形志苦乐不同。气体居养各异。老少强弱既讲。富贵贫贱须详。藜藿之家。原难例于肉食。文绣之体。岂可
比之布衣。贫贱者。形容枯槁。面貌黧黑。因受酷热严寒之困。富贵者。身体柔脆。肌肤肥白。缘处深闺广厦
之间。此居养之不齐。而气色所由异者也。或谓富贵多虚。其治宜补。贫贱多实。其治宜攻。殊不知道贵融
通。虚实勿拘于黑白。法嫌执滞。补泻宜察其浅深。况乎劳其筋骨。饿其体肤。贫贱恒多空乏。食必大牢。出
必乘车。富贵岂少强盛哉。是故治疗之则。必审其因。诊视之方。当观其证。五官面貌。无不变色易容。二便
均调。要皆舍标从本。见于面。盎于背。生色根心。察其理。聆其音。诚中形外。用是见微知着。因此识彼。证治
本于岐黄。针灸循其规矩。汤遵仲景。博采众方。药效神农。参观本草。此圣人之遗范。实医士之格言也。
望诊之法。有天道之殊。有人事之变。故凡欲知病色。必先知常色。欲知常色。必先知常色之变。欲知常色
之变。必先知常色变中之变。何则。饮酒者脉满络充。故目红息粗而色赤。肝浮胆横。故趾高气扬而色青。
食入于阴。气长于阳。故饱食者。血华色而益泽。饥则气衰。甚则气少。故腹馁者。色泽减而少气。奔走于风
雪中者。寒侵肌表。故色青而闭塞。奔走于暑日中者。热袭皮肤。故色赤而浮散。房劳者。精气下泄。故目下
色青。用力者。血气上趋。故面上色赤。久卧伤气。面则壅滞。未睡伤血。色或浮赤。怒则肝气逆。故悻悻然目
张毛起而面苍。愧则心气怯。故赧赧然颜惭汗出而面赤。思则气结于脾。故睑定而色黄以涩。喜则气发
于外。故颐解而色红且散。悲则气消于内。故五脏皆摇。色泽减而声 以杀。忧则气并于中。故两眉双锁。
色沉滞而气郁以塞。恐惧者。精神荡惮而不收。故色脱而面白。惊怖者。血气分离而乖乱。故气促而面青。
此皆常色变中之变。固可因其气色未定而知之。然必待其气色已定而诊之。知其常色变中之变。可诊
其病色变中之变矣。
形体与情志的苦乐不同，气血的禀赋与生活环境各异。对于老少强弱已经有所了解后，富贵与贫贱的情况也必须详细考察。吃粗茶淡饭的人家，原本很难与吃肉食的人家相提并论；身穿锦绣华服的身体，又岂能比得上穿布衣的人。贫贱之人，形容枯槁，面色黧黑，是因为遭受酷热严寒的困苦；富贵之人，身体柔嫩脆弱，肌肤肥白，是因为居住在深闺广厦之间。这就是生活环境的差异，也是气色不同的原因所在。有人说富贵人多虚证，治疗应当用补法；贫贱人多实证，治疗应当用攻法。这其实不懂得道理贵在融会贯通，虚实之治不应拘泥于非黑即白的界限；治疗方法忌讳固执呆板，补泻之法应当察看病情的浅深。况且使筋骨劳累、让肌肤饥饿，贫贱之人往往多有空乏之症；饮食必定是大牢（丰盛的食物），出行必定乘车，富贵之人难道缺少强盛吗？因此治疗的准则，必须审察病因；诊视的方法，应当观察证候。五官面貌，没有不随气色变化而改变容貌的；二便均调，都是舍去表象而从根本入手，病象见于面部，充盈于背部，生机根源于内心。通过察理、听音，确实是由内在真实表现于外在，从而能够见微知著，由此认识彼处。证治本源于岐黄（黄帝与岐伯），针灸遵循其规矩，汤药效法仲景（张仲景）博采众方，药效源自神农（尝百草）。这是圣人的遗留典范，确实是医士们的格言。
望诊的方法，有天道的殊异，有人事的变迁。所以凡是想要了解病色，必须先了解常色；想要了解常色，必须先了解常色的变化；想要了解常色的变化，必须先了解常色变化中的变化。为什么呢？饮酒的人，脉满络充，所以眼睛红、呼吸粗重且面色赤；肝气浮越、胆气横逆，所以趾高气扬且面色青；食物进入阴分，阳气生长，所以饱食之后，血华色而更加润泽；饥饿则气衰，甚则气少，所以腹中饥饿者，色泽减退且少气。在风雪中奔走的人，寒气侵袭肌表，所以面色青且闭塞；在暑日中奔走的人，热气袭击皮肤，所以面色赤且浮散；房劳过度的人，精气下泄，所以眼下色青；用力劳作的人，血气上趋，所以面上色赤；久卧伤气，面部则壅滞；未睡伤血，面色或浮赤；愤怒则肝气逆乱，所以怒目圆睁、毛发竖起且面色苍；惭愧则心气怯弱，所以面红汗出且面色赤；思虑则气结于脾，所以眼睑定住且面色黄而涩滞；喜悦则气发于外，所以颐部舒展且面色红且散漫；悲伤则气消于内，所以五脏皆摇动，色泽减退且声音减弱；忧愁则气并于中焦，所以双眉紧锁，色沉滞且气郁塞；恐惧的人，精神动荡而不收敛，所以面色脱失而面白；惊怖的人，血气分离而乖乱，所以气促而面青。这些都是常色变化中的变化，固然可以根据其气色未定时来知晓。然而必须等到其气色稳定后再进行诊察，知道了常色变化中的变化，就可以诊察病色变化中的变化了。
The physical form and the state of mind (joy or suffering) differ. The constitution and lifestyle vary among individuals. After understanding the differences between the old and young, strong and weak, one must also detail the circumstances of the rich and the poor. Those who subsist on coarse grains cannot be equated with those who eat meat; those clad in embroidered silks cannot be compared to those wearing plain cloth. People of humble status often appear emaciated and have dark complexions due to exposure to extreme heat and cold. Conversely, people of wealth tend to have delicate bodies and fair, plump skin because they reside in deep courtyards and spacious mansions. These disparities in lifestyle result in different Qi and complexion manifestations. Some argue that the wealthy are prone to deficiency patterns, requiring tonification, while the poor are prone to excess patterns, requiring purgation. This view fails to grasp that principles should be applied flexibly; treatment for deficiency or excess should not be rigidly categorized by social status. Therapeutic methods should avoid dogmatism; the decision to tonify or drain depends on the depth of the pathology. Moreover, hardship such as laboring the sinews and bones or enduring hunger often leads to emptiness and deficiency in the poor. In contrast, the wealthy enjoy abundant food and travel by carriage, so they are not necessarily lacking in robustness. Therefore, the principle of treatment requires examining the etiology, and the method of diagnosis requires observing the syndrome. The five sense organs and facial features inevitably change color and expression. Regulation of urination and defecation is fundamental, emphasizing treating the root rather than the branch. Pathological signs manifest on the face, overflow to the back, and originate from the heart. By analyzing principles and listening to sounds, internal reality manifests externally, allowing one to perceive the significant from the subtle and understand one aspect through another. Syndrome differentiation and treatment are rooted in the teachings of Qibo and Huangdi (Qi-Huang). Acupuncture follows established rules, herbal decoctions emulate Zhang Zhongjing's comprehensive prescriptions, and medicinal efficacy traces back to Shennong's exploration of herbs. These are the paradigms left by sages and the maxims for physicians.
The method of inspection involves distinctions in natural laws and variations in human affairs. Thus, to know pathological colors, one must first know normal colors; to know normal colors, one must first know the variations of normal colors; to know the variations of normal colors, one must first know the variations within these variations. Why? Because drinkers have full meridians and vessels, leading to red eyes, coarse breathing, and a red complexion. When Liver Qi floats and Gallbladder Qi becomes horizontal, one stands tall and proud with a greenish complexion. Food enters the Yin, nourishing Yang Qi; thus, after a full meal, blood essence shines and the complexion becomes lustrous. Hunger causes Qi decline, even to the point of Qi insufficiency; therefore, those with empty stomachs have dull complexions and shortness of breath. Those running in wind and snow suffer cold invading the muscle surface, resulting in a blue-green complexion and obstruction. Those running in the summer sun suffer heat attacking the skin, resulting in a red complexion that is floating and scattered. Sexual exhaustion causes Essence and Qi to leak downward, leading to a bluish tint under the eyes. Physical exertion drives Blood and Qi upward, causing a red complexion on the face. Prolonged lying down injures Qi, causing stagnation in the face; lack of sleep injures Blood, causing a floating red complexion. Anger causes Liver Qi to rebel, leading to glaring eyes, bristling hair, and a pale/greenish face. Shame causes Heart Qi to become timid, leading to blushing, sweating, and a red face. Thoughtfulness causes Qi to knot in the Spleen, leading to fixed eyelids and a yellowish, rough complexion. Joy causes Qi to emit outward, leading to relaxed cheeks and a red, scattered complexion. Grief causes Qi to dissipate inward, shaking all five Zang organs, reducing luster, and weakening the voice. Worry causes Qi to congregate in the middle Jiao, leading to furrowed brows, stagnant color, and blocked Qi. Fear causes spirit to fluctuate and fail to gather, leading to a loss of luster and a white face. Shock causes Blood and Qi to separate and become chaotic, leading to rapid breathing and a cyanotic face. These are all variations within the variations of normal colors. Although one can infer them when the Qi and color are unsettled, one must wait for the Qi and color to stabilize before diagnosing. Knowing the variations within normal colors allows one to diagnose the variations within pathological colors.