ABSTRACT
Lacunae due to damaged silk and illegible graphs are extensive: two columns of text are missing at the beginning of MSI.B, and significant gaps occur throughout; much of MSI.C was unreadable before the Maishu edition came to light; MSI.D, the shortest text, suffered the least. The MWD, vol. 4, transcription emends MSI.B using the MSII.B edition and parallels in Lingshu 10 (MSII.B is moderately damaged); little could be done for lacunae in MSI.C and MSI.D. Comparison of MSI.B and MSII.B with Maishu, "Eleven Vessels," reveals a closer correspondence between MSI.B and
"Eleven Vessels." Both editions arrange the vessels in the same order, whereas MSII.B differs by placing the foot Minor Yin vessel ahead of the foot Ceasing Yin vessel. Occasional differences in wording also separate MSI.B and "Eleven Vessels" from MSII.B. Comparing MSI.B to "Eleven Vessels," the latter shows signs of being a younger edition. Most obvious is the addition of ailments at the end of certain vessel entries in "Eleven Vessels" using the formula "and also including (ji Jk) ailment X." My judgment that MSI.B and "Eleven Vessels" are more closely related editions is the basis for my decision to emend lacunae in MSI.B using "Eleven Vessels" whenever possible. I have not collated the two editions; "Eleven Vessels" is used only to emend lacunae in MSI.B. I make two exceptions where it is obvious that the scribe of MSI.B omitted graphs that occur in "Eleven Vessels." And because of lacunae in "Eleven Vessels" six emendations rely on MSII.B. The result is a reasonable approximation of MSI.B in its original condition.
