都详细列在前图中，一见便知，不再赘述。
第四环：同宗错落。
天干十个字，地支十二个字，一天十二个时辰，五天六十个时辰，十天一百二十个时辰。地支十二个字，每天用一次，五天用五次，十天用十次。与天干十个字配合使用。五天六十个时辰，地支用五次，天干应当用六次。甲子小周，五日为一候，六日又重新起甲子时，与一天的情况相同。这是一六同宗、甲己同宗的意义。甲日和己日，一个是奇数一个是偶数，一个是阴一个是阳，日干阴阳虽然不同，但时干支完全相同。所以甲日流注的各穴，交错排列在己日时干支之下；己日流注的各穴，交错排列在甲日时干支之下。以此类推，二七为乙庚，三八为丙辛，四九为丁壬，五十为戊癸，都是一阴一阳的同宗。所以流注的各穴，除了一个过穴不交错外，其余都互相交错排列在下环。根据时辰取穴，效果是一样的。
First Ring: The Ten Heavenly Stems govern the days.
The Huanzhou (Circle Flow) diagram consists of four rings. The first ring uses the ten characters of the Heavenly Stems to analyze the Five Movements and Six Qi (Wu Yun Liu Qi) of the Earth, dividing them into Five Yin and Five Yang. The Five Yin correspond respectively to the Five Zang organs, and the Five Yang correspond respectively to the Six Fu organs (among which the Sanjiao is a Fu organ named "Lonely Fu"). On Jia days, Yang Wood corresponds to the Gallbladder Fu; on Yi days, Yin Wood corresponds to the Liver Zang; on Bing days, Yang Fire corresponds to the Small Intestine; on Ding days, Yin Fire corresponds to the Heart; Wu corresponds to the Stomach (Yang Earth); Ji corresponds to the Spleen (Yin Earth); Geng and Xin (Metal) correspond to the Large Intestine and Lung respectively; Ren and Gui (Water) correspond to the Kidney and Bladder respectively. The Lonely Fu, Sanjiao, has no corresponding organ to combine with; it is the Official of Dredging (Juedu zhi guan) and is attached to the Bladder. This constitutes the general division of the ten Heavenly Stems in the first ring.
Second Ring: Acupoint Flow and Injection (Liu Zhu).
Third Ring: Determining Time by Stems and Branches.
The second and third rings subdivide one day into twelve Shichen (two-hour periods), starting from Zi and ending at Hai. They are topped with the ten characters of the Heavenly Stems. Over ten days, there are one hundred and twenty Shichen. The Earthly Branches are used ten times, and the Heavenly Stems are used twelve times. On Jia and Ji days, both start from Jia-Zi hour; on Yi and Geng days, both start from Bing-Zi hour; on Bing and Xin days, they start from Wu-Zi hour; on Ding and Ren days, they start from Geng-Zi hour; on Wu and Gui days, they start from Ren-Zi hour. Following this order, on Jia days, among the twelve Shichen, the one where Jia reappears is Xu hour; therefore, the Jing-Well acupoint Qiaoyin (GB45) of the Gallbladder meridian is opened. Jia is Yang Wood, and the Gallbladder Fu also belongs to Yang Wood. On Gui days, among the twelve Shichen, the one where Gui reappears is Hai hour; therefore, the Jing-Well acupoint Yongquan (KI1) of the Kidney meridian is opened. Gui is Yin Water, and the Kidney Zang also belongs to Yin Water. One might ask: Gui day lacks ten Shichen; why does the Kidney meridian not open at Chou hour but shifts to Hai hour? This is because the Kidney governs Water and is the root of life in the human body, emphasizing the generation of Wood. If it cannot flow-inject (Zhuan Zhu) on Jia day, it would merely flow without injecting, which does not conform to the principle of Yin-Yang mutual generation. By analogy, on Yi days at Yi-You hour, the Jing-Well acupoint Dazhun (LR1) of the Liver meridian is opened. Yi is Yin Wood, and the Liver also belongs to Yin Zang within Wood. On Bing days at Bing-Shen hour, and on Ding days at Ding-Wei hour, for Yang Fire and Yin Fire, the Jing-Well acupoints Shaoze (SI1) of the Small Intestine and Shaochong (HT9) of the Heart are opened respectively. On Wu days at Wu-Wu hour, and on Ji days at Ji-Si hour, the Jing-Well acupoints Lidui (ST45) of the Stomach and Yinbai (SP1) of the Spleen are opened respectively. Wu is Yang Earth, and Ji is Yin Earth. On Geng days at Chen hour, Shangyang (LI1) is opened; on Xin days at Mao hour, Shaoshang (LU11) is opened. The Large Intestine belongs to Yang Metal, and the Lung Zang belongs to Yin Metal. Ren is Yang Water; at Ren-Yin hour, the Jing-Well acupoint Zhiyin (BL67) of the Bladder water-Fu is opened. It flows-injects to Ren-Zi hour on Gui day. When Ren reappears, it completes a great cycle of ten days. Jing-Well acupoints are generally marked in red to indicate the starting point of the daily prosperous Qi main acupoints. Guo (pass-through) acupoints are also written in red, as they are the Shu-Stream acupoints of the respective Zang or Yuan-Source acupoints of the respective Fu, differing from regular flow-injection. What is called "Liu" (Flow)? On Yang days, opening Yang hours and Yang acupoints, following the sequence of mutual generation, still flowing within Yang days and Yang hours is called "Liu". What is called "Zhu" (Injection)? If acupoints taken during Yang days and Yang hours are insufficient, one turns to inject and take acupoints from Yin days' Yang hours; conversely, if acupoints taken during Yin days and Yin hours are insufficient, one turns to inject and take acupoints from Yang days' Yin hours. Both are called "Zhu". "Liu" and "Zhu" are different; "Zhu" and "Guo" are different. At the end of Yang days, Qi enters the Sanjiao; at the end of Yin days, Blood returns to the Pericardium (Baoluo). The principle of taking acupoints involves taking those that "generate me" or those that "I generate", and these differ. Let us analyze Jia day as an example. On Jia day at Xu hour, the Jing-Well acupoint Qiaoyin of the Gallbladder is opened. Before this hour, during the five Yin hours of You, Wei, Si, Mao, and Chou, the listed Yin acupoints of the Zang organs—Zhongchong (PC9), ChiZe (LU5), ShangQiu (SP5), ShenMen (HT7), and Xingjian (LR2)—all come via Zhuan Zhu (flow-injection) from the previous Gui Yin day, according to the sequence of Wood generating Fire, Fire generating Earth, Earth generating Metal, and Metal generating Water. On Jia day, when Jia reappears at Xu hour, only the single acupoint Qiaoyin is opened. Jia is a Yang day, opening Yang hours; Hai is a Yin hour and is not taken. Instead, it flows-injects to Bing-Zi Yang hour on Yi day, opening the Ying-Spring acupoint QianGu (SI3) of the Small Intestine. Because Jia Gallbladder belongs to Wood, and Bing Small Intestine belongs to Fire, the Gallbladder opens the first acupoint, then flows to the second acupoint of the Small Intestine; this is Wood generating Fire. The Yang Jing-Well acupoint Qiaoyin belongs to Metal, and the Yang Ying-Spring acupoint QianGu belongs to Water, reflecting the meaning of Metal generating Water. It then injects further to Wu-Yin hour on Yi day, opening the Shu-Stream acupoint XianGu (ST41) of the Stomach. Small Intestine is Horse Fire, and Stomach belongs to Earth; this is Fire generating Earth. It also passes through the acupoint QiuXu (GB40). Because each of the six Fu organs has six specific acupoints, including one extra Yuan-Source acupoint, it exceeds the scope of Five Elements mutual generation. Therefore, it passes through the Shu-Stream position, tracing back to its origin, inheriting the lineage from Qiaoyin, passing through here, and listed in the lower position, because it does not belong to the regular meridians of Five Elements mutual generation. A red character "Guo" (Pass) is written to indicate it has a source. At Geng-Chen hour on Yi day, attention is given to the Yang-Xi (LI5) acupoint of the Large Intestine; at Ren-Wu hour, to the Wei-Zhong (BL40) acupoint of the Bladder. Speaking of their Fu organs, Large Intestine belongs to Metal, and Bladder belongs to Water; Metal generates Water. Speaking of their acupoints, Yang Meridian Fire acupoints and Yang Meridian Earth acupoints also follow Fire generating Earth. Finally, at Jia-Shen hour, the Ying-Spring acupoint Ye-Men (TE2) of the Sanjiao is listed again. Because Sanjiao is the Lonely Fu and has no specific place among the six Fu organs, it is listed last among the opening acupoints of each Fu. Only one Ying-Spring acupoint is taken because Yang Ying-Spring is a Water acupoint, and Gallbladder is a Wood Fu; Water can generate Wood. Jia day starts at Xu hour and ends at Shen hour on Yi day, totaling eleven Shichen. Each of the six Fu organs opens one acupoint. Gallbladder occupies the main position and passes through one extra Yuan-Source acupoint, totaling seven acupoints. This is the detailed principle of Jia day flow-injection. For the remaining nine days, the circle flow-injection applies: each Zang organ has five specific acupoints, and each Fu organ has six specific acupoints. Fu organs are Yang, Zang organs are Yin. Yang Jing-Well acupoints belong to Metal, Yin Jing-Well acupoints belong to Wood. All follow the sequence of mutual generation for flow-injection and rotation. Fu organs pass through one Yuan-Source acupoint; Zang organs use Shu-Stream acupoints instead of Yuan-Source to pass through. The final acupoint: on Yang days, Qi enters the Sanjiao, taking that which "generates me"; on Yin days, Blood returns to the Pericardium, taking that which "I generate". These are all detailed in the preceding diagram, visible at a glance, so no further elaboration is needed.
Fourth Ring: Interlacing of Same-Origin Pairs.
There are ten Heavenly Stem characters and twelve Earthly Branch characters. One day has twelve Shichen. Five days have sixty Shichen, and ten days have one hundred and twenty Shichen. The twelve Earthly Branch characters are used once per day, five times over five days, and ten times over ten days. They are used in combination with the ten Heavenly Stem characters. In the sixty Shichen of five days, the Earthly Branches are used five times, while the Heavenly Stems should be used six times. The Jia-Zi small cycle: every five days constitutes one Hou (ten-day period segment), and on the sixth day, a new Jia-Zi hour begins, just like the start of a day. This illustrates the meaning of "One and Six share the same origin" and "Jia and Ji share the same origin." Jia days and Ji days: one is odd and one is even; one is Yin and one is Yang. Although the Day Stems' Yin-Yang nature differs, the Hour Stems and Branches are completely identical. Therefore, the acupoints for flow-injection on Jia days are interlaced and listed under the Hour Stems and Branches of Ji days; the acupoints for flow-injection on Ji days are interlaced and listed under the Hour Stems and Branches of Jia days. By analogy, Two and Seven correspond to Yi-Geng; Three and Eight to Bing-Xin; Four and Nine to Ding-Ren; Five and Ten to Wu-Gui. All are same-origin pairs of one Yin and one Yang. Therefore, for the flow-injection acupoints, except for one "Guo" (pass-through) acupoint which does not interlace, all others mutually interlace and are listed in the lower ring. They are taken according to the time, and their efficacy is the same.