Gallbladder Channel

The Gallbladder channel is the one that winds around the most on the head. «膽足少陽之脈，起於目銳眥»: it begins at the outer corner of the eye, at GB1, rises to the corner of the forehead, descends behind the ear and down the neck to the shoulder. The text describes carefully how it crosses the hand Shaoyang: on the neck it runs in front of it, and on the shoulder it passes behind. Two branches return to the face, one through the ear and the other toward the jaw, before descending to the chest, passing through the diaphragm, connecting with the Liver, and belonging to the Gallbladder.

The direct line descends along the flank, «過季脇», passes the floating ribs and reaches the hip, the «髀厭», the location of GB30. From there it descends along the lateral side of the thigh and leg, «直下抵絕骨之端», to the end of the bone called Juegu, next to GB39, exits in front of the lateral malleolus and ends at the fourth toe, at GB44. One last branch goes to the big toe, passes through the nail and exits through the hair behind it, «出三毛», where the Liver channel begins.

The text sums up its «是動» disorders in a few features: «口苦，善太息», a bitter taste in the mouth and frequent sighing, flank pain that prevents turning and, in severe cases, a face that looks covered in dust and skin without luster. The chapter gives it dominion over the bones (是主骨所生病者). Its branch is «足少陽之別，名曰光明», Guangming, GB37, five cun above the ankle, which separates toward the Jueyin.