治病之法，有当舍症从脉者，有当舍脉从症者。盖脉有真假，症有真假，凡见脉症有不相合者，
则必有一真一假隐乎其中，故有以阳症见阴脉。有以阴症见阳脉，有以虚症见实脉，有以实症见虚脉，此
阴彼阳，此虚彼实，欲将何从？余尝熟察之，夫实症脉虚者，必其症为假实；脉实症虚者，必其脉为假实
也。何以见之？如外虽烦热，而脉见微弱者，必火虚也；腹虽胀满，而脉见微弱者，必胃虚也。虚火虚胀，
其堪攻乎？此宜从脉之虚，不宜从症之实也。其有本无烦热，而脉见洪数者，非火邪也；本无胀滞，而脉
见弦强者，非内实也。无热无胀，其堪泻乎？此宜从症之虚，不宜从脉之实也。盖实有假而虚无假，
假实者病多变幻，此其所以有假也；虚者亏损既露，此其所以无假也。故凡脉症不合者，中必有奸，
必先察其虚以求其根本，不易之要法也。
然真实假虚，非曰必无。如寒邪内伤，或食停气滞，心腹急痛，以致脉过沉伏，或促或结，此邪闭
经络而然，脉虽若虚，而必有痛胀等症可据，是诚假虚之脉，本非虚也。又若四肢厥逆，或恶风怯寒，而
脉见滑数，以热极生寒，外虽若虚，而内有烦热便结等证可据者，是诚假虚之病，本非虚也。又若是实脉
而无是实症，即假实脉；有是实症而无是实脉，即假实证。知假知真，即知所从舍矣。
又有从脉从症之法，以病之轻重为期，如病本轻浅，别无危候，可因现下以治其标，若病关脏气
，稍见疑难，必须详辨虚实，
凭根据下药，方为切当。所以轻者从症，十唯一二；重者从脉，十尝八九。故虽脉有真假，实由人见之不
真耳，脉何尝假哉。
治疗疾病的方法，有应当舍弃症状而依据脉象的，也有应当舍弃脉象而依据症状的。因为脉象有真假之分，症状也有真假之别。凡是见到脉象与症状不相符合的情况，其中必然隐藏着一个真、一个假。所以，有的阳证出现阴脉，有的阴证出现阳脉，有的虚证出现实脉，有的实证出现虚脉。这种情况下，阴与阳、虚与实相互矛盾，究竟应该听从哪一个呢？
我曾经仔细考察过：如果是实证却出现虚脉，那么其症状一定是假实证；如果是实脉却出现虚症，那么其脉象一定是假实脉。怎么知道这一点呢？例如，虽然外表感觉烦热，但脉象微弱，这必然是火气虚弱（心肾阳虚）所致；腹部虽然胀满，但脉象微弱，这必然是胃气虚弱所致。既然是虚火和虚胀，怎么能用攻下法呢？这种情况应当依据脉象的虚象来治疗，而不宜依据症状的实象。
反之，如果本来没有烦热，但脉象洪大数急，这并不是火邪作祟；本来没有胀满停滞，但脉象弦硬有力，这也不是体内实邪积聚。既然没有热象也没有胀满，怎么能用泻法呢？这种情况应当依据症状的虚象来治疗，而不宜依据脉象的实象。大概来说，实证可以有假象，而虚证没有假象。假实证病情多变幻莫测，这就是它之所以为“假”的原因；虚证则是亏损显露无遗，这就是它之所以为“真”的原因。所以，凡是脉象与症状不相符合的，中间一定藏有奸伪（假象），必须先通过察辨虚损来探求疾病的根本，这是不可改变的重要法则。
然而，真实假虚的情况并非绝对没有。例如寒邪内伤，或者食物停滞、气机阻滞，导致心腹剧烈疼痛，以至于脉象过于沉伏，或者急促、结代，这是邪气闭塞经络所致。脉象虽然看似虚弱，但一定有疼痛、胀满等症状作为依据，这确实是假虚之脉，本质并非虚证。又如四肢厥冷，或者怕风畏寒，但脉象滑数，这是因为热极生寒，外表虽然看似虚寒，但内有烦热、大便干结等证据作为依据，这确实是假虚之病，本质并非虚证。还有，如果有实脉却没有相应的实证症状，那就是假实脉；如果有实证症状却没有相应的实脉，那就是假实证。知道了什么是假、什么是真，就知道该遵循什么、舍弃什么了。
另外，还有从脉或从症的法则，是以病情的轻重为界限。如果病原本轻浅，没有其他危重征候，可以根据当前的症状先治其标；如果病关系到脏腑之气，稍显疑难，必须详细辨别虚实，根据确凿证据下药，才算恰当。所以，轻症从症状治疗的，十中只有一二；重症从脉象治疗的，十中常有八九。因此，虽然脉象有真假之说，实际上是因为人的观察不够真切罢了，脉象本身何尝有真假呢？
The methods for treating diseases include cases where one should discard symptoms and follow the pulse, as well as cases where one should discard the pulse and follow the symptoms. This is because pulses have true and false manifestations, and symptoms also have true and false distinctions. Whenever pulse and symptom findings are inconsistent, it implies that one aspect is true and the other is false hidden within. Thus, there are Yang syndromes (Yang Zheng) presenting with Yin pulses (Yin Mai), Yin syndromes presenting with Yang pulses, deficiency syndromes (Xu Zheng) presenting with excess pulses (Shi Mai), and excess syndromes presenting with deficiency pulses. In such cases of contradiction between Yin and Yang, or deficiency and excess, which one should be followed?
I have carefully observed this: If an excess syndrome presents with a deficiency pulse, the symptoms must be falsely excessive; if an excess pulse presents with deficiency symptoms, the pulse must be falsely excessive. How do we know this? For instance, although the exterior shows vexation and heat, if the pulse is weak and faint, it indicates Fire Deficiency (Huoxu, deficiency of Heart-Kidney Yang); although the abdomen is distended and full, if the pulse is weak and faint, it indicates Stomach Deficiency (Weixu). Given these are deficient fire and deficient distension, how can purgative methods be used? In such cases, one should follow the deficiency indicated by the pulse rather than the apparent excess in symptoms.
Conversely, if there is no original vexation or heat, yet the pulse is surging and rapid, this is not due to Fire Pathogens (Huoxie); if there is no original distension or stagnation, yet the pulse is wiry and strong, this is not internal excess accumulation. Since there is no heat or distension, how can draining methods be applied? In such cases, one should follow the deficiency indicated by the symptoms rather than the apparent excess in the pulse. Generally speaking, excess conditions can have false manifestations, whereas deficiency conditions do not have false manifestations. Falsely excess conditions often involve变幻 (changes/deceptions) in pathology, which is why they are "false"; deficiency conditions reveal loss and depletion clearly, which is why they are "true." Therefore, whenever pulse and symptoms are inconsistent, there is likely deception involved. One must first examine deficiency to seek the root cause; this is an unchangeable essential principle.
However, true excess with false deficiency is not impossible. For example, internal injury from Cold pathogens, or food retention with Qi stagnation, causing acute pain in the heart and abdomen, may result in a pulse that is extremely deep and hidden, or hurried, or knotted. This is caused by pathogenic closure of the meridians. Although the pulse appears deficient, there are symptoms like pain and distension to rely upon; this is indeed a false deficiency pulse, but essentially not a deficiency condition. Similarly, if there are cold limbs or aversion to wind and cold, yet the pulse is slippery and rapid, this is due to extreme heat generating cold. Although the exterior appears deficient/cold, there are internal signs like vexation, heat, and constipation to rely upon; this is indeed a false deficiency disease, but essentially not a deficiency condition. Furthermore, if there is an excess pulse without corresponding excess symptoms, it is a false excess pulse; if there are excess symptoms without corresponding excess pulse, it is a false excess syndrome. Knowing what is false and what is true allows one to know what to follow and what to discard.
There is also a method of choosing between following the pulse or the symptoms based on the severity of the illness. If the disease is originally mild and superficial, with no other critical signs, one may treat the branch (acute symptoms) based on current presentations. If the disease involves Zang-Fu Qi (Zangfu zhi qi) and presents some difficulty in differentiation, one must carefully distinguish between deficiency and excess, prescribing medication based on solid evidence to be appropriate. Thus, for mild cases, following symptoms accounts for only one or two out of ten; for severe cases, following the pulse accounts for eight or nine out of ten. Therefore, although pulses are said to have true and false aspects, this is actually due to human observation lacking clarity. Do pulses themselves ever have true and false distinctions?