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Capítulo 31 de 81
黄帝内经·灵枢
The Yellow Emperor asked Bo Gao: I wish to understand the organs responsible for transporting water and grain among the six viscera, namely the intestines and stomach — their size, length, and how much water and grain they can receive. Bo Gao replied: Allow me to explain in detail the path water and grain take from entry to exit, including its shallowness, depth, proximity, distance, length, and measurements.
From the lips to the teeth is nine fen in length; the mouth is two and a half cun wide. From behind the teeth to the epiglottis is three and a half cun deep, with a capacity of approximately five ge. The tongue weighs ten liang, is seven cun long, and two and a half cun wide. The pharyngeal opening weighs ten liang and is one and a half cun wide; from the pharyngeal opening to the stomach is one chi and six cun in length. The stomach body curves and bends, and when straightened measures two chi and six cun in length, one chi and five cun in circumference, five cun in diameter, and can hold three dou and five sheng.
The small intestine attaches posteriorly to the spine, curves leftward in coils and layers of accumulation; where it enters the ileum, it attaches externally above the navel, with sixteen turns and folds in its circuit, measuring two and a half cun in circumference, approximately eight and one-third fen in diameter, and three zhang and two chi in length (the original text "长王文二尺" is likely a scribal error; per the standard edition and the total length later cited, corrected to "三丈二尺").
The ileum is located at the navel, curves leftward in a full circuit, folding downward like overlapping leaves, with sixteen turns and folds in its circuit, measuring four cun in circumference, approximately one and one-third cun in diameter, and two zhang and one chi in length. The broad intestine attaches to the spine, receives the contents of the ileum, curves leftward in stacked coils, being relatively wide above and below, measuring eight cun in circumference, approximately two and two-thirds cun in diameter, and two chi and eight cun in length.
From the entry of food and drink to the exit of waste, the total length of the intestines and stomach is six zhang, four cun, and four fen, with thirty-two curves and coils in total.
This chapter is a rare early anatomical record in the Nei Jing, focusing not on syndrome differentiation or treatment, but on establishing a structural understanding of the six viscera's role in "transporting grain."
The ancients held that the six viscera are characterized by "transporting transformed substances without storing them," and that the stomach and intestines form a continuous conduit through which water and grain travel from entry to exit. Their length, coiling, and capacity determine the duration of retention and the efficiency of transmission. The mention of "thirty-two curves" shows that the ancients already observed that the intestinal tract is not a straight tube but uses bends to extend the path and increase contact surface area — reflecting the visceral principle of "orderly transmission and measured reception."
Later Chinese medicine speaks of "the stomach governs reception," "the small intestine separates the clear from the turbid," and "the large intestine governs conduction" — the anatomical basis for these concepts can be traced back to this chapter.
This text can be compared with the modern digestive system:
If converted using Warring States–Qin–Han measurements, where one cun is approximately 2.31 cm, the total intestinal length recorded in this chapter is significantly greater than modern anatomical values; the stomach capacity of "three dou and five sheng" is also notably larger than the modern adult gastric capacity. This may relate to differences in ancient weights and measures, the subjects measured, post-excision states, or scribal transmission errors. Therefore, these figures should not be treated as precise anatomical constants, but rather as an exploratory record of the digestive system's morphology in early medicine.
This chapter suggests: after food enters the stomach, it must be gradually conducted through a long and highly coiled intestinal tract. Daily health practices to consider:
These are all general lifestyle moderation suggestions and are not targeted at any specific disease.
Bu Gua Note: This content is based on ancient Chinese medicine classics and is provided solely for traditional cultural study and reading. It does not constitute any medical diagnosis, medication, or treatment advice; if you are unwell, please seek medical attention promptly.