典藏书目

The eyes possess the "Five Wheels" (Wulun, five zones of the eye corresponding to the Zang organs), each corresponding to a specific Zang organ. When an organ is diseased, it must manifest in its corresponding wheel; this is inevitable. Liver disease manifests in the Wind Wheel (Fenglun, the cornea and iris); Lung disease manifests in the Qi Wheel (Qilun, the canthi); Heart disease manifests in the Blood Wheel (Xuelun, the pupil); Kidney disease manifests in the Water Wheel (Shuilun, the sclera); Spleen disease manifests in the Flesh Wheel (Roulun, the eyelids). These are the easily understood aspects of the Five Wheels. Wood corresponds to Green, Metal to White, Water to Black, Fire to Red, and Earth to Yellow; these are the easily understood aspects of the Five Colors. Whether it is the wheel position or the color, the pathological signs are already clearly presented. If a physician fails to recognize these as indicators of ocular disease, it is unacceptable. Moreover, how could one understand the subtle variations of hyperactivity leading to overacting (Kang Ze Cheng), superiority leading to counter-acting (Sheng Ze Wu), concurrent diseases (Bingbing), combined diseases (Hebing), self-transmission of disease, and the intricate mechanisms of generation and restriction? Roughly speaking, the Wheel is the Branch (Biao, superficial manifestation), and the Organ is the Root (Ben, fundamental cause). The presence of signs in the Wheel is caused by disharmony in the Organ. There is no case where the Branch shows signs while the Root remains healthy. Therefore, if one does not know the signs in the Wheel, one cannot understand the state of the Organs. Since the Wheel and Organ correspond, if one does not know the Wheel, then both Root and Branch remain unclear. If Root and Branch are unclear, how can one determine what should be treated with urgency and what with delay, and thus cure human diseases?

Occasionally, there are those who know the relationship between the Wheel and Organ, and Root and Branch, but do not understand the differences in generation and restriction, self-transmission, or concurrent and combined diseases. Consequently, they cannot grasp the subtleties of overacting, counter-acting, restriction, and transformation. Others may know the principles of Root/Branch and Urgency/Delay, as well as transmission and combination symptoms, but fail to distinguish whether the patient's constitution is strong or weak, whether the pathology resides in the Blood or Qi, and whether tonification or purgation is indicated based on the excess or deficiency of pathogenic factors and healthy Qi. Thus, they cannot master the treatment strategies of following the disease course (Shun), opposing the disease course (Ni), supporting the upright (Fu Zheng), or expelling pathogens (Qu Xie). How can such physicians cure diseases? Hence, many suffer from eye diseases, yet few can treat them. Blaming the lack of effective prescriptions and lamenting that Hua Tuo (a legendary master physician) will never return is shallow! Even if Hua Tuo were reborn, people would still fail to comprehend his medical Dao.

While some know about diseases of the Five Wheels, regarding diseases of the Eight Palaces (Baguo, eight sectors of the sclera/conjunctiva corresponding to the Fu organs), they do not even know their locations, let alone understand the profound functions of the meridians. As the ancients said: "If meridians are unknown, it is like a blind man walking at night." The meridians of the Eight Palaces are the key to diagnosing diseases. Those practicing this art cannot afford to neglect them! Examining diseases of the Palaces differs from examining the Wheels. The Wheels rely on the overall shape and color of the entire area as diagnostic evidence, whereas the Palaces rely solely on the vascular networks (blood vessels and capillaries) on the surface of the Wheels. One observes whether the vessels are thick or thin, connected or interrupted, chaotic or straight, red or purple; which position they originate from, which region they invade; thereby distinguishing which Zang or Fu organ is affected, assessing the depth and severity of the disease, the excess or deficiency of Qi and Blood, and the relative strength of Healthy Qi versus Pathogenic Factors. Treatment is then regulated based on the self-transmission of disease and the generative/restrictive or reverse/forward relationships within the meridians.

Some argue that the Eight Palaces are like the Triple Burner (Sanjiao)—having a name but no reality—and therefore useless. This is a grave error. In my observation of the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), Huangdi and Shaoyu discuss the courage and timidity of scholars. They state that courageous individuals are firm and impatient, with the Triple Burner muscles being transverse and tense; timid individuals are soft and slow, with the Triple Burner muscles being longitudinal and lax. Since muscles have distinct forms, this suggests an error in the *Nan Jing* (Classic of Difficult Issues). Today, the Eight Palaces have definite positions and forms, allowing for analogy with the Triple Burner. The vascular networks of the Eight Palaces are more empirically verifiable than the Triple Burner. Although the Triple Burner has theoretical basis, it is internal and invisible, divided into upper, middle, and lower jiao above and below the diaphragm. In contrast, the Eight Palaces are clearly visible externally, and when disease occurs, the vascular networks provide tangible evidence. How can one claim they are useless?