肾象水。旺于冬。其脉如石而沉。其候耳。其声呻。其臭腐。其味咸。其液唾。其养骨
其
色黑。其神志。足少阴其经也。与膀胱合。膀胱为腑主表。肾为脏主里。肾气盛。为志有余
则病腹胀飧泄。体肿喘咳。汗出憎风。面目黑。小便黄。是肾气之实也。则宜泻之。肾气
不足。则厥。腰背冷。胸内痛。耳鸣苦聋。是为肾气之虚也。则宜补之。肾病者腹大体肿喘
咳
汗出憎风。虚则胸中痛。于四时病在肾愈在春。春不愈。甚于长夏。长夏不死。持于秋。
起于冬。于日愈于甲乙。甲乙不愈。甚于戊己。戊己不死。持于庚辛。起于壬癸。无犯尘垢
无衣炙衣。于时夜半慧。日中甚。下晡静。肾欲坚。急食苦以坚之。咸以泄之。苦以补
之。
肾部在左手关后尺中是也。肾脉来。如引葛。按之益坚。曰肾病。肾属水。其脉大紧。
身无
痛。形不瘦。不能食。善惊悸。以心萎者死。冬肾水旺。其脉沉濡而滑。名曰平脉也。反得
浮大而缓者。是脾之乘肾。土之克水。为大逆不治。反得浮涩而短者。是肺乘肾。母之归子
为虚邪。虽病可治。反得弦细而长者。是肝之乘肾。子之乘母。为实邪。虽病自愈。反得
浮大而洪者。是心之乘肾。火之凌水。虽病不死。死肾脉来。发如夺索。辟辟如弹石。曰肾
死。冬胃微石曰平。胃少石多曰肾病。但石无胃气死。石而有钩曰夏病。钩甚曰今病。藏真
下于肾藏骨髓之气。真肾脉至。搏而绝。如弹石。辟辟然。其色黄黑不泽。毛折乃死。
诸真脏脉见者。皆不治。
The Kidney corresponds to Water. It is most prosperous in Winter. Its pulse is like a stone, deep and sunken. Its sensory orifice is the ear. Its vocalization is groaning. Its odor is putrid. Its taste is salty. Its fluid is saliva. It nourishes the bones. Its color is black. Its spirit is governed by it. The Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian is its channel, which combines with the Bladder. The Bladder, as a Fu-organ, governs the exterior; the Kidney, as a Zang-organ, governs the interior.
If Kidney Qi is excessive, leading to an excess of Will (Zhi), diseases such as abdominal distension, undigested food diarrhea (Sun-xie), bodily edema, asthma and coughing, sweating with aversion to wind, dark complexion, and yellow urine will occur. This is an Excess pattern of Kidney Qi, and treatment should employ draining methods.
If Kidney Qi is insufficient, there will be cold extremities (Jue), coldness of the waist and back, pain inside the chest, tinnitus with painful deafness. This is a Deficiency pattern of Kidney Qi, and treatment should employ tonifying methods.
Patients with Kidney disease present with abdominal enlargement, bodily edema, asthma and coughing, sweating with aversion to wind. If it is a Deficiency pattern, there is pain in the chest. Regarding seasonal prognosis: recovery occurs in Spring; if not recovered in Spring, the condition worsens in Late Summer; if not fatal in Late Summer, it stabilizes in Autumn; improvement begins in Winter. Regarding daily prognosis: recovery occurs on Jia-Yi days; if not recovered on Jia-Yi days, the condition worsens on Wu-Ji days; if not fatal on Wu-Ji days, it stabilizes on Geng-Xin days; improvement begins on Ren-Gui days. Avoid dust and dirt; do not wear clothes that have been heated by fire/sun. In a day, the patient feels clear-headed at midnight, symptoms worsen at noon, and become quiet in the late afternoon.
The Kidney desires firmness; urgently consume Bitter substances to firm it, Salty substances to drain it, and Bitter substances to tonify it. (Note: Textual logic varies, but translated literally).
The Kidney pulse region is located at the Chi position behind the Guan position on the left hand. When the Kidney pulse arrives, it feels like pulling a vine, and pressing it makes it feel even more firm; this is called Kidney disease. The Kidney belongs to Water. If the pulse is large and tight, the body has no pain, the form is not emaciated, but the patient cannot eat and is prone to palpitations and fright; if accompanied by heart atrophy, death ensues. In Winter, when Kidney Water is prosperous, the pulse is deep, soft, and slippery; this is called a Normal Pulse (Ping Mai).
If instead a floating, large, and slow pulse is obtained, this is Spleen Earth overacting on Kidney Water, representing Earth overcoming Water, which is a Major Reversal (Da Ni) and untreatable. If instead a floating, choppy, and short pulse is obtained, this is Lung Metal overacting on Kidney Water; Mother returning to Son constitutes a False Pathogen (Xu Xie); although ill, it is treatable. If instead a wiry, thin, and long pulse is obtained, this is Liver Wood overacting on Kidney Water; Son overacting on Mother constitutes an Excess Pathogen (Shi Xie); although ill, it will heal spontaneously. If instead a floating, large, and surging pulse is obtained, this is Heart Fire overacting on Kidney Water; Fire suppressing Water; although ill, death will not occur.
The pulse of a dying Kidney arrives like ropes being pulled in contention, or crackling like stones being struck; this is called Kidney Death. In Winter, a pulse slightly resembling Stone (deep/firm) indicates health; less Stomach Qi and more Stone Qi indicates Kidney disease; only Stone Qi without Stomach Qi indicates death. A Stone pulse containing Hook (Summer pulse) indicates disease in Summer; prominent Hook indicates disease now. The True Essence descends to the Kidneys and Marrow. When the True Kidney pulse appears, it beats strongly and abruptly, crackling like stones; the complexion is yellow-black and lusterless, hair breaks, and death follows. Whenever any of the Five True Zang pulses appear, the condition is untreatable.