Internal visualisation chart: Position of qihai and diaphragm

Woodcut, incorporated into a handwritten copy of Yuanmen maijue neizhao tu (Internal Visualisation Charts from the 'Primordial Portal' Secrets of the Pulse), attributed to Hua Tuo, a renowned physician of the third century BCE. This chart shows the relative position of qihai (the Sea of Qi), the diaphragm and the five zang viscera, i.e. the heart, lungs and qihai are situated above the diaphragm; the liver, spleen, kidney and stomach are situated below the diaphragm; and the diaphragm itself is situated at the centre. This arrangement into upper and lower sectors is explained by the fact that the diaphragm functions as a barrier, preventing 'turbid Qi' (zhuoqi) from rising up to affect the heart, lungs or qihai.

PICTURE TITLE: Illustration of qihai and the diaphragm (gemo). OTHER LETTERING: Qihai (Sea of qi); via the lung; via the heart; via the marrow; kidney nexus (shenxi); liver nexus (ganxi); upper opening of the stomach; here food and drink enter the stomach; spleen nexus (pixi).