Transformations of damp Qi in Chou-Wei years, Chinese woodcut

Woodcut illustration from an edition of 1726 (4th year of the Yongzheng reign period of the Qing dynasty). It shows the transformations and flow of damp Qi in the Chou-Wei year and their correlation with disease in the human body. When jueyin (retrograde Yin), wind and wood dominate, Great Qi flourishes, the rain engenders caterpillars, it is bad for the joints and there are plagues and epidemics. When shaoyang and sovereign fire dominate, there is pestilence in the world; damp turns to steam and is used up; this occurs both near and far; swellings occur in the chest and abdomen. When taiyin, wetness and earth dominate, there are thunderstorms with rain and snow, the time of damp Qi is in decline, swellings occur in the heart and abdomen, and the skin is cold and dry. When shaoyang and reciprocal fire dominate, fire heats up and wetness is overcome; the wetness is transformed and flows downward. When one feels cold wet Qi, the blood is heated and one suffers from agues (nüe). When yangming (Yang Brightness) and dry metal dominate; there is great coolness and frost in the mornings, cold descends into the body; damp Qi circulates and the joints stiffen and are restricted. When taiyang (Great Yang), cold and water dominate, great cold congeals liquids, it frequently snows; one has back ache; the channels and tracts seize up.

PICTURE TITLE: Chart of transformations of wet qi in the Chou-Wei year. OTHER LETTERING: First, jueyin (retrograde Yin). 2) shaoyin (Lesser Yin). 3) taiyin (Greater Yin). 4) shaoyang (Lesser Yang). 5) yangming (Yang Brightness). 6) taiyang (Greater Yang). When Great Qi flourishes, the rain engenders caterpillars; there is pestilence under Heaven, wetness turns to steam and is used up. When there are thunder storms with rain or hail, the time of damp Qi is in decline. When fire heats up and wetness is overcome, wetness is transformed and flows downwards. When there is great coolness and frost in the mornings, cold descends into the body. When great cold congeals fluids, there is frequently snow; it is detrimental to the joints; there are epidemics of pestilence far and near; there is fullness and swelling in the chest and belly. When one feels cold damp Qi, the blood is heated and one suffers from agues (nüe); there is swelling in the heart and belly; the skin is cold and dry. When damp Qi circulates, the joints stiffen and become restricted; one has back ache; the channels and tracts seize up.