口鼻气出不复回。唇反无纹黑似煤。皮毛焦干爪枯折。途程三日定知灾。
张世贤曰。气出不复回。有呼无吸也。唇反土不能生金也。黑似煤。金不
生水也。气不流通。则皮毛焦干。魂魄不连。则爪甲枯折。从甲至丙。三日
也。丙属火。火克金。故死在三日。经曰。手太阴气绝。即皮毛焦。太阴者。肺
也。行气温于皮毛者也。气弗营则皮毛焦。皮毛焦则津液去。津液去则
皮毛枯折。毛折者则毛先死。丙日笃。丁日死。
按脉经云。病患肺绝三日死。何以知之。口张但气出而不还。
面黑齿痛目如盲。自汗如水腰折频。皮肉濡结发无泽。四日应当命不存。
张世贤曰。面黑。面如垢也。目如盲。瞳人反背也。自汗如水。火独炎也。腰
乃肾之府。肾败则腰似折不能荣于骨髓。而骨肉不相亲。濡肉而却不
能为五液之主。故发不润泽。从甲至戊。越四日也。戊属土。土克水。故命
不存。经曰。足少阴气绝。即骨枯。少阴者。冬脉也。伏行而温于骨髓。故骨
髓不温。即肌肉不着骨。骨肉不相亲。即肉濡而却。肉濡而却。故齿长而
枯。发无润泽。是骨先死。戊日笃。己日死。
按脉经云。病患肾绝。四日死。何以知之。齿为暴枯。面为正黑。目中黄色。
腰中欲折。自汗出。如流水。
The qi from the mouth and nose is exhaled but does not return. The lips are everted without wrinkles, black like coal. The skin and hair are scorched and dry, and the fingernails are withered and broken. Within three days on the journey, death is certain.
Zhang Shixian said: "Qi exhaled but not returning" indicates exhalation without inhalation. Lip eversion signifies that Earth (Spleen) cannot generate Metal (Lung). Blackness like coal signifies that Metal (Lung) cannot generate Water (Kidney). When Qi circulation is obstructed, the skin and hair become scorched and dry; when Hun and Po souls are disconnected, the nails become withered and broken. From Jia day to Bing day constitutes three days. Bing belongs to Fire, and Fire overcomes Metal; therefore, death occurs on the third day. The Classics state: "When the Qi of the Hand Taiyin meridian is exhausted, the skin and hair become scorched." The Taiyin meridian is the Lung meridian, which circulates Qi to warm the skin and hair. If Qi fails to nourish, the skin and hair become scorched; if scorched, body fluids are lost; if fluids are lost, the skin and hair become withered and broken. Broken hair indicates that hair dies first. On Bing day, the condition becomes critical; on Ding day, death occurs.
According to the *Mai Jing* (Pulse Classic): If a patient's Lung Qi is exhausted, they die after three days. How do we know this? The mouth is open, only exhaling without inhaling.
The face is dark, teeth ache, and the eyes appear blind. Spontaneous sweating flows like water, and there is frequent sensation of the waist breaking. The flesh and skin are moist and adherent, and the hair lacks luster. Within four days, life should cease.
Zhang Shixian said: A dark face means the face looks like dirt. Eyes appearing blind means the pupils are turned backward. Spontaneous sweating flowing like water indicates excessive Fire inflammation alone. The waist is the mansion of the Kidney. When the Kidney fails, the waist feels as if broken and cannot nourish the bone marrow, causing the muscle and bone to lose their intimacy. The flesh becomes moist and recedes, failing to serve as the master of the Five Fluids; thus, the hair lacks luster. From Jia day to Wu day spans four days. Wu belongs to Earth, and Earth overcomes Water; therefore, life ceases. The Classics state: "When the Qi of the Foot Shaoyin meridian is exhausted, the bones become withered." The Shaoyin meridian is the Winter pulse, which lies hidden and warms the bone marrow. If the bone marrow is not warmed, the muscles cannot adhere to the bones, and the muscle-bone relationship is lost, causing the flesh to become moist and recede. When the flesh recedes, the teeth appear long and withered, and the hair lacks luster. This indicates that bones die first. On Wu day, the condition becomes critical; on Ji day, death occurs.
According to the *Mai Jing*: If a patient's Kidney Qi is exhausted, they die after four days. How do we know this? The teeth suddenly become withered, the face is distinctly black, the eyes show yellow, the waist feels as if it wants to break, and spontaneous sweating flows like running water.