THE LARGE INTESTINE IS IN CHARGE OF TRANSPORTING, TRANSFORMING AND ELIMINATING SURPLUS SOLID MATTER. IT IS KNOWN AS THE "DRAINER OF THE DREDGES". WHEN THE SMALL INTESTINE HAS FINISHED DIGESTING AND ABSORBING THE FOOD, THE REMAINDER PASSES THROUGH THE ILEOCECAL VALVE INTO THE CECUM, WHICH IS THE FIRST PART OF THE LARGE INTESTINE, LOCATED IN THE LOWER RIGHT ILIAC REGION OF THE ABDOMEN. THIS IS WHERE THE APPENDIX IS ATTATCHED. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS LOTS OF LYMPH TISSUE, LIKE THE TONSILS. THE COLON IS THE NET PART OF THE LARGE INTESTINE AND IS IN FOUR PARTS: THE ASCENDING COLON RUNS UP THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ABDOMEN FROM THE CECUM; THE TRANSVERSE COLON EXTENDS ACROSS THE ABDOMEN; THE DESCENDING COLON RUNS DOWN THE LEFT SIDE AND BENDS INTO AN S SHAPE, FORMING THE SIGMOID COLON. THE SIGMOID COLON EMPTIES INTO THE RECTUM, WHICH IS TEMPORARILY STORAGE AREA. THE ANAL CANAL LEADS FROM THE RECTUM OUT OF THE BODY AT THE ANUS. IN ALL THE LARGE INTESTINE MEASURES ABOUT FIVE FEET.
TRADITIONALLY, THE LARGE INTESTINE IS ASSOCIATED WITH ELIMINATION. IF THE LARGE INTESTINE IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY TOXIC WASTES ACCUMULATE THROUGHOUT THE BODY AND EVERY SYSTEM IS AFFECTED. CONSTIPATION OR DIARRHEA MAY OCCUR ON MORE THAN THE PHYSICAL LEVEL; GENERAL NEGATIVITY MAY INDICATE MENTAL CONSTIPATION. SINCE THE LARGE INTESTINE MERIDIAN RUNS THROUGH THE ARM, SHOULDER AND NECK TO THE FACE, SHOULDER PAIN AND HEADACHES CAN BE A REFLECTION OF IMBALANCE IN THE LARGE INTESTINE MERIDIAN.
THE PRIMARY LARGE INTESTINE CHANNEL
PATHWAY:
THE HAND YANG MING LARGE INTESTINE CHANNEL BEGINS AT THE RADIAL SIDE OF THE TIP OF THE INDEX FINGER AND PROCEEDS UPWARD BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND METACARPAL BONES OF THE HAND AND BETWEEN THE TENDONS OF THE EXTENSOR POLLICIS LONGUS AND BREVIS MUSCLE AT THE WRIST. IT CONTINUES ALONG THE RADIAL MARGIN OF THE FOREARM TO THE RADIAL MARGIN OF THE LATERAL ASPECT OF THE ELBOW, THEN UP THE LATERAL ASPECT OF THE UPPER ARM AND SHOULDER JOINT. AFTER INTERSECTING THE HAND TAI YANG SMALL INTESTINE CHANNEL AT SI 12, IT RISES TO JUST BELOW THE SPINOUS PROCESS OF THE SEVENTH CERVICAL VERTEBRA, AND INTERSECTS WITH THE GOVERNING VESSEL AT GV 14, WHERE ALL SIX YANG REGULAR CHANNELS MEET. IT THEN TRAVELS STRAIGHT INTO THE SUPRAVACULAR FOSSA TO ST 12, FROM WHERE IT CONNECTS THROUGH THE LUNG, PASSES THROUGH THE DIAPHRAGM, AND HOMES TO THE LARGE INTESTINE.
A BRANCH SEPARATES FROM THE MAIN CHANNEL AT ST 12 IN THE SUPRAVACULAR FOSSA, PASSES UP THE NECK, AND TRAVERSES THE CHEEK BEFORE ENTERING THE LOWER GUM. FROM HERE IT SKIRTS AROUND THE LIPS, PASSES THE FOOT YANG MING CHANNEL AT ST 4, AND THEN MEETS THE SAME CHANNEL COMING FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BODY AT THE PHILTRUM. IT THEN CONTINUES AROUND THE NOSTRIL OF THE OPPOSITE SIDE TO TERMINATE AT THE SIDE OF THE NOSE. IN OTHER WORDS, THE RIGHT AND LEFT CHANNELS CROSSOVER AT THE PHILTRUM AND RUN FOR THE LAST SHORT STRETCH ON THE OPPPOSITE SIDE OF THE BODY FROM WHICH THEY ORIGINATED.