第一节风关。第二节气关。第三节命关。虎口,叉手处也。男先看左手,女先看右手。
辨纹色又当视纹形大小曲弯。
红黄相兼,隐隐不见,则为平安无病。紫主内热。红主伤寒。黄主伤脾。黑主中恶。青主惊风。白主疳证。
再脉纹见下截风关为轻,中截气关为重,上截命关为尤重,直透三关则大危。
如圆长者,名曰长珠纹,主饮食伤。如一点红色,名曰流珠纹,主内热。如上尖长,下微大者,名曰去蛇纹,
主伤食吐泻。如上大,下尖长者,名曰来蛇纹,主湿热成疳。如形弯向中指,名曰弓反里纹,主感冒寒邪。如形
弯向大指,名曰弓反外纹,主内热痰盛。如纹斜向中指,名曰纹斜向左,主伤风。如纹斜向大指,名曰纹斜向右,
主感寒。如若直悬针,微短,名曰针纹。主痰热。如直射如枪,微长,名曰枪纹。主痰热。如纹直射指端,
名曰透关射指纹,主脾气大败。如纹直射指甲,名曰透关射甲纹,主脾气大败。二者均病危不起。如纹似乙字者,
名曰乙字纹,主惊风抽搐。如二曲如钩,其纹主伤生冷。如三曲如虫,其纹主伤硬物。如纹形似水,名曰水字纹,
主咳嗽。如纹联系如环,名曰环纹,主疳病。如纹似弯虫,名曰曲虫纹,主积滞。如纹似鱼刺,名曰鱼骨纹,主
惊热。如纹似乱虫,名曰乱虫纹,主蛔虫缠扰。
The first section is the Wind Gate (Feng Guan), the second section is the Qi Gate (Qi Guan), and the third section is the Life Gate (Ming Guan). The Tiger's Mouth (Hukou) refers to the area where the fingers and palm intersect. For males, observe the left hand first; for females, observe the right hand first.
When distinguishing fingerprint colors, one must also examine the shape of the fingerprint, including its thickness, length, and curvature.
Red mixed with yellow, faintly visible, indicates peace and absence of disease. Purple indicates internal heat. Red indicates Cold Damage (Shang Han). Yellow indicates Spleen injury. Black indicates sudden contraction of foul pathogenic factors (Zhong E). Cyan indicates Convulsive Disease (Jing Feng). White indicates Infantile Malnutrition Syndrome (Gan Zheng).
Regarding the position of the fingerprint: appearing in the lower section (Wind Gate) indicates a mild condition; appearing in the middle section (Qi Gate) indicates a severe condition; appearing in the upper section (Life Gate) indicates an especially severe condition; if it penetrates all three gates, the condition is critically dangerous.
If the fingerprint is round and long, it is called "Long Bead Pattern" (Chang Zhu Wen), indicating dietary injury. If it appears as a single red dot, it is called "Flowing Bead Pattern" (Liu Zhu Wen), indicating internal heat. If the top is sharp and long while the bottom is slightly wider, it is called "Departing Snake Pattern" (Qu She Wen), indicating vomiting and diarrhea due to food stagnation. If the top is wide while the bottom is sharp and long, it is called "Approaching Snake Pattern" (Lai She Wen), indicating Gan syndrome caused by damp-heat. If the fingerprint curves towards the middle finger, it is called "Bow Reversing Inner Pattern" (Gong Fan Li Wen), indicating cold pathogen invasion from wind-cold. If the fingerprint curves towards the thumb, it is called "Bow Reversing Outer Pattern" (Gong Fan Wai Wen), indicating abundant phlegm due to internal heat. If the fingerprint slants towards the middle finger, it is called "Slanting Left Pattern" (Wen Xie Xiang Zuo), indicating wind-injury. If the fingerprint slants towards the thumb, it is called "Slanting Right Pattern" (Wen Xie Xiang You), indicating cold invasion. If it resembles a straight needle, slightly short, it is called "Needle Pattern" (Zhen Wen), indicating phlegm-heat. If it shoots straight like a spear, slightly long, it is called "Spear Pattern" (Qiang Wen), indicating phlegm-heat. If the fingerprint shoots directly to the fingertip, it is called "Penetrating Gate Shooting Fingerprint Pattern" (Tou Guan She Zhi Wen), indicating extreme failure of Spleen Qi. If the fingerprint shoots directly to the fingernail, it is called "Penetrating Gate Shooting Nail Pattern" (Tou Guan She Jia Wen), indicating extreme failure of Spleen Qi. Both conditions signify critical illness with poor prognosis. If the fingerprint resembles the Chinese character 'Yi' (乙), it is called "Yi Character Pattern" (Yi Zi Wen), indicating convulsions due to fright. If it bends twice like a hook, it indicates injury from raw or cold foods. If it bends three times like a worm, it indicates injury from hard objects. If the fingerprint shape resembles water waves, it is called "Water Character Pattern" (Shui Zi Wen), indicating cough. If the fingerprints connect into a ring, it is called "Ring Pattern" (Huan Wen), indicating Gan disease. If the fingerprint resembles a curved worm, it is called "Curved Worm Pattern" (Qu Chong Wen), indicating accumulation and stagnation. If the fingerprint resembles fish bones, it is called "Fish Bone Pattern" (Yu Gu Wen), indicating fright-heat. If the fingerprint resembles chaotic worms, it is called "Chaotic Worm Pattern" (Luan Chong Wen), indicating disturbance by Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworms).