黄帝曰。夫百病之所始生者。必起于燥湿寒暑风雨阴阳喜怒饮食居处。气合而有形得藏而有名。余知其然也。夫百
病者。多以旦慧昼安夕加夜甚何也。岐伯曰。四时之气使然。黄帝曰。愿闻四时之气。岐伯曰。春生夏长。秋收冬藏。
是气之常也。人亦应之。以一日分为四时。朝则为春。日中为夏。日入为秋。夜半为冬。朝则人气始生。病气衰。故旦
慧。日中人气长。长则胜邪。故安。夕则人气始衰。邪气始生。故加。夜半人气入脏。邪气独居于身。故甚也。黄帝曰。
其时有反者何也。岐伯曰。是不应四时之气。脏独主其病者。是必以脏气之所不胜时者。甚以其所胜时者。起也。黄帝
曰。治之奈何。岐伯曰。顺天之时。而病可与期。顺者为工。逆者为粗。黄帝曰。善。余闻刺有五变。以主五输。愿闻
其数。岐伯曰。人有五脏。五脏有五变。五变有五输。故五五二十五输。以应五时。黄帝曰。愿闻五变。岐伯曰。肝为
牡脏。其色青。其时春。其音角。其味酸。其日甲乙。心为牡脏。其色赤。其时夏。其日丙丁。其音征。其味苦。脾为
牝脏。其色黄。其时长夏。其日戊己。其音宫。其味甘。肺为牝脏。其色白。其音商。其时秋。其日庚辛。其味辛。肾
为牝脏。其色黑。其时冬。其日壬癸。其音羽。其味咸。是为五变黄帝曰。以主五输奈何。岐伯曰。藏主冬。冬刺井。
色主春。春刺荥。时主夏。夏刺输。音主长夏。长夏刺经。味主秋。秋刺合。是谓五变。以主五输。黄帝曰。诸原安合。
以致六输。岐伯曰。原独不应五时。以经合之。以应其数。故六六三十六输。黄帝曰。何谓藏主冬。时主夏。音主长夏。
味主秋。色主春。愿闻其故。岐伯曰。病在藏者。取之井。病变于色者。取之荥。病时间时甚者。取之输。病变于音者。
取之经。经满而血者。病在胃及以饮食不节得病者。取之于合。故命曰味主合。是谓五变也。
先将本题正面叙毕。即从时字折出藏字。以下藏时合发。穷原竟委。五花八门有风樯阵马之势。
Huangdi said: The origins of all diseases must arise from the imbalances of dryness, dampness, cold, heat, wind, rain, yin, yang, joy, anger, diet, and living environment. When qi combines with form, specific manifestations arise; when pathogens enter the zang-fu organs, corresponding disease names are established. I understand these principles. However, why do most diseases present with clarity in the morning, stability during the day, aggravation in the evening, and severity at night? Qibo replied: This is caused by the influence of the seasonal qi. Huangdi said: I wish to hear about the qi of the four seasons. Qibo said: Spring generates, summer grows, autumn harvests, and winter stores; this is the constant pattern of qi. Humans also respond to it. If we divide a day into four periods corresponding to the seasons, morning corresponds to spring, midday to summer, sunset to autumn, and midnight to winter. In the morning, the healthy qi (Zheng Qi) begins to generate, and the pathogenic qi declines, so the patient feels clear-headed in the morning. At midday, the healthy qi grows; as it grows, it overcomes the pathogen, so the condition is stable during the day. In the evening, the healthy qi begins to decline, and the pathogenic qi begins to generate, so symptoms aggravate in the evening. At midnight, the healthy qi enters the zang organs, leaving the pathogenic qi to dominate the body, so the condition is most severe at night. Huangdi said: Why does sometimes the opposite occur? Qibo said: This is because the condition does not correspond to the seasonal qi, but is dominated by the independent pathology of the zang organs. Such conditions will definitely aggravate during the time when the organ qi is overcome by the season, and improve during the time when the season is overcome by the organ qi. Huangdi said: How should they be treated? Qibo said: By following the timing of heaven, the prognosis of the disease can be predicted. Those who follow are skilled physicians; those who go against are crude physicians. Huangdi said: Good. I have heard that acupuncture has five variations, which govern the Five Shu points. I wish to hear their numerical order. Qibo said: Humans have five zang organs. Each zang organ has five variations. Each variation has five Shu points. Thus, there are twenty-five Shu points, corresponding to the five seasons. Huangdi said: I wish to hear what the five variations are. Qibo said: The Liver is a Yang organ (Mu Zang). Its color is green, its season is spring, its note is Jue, its taste is sour, and its heavenly stems are Jia and Yi. The Heart is a Yang organ. Its color is red, its season is summer, its heavenly stems are Bing and Ding, its note is Zhi, and its taste is bitter. The Spleen is a Yin organ (Pin Zang). Its color is yellow, its season is late summer, its heavenly stems are Wu and Ji, its note is Gong, and its taste is sweet. The Lung is a Yin organ. Its color is white, its note is Shang, its season is autumn, its heavenly stems are Geng and Xin, and its taste is pungent. The Kidney is a Yin organ. Its color is black, its season is winter, its heavenly stems are Ren and Gui, its note is Yu, and its taste is salty. These are called the five variations. Huangdi said: How do these govern the Five Shu points? Qibo said: The Zang organs govern winter; in winter, one punctures the Jing-Well points. The complexion governs spring; in spring, one punctures the Ying-Spring points. The season governs summer; in summer, one punctures the Shu-Stream points. The voice governs late summer; in late summer, one punctures the Jing-River points. The taste governs autumn; in autumn, one punctures the He-Sea points. This is called the five variations governing the Five Shu points. Huangdi said: How do the Yuan-Source points combine to form six Shu points? Qibo said: The Yuan-Source points alone do not correspond to the five seasons; they are combined with the Jing-River points to correspond to the number six. Thus, there are thirty-six points (6x6). Huangdi said: Why is it said that the Zang organs govern winter, the season governs summer, the voice governs late summer, the taste governs autumn, and the complexion governs spring? I wish to hear the reason. Qibo said: For diseases located in the zang organs, take the Jing-Well points. For diseases manifesting in the complexion, take the Ying-Spring points. For diseases that fluctuate in severity over time, take the Shu-Stream points. For diseases manifesting in the voice, take the Jing-River points. For fullness in the meridians with blood stasis, or for diseases in the Stomach and those caused by irregular diet, take the He-Sea points. Therefore, it is said that the taste governs the He-Sea points. This is called the five variations.
The main topic is first narrated positively, then transitions from "time" to "zang". Thereafter, zang and time are discussed together, tracing the origin to the end. The content is multifaceted, possessing the momentum of wind-driven sails and cavalry charges.