Exterior-interior relationships of the Twelve Channels

Illustration from an edition of 1909 (inaugural year of the Xuantong reign period of the Qing dynasty), showing the exterior-interior relationship patterns of the Twelve Channels of the hands and feet, i.e. the heart channel of hand shaoyin and the small intestine channel of hand taiyang stand in an exterior-interior relationship; the Heart Envelope channel of hand jueyin and the sanjiao (Triple Burner) channel of hand shaoyang stand in an exterior-interior relationship; the lung channel of hand taiyin and the large intestine channel of hand yangming stand in an exterior-interior relationship; the spleen channel of foot taiyin and the stomach channel of foot yangming stand in an exterior-interior relationship; the liver channel of foot jueyin and the gall bladder channel of foot shaoyang stand in an exterior-interior relationship; and the kidney channel of foot shaoyin and the bladder channel of foot taiyang stand in an exterior-interior relationship.

PICTURE TITLE: Chart of the Twelve Channels in terms of zang and fu organs, hand and foot, yin and yang, exterior and interior. OTHER LETTERING: Above it links with the liver [channel]; it links with the spleen [channel]; it links with the liver [channel]; it links with the kidney [channel]; above it connects with the lower aperture of the stomach i.e. youmen (Hidden Portal). The lower aperture connects with the large intestine, i.e. lanmen (the 'Door Screen', ileocoecal conjunction). The pair of channels -- heart channel hand shaoyin and small intestine channel of hand taiyang (Great Yang) -- stand in an exterior-interior relationship. Heart Envelope (baoluo) shangjiao (Upper Burner); zhongjiao (Middle Burner); xiajiao (Lower Burner). The pair of channels -- the Heart Envelope channel of hand jueyin and the sanjiao (Triple Burner) channel of hand shaoyang -- stand in an exterior-interior relationship. Lung; throat (pharynx); large intestine; above it connects with the small intestine, i.e. lanmen (the 'Door Screen', ileocoecal conjunction). Rectum (zhichang); anus (gangmen), also known as pomen (Portal of the Po Soul). The pair of channels -- lung channel of hand taiyin and large intestine channel of hand yangming -- stand in an exterior-interior relationship. Spleen; goes upwards via the heart nexus; attached to the stomach so as to grind up grain; stomach; below it joins with the small intestine, i.e. youmen (Hidden Portal). The pair of channels -- the spleen channel of foot taiyin and the stomach channel of foot yangming -- stand in an exterior-interior relationship. Liver; goes via the heart nexus; gall bladder; links with the liver. The pair of channels - the liver channel of foot jueyin and gall bladder channel of foot shaoyang -- stand in an exterior-interior relationship. Left kidney; right kidney; flank the spine on either side of the 14th vertebra; bladder; the urethra discharges at the front of the perineum. The two channels -- the kidney channel of foot shaoyang and the bladder channel of foot taiyang (Great Yang) -- stand in an exterior-interior relationship.