心欲软，急食咸以软之；肾欲坚，急食苦以坚之。盖心于象为离，肾于象为坎。坎之明
在内
，以刚健而行之于外，故欲坚；离之明在外，当柔顺而养之于中，故欲软。软者，必以咸；
坚者，必以苦。咸从水化，苦从火化也。夫坎水润下，愈下则陷矣，故以行为尚。《易》曰
∶行有尚吉，往有功也。离火炎上，愈上则焚矣，故以蓄为吉。《易》曰∶离利贞亨，畜牝
牛吉也。然则所以坚之、软之者，固欲其水上、火上，而成心肾交通之妙欤！
三阳外感，诊在人迎；人迎者，结喉两旁动脉，故曰三阳在头。三阴内伤，诊在气口；
气口即寸口也，故曰三阴在手。
脉浮大虚者，是脾气之外绝，去胃外归阳明也。言脾虚气下，不为胃行精气，而与大肠
驱糟粕也。人有不能食而数便利者，非脾去胃归阳明之故欤！
劳风法在肺下。其为病也，强上冥视，唾出若涕，恶风而振寒。治之奈何？曰∶以救俯
仰，
巨阳引精者三日，中年者五日，不精者七日，咳出青黄涕，其状如脓，大如弹丸、从口中或
鼻中出，不出则伤肺，伤肺则死矣。读此，可悟伤风不解成痨之故。劳风者，既劳而又受风
也。劳则火起于上，而风又乘之，风火相搏，气凑于上，故云法在肺下也。肺主气而司呼吸
，风热在肺，其液必结，其气必壅，是以俯仰皆不顺利，故曰当救俯仰也。救俯仰者，即利
肺气、散邪气之谓乎？然邪气之散与否，在平正气之盛与衰。若阳气旺而精气引者，三日，
次五日，又次七日，则青黄之涕从咳而出，出则风热俱去，而肺无恙矣。设不出，则风火留
积肺中而肺伤，肺伤则喘咳声嘶，渐及五脏，而虚劳之病成矣。今人治劳，日用滋养而不少
益者，非以邪气未出之故欤？而久留之邪，补之固无益，清之亦不解，虚劳病之所以难治也
。
再按《脉解篇》云∶太阳所谓强上引背者，阳气大上而争，故强上也。劳风之病，火在
上而风乘之，风、火皆阳也；风性善行，火性炎上，非所谓阳气大上而争者乎？
心脏的特性是喜柔润，遇到拘急时，应迅速食用咸味食物来使其柔润；肾脏的特性是喜坚固，遇到虚弱时，应迅速食用苦味食物来使其坚固。这是因为在卦象中，心对应离卦（☲），肾对应坎卦（☵）。坎卦的阳爻在内，以刚健之性向外运行，所以肾气需要坚固；离卦的阴爻在内，光明显露在外，应当以柔顺来涵养于内，所以心气需要柔润。要使其柔润，必须用咸味；要使其坚固，必须用苦味。因为咸味属水化生，苦味属火化生。坎卦代表的水性向下流动，越往下流就越会陷入下焦，所以贵在“行”（流通）。《易经》说：“行有尚吉，往有功也”，意指行动有所崇尚则吉祥，前往能建立功业。离卦代表的火性向上炎上，越往上烧就越会焚毁，所以贵在“畜”（蓄止、涵养）。《易经》说：“离利贞亨，畜牝牛吉也”，意指离卦利于守正通达，像母牛一样温顺地蓄养则吉祥。既然如此，那么用来使肾坚、使心软的方法，固然希望能使肾水上济于心、心火下交于肾，从而达成心肾相交的妙境！
三阳经的外感病，诊察部位在人迎穴；人迎穴位于结喉两侧动脉处，所以说三阳经的病候反映在头部。三阴经的内伤病，诊察部位在气口；气口即寸口脉，所以说三阴经的病候反映在手腕部。
脉象浮大而虚的，这是脾气外绝，胃气脱离脾土而归于阳明大肠的表现。意思是脾虚导致气机下陷，不能为胃传输精气，反而随着大肠排出糟粕。人有不能进食却频繁大便的情况，难道不是脾去胃归阳明所致吗？
劳风病的病位通常在肺下。它的症状表现为头项强直、视物昏暗，咳唾出如鼻涕样的痰液，怕风且伴有寒战。如何治疗呢？回答说：首要任务是解决俯仰困难的问题。对于精气充沛者（如年轻人），通过足太阳膀胱经引导精气，三日可愈；中年人五日可愈；精气衰弱者七日可愈。期间会咳出青黄色的痰涕，状如脓液，大小如弹丸，从口中或鼻中排出。如果排不出来就会损伤肺部，损伤肺部就会导致死亡。读到这里，可以领悟到伤风不解演变为虚劳的原因。所谓劳风，是指既劳累又感受风邪。劳累则虚火上炎，风邪又乘虚而入，风火相搏，气机上逆聚集于上部，所以说病位在肺下。肺主气而司呼吸，风热邪气在肺，津液必然凝结，气机必然壅滞，因此俯仰动作都不顺利，所以说应当救治俯仰困难。所谓救治俯仰，就是宣利肺气、疏散邪气的意思吧？然而邪气能否消散，取决于人体正气（平气）的盛衰。如果阳气旺盛且精气充足，经过三日、五日或七日后，青黄色的痰涕会从咳嗽中排出，一旦排出，风热邪气随之而去，肺部就能无恙。假如痰涕排不出来，风火邪气留积在肺中而损伤肺脏，肺脏受损就会出现气喘、咳嗽、声音嘶哑，逐渐波及五脏，从而形成虚劳病。现在的人治疗虚劳，每天使用滋补滋养的药物却不见疗效，难道不是因为邪气没有排出的缘故吗？而对于久留体内的邪气，单纯补益固然无益，单纯清热也不能解除病根，这就是虚劳病难以治疗的原因。
再参考《素问·脉解篇》所说：“太阳经所谓的头项强直牵引背部疼痛，是因为阳气大盛而上冲争竞，所以出现头项强直。”劳风病，火邪在上而风邪乘袭，风和火都属于阳邪；风性善于行走，火性炎上，这不正是所谓的阳气大盛而上冲争竞吗？
The Heart desires softness; in cases of tension, urgently consume salty foods to soften it. The Kidney desires firmness; in cases of deficiency, urgently consume bitter foods to firm it. This is because, in terms of trigram symbolism, the Heart corresponds to Li (☲), and the Kidney corresponds to Kan (☵). In Kan, the bright yang line is within, acting outwardly with robust strength; thus, the Kidney desires firmness. In Li, the brightness is outward, requiring gentleness and compliance to nourish the interior; thus, the Heart desires softness. To achieve softness, one must use salty flavors; to achieve firmness, one must use bitter flavors. Salty flavors transform from Water, and bitter flavors transform from Fire. Kan represents Water, which flows downward; the more it flows down, the more it sinks into the lower jiao, so its virtue lies in "movement" (circulation). The *I Ching* states: "Movement is esteemed for auspiciousness; going forward achieves merit." Li represents Fire, which flares upward; the more it flares up, the more it burns, so its virtue lies in "accumulation" (retention/nourishment). The *I Ching* states: "Li favors perseverance and success; accumulating like a mare brings good fortune." Therefore, the methods used to firm the Kidney and soften the Heart are indeed intended to facilitate the ascent of Kidney Water and the descent of Heart Fire, thereby achieving the wondrous interaction between the Heart and Kidney.
External contractions affecting the Three Yang meridians are diagnosed at the Renying point (ST9); Renying is located at the pulsating arteries on both sides of the laryngeal prominence, hence it is said that the Three Yang manifest in the head. Internal injuries affecting the Three Yin meridians are diagnosed at the Qikou (Cunkou) pulse; Qikou is synonymous with Cunkou, hence it is said that the Three Yin manifest in the hand.
A pulse that is floating, large, and empty indicates the external severance of Spleen Qi, where Stomach Qi departs from the Spleen and returns to the Yangming (Large Intestine). This means that due to Spleen deficiency and sinking of Qi, the Spleen fails to transport essence and qi to the Stomach, instead allowing it to mix with the feces expelled by the Large Intestine. Do not individuals who cannot eat but have frequent bowel movements suffer from this condition of Spleen departing from Stomach to join Yangming?
Laofeng (Wind-Strike due to Exhaustion) typically resides below the Lung. Its symptoms include stiffness of the neck and upper back, blurred vision, expectoration of thick phlegm resembling mucus, aversion to wind, and chills. How should it be treated? It is answered: The primary goal is to restore ease of flexion and extension. For those with abundant essence and vitality (e.g., youth), guiding essence via the Taiyang meridian leads to recovery in three days; middle-aged individuals recover in five days; those with deficient essence recover in seven days. During this process, green-yellow sputum resembling pus, roughly the size of a bullet, is coughed up from the mouth or nose. If it does not exit, it injures the Lung; if the Lung is injured, death ensues. Reading this, one can understand how unresolved common colds evolve into consumptive diseases. Laofeng refers to contracting wind pathogen while already exhausted. Exhaustion generates internal fire, which the wind pathogen exploits; wind and fire clash, causing Qi to rush upward, hence the pathology is described as being below the Lung. The Lung governs Qi and respiration; with wind-heat in the Lung, body fluids congeal and Qi becomes obstructed, making flexion and extension difficult; thus, one must rescue these functions. Rescuing flexion and extension implies promoting Lung Qi and dispersing pathogens. However, whether pathogens disperse depends on the strength of healthy Qi. If Yang Qi is vigorous and essence is sufficient, after three, five, or seven days, green-yellow sputum will be coughed up; once expelled, wind and heat leave, and the Lung remains unharmed. If it is not expelled, wind-fire stagnates in the Lung, injuring it; Lung injury leads to asthma, cough, hoarseness, eventually affecting the Five Zang organs, forming consumptive disease. Why do modern treatments using daily nourishing herbs fail to improve such conditions? Is it not because the pathogen has not been expelled? For pathogens lingering for a long time, tonification is useless, and clearing heat alone is ineffective; this is why consumptive disease is difficult to treat.
Furthermore, referencing the *Maijie Pian* (Chapter on Pulse Explanation): "What the Taiyang chapter calls 'stiffness of the neck pulling to the back' is due to excessive Yang Qi rushing upward and contending, hence the stiffness." In Laofeng disease, fire is above and wind attacks it; both wind and fire are Yang pathogens. Wind moves freely, and fire flares upward; is this not exactly what is meant by "excessive Yang Qi rushing upward and contending"?