运气之说，拘牵不通，固为有识者所不信。然其大指，在详举六气有许多变幻，
寒中有热，热中有寒，邪正交错，蕃变纷纭，莫可纪极。一以明人之病源，一
以例人之病情耳。明人之病源者，言人感六气而生病，欲人细推所感之气，其中有
无夹杂他气，当兼治也。例人之病情者，天地之气变幻无定，则人身之气亦变
幻无定，而病情不可以一律拘也。如冬月固属寒气司令，然亦有客热加临，故冬月亦
有温时，所谓非时之暖也。人于冬月病外感，则未知为感寒而病欤？抑感非时之温
而病欤？是其源所当察也。寒气在上，则阳伏地中，故土上凛烈，而井泉温暖。
以验人身，则外感于寒，而内郁为热也，是其情之有可例也。此言运气者之大指。
取其大者，略其烦碎，弃其纰谬，而实物理验于人身，是在善读书者耳。
虚者，正虚也，谓其人气血虚衰也。实者，邪实也，（一切内外寒热诸邪，不论有形无形，
但着滞为患，亟宜消散者，皆为实邪。）非谓其人气血壮实也。故曰虚中有实，实中有虚。
（所谓正自虚，而邪自实也。）虚而不实者，只用补。虚而实者，必攻补兼施。若实而不虚，
则直攻之而已。如虚人伤食，轻则于补剂中加消导之品，重则加下利之药，顷刻收
功矣。庸医乃谓须与纯补，俟其气旺，则食自运。迁延时日，坐失事机，往往变生
他证。即幸而奏效，病者受苦久矣，未有久苦于病，而元气不伤者也。名曰补之，
实以伤之，亦何为哉？有虚寒，有实寒，（如多食生冷，及寒痰停滞之类。）有虚热，有实热，
知实热而不知虚热，与知虚寒而不知实寒，皆庸医也。
关于五运六气的学说，拘泥牵强、不通变通，这本来就是有见识的人所不信任的。然而它的主要宗旨，在于详细列举六气（风、寒、暑、湿、燥、火）有许多变幻莫测的情况，寒中夹热，热中夹寒，邪气与正气交错混杂，变化纷繁复杂，多得无法记录穷尽。其目的有两个：一是阐明人的疾病根源，二是举例说明人的病情表现。阐明人的疾病根源，是说人感受六气而生病，想要让人仔细推究所感受的气，其中是否有夹杂其他气，应当同时治疗。举例说明人的病情，是说天地之气变幻不定，那么人身之气也变幻不定，因此病情不能一概而论地拘泥固定。比如冬季确实属于寒气当令，但有时也有客热（外来热邪）加临，所以冬季也有温暖的时候，这就是所谓的“非时之暖”（不合季节的温暖）。人在冬季患外感病，那么不知道是感受寒气而生病呢？还是感受非时的温热之气而生病呢？这是疾病的源头应当考察的地方。寒气在上，则阳气伏藏于地下，所以地面凛冽严寒，而井水却温暖。以此验证人体，则是外部感受寒气，内部郁结化为热邪，这是病情可以有例可援的地方。这就是谈论运气学说的主要宗旨。取其大的方面，略去繁琐细碎的内容，抛弃其中的谬误，而实际上物理规律在人身上的验证，在于善于读书的人罢了。
虚证，是指正气虚，说的是人气血虚弱衰退。实证，是指邪气实，（一切内外的寒热各种邪气，不论是有形还是无形，只要停滞成为病患，急需消散的，都称为实邪。）并不是说人气血强壮结实。所以说虚中有实，实中有虚。（所谓正气自虚，而邪气自实。）纯虚而不实的，只用补法。虚而兼实的，必须攻邪与补正同时施用。如果实而不虚，就直接攻逐邪气而已。比如体虚之人伤食，轻症则在补剂中加入消导（帮助消化）的药物，重症则加入泻下通便的药物，很快就能见效。平庸的医生却说必须给予纯补的药，等到他气血旺盛，食物自然运化。拖延时间，错失治疗时机，往往导致产生其他病症。即使侥幸奏效，病人也受苦很久了，没有长期受病痛折磨而元气不受伤的。名义上是补益，实际上是伤害，这又是为什么呢？有虚寒，有实寒，（如多吃生冷食物，以及寒痰停滞之类。）有虚热，有实热，只知道实热而不知道虚热，与只知道虚寒而不知道实寒，都是平庸的医生。
The theory of Five Movements and Six Qi (Wuyun Liuqi) is rigid and inflexible, which is indeed not believed by those with insight. However, its main purport lies in detailing the numerous transformations of the Six Qi (Wind, Cold, Summer-heat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire). Cold may contain Heat, and Heat may contain Cold; pathogenic factors and healthy Qi intermingle, with changes being complex and countless, beyond record. Its purpose is twofold: to clarify the source of people's diseases, and to illustrate the manifestations of people's conditions. Clarifying the source of disease means stating that when humans contract diseases from the Six Qi, one should carefully deduce the contracted Qi to see if it is mixed with other Qi, requiring concurrent treatment. Illustrating the condition means that since the Qi of Heaven and Earth transforms unpredictably, the Qi of the human body also transforms unpredictably, so the disease condition cannot be rigidly fixed by a single standard. For instance, winter is indeed governed by Cold Qi, yet sometimes external Heat (Ke Re) descends, hence there are warm periods in winter, known as "warmth out of season" (Fei Shi Zhi Nuan). When a person contracts an exterior syndrome in winter, one does not know whether it is due to contracting Cold or due to contracting the out-of-season warmth. This is the source that must be examined. When Cold Qi is above, Yang Qi hides within the earth, so the surface is bitterly cold while well springs remain warm. Applying this to the human body, it means that external contraction of Cold leads to internal stagnation transforming into Heat; this is how the condition can be illustrated by analogy. This is the main purport of those discussing the movements and qi. Taking the major points, omitting the trivial details, discarding the errors, and verifying physical principles on the human body, this depends on the skillful reader.
Deficiency (Xu) refers to the deficiency of Healthy Qi (Zheng Qi), meaning the depletion of a person's Qi and Blood. Excess (Shi) refers to the excess of Pathogenic Factors (Xie) (all internal and external Cold, Heat, and other pathogens, regardless of whether they are tangible or intangible, as long as they stagnate and cause harm, requiring urgent dissipation, are all considered Excess Pathogens); it does not mean that a person's Qi and Blood are robust and solid. Therefore, it is said that Deficiency contains Excess, and Excess contains Deficiency. (This means Healthy Qi is inherently deficient, while Pathogenic Factors are inherently excessive.) In cases of pure Deficiency without Excess, only tonification is used. In cases of Deficiency combined with Excess, both attacking (pathogens) and tonifying (Healthy Qi) must be employed simultaneously. If it is Excess without Deficiency, then directly attack it. For example, if a deficient person suffers from food stagnation, for mild cases, add digestive-promoting herbs to the tonifying formula; for severe cases, add purgative herbs, achieving results almost instantly. Quack doctors claim that pure tonification is required, waiting for the Qi to become vigorous so that food digestion occurs naturally. By delaying time and missing the opportunity, other syndromes often arise. Even if success is achieved by chance, the patient has suffered for too long; no one whose illness persists for a long time remains unharmed in their Original Qi (Yuan Qi). Calling it tonification, but actually causing harm, what is the point? There is Deficient Cold, there is Excess Cold (such as overeating raw and cold foods, or stagnation of Cold Phlegm); there is Deficient Heat, there is Excess Heat. Knowing Excess Heat but not Deficient Heat, or knowing Deficient Cold but not Excess Cold, both characterize quack doctors.