The membrane source · mo yuan

At a glance

Pinyin

mó yuán

Simplified

膜原

Literal

膜原 mó yuán — the membrane source: the space between the stomach and intestines and the flesh that covers them, a place rather than a thing. Chapter 39 lodges cold there twice and draws two different conclusions from it. Cold between the stomach and the intestines, below the membrane source, holds the blood so it cannot disperse; the small network vessels are pulled taut and it hurts, and pressing disperses the blood and qi, which is why pressing stops this pain. Cold between the small intestine and the membrane source, in the blood of the network vessels, cannot pour into the great channel; it is held up and does not move, and that is how an accumulation forms overnight. The same address, and one time pressure cures and the next time it becomes a mass — the difference is whether the blood can still move.

Shuowen

《說文解字》：膜，肉閒胲膜也——**本義為肉間之薄膜**；**原，水泉本也**——**本義為水之所出，引申為處所**。「膜」讀 mó，**本篇2見**；「原」讀 yuán，**本篇2見**；「膜」「原」，**本篇2見**——**一在「腸胃之間，膜原之下」，一在「小腸膜原之間」**。**本站「膜」（「膜」讀 mó，#900）立目在第二十九篇**，**其義為脾胃相連之膜；此「膜原」則為腸胃之外、分肉之間之一所**——**同名而廣狹不同，本站分立，不為混注**。**「膜原」一詞又見《瘧論》「横連募原」**，**彼作「募」（「募」讀 mù），此作「膜」（「膜」）**——**募、膜同音相假，其地一也**。