假如肝病见青色,是正病正色主顺。若反见他色交错主逆。若见黑色,为母乘子,相生之,顺也。若见
赤色,为子乘母,相克之,逆也。若见黄色,为病克色,其病不加,凶中顺也。若见白色,为色克病,其病
必甚,凶中逆也。余四脏仿此。
凡病相传相乘,当视其色之锐处,所向何官、何部,则知起自何官、何部,传乘何官、何部,生克顺逆
,自然明矣。锐处向外,是内部走外部,则为脏传腑,腑传表,易治之病也。锐处向内,是外部走内部,则
为表传腑,腑传脏,难治之病也。凡病色从下冲明堂而上额,则为水克火之贼邪,主逆也。从上压明堂而下
颏,则为火侮水之微邪,主顺也。男子以左为主,女子以右为主。男子之色,自左冲右为从,自右冲左为逆
。女子之色,自右冲左为从,自左冲右为逆。
凡病色深为沉,主病在内。若更浊滞晦暗,主久病与重病也。色浅为浮,主病在外,若得光泽明显,主
新病与轻病也。若其色虽不枯晦,亦不明泽,主不甚之病也。凡诸病之色,如云彻散,主病将愈,易治也。
如雾搏聚,主病渐进,难治也。
目睛清莹,为神足不病之候也。目光晦暗,为神短将危之候也。或神或色,如单失为久病,如双失即死
矣。再面与目,各有相当之色。如面黄目青,面黄目赤,面黄目白,面黄目黑者,皆不死。惟面青目赤,面赤
目白,面青目黑,面黑目白,面赤目青皆死。盖以黄为中土之色,病患面目显黄色,而不受他色所侵则吉。面
目无黄色,而惟受他色所侵则凶。若伤寒,两目 红,则为发疹疡之兆;两目 黄,则为病将愈之征;若两睛
通黄,主发黄胆之候也。凡病者,闭目病在阴也,开目病在阳也,朦胧昏不了了者,为热盛伤神也,视而时瞑
者,为衄血之常
候也。戴眼为阳绝之候也,目盲为阴脱之候也,目眶忽陷为气脱之候也,睛定不转为神亡之候也。
假如肝脏患病出现青色,这是病证与本色相应,属于顺证。如果反而见到其他颜色交错出现,则属于逆证。如果见到黑色,是因为水(黑)生木(青),母气来乘子位,属于相生关系,为顺证。如果见到赤色,是因为木(青)生火(赤),子气来乘母位,属于相克关系(此处指子盗母气或反向克制之理,原文称相克),为逆证。如果见到黄色,是病气克制面色,病情不会加重,属于凶险中的顺证。如果见到白色,是面色克制病气,病情必然加重,属于凶险中的逆证。其余四脏的情况可参照此例推断。
凡是疾病在脏腑间相传或相乘,应当观察面色最显著的部位,看它指向哪个脏腑、哪个部位,就能知道疾病起始于哪个脏腑、哪个部位,传变至哪个脏腑、哪个部位,以及五行生克的顺逆关系,自然就清楚了。如果色势向外延伸,说明病邪由内部走向外部,即为从脏传至腑,从腑传至体表,属于容易治疗的疾病。如果色势向内收敛,说明病邪由外部走向内部,即为从表传至腑,从腑传至脏,属于难以治疗的疾病。凡是病色从下方冲向明堂(鼻部)并上行至额头,这是水克火的贼邪表现,主逆证。如果病色从上方向下压迫明堂并下行至下巴,这是火侮水的微邪表现,主顺证。男子以左侧为主,女子以右侧为主。男子的面色,从左向右冲散为顺,从右向左冲散为逆。女子的面色,从右向左冲散为顺,从左向右冲散为逆。
凡是病色深重称为“沉”,主病在内里。如果更加浑浊滞涩、晦暗无光,主久病和重病。病色浅淡称为“浮”,主病在体表。如果色泽光泽明显,主新病和轻病。如果颜色虽然不枯槁晦暗,但也不明亮润泽,主病情不严重的疾病。凡是各种疾病的病色,像云雾消散一样,主疾病即将痊愈,容易治疗。像雾气聚拢搏结一样,主疾病逐渐进展,难以治疗。
眼睛清澈晶莹,是神气充足、未患病的征象。目光晦暗,是神气短少、即将危重的征象。或者神气异常,或者面色异常,如果只有一项失常,主久病;如果两项都失常,即会死亡。再看面部与眼睛,各有相应的颜色。如面黄目青、面黄目赤、面黄目白、面黄目黑的,都不会死亡。只有面青目赤、面赤目白、面青目黑、面黑目白、面赤目青的,都会死亡。这是因为黄色是中土的颜色,病患的面目显现黄色,且不受其他颜色的侵犯,则为吉利。面目没有黄色,而只受到其他颜色的侵犯,则为凶险。如果是伤寒病,两眼发红,则是发疹疡的先兆;两眼发黄,则是疾病即将痊愈的征兆;如果两眼瞳孔全部发黄,主黄疸病的征候。凡是患病者,闭眼表示病在阴分,睁眼表示病在阳分。眼神朦胧昏沉不清醒的,是热盛损伤神气的表现;视物时偶尔闭眼的,是鼻出血的常见征候。眼球上翻固定不动(戴眼)是阳气绝灭的征候。双目失明是阴气脱失的征候。眼眶突然凹陷是气机脱失的征候。瞳孔定住不转动是神气消亡的征候。
If liver disease presents with a bluish-green color, this is the correct disease matching the correct color, indicating a favorable prognosis (Shun). If instead other colors appear intermixed, it indicates an unfavorable prognosis (Ni). If black appears, it represents the mother element (Water) overcoming the child element (Wood), which is a generating relationship, thus favorable. If red appears, it represents the child element (Fire) overcoming the mother element (Wood), which is a controlling relationship, thus unfavorable. If yellow appears, the disease controls the color; the disease will not worsen, indicating a favorable outcome within a critical context. If white appears, the color controls the disease; the disease will surely intensify, indicating an unfavorable outcome within a critical context. The same logic applies to the other four Zang organs.
When diseases transmit or overcome each other among the organs, one should observe the sharpest part of the facial color and see which organ or region it points to, thereby knowing from which organ or region it originated, to which organ or region it transmits, and understanding the natural order of generation and control (Shun and Ni). If the color trend extends outward, it means the pathogen moves from the interior to the exterior, i.e., from Zang to Fu, and from Fu to the surface; this is an easy-to-treat disease. If the color trend converges inward, it means the pathogen moves from the exterior to the interior, i.e., from the surface to Fu, and from Fu to Zang; this is a difficult-to-treat disease. If the pathological color rushes upward from below to the Mingtang (nose bridge) and then to the forehead, it represents the "thief evil" of Water overcoming Fire, indicating an unfavorable prognosis. If the pathological color presses downward from above to the Mingtang and then to the chin, it represents the "minor evil" of Fire insulting Water, indicating a favorable prognosis. For men, the left side is primary; for women, the right side is primary. In men, color moving from left to right is favorable (Cong); from right to left is unfavorable (Ni). In women, color moving from right to left is favorable (Cong); from left to right is unfavorable (Ni).
Deep pathological color is termed "Chen" (sinking), indicating disease in the interior. If it is additionally turbid, stagnant, and dull, it indicates chronic and severe disease. Light pathological color is termed "Fu" (floating), indicating disease in the exterior. If it possesses luster and brightness, it indicates recent and mild disease. If the color is neither withered/dull nor bright/lustrous, it indicates a mild disease. If the colors of various diseases disperse like clearing clouds, it indicates the disease is about to heal and is easy to treat. If they gather and condense like mist, it indicates the disease is progressing gradually and is difficult to treat.
Clear and bright eyeballs indicate sufficient Shen (Spirit) and absence of disease. Dull and dark eyes indicate shortness of Shen and impending danger. If either Shen or Color is abnormal: if only one is lost, it indicates chronic disease; if both are lost, death ensues. Furthermore, the face and eyes have corresponding colors. Cases such as yellow face with green eyes, yellow face with red eyes, yellow face with white eyes, and yellow face with black eyes are all non-fatal. However, cases such as green face with red eyes, red face with white eyes, green face with black eyes, black face with white eyes, and red face with green eyes are fatal. This is because yellow is the color of Central Earth. If the patient's face and eyes show yellow and are not invaded by other colors, it is auspicious. If there is no yellow, but the face and eyes are invaded by other colors, it is ominous. In cases of Shanghan (Cold Damage), red eyes indicate the precursor of rash formation; yellow eyes indicate the sign of impending recovery; completely yellow pupils indicate Jaundice (Huangdan). Generally, closed eyes indicate disease in Yin; open eyes indicate disease in Yang. Hazy and confused vision indicates heat excess damaging the Shen. Intermittent blinking while looking indicates epistaxis (nosebleed). Daiyan (upward deviation of the eyes) indicates Yang exhaustion. Blindness indicates Yin collapse. Sudden sinking of the eye sockets indicates Qi collapse. Fixed pupils that do not rotate indicate loss of Shen.