THE SPLEEN MERIDIAN
THE SPLEEN IS LOCATED IN THE UPPER LEFT ABDOMINAL REGION, PROTECTED BY THE LOWER PART OF THE RIB CAGE. IT IS A SOFT, SEMI-FLATTENED ORGAN, FIVE OR SIX INCHES LONG AND TWO OR THREE INCHES WIDE. THE SPLEEN CONTAINS LYMPH TISSUE FOR FILTERING WORN OUT RED CELLS FROM THE BLOOD. ALONG WITH THE BONE MARROW IT PRODUCES WHITE BLOOD CELLS, ANTIBODIES AND STORES BLOOD FOR USE IN EMERGENCIES. THE SPLEEN IS STIMULATED BY IMPULSES FROM THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND BY EPINEPHRINE FROM THE ADRENAL GLANDS, AND IS STRONGLY ACTIVATED IN EMOTIONAL STATES AND IN TIMES OF PHYSICAL STRESS.
THE SPLEEN MERIDIAN GOVERNS THE PANCREAS AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE CALLED THE SPLEEN-PANCREAS MERIDIAN. THE PANCREAS MANUFACTURES SEVERAL FLUIDS: THE PANCREATIC JUICE AND INSULIN. PANCREATIC JUICE IS A POWERFUL DIGESTIVE AID, CONTAINING ENZYMES THAT WORK IN THE SMALL INTESTINE ON STARCHES, PROTEINS AND FATS. INSULIN IS RELEASED INTO THE BLOOD AND REGULATES THE AMOUNT OF SUGAR USED IN THE TISSUES.
THE PRIMARY SPLEEN CHANNEL
PATHWAY:
THE FOOT TAI YIN SPLEEN CHANNEL STARTS ON THE MEDIAL TIP OF THE GREAT TOE AND RUNS ALONG THE BORDER OF THE LIGHT AND DARK SKIN ON THE MEDIAL ASPECT OF THE FOOT. IT THEN PASSES IN FRONT OF THE MEDIAL MALLEOLUS, UP THE POSTERIOR SIDE OF THE LEG ALONG THE POSTERIOR MARGIN OF THE TIBIA. HERE IT CROSSES AND RUNS ANTERIOR TO THE FOOT JUE YIN LIVER CHANNEL, PASSING MEDIAL TO THE KNEE AND RUNNING UP THE ANTEROMEDIAL ABDOMEN AND INTERSECTING THE CONCEPTION VESSEL AT CV 3 AND CV 4 BEFORE HOMING TO THE SPLEEN AND CONNECTING WITH THE STOMACH. IT THEN CONTINUES UPWARD AND PASSES THROUGH THE DIAPHRAGM TO INTERSECT WITH THE FOOT SHAO YANG GALLBLADDER CHANNEL AT GB 24 AND THE FOOT JUE YIN LIVER CHANNEL AT LV 14. FROM THERE IT ASCENDS TO THE SIDE OF THE ESOPHAGUS, CROSSES THE HAND TAI YIN LUNG CHANNEL AT L 1 AND FINALLY PROCEEDS UP TO THE ROOT OF THE TONGUE TO DISPERSE ITS LOWER SURFACE.
A BRANCH BREAKS OFF IN THE AREA OF THE STOMACH, CROSSING THE DIAPHRAGM TO TRANSPORT CHI TO THE HEART.