帝曰∶有癃者,一日数十溲,此不足也。身热如炭,颈膺如格,人迎躁盛,喘息气逆,此有余也。太阴
脉微细如发者,此不足也。其病安在?名为何病?岐伯曰∶病在太阴,其盛在胃,颇在肺,病名曰厥,死不
治。此所谓得五有余、二不足也。帝曰∶何谓?岐伯曰∶所谓五有余者,五病之气有余也;二不足者,亦病气
之不足也。今外得五有余,内得二不足,此其身不表不里,亦正死明矣。
肾虚则膀胱热,热则癃闭不通,虚则不能收摄,故一日数十溲,此不足之病也。身热如炭,表邪闭结也;
颈膺如格,内邪格拒也;颈旁人迎之脉躁盛,胃阳逆而喘息,皆病邪之有余也。两手太阴寸口之脉,则微细
如发,此表邪有余,内气不足。不足之病在太阴,有余之邪在阳明,肺胃相连,胃气逆,故颇在肺而喘息,
名厥病也。正虚邪盛,阴阳厥逆,欲治五有余之外邪,而内气不足,不能泻之,欲补二不足之元气,而外邪
格拒,不能补之,不能治表,不能治里,正为死之明验也。夫脏为阴,腑为阳,太阴脉如发,其脏阴竭矣,
人迎脉躁盛,其腑阳脱也,阴竭阳脱,则死不可治。
《素问·痿论》帝曰∶五脏使人痿,何也?岐伯曰∶肺主身之皮毛,心主身之血脉,肝主身之筋膜,脾
主身之肌肉,肾主身之骨髓。故肺热叶焦,则皮毛虚弱急薄,着则生痿 也;心气热,则下脉厥而上,上则下
脉虚,虚则生脉痿,枢折挈,胫纵而不任地也;肝气热,则胆泄口苦筋膜干,筋膜干则筋急而挛,发为筋痿;
脾气热,则胃干而渴,肌肉不仁,发为肉痿;肾气热,则腰脊不举,骨枯而髓减,发为骨痿。
一身内外之气,由肺权衡敷布,肺热叶焦,则气不能输转周行,即无津液以濡养皮毛,而虚弱急薄,着者,
皮肉血气干燥滞着而不柔和,故生痿 , 者,行步不便也;心气热,则阳升而脉厥上逆,上逆则下虚,经脉
为一身肢节之机枢,脉痿则枢折,其气上挈而下虚,故足胫弛纵而不任地也;肝气热,则胆汁泄而口苦,筋膜
干枯,拘急而成筋痿也;脾主为胃行津液者也,脾气热,则胃液干而渴,无以滋养肌肉,则不仁而成肉痿也;
肾藏一身之精而主骨,肾气热,则精耗而骨枯髓减,故腰脊不能举动而成骨痿也。是痿者皆为邪热,而多由内
伤脏真所致,要必辨其虚实而治之也。
Yellow Emperor asked: There is a patient with strangury (癃, difficulty in urination), who urinates dozens of times a day. This indicates deficiency (不足). The body is hot as if it were a charcoal brazier, the neck and chest feel obstructed or blocked (格), the Renying pulse (Renying, ST9) is agitated and vigorous, breathing is rapid with rebellious Qi. This indicates excess (有余). The Taiyin pulse is faint and thin like a hair, which also indicates deficiency. Where is the disease located? What is its name? Qibo replied: The disease is in the Taiyin, its excess lies in the Stomach, and it significantly involves the Lung. The disease is named Jue (厥, reversal/cold extremities syndrome), and it is untreatable death. This is what is called "five excesses and two deficiencies." The Yellow Emperor asked: What do you mean? Qibo said: The so-called five excesses refer to the excess of five pathogenic Qi factors; the two deficiencies also refer to the insufficiency of pathogenic Qi. Now, externally there are five excesses, and internally there are two deficiencies. The condition of this person is neither in the exterior nor in the interior, which is clearly a sign of death.
Kidney deficiency leads to heat in the Bladder. Heat causes strangury and obstruction; deficiency leads to an inability to consolidate and control, resulting in dozens of urinations per day. This is a disease of deficiency. Body heat like charcoal is due to the closure and binding of exterior pathogens; the feeling of obstruction in the neck and chest is due to the rejection by interior pathogens; the agitation and vigor of the Renying pulse on the side of the neck, along with panting and rebellious Qi, are all signs of excess pathogenic factors. The Taoyin Cun Kou pulses (Cunkou, Radial Artery at wrist) are faint and thin like hair, indicating exterior excess and interior insufficiency. The deficiency lies in the Taiyin (Lung/Spleen), while the excess lies in the Yangming (Stomach/Large Intestine). Since the Lung and Stomach are connected, Stomach Qi rebellion affects the Lung, causing panting. This is named Jue disease. With righteous Qi deficiency and pathogenic excess, Yin and Yang undergo Jue reversal. Attempting to treat the five excesses of exterior pathogens requires purging, but interior insufficiency prevents this; attempting to tonify the two deficiencies of original Qi meets rejection from exterior pathogens, preventing tonification. Inability to treat the exterior and inability to treat the interior constitute clear evidence of death. Zang organs belong to Yin, Fu organs belong to Yang. A Taiyin pulse like a hair indicates exhaustion of Zang Yin; an agitated Renying pulse indicates depletion of Fu Yang. Exhaustion of Yin and depletion of Yang lead to untreatable death.
In the *Suwen: Wei Lun* (Treatise on Flaccidity Syndromes), the Yellow Emperor asked: How can the Five Zang organs cause Wei syndromes (痿证, flaccidity syndromes)? Qibo replied: The Lung governs the skin and hair of the body; the Heart governs the blood vessels; the Liver governs the tendons and fascia; the Spleen governs the muscles; the Kidney governs the bones and marrow. Therefore, if Lung heat scorches the leaves, the skin and hair become weak, tight, and thin, leading to Pi Wei (皮痿, skin flaccidity); if Heart Qi is hot, lower vessel Qi reverses upward, making the lower vessels deficient, leading to Mai Wei (脉痿, vessel flaccidity), where the pivot breaks, the shins are flaccid and cannot support the body's weight; if Liver Qi is hot, Gallbladder bile leaks causing bitter taste, tendons become dry, leading to tendon spasm and contraction, developing into Jin Wei (筋痿, tendon flaccidity); if Spleen Qi is hot, the Stomach becomes dry causing thirst, muscles become insensate, developing into Rou Wei (肉痿, muscle flaccidity); if Kidney Qi is hot, the waist and spine cannot move, bones become withered and marrow decreases, developing into Gu Wei (骨痿, bone flaccidity).
The Qi inside and outside the body is regulated and distributed by the Lung. If Lung heat scorches the leaves, Qi cannot circulate, and there is no fluid to moisten the skin and hair, causing them to be weak, tight, and thin. "Zhuo" (着) refers to dryness, stagnation, and lack of softness in skin, flesh, blood, and Qi; "Wei" (痿) refers to difficulty in walking. Heart Qi heat causes Yang to rise and vessel Qi to reverse upward, making the lower part deficient. Vessels are the pivots of the limbs; Mai Wei causes pivot failure, with Qi rising and lower deficiency, causing flaccid shins unable to bear weight. Liver Qi heat causes bile leakage and bitter taste, drying tendons and causing Jin Wei. The Spleen transports fluids for the Stomach; Spleen Qi heat dries Stomach fluids causing thirst, failing to nourish muscles, leading to insensibility and Rou Wei. The Kidney stores essence and governs bones; Kidney Qi heat consumes essence, withering bones and reducing marrow, causing immobility of the waist and spine and Gu Wei. These Wei syndromes are all caused by pathogenic heat, mostly resulting from internal injury to the Zhen Qi (True Qi) of the Zang organs. It is essential to differentiate between deficiency and excess for treatment.