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Jiang An appended this content after *Bencao Bei Yao* (Compendium of Materia Medica Essentials), which should be read thoroughly; there is no need for me to elaborate further.

During the seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and the Long Summer (the last month of summer, corresponding to Spleen Earth), the complexion changes with the season, presenting Green, Yellow, Red, White, and Black colors appropriately.
The left pulse corresponds to Liver, and the right pulse to Lung, distributed in shape like cheeks; Heart corresponds to the forehead, Kidney to the chin (Yi), and Nose to Spleen.
Observing the pulse position requires knowing that generation (Sheng) brings auspiciousness, while encountering restriction (Ke) in timing brings sorrow.
Furthermore, distinguish between new and old conditions by observing whether the luster is dull or bright; a faint yellowish hue indicates the period of recovery.
There is also a method for examining the tongue. A tongue without coating indicates the pathogen is at the Exterior; a fresh red color indicates Fire (Heat); a pale white color indicates Cold (referring here to the absence of coating, not a pale white coating itself).
A white coating indicates the pathogen is at the Half-Exterior Half-Interior; a yellow coating indicates the pathogen is at the Interior; a black coating indicates the pathogen has entered the Shaoyin channel, often resulting in death. A moist and fluid-coated tongue indicates Cold; a dry and fluid-less coated tongue indicates Fire (Heat).
A tongue without coating, smooth as if the kidney had been scrubbed with oil, indicates exhaustion of body fluids and is incurable.

Anger of the Liver manifests as shouting; Joy of the Heart manifests as laughter; Overthinking of the Spleen manifests as singing;
Worry of the Metal-Lung manifests as crying; The Kidney governs groaning, and Fear also often manifests as groaning.
Another method: Weak qi and low voice indicate Deficiency; Abundant qi and loud voice indicate Excess; Speech that does not correspond coherently indicates confusion of Shen (Spirit); Delirious speech and cursing indicate Excess Heat;
Gurgling phlegm sounds indicate death; Hiccups heard in chronic illness indicate the extinction of Stomach Qi. Generally, speech and voice that are not different from one's normal state are auspicious, while those that are contrary are ominous.

(From *Jingyue Quanshu*, augmented and polished by Zhang Xin)
First ask about Chills and Fever, second ask about Sweating, third ask about Head and Body pain, fourth ask about Bowel movements and Urination,
Fifth ask about Diet, sixth ask about Chest discomfort, seventh ask about Deafness, eighth ask about Thirst, all of which must be distinguished.
Ninth ask about past illnesses, tenth ask about causes, then combine with medication history to discern changes in the condition.
For women, it is essential to ask about the Menstrual Period; delays, rapidity, amenorrhea, or metrorrhagia can all be seen.
Add a few phrases to advise pediatricians: for Smallpox and Measles, sincere divination and verification are required.

The subtle pulse felt under the fingers is hardest to know; sorting out the threads is like unraveling tangled silk (Old rhymes listed Floating, Knotted, Slippery, Full, Wiry, Tight, and Surging as Seven Exterior pulses; Deep, Micro, Slow, Moderate, Soggy, Hidden, Weak, Choppy as Eight Interior pulses; Long, Short, Empty, Rapid, Knotted, Intermittent, Firm, Moving, and Fine as Nine Dao pulses. Li Shizhen and Li Shicai added Rapid, Leathery, and Scattered pulses, totaling twenty-seven types, which are hard to grasp. One must find the order like managing silk to proceed systematically). Holding the three positions (Cun, Guan, Chi) separately is the established method (Left Cun exteriorly inspects Heart, interiorly inspects Danzhong. Right Cun exteriorly inspects Lung, interiorly inspects Chest Middle. Left Guan exteriorly inspects Liver, interiorly inspects Diaphragm. Right Guan exteriorly inspects Stomach, interiorly inspects Spleen. Both Chi exteriorly inspect Kidney, interiorly inspect Abdomen. The Abdomen includes Large and Small Intestines and Bladder. Anterior part inspects anterior ailments, posterior part inspects posterior ailments. Pulse reaching the upper limit reflects matters of Chest and Throat; pulse reaching the lower limit reflects matters of Lower Abdomen, Waist, Thighs, Knees, and Calves. This follows the distribution method of *Neijing*). The Eight Principles (Ba Gang) are easy to see and serve as good guidelines (Floating pulse governs Exterior, Deep pulse governs Interior; these two are easily distinguished by light and heavy pressure under the fingers. Slow pulse governs Cold, Rapid pulse governs Heat; these two are distinguished by counting breaths per pulse beat, easily seen. Large pulse governs Pathogenic Excess, Fine pulse governs Healthy Deficiency; these two are distinguished by the width of the pulse form, easily seen. Long pulse governs constitutionally strong, Short pulse governs constitutionally weak; these two are distinguished by the length of the pulse segment, easily seen. Use these eight pulses as the outline. For other pulses, distinguishing their concurrent appearances is sufficient, or ignoring them is also acceptable. These four lines summarize the general principles of pulse taking). Stomach nourishes water and grain intake, forming the root of the human body (Pulse belongs to Lung, but Lung receives Qi from Stomach); Earth possesses harmonious Qi, and the pulse winds gently (not rigid but relaxed and slow; the pulse obtains the vital Qi of Central Earth thusly; this emphasizes inspecting Stomach Qi as the first priority). Zang organ Qi relies entirely on generation and restriction for verification (Inspecting the generation and restriction of Zang Qi is the second priority. For example, Spleen disease fears Wiry pulse, as Wood restricts Earth. Lung disease fears Surging pulse, as Fire restricts Metal. Conversely, this does not harm the Zang Qi). Observe the顺应 or opposition of Heavenly Times (Deducing the compliance or opposition of celestial movement is the third priority. For instance, Spring Qi belongs to Wood, so the pulse should be Wiry; Summer Qi belongs to Fire, so the pulse should be Surging, etc. Conversely, this does not accord with Heavenly Qi). Yang manifests as Floating and Rapid, with forms tending toward hyperactivity (Zhang Zhongjing classified Floating, Large, Moving, Slippery, and Rapid as Yang pulses; any forceful pulse falls into this category); Yin manifests as Deep and Slow, with momentum being more humble (Zhang Zhongjing classified Deep, Choppy, Weak, Wiry, and Slow as Yin pulses; any forceless pulse falls into this category. Here, Yin and Yang are raised again to introduce the following four lines regarding the appropriateness or inappropriateness of pulse-disease correspondence, serving as the fourth priority). In external contraction diseases, the appearance of Yin pulses is not an auspicious sign (In external contraction syndromes, the pulse should be Floating and Surging; if instead it is Fine and Weak, Healthy Qi cannot overcome Pathogenic Qi). In internal deficiency diseases, the manifestation of Yang pulses is truly sorrowful (After hemorrhage, the pulse should be quiet and Fine; if instead it is Surging and Large, Qi is also escaping outward). Any pulse showing excessiveness leads to disease (Pulse biased toward Yang—Large and Surging; biased toward Yin—Fine and Weak—are both pathological pulses). Sudden appearance of extraordinary anomalies means it cannot be treated (Old rhymes mention seven strange pulses: Sparrow Pecking, House Leaking, Fish Swimming, Shrimp Swimming, Bullet Stone, Untying Knots, and Cauldron Boiling. All result from the separation of Yin and Yang, suddenly presenting abnormal images). With just these words, prognosis will surely be accurate; the elaborations in *Mai Jing* (Classic of Pulse Diagnosis) are fragmented and disjointed (Diseases number in the tens of thousands, while pulse images number only in the dozens. Moreover, any of the dozens of pulses can appear in a single disease. How can one diagnose the specific disease solely by pulse? Words in pulse books that deceive people are the least trustworthy).