Shaoyin disease in the Shang Han Lun

Liu Du-Zhou’s lecture notes

Shaoyin occupies an important place among the three yin channels in the Shang Han Lun, because to the exterior there are the taiyin channel symptoms of diarrhoea, while to the interior are the jueyin symptoms such as cold hands and feet. Thus the single channel of shaoyin can represent all three yin channels. Hence the saying: “to study Shang Han Lun, you must master the taiyang chapters; of the three yin channels, you must master the shaoyin chapters.” Taiyang and shaoyin, one yang and one yin division, both are key to understanding the others.