Lian Quan · the modest spring

At a glance

Pinyin

lián quán

Simplified

廉泉

Literal

廉泉 lián quán — 廉 is a corner, an edge, and by extension the clean edge of a character: modest, unbribable. 泉 is a spring. The name is usually taken as the spring at the corner, the point under the tongue where saliva gathers. What matters for this chapter is not the etymology but the method: the chapter says 'needle the two vessels under the tongue', and then, as the Suwen so often does, pauses to tell you their name. It is the only named point in the chapter apart from 至陰 and 絶骨.

Shuowen

《說文解字》：廉，仄也；泉，水原也——**廉為堂之側邊，泉為水之所出**。「廉」讀 lián，本篇1見；「泉」讀 quán，本篇1見；**二字皆惟此一見**。「舌」讀 shé；「下」讀 xià；「兩」讀 liǎng；「脉」讀 mài。**「舌下兩脉者，廉泉也」八字，是本篇自注之筆**——上文既言「剌舌下兩脉出血」，此即注其穴名；**《素問》中此類自注甚多，皆為後人識穴而設**，與本篇「十二瘧」之點明篇法者，同為文中之注。**本篇明言穴名者三**：廉泉、至陰、絶骨，**餘皆言經不言穴**（剌足太陽、剌手少陰之類），**言穴與言經并用，是本篇刺法之二端**。