The significance of the Shaoyin meridian/stage

按少阴一经，以热为本（少阴之上，君火主之，故也），太阳为中气（小肠与心为表里），少阴为标（主外，是本经之标、本、中三气也）。有经症，有协火症，有协水症，不可不知也（本经上火下水：上火，即手少阴心；下水，即足少阴肾。以下承接太阴经）。太阴之客邪未罢，势必传于少阴，则治少阴必兼治太阴；若全不见太阴症，而专见少阴症，则专治少阴，方为合法。

The Shaoyin meridian bases on the Hot (the King Fire dominates the Shaoyin meridian/stage). Taiyang is its middle Qi (the Heart and the Small intestine is the couple system. The Heart is the King Fire, the Small intestine belongs to the Taiyang meridian). Shaoyang is its surface layer. In the Shaoyin stage, there is disease in the meridian. The disease can bear Fire (Fire-bearing syndrome), or bear Water (Water-bearing syndrome). In the Shaoyin stage, its upper part is Fire, e.g. the hand Shaoyin Heart; the lower part is the Kidney Shaoyin Water. If the Xie Qi in the Taiyin is not cleared off, it will pass into the Shaoyin stage. In this case, the Shaoyin and the Taiyin should be treated the same time. If there is only evidence for the Xie Qi in the Shaoyin, then the Shaoyin is treated only.

经症者何？脉微细，但欲寐是也。夫细微欲寐，少阴之病情悉具，元阳之虚，不交于阴，阴气之弱，不交于阳可知也。主以麻黄附子细辛汤，令阴阳交而水火合，非发汗之义也（世多不识）。服此方而病可立解，立法之奇，无过于此。

What is the evidence for the Shaoyin meridian? The patient has thin the mild pulse, tends to lie down for a rest. The thin-weak pulse is enough to diagnose the Shaoyin stage. The Yuan Yang is weak, which cannot meet into the Yin. The Yin Qi is also weak, and cannot meet the Yang. The main herbs in this condition are the Mahuang Fuzi Xixin Tang. It is to mix the Yin and the Yang, e.g. to meet the Water and the Fire together. It is not to create sweat.

至于协火而动者何？病人真阳素旺，客邪入而附之，即从阳化而为热。热甚则血液必亏，故病见心烦不眠，肌肤燥熯，小便短而咽中干，法宜养阴以配阳，主以黄连阿胶汤，分解其热，润泽其枯。

What’s the evidence for the Fire-bearing syndrome? The patient is usually with more Yang Qi in the body. The out-coming Xie Qi attaches to the Fire, transforms into the Hot. The overwhelming Fire burns down the Yin, causing annoyed in heart, poor sleep, dry skin, shot urine, dry throat. The treatment principle should be to nourish the Yin to match the Yang. The herbal formula is the Huanglian Ajiao Tang, to separate its Hot, wet the dryness.

若协水而动者何？病人真阳素弱（阳弱阴必盛），客邪入于其中，即从阴化。阴气太盛，阳光欲绝，故病见目瞑倦卧，声低息短，少气懒言，身重恶寒，四肢逆冷，法宜回阳，阳旺阴自消，病庶几可愈矣。

What’s the evidence for the Water-bearing syndrome? The patient is usually weak in the True Yang. When the Yang is weak, the Yin must be overwhelming. The invading Xie Qi hosts in the Shaoyang, transforms into the Yin Qi. If the Yin Qi is overwhelming, the Yang Qi is weak. The patient shows very lower in body energy, tends to lie down, weak in breath and in talk, feels heavy in the body, chilly and dislike cold, feels cold in the hands and feet, or has reversed cold (the cold feeling in the hands develops up to the elbow, and the cold feeling in the feet develops up towards the knee). The treatment principle should be to restore the Yang Qi. With more Yang Qi, the Yin Qi will calm down.

附解：凡三阴症，以温补为要。是阴盛阳必衰，故救阳为急。三阳症，以解散清凉为主，是阳盛阴必亏，故救阴为先。然阳中有阴症，阴中有阳症，彼此互和，令人每多不解处，由其未将三阳三阴各有配偶认清，遂把病机辨察不确，六经不啻尘封也。

Appendix: For the three Yin conditions, the treatment principle is to warm the Yang Qi, since when the Yin is overwhelming, the Yang Qi must be very weak. So, it is urgent to save the Yang Qi first. For the three Yang conditions, the treatment principle is to clear the Xie Qi, the Hot, since in the Yang condition, when the Yang is overwhelming, the Yin is in danger of exhausted. So it is urgent to save the Yin first. However, there is Yin condition in the Yang conditions, and there might be Yang conditions among the Yin conditions too. They may mix together, confusing people. The reason for the confusion is that people did not understand that the three Yang and the three Yin meridian/stage has its own couple, and the mechanism for the disease in each stage should be clearly understand.