The second section on external bodily elements primarily deals with exteriorly exposed parts of the body and their associated disorders. Starting from the head and going down the body, starting with the face and then descending to the midsection of the body, we have the chest, abdomen, waist, and lower back, the section concludes with the skin, flesh, pulses, tendons, bones, hands, feet, hair, genitals and anus.


Volume 1: The Head, Face, and Eyes

The first part of this section on external appearances pertains to the head, face and eyes. These are the most visible features of the exposed parts of the body, and they manifest particular patterns of disorder. By examining these manifestations, we are able to treat the body as a whole.

There are nine places in the head and nine sections of the brain that are important. Among them, the acupuncture point, or "acupoint," GV20 is centrally located and communicates with the "heavenly spirit." It is believed that area GV20 is where the ethereal and corporeal souls enter and exit the body. Areas on the face are allocated to the five phases, depending on the location of the center, north, south, east and west, and these areas furthermore coincide with the visceral organs of the body. By analyzing the five areas of the face and the five colors, disorders deep within the body can be diagnosed. The eyes, for instance, are the orifices of the liver, where the righteous qi of the viscera and bowels gather. The righteous qi of the eyes is also closely tied with the spleen. The blood and the qi of the five viscera, six bowels, 12 meridians, and 365 connecting vessels ascend to the eyes and brighten them.

Volume 2: The Ears, Nose, Mouth and Tongue, Teeth, Throat, Neck and Back

After discussing the head, face and eyes, the second major section continues with a discussion of the ears, nose, mouth and tongue, teeth, throat, neck and back. This order follows the sequence from the vertex of the head and down through the body.

The ears are able to hear sound because of a connection with the kidneys’ energy. The kidneys govern sound, and this function makes hearing possible. Since the nose is the gate where, it is believed, spiritual qi enters and exits the body, it is also called the "spiritual inn." The mouth is governed by the spleen, and the tongue is governed by the heart. Disorders of the mouth and tongue should be treated by treating these associated organs. The teeth are considered part of the bones, and the kidneys are responsible for providing nutrition for healthy teeth. The teeth lie in the passageway of the breath. Teeth are thus part of the kidneys’ system, and bone marrow maintains their growth. All throat-related problems arise because of heat from the fire. The neck refers only to the front side, while the back is known as the nape. The back is very important as it contains three gates where the essential qi flows.

Volume 3: The Chest, Breasts, Abdomen, Umbilicus, Waist and Lower Back, Flanks, Skin, Flesh, Pulses, Tendons and Bones

In this volume, the topics of the chest, breasts, abdomen, umbilicus, waist and lower back, flanks, skin, flesh, pulses, tendons and bones are covered in sequence. These features are located in the trunk of the body, which has an intimate relationship with the visceral organs and bowels. They reflect internal conditions on the outside of the body, thus making diagnosis of internal organs possible. The skin, flesh, pulses, tendons, and bones are the five basic tissues, ranging from the exterior to the interior of the body.

The character for chest in ancient Chinese writing holds the meaning of "disaster," since the slightest trouble during respiration and the intake of food can open the door for pathogens to enter the body. For women, the breasts are as important as the genitalia are for men. While the breasts are located above the waist and male genitalia are located below the waist, both are the foundations of life. The area of the abdomen is divided into three. The upper one is called the “greater abdomen,” and the lower one is called the "smaller abdomen." The area around the navel is called the “umbilical abdomen.” It often expresses exclusive signals while ill. The significance of the umbilicus is defined by the position of the lower danjeon, or 丹田, the area just beneath the umbilicus. This is where the "essence" and blood are stored, as well as the location of the qi of the kidney region. The waist and lower back area is managed by the kidneys. Since every meridian passes through the kidneys and is connected with the waist and backbones, with a limited movement of the waist, the kidneys should be considered as the primary organ, regardless of whether the disorder is caused internally or externally. The liver and gallbladder meridians are distributed along the flanks and rib cages. When pathogenic qi enters the liver or the gallbladder, a pain will be present along the lateral flank.

The skin and hair are parts of the lung system. If there is a pathogen in the lung, it will be reflected as a pain on the skin. All 12 connecting vessels run along the skin. Therefore, a difference in skin color may suggest a serious disorder. With a sufficient intake of food, the spleen will process the food into an abundance of qi and blood, which will then turn to flesh. The pulse precedes the qi and blood. To take one’s pulse, a cardinal rule must be followed. Firstly, calm the mind and focus your mind. Second, do not get distracted by other thoughts. Third, control your breathing to stabilize the qi. Fourth, observe the five colors of the face to determine the condition of the viscera and bowels, and decide on the overall prognosis of the patient. Last, consider other factors and situations associated with the symptoms. Tendons are governed by the liver, which is known to create them as well. Thus, liver disorders may be manifested as spasms of the tendons. All 12 meridians have channel sinews. The flow of the channel sinews coincides with the flow of the meridians. Bone is the gathering place of marrow, and marrow is the essence of food. The depletion of marrow will lead to a weakening of the bone. If an individual cannot stand for a long time or trembles when walking, then disorders of the bone are suspected.

Volume 4: The Hands, Feet, Hair, Genitals and Anus

This is the last part of the section on external bodily elements. It features an in-depth discussion of the contents of the extremities of the body

The hands and feet are at the end of the body and the yang energy initiates here. The symptom of having cold hands and feet is known as “cold reversal,” while warm hands and feet is “heat reversal.” Both forms of reversal are caused by the depletion of the righteous qi of the kidneys. Hair is governed by the kidneys and is another form of blood. The condition of the hair depends on the condition of the blood. Hair will be lustrous with an ample amount of blood and brittle with a deficiency of blood. The so-called "mounting syndrome" is one of the most frequent disorders of the genitalia. The anus is the terminal area of the large intestine. Since it is wider than both the large and small intestine, it is also known as the “wide intestine” or rectum. The lungs and large intestine are internally-externally related organs. The large intestine also contains the so-called "corporeal soul." Therefore, it is also known as the “corporeal soul‘s gate.”