黄帝问于伯高曰。余闻气有逆顺。脉有盛衰。刺有大约。可得闻乎。伯高曰。气之逆顺者。所以应天地阴阳四时五
行也。脉之盛衰者。所以候血气之虚实有余不足。刺之大约者。必明知病之可刺。与其未可刺。与其已不可刺也。黄帝
曰。候之奈何。伯高曰。兵法曰。无迎逢逢之气。无击堂堂之阵。刺法曰。无刺 之热。无刺漉漉之汗。无刺浑浑之
脉。无刺病与脉相逆者。黄帝曰。候其可刺奈何。伯高曰。上工刺其未生者也。其次刺其未盛者也。其次刺其已衰者也。
下工刺其方袭者也。与其形之盛者也。与其病之与脉相逆者也。故曰方其盛也。勿敢毁伤。刺其已衰。事必大昌。故曰
上工治未病。不治已病。此之谓也。
如此短幅通体俱用排比而不嫌板滞者。气盛故也。
黄帝曰。愿闻谷气有五味。其入五脏。分别奈何。伯高曰。胃者。五脏六腑之海也。水谷皆入于胃。五脏六腑。皆
禀气于胃。五味各走其所喜。谷味酸。先走肝。谷味苦。先走心。谷味甘。先走脾。谷味辛。先走肺。谷味咸。先走肾。
谷气津液已行营卫。大通乃化糟粕。又次传下。黄帝曰。营卫之行奈何。伯高曰。谷始入于胃。其精微者。先出于胃之
两焦以溉。五脏别出两行。营卫之道。其大气之抟而不行者。积于胸中。命曰气海。出于肺循喉咽。故呼则出。吸则入。
天地之精气其大数常出。三入一故谷不入半日则气衰。一日则气少矣。黄帝曰。谷之五味。可得闻乎。伯高曰。请尽言
之。五谷。 米甘。麻酸。大豆咸。麦苦。黄黍辛。五果。枣甘。李酸。栗咸。杏苦。桃辛。五畜。牛甘。犬酸。猪咸。
羊苦。鸡辛。五菜。葵甘。韭酸。藿咸。薤苦。葱辛。五色。黄色宜甘。青色宜酸。黑色宜咸。赤色宜苦。白色宜辛。
凡此五者各有所宜。五宜所言五色者。脾病者。宜食 米饭牛肉枣葵。心病者。宜食麦羊肉杏薤。肾病者。宜食大豆黄
卷猪肉栗藿。肝病者。宜食麻犬肉李韭。肺病者。宜食黄黍鸡肉桃葱。五禁。肝病禁辛。心病禁咸。脾病禁酸。肾病禁
甘。肺病禁苦。肝色青。宜食甘。 米饭牛肉枣葵皆甘。心色赤。宜食酸。犬肉麻李韭皆酸。脾色黄。宜食咸。大豆豕
肉栗藿皆咸。肺色白。宜食苦麦羊肉杏薤皆苦。肾食品店黑。宜色辛。黄黍鸡肉桃葱皆辛。
用笔与天年篇同。而布阵尤奇。前从五味说到营卫。随即接叙营卫是本题里面一层却提于题前发之。及入五味。正
面先叙五物与五色之人所宜。是言平人所宜也。次叙五病宜禁。正义毕矣。又复叙五脏色所宜。自是谆复申明之意。独
怪叙五物。不厌繁复。反略于五禁。不与前五宜作对待。而详于后五宜与前五宜似对不对。使人目眩。极寓奇于正之妙。
精悍之色不可逼视。
黄帝向伯高问道：我听说气有逆顺之分，脉有盛衰之别，针刺也有大致原则，可以讲给我听吗？伯高回答说：气的逆顺，是用来对应天地阴阳及四季五行的。脉的盛衰，是用来诊察血气的虚实、有余或不足。针刺的大致原则，必须明确知道疾病哪些情况可以针刺，哪些不可以针刺，以及哪些已经不可再针刺了。黄帝问：如何诊察判断呢？伯高说：兵法上说，不要迎击气势正盛的敌军，不要攻击阵容严整的部队。针刺法则说，不要刺高热炽盛的患者，不要刺大汗淋漓的患者，不要刺脉象浑浊紊乱的患者，不要刺病症与脉象相逆的患者。黄帝问：如何判断可以针刺的情况呢？伯高说：高明的医生在病邪尚未产生时就进行干预，其次是在病邪尚未强盛时进行干预，再次是在病邪已经衰退时进行干预。低劣的医生则在病邪正侵袭人体时进行针刺，或在患者形体正气亢盛时进行针刺，或在病症与脉象相逆时进行针刺。所以说，当病邪正盛时，不敢轻易攻伐损伤正气；等到病邪衰退后再施治，事情必定大吉大利。所以说，高明的医生治疗未发生的疾病，不治疗已发生的疾病，说的就是这个道理。
这段文字篇幅虽短，通篇使用排比句式却不显得呆板滞重，是因为文气充沛的缘故。
黄帝说：我想听听五谷之气分为五味，它们进入五脏后，是如何分别归属的呢？伯高说：胃是五脏六腑的海，水谷都进入胃中，五脏六腑都禀受于胃的气。五味各自走向它所喜好的脏腑。谷味酸，先走肝脏；谷味苦，先走心脏；谷味甘，先走脾脏；谷味辛，先走肺脏；谷味咸，先走肾脏。谷气中的津液运行后，营卫之气大通，然后才转化为糟粕，依次向下传导。黄帝问：营卫之气是如何运行的呢？伯高说：谷物刚进入胃中，其中精微的部分，先出于胃的上、下两焦以灌溉五脏，另外分出两条路径，这是营气和卫气的运行之道。那些大气聚集而不运行的部分，积聚在胸中，称为气海（膻中），从肺出发沿着喉咙，所以呼气时排出，吸气时进入。天地精气的大致规律通常是出多入少，大约三出一入。所以如果谷物不进，半天就会气衰，一天就会气少了。黄帝问：五谷的五味，可以讲给我听吗？伯高说：请允许我详尽地说明。五谷：稻米甘，麻酸，大豆咸，麦苦，黄黍辛。五果：枣甘，李酸，栗咸，杏苦，桃辛。五畜：牛甘，犬酸，猪咸，羊苦，鸡辛。五菜：葵甘，韭酸，藿咸，薤苦，葱辛。五色：黄色适宜甘味，青色适宜酸味，黑色适宜咸味，赤色适宜苦味，白色适宜辛味。大凡这五种食物，各有其适宜的对应关系。所谓“五宜”，是指上述五色对应的饮食适宜原则。脾病患者，适宜食用粳米饭、牛肉、枣、葵菜；心病患者，适宜食用小麦、羊肉、杏、薤；肾病患者，适宜食用大豆黄卷、猪肉、栗子、藿；肝病患者，适宜食用麻、犬肉、李子、韭菜；肺病患者，适宜食用黄黍、鸡肉、桃、葱。五禁：肝病禁忌辛味，心病禁忌咸味，脾病禁忌酸味，肾病禁忌甘味，肺病禁忌苦味。肝色青，适宜食甘味，粳米饭、牛肉、枣、葵菜皆属甘味；心色赤，适宜食酸味，犬肉、麻、李、韭皆属酸味；脾色黄，适宜食咸味，大豆、猪肉、栗子、藿皆属咸味；肺色白，适宜食苦味，小麦、羊肉、杏、薤皆属苦味；肾色黑，适宜食辛味，黄黍、鸡肉、桃、葱皆属辛味。
这篇文章的笔法与《天年篇》相同，但布局阵势尤为奇特。前文从五味说到营卫，随即接着叙述营卫，这是题目内部的一个层次，却提前在题目前面提出引发。等到进入五味主题，正面先叙述五种食物与五色之人的适宜情况，这是说健康人适宜的饮食。接着叙述五种疾病的禁忌，正意已经完备。然后又叙述五脏颜色所适宜的食物，这是反复申明的意思。唯独奇怪的是，叙述五种食物时不厌其烦地重复，反而对五种禁忌简略处理，不与前面的五种适宜形成对仗，而对后面的五种适宜却详细描写，与前五种适宜似乎相对又不对，使人眼花缭乱，极尽寓奇于正的妙处，精悍的气势不可逼视。
Huangdi asked Bo Gao, saying: I have heard that Qi has directions of reversal and compliance (Ni Shun), pulses have states of fullness and deficiency, and acupuncture has general principles. May I hear about them? Bo Gao replied: The reversal and compliance of Qi correspond to the Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth, as well as the Four Seasons and Five Elements. The fullness and deficiency of pulses are used to observe the excess or deficiency, surplus or insufficiency of Blood and Qi. The general principles of acupuncture require clearly knowing which diseases can be treated with acupuncture, which cannot, and which have already reached a stage where acupuncture is contraindicated. Huangdi asked: How should one observe and judge this? Bo Gao said: As military strategy states, do not engage an enemy when their momentum is at its peak; do not attack an army when its formation is solid and imposing. As acupuncture methods state, do not treat patients with intense heat, do not treat those with profuse dripping sweat, do not treat those with turbid and chaotic pulses, and do not treat cases where the disease pattern contradicts the pulse. Huangdi asked: How does one determine when it is appropriate to puncture? Bo Gao said: A superior practitioner treats before the disease arises; a secondary practitioner treats before the pathogen becomes excessive; a tertiary practitioner treats after the pathogen has declined. An inferior practitioner treats when the pathogen is just invading, when the patient's form is in a state of excess, or when the disease contradicts the pulse. Therefore, it is said: When the pathogen is at its peak, do not dare to damage the healthy Qi; treat after it has declined, and success is guaranteed. Thus it is said: A superior practitioner treats disease before it occurs, not after it has occurred. This is what is meant.
Although this passage is short and uses parallel structures throughout without appearing rigid, it is due to the vigorous flow of Qi in the text.
Huangdi said: I wish to hear about how the five flavors of Grain Qi enter the Zang organs and how they are distinguished. Bo Gao said: The Stomach is the sea of the Zang and Fu organs. Water and grain all enter the Stomach, and the Zang and Fu organs all receive Qi from the Stomach. Each of the five flavors travels to its preferred organ. Sour grain flavor first enters the Liver; bitter grain flavor first enters the Heart; sweet grain flavor first enters the Spleen; pungent grain flavor first enters the Lung; salty grain flavor first enters the Kidney. After the Grain Qi and body fluids circulate, and Ying and Wei Qi connect thoroughly, waste residues are formed and transmitted downward. Huangdi asked: How do Ying and Wei Qi circulate? Bo Gao said: When grain first enters the Stomach, its essence and subtle parts first emerge from the upper and lower Jiao of the Stomach to irrigate the Zang organs. Two separate pathways branch out, which are the ways of Ying and Wei Qi. The substantial Qi that gathers but does not circulate accumulates in the chest, called the Sea of Qi (Qihai). It emerges from the Lung, follows the throat and pharynx, so it exits during exhalation and enters during inhalation. The essence and Qi of Heaven and Earth generally follow a ratio of three parts exiting for every one part entering. Therefore, if no grain enters, Qi declines after half a day and diminishes after one day. Huangdi asked: May I hear about the five flavors of the five grains? Bo Gao said: Let me explain fully. The five grains: Rice is sweet, Hemp seed is sour, Soybean is salty, Wheat is bitter, Yellow millet is pungent. The five fruits: Jujube is sweet, Plum is sour, Chestnut is salty, Apricot is bitter, Peach is pungent. The five animals: Beef is sweet, Dog meat is sour, Pork is salty, Mutton is bitter, Chicken is pungent. The five vegetables: Malva is sweet, Leek is sour, Broad bean leaves are salty, Scallion bulb is bitter, Scallion is pungent. The five colors: Yellow corresponds to sweet, Green corresponds to sour, Black corresponds to salty, Red corresponds to bitter, White corresponds to pungent. All these five categories have specific suitability. The "Five Suitabilities" refer to the dietary appropriateness corresponding to the five colors. For Spleen disease, suitable foods include rice, beef, jujube, and malva. For Heart disease, suitable foods include wheat, mutton, apricot, and scallion bulb. For Kidney disease, suitable foods include soybean sprouts, pork, chestnut, and broad bean leaves. For Liver disease, suitable foods include hemp seed, dog meat, plum, and leek. For Lung disease, suitable foods include yellow millet, chicken, peach, and scallion. The "Five Prohibitions": Liver disease prohibits pungent taste; Heart disease prohibits salty taste; Spleen disease prohibits sour taste; Kidney disease prohibits sweet taste; Lung disease prohibits bitter taste. The Liver color is green, suitable for sweet taste; rice, beef, jujube, and malva are all sweet. The Heart color is red, suitable for sour taste; dog meat, hemp seed, plum, and leek are all sour. The Spleen color is yellow, suitable for salty taste; soybean, pork, chestnut, and broad bean leaves are all salty. The Lung color is white, suitable for bitter taste; wheat, mutton, apricot, and scallion bulb are all bitter. The Kidney color is black, suitable for pungent taste; yellow millet, chicken, peach, and scallion are all pungent.
The writing style is similar to that of the *Tian Nian* chapter, but the arrangement is particularly ingenious. Previously, it discussed the five flavors leading to Ying and Wei Qi, then immediately narrated the circulation of Ying and Wei Qi, which is a layer within the main topic but raised beforehand to initiate the discussion. Upon entering the topic of five flavors, it first positively narrates the suitability of the five substances and five colors for people, discussing what is suitable for healthy individuals. Then it narrates the prohibitions for five diseases, completing the main meaning. It then reiterates the suitability of the five Zang colors, expressing a tone of earnest repetition. What is peculiar is that the narration of the five substances is不厌其烦 (tirelessly repetitive), while the five prohibitions are handled briefly, not forming a direct contrast with the previous five suitabilities, yet the latter five suitabilities are detailed, seemingly opposing the former five, causing visual confusion. This embodies the subtlety of hiding ingenuity within orthodoxy, with a vigorous spirit that cannot be stared down directly.