经曰。白为寒。又曰。少热气。夫曰寒。则知其阳衰矣。曰少热气。则知其气少矣。然白者。肺与大肠之色。亦燥
金之色也。虽为寒为虚。当按四时五行辨之。六部十法分之。如面色 白者。寒也。面色青白。鼻尖冷。口气
不热者。亦寒也。面色白甚者。皮不仁也。色 然白。时咳短气。多汗恶风者。肺风也。面白。咳逆唾脓血。上气
奄然而极者。肺风发也。色白而毛败者。肺病也。厥心痛。卧若从心间痛。动作痛益甚。色不变者。肺心痛也。
肺病色白。身体大寒无热。时时咳。其脉微迟者。可治之证也。面白少泽者。气虚也。面白色枯者。血气俱虚
也。脉形如循丝累累然。其面白脱色者。恐怖也。脉浮而面色乍赤乍白者。愧也。色白夭然不泽。其脉空虚
者。血脱也。白而微青。或臂多青脉者。亦血脱也。白而淡黄气不足者。失血也。鼻头色白者。亡血也。面白无
血色者。衄血也。色白不泽。气不足者。夺血夺气。脱津液也。妇人面色黄白如鸡皮者。产后夺血也。面无血
色。无寒热。脉沉弦者。衄也。面无血色。无寒热。脉浮弱。按之绝者。下血也。面无血色。无寒热。烦咳者。必吐血
也。男子面色薄。主渴及亡血。卒喘悸。其脉浮者。里虚也。 白浅淡者。非脱血。即心不生血也。男子脉虚沉
弦。无寒热。短气里急。小便不利。面色白。时目瞑兼衄。少腹满者。此为劳使之然也。男子面无血色。女子月
经不通者。心劳也。淫而夺形。身热。色夭然白。及后下血 。血 笃重者。皆逆证也。妇人产难。面无颜色。气
欲绝者。血气上抢心也。妇人饮食减少。面无光色。腹中冷痛。经候不调。吸吸少气无力者。劳冷虚损也。崩
中面目脱色。唇干口燥者。虚极乏气也。色白干燥不泽。饮食不为肌肤者。脉热极。血气脱也。色白。脉喘而
浮。上虚下实者。有积气在中。喘而虚。名曰肺痹。寒热。得之醉而使内也。饮食不为肌肤。咳脱血。色白不泽。
其脉空虚。口唇见赤色者。脉痹不已。复感于邪。内舍于心也。多涕唾而面浮肿气逆者。咳也。上气面浮肿
息肩者。咳嗽气逆也。咳嗽病。面色 白。痰多清稀。鼻流清涕者。嗽寒也。呼吸张口短气者。肺痿吐沫也。而
以手按之绵 者。气虚有痰也。面上有白点者。虫积也。色白。脉浮而毛。按之辟易。胁下时痛。与背相引。善
忘少气。目瞑。皮寒。皮中时痛时痒。如虱缘针刺之状。冬愈夏剧者。肺积之证也。疳劳咳嗽。骨蒸劳热。盗汗
泄泻。腹硬如石。面色如银者。不治之证也。痫病面白。色不变者。病在足阳明太阴也。面白少神。手足逆冷
者。胃虚泄泻也。肠鸣腹胀。时复疼痛。所泻澄澈清冷。面色淡白。四肢逆冷者。中寒泄泻也。目上色白者。腹
疾也。血少面无色。惊悸盗汗梦遗。甚则心痛咽肿者。曲运神机。心之劳也。肺风之症。视目下鼻上。两边下
行至口。色白者。尚可治。若色黄者。为肺已伤。不可治也。风懿病。眼下及鼻人中左右白者。可治。一黑一赤。
吐沫者。不可治也。面白夺色者。久病也。声嘶色脱者。痈疽之逆证也。色夭面脱者。不治之证也。白发印堂。
黄发口者。亦不治之证也。病患唇面青黑。及五官起黑色。白如擦残汗粉之状者。虽不病。亦主卒死也。五
色口边绕循者。死色也。产妇口边有白色者。死在五七日也。病患面 白。直视息肩者。死在一日中也。小
肠病。痛剧有定处。喜仰卧舒足。若呃逆脉乱。四肢逆冷。白瘦无神。忽然痛止者。死征也。戴眼反折螈 。其
色白。绝汗出者。太阳终也。色灰白。大急大喘。气脱失声者。肺肾绝也。面白目黑者。肺肾绝也。真肺脉至。大
而虚。如以毛羽中人肤。色白赤不泽。毛折乃死者。脉无胃气。火克金也。肝病胸满胁胀。善恚怒叫呼。身体
有热。而复恶寒。面白体滑。其脉当弦强而急。今反短涩。其色当青而反白者。此是金之克木。为大逆。十死
不治。是皆白色之目也。
《内经》说：白色主寒。又说：白色表示热气少。既然说是寒，就知道是阳气衰微；既然说是热气少，就知道是气虚不足。然而，白色是肺与大肠的颜色，也是燥金的颜色。虽然主寒、主虚，但应当结合四季和五行来辨别。按照六部十法进行区分：如果面色白，是寒证；面色青白，鼻尖冷，口气不热，也是寒证；面色白得特别厉害的，皮肤麻木不仁；面色苍白，时常咳嗽、短气、多汗且怕风的，是肺风证；面色白，咳嗽气逆、吐脓血，气息急促到达极点的，是肺风发作；面色白而毛发枯败的，是肺病；厥心痛中，躺下时若从心间疼痛，活动时疼痛加剧，但面色不变的，是肺心痛；肺病面色白，身体大寒无发热，时时咳嗽，脉象微迟的，是可以治疗的证候；面色白而缺乏光泽的，是气虚；面色白而干枯的，是气血俱虚；脉象像顺着丝线一颗颗摸到的感觉，面色白而脱色的，是恐惧所致；脉浮而面色忽红忽白的，是羞愧所致；面色白而无光泽，脉象空虚的，是血脱；色白而微青，或者手臂上青色脉络多的，也是血脱；色白而淡黄、气不足的，是失血；鼻头色白的，是亡血；面色白没有血色的，是衄血（鼻出血）；面色白而无光泽，气不足的，是夺血夺气、津液脱失；妇人面色黄白如鸡皮状的，是产后失血；面无血色，无寒热症状，脉沉弦的，是衄血；面无血色，无寒热症状，脉浮弱，按之消失的，是下血（便血或尿血等下部出血）；面无血色，无寒热症状，心烦咳嗽的，必定吐血；男子面色浅薄，主口渴及亡血，突然气喘心悸，脉浮的，是里虚；色白浅淡的，不是失血，就是心不生血；男子脉虚沉弦，无寒热，短气里急，小便不利，面色白，时常目眩兼有衄血，少腹胀满的，这是劳损所致；男子面无血色，女子月经不通的，是心劳；淫欲过度导致形体消瘦，身体发热，面色枯白，以及随后出现下部出血，病情笃重的，都是逆证；妇人难产，面无颜色，气欲绝的，是血气上冲于心；妇人饮食减少，面无光色，腹中冷痛，月经不调，呼吸微弱无力，是劳冷虚损；崩中（大量阴道出血）面目脱色，唇干口燥的，是极度虚弱乏气；色白干燥无光泽，饮食不能转化为肌肉，脉象热极，是血气脱失；色白，脉喘而浮，上虚下实的，是中焦有积气，喘而虚，名叫肺痹，寒热症状，是由于醉酒行房所致；饮食不能化为肌肉，咳嗽吐血，色白无光泽，脉象空虚，口唇见赤色的，是脉痹久治不愈，又感受邪气，内舍于心；多涕唾且面浮肿气逆的，是咳证；上气面浮肿，呼吸时耸肩的，是咳嗽气逆；咳嗽病，面色白，痰多清稀，鼻流清涕的，是嗽寒；呼吸张口短气的，是肺痿吐沫；用手按压腹部绵软无力的，是气虚有痰；面上有白点的，是虫积；色白，脉浮而毛，按之辟易（指脉搏应指轻虚），胁下时常疼痛，牵引背部，健忘少气，目眩，皮肤寒冷，皮中时而疼痛时而瘙痒，像虱子爬过针刺的感觉，冬天痊愈夏天加重的，是肺积证；疳劳咳嗽，骨蒸劳热，盗汗泄泻，腹部硬如石头，面色如银的，是不治之证；痫病面白，面色不变的，病在足阳明太阴经；面白少神，手足逆冷的，是胃虚泄泻；肠鸣腹胀，时常疼痛，所泻之物澄澈清冷，面色淡白，四肢逆冷的，是中寒泄泻；目上色白的，是腹疾；血少面无色，惊悸盗汗梦遗，甚至心痛咽肿的，是曲运神机，心之劳损；肺风之症，观察眼下鼻上两边下行至口部位，色白的，尚可治疗；若色黄的，为肺已伤，不可治疗；风懿病，眼下及鼻人中左右白者，可治；一黑一赤，吐沫的，不可治；面色夺色（失去正常色泽）的，是久病；声嘶色脱的，是痈疽的逆证；色夭面脱的，是不治之证；白发印堂，黄发口角的，也是不治之证；病患唇面青黑，及五官起黑色，白如擦残汗粉之状的，即使不生病，也主猝死；五色口边绕循的，是死色；产妇口边有白色的，死在五七日；病患面白，直视息肩的，死在一日内；小肠病，疼痛剧烈且有定处，喜欢仰卧伸足，如果出现呃逆脉乱，四肢逆冷，白瘦无神，忽然痛止的，是死征；戴眼反折抽搐，其色白，出绝汗的，是太阳经气终绝；色灰白，大急大喘，气脱失声的，是肺肾绝；面白目黑的，是肺肾绝；真肺脉至，大而虚，像羽毛中人肤一样，色白赤无光泽，毛发折断乃死者，是脉无胃气，火克金；肝病胸满胁胀，容易愤怒叫呼，身体有热，却又恶寒，面白体滑，其脉应当弦强而急，现在反而短涩，其色应当青而反白，这是金克木，为大逆，十死不治。这些都是白色的主病条目。
The *Classic* states: White indicates cold. It also states: White indicates a scarcity of heat. Since it is described as cold, one knows that Yang Qi (Yang energy) is declining; since it is described as having little heat, one knows that Qi is deficient. However, white is the color of the Lung and Large Intestine, and also the color of Dry Metal (Zao Jin). Although it indicates cold and deficiency, differentiation should be made according to the Four Seasons and Five Elements. Divided according to the Six Regions and Ten Methods: If the facial complexion is white, it is a Cold syndrome; if the complexion is greenish-white, with a cold nasal tip and breath that is not hot, it is also Cold. If the complexion is extremely white, the skin is insensible (numb); if the complexion is pale white, accompanied by frequent coughing, shortness of breath, profuse sweating, and aversion to wind, it is Wind affecting the Lung (Fei Feng). If the face is white, with coughing, rebellious Qi, expectoration of pus and blood, and Qi rushing to an extreme, it is an onset of Wind affecting the Lung. If the complexion is white and hair is ruined, it is a Lung disease. Among Jue Heartache cases, if lying down causes pain originating from the heart region, and movement exacerbates the pain while the complexion remains unchanged, it is Lung-related Heartache. In Lung diseases, if the face is white, the body is severely cold without fever, there is frequent coughing, and the pulse is faint and slow, it is a treatable condition. If the face is white but lacks luster, it is Qi deficiency. If the face is white and withered, it is a deficiency of both Qi and Blood. If the pulse feels like counting beads along a thread, and the face is white and loses its color, it is due to terror. If the pulse is floating and the facial color alternates between red and white, it is due to shame. If the complexion is white and lifeless, and the pulse is empty, it is Blood depletion. If the color is white with a slight bluish tint, or if there are many blue veins on the arms, it is also Blood depletion. If the color is white with a pale yellow hue and Qi is insufficient, it is loss of Blood. If the tip of the nose is white, it is loss of Blood. If the face is white without blood color, it is Nasal bleeding (Xu Xue). If the complexion is white and un-lustrous, and Qi is insufficient, it is depletion of Blood and Qi, and loss of Body Fluids. If a woman's face is yellowish-white like chicken skin, it is postpartum Blood depletion. If the face has no blood color, without chills or fever, and the pulse is deep and wiry, it is Nasal bleeding. If the face has no blood color, without chills or fever, and the pulse is floating and weak, disappearing upon pressure, it is lower bleeding (Xia Xue). If the face has no blood color, without chills or fever, but with irritability and coughing, hemoptysis (vomiting blood) will certainly occur. If a man's complexion is thin/pale, it indicates thirst and loss of Blood; sudden panting and palpitations with a floating pulse indicate interior deficiency. If the color is light and pale, it is either blood loss or the Heart failing to generate Blood. If a man's pulse is deficient, deep, and wiry, without chills or fever, with shortness of breath, interior urgency, difficulty in urination, white complexion, frequent dizziness accompanied by nasal bleeding, and fullness in the lower abdomen, this is caused by consumptive disease (Lao Bing). If a man has no blood color on his face and a woman has amenorrhea, it is Heart exhaustion. If excessive sexual activity leads to emaciation, body heat, withered white complexion, followed by severe lower bleeding, these are all adverse conditions. In difficult labor, if a woman has no color on her face and Qi seems about to perish, it is Blood and Qi rushing upward to the Heart. If a woman eats less, has no luster on her face, suffers from cold pain in the abdomen, irregular menstruation, and weak, shallow breathing, it is Cold consumption and deficiency. In metrorrhagia (Beng Zhong), if the face and eyes lose color, lips are dry, and mouth is parched, it is extreme deficiency and lack of Qi. If the complexion is white, dry, and un-lustrous, food does not transform into flesh, and the pulse indicates extreme heat, it is depletion of Blood and Qi. If the color is white, the pulse is panting and floating, with upper deficiency and lower excess, there is accumulated Qi in the middle; panting and deficiency named Bi Syndrome of the Lung (Fei Bi), with chills and fever, caused by intercourse after drunkenness. If food does not transform into flesh, coughing leads to blood loss, the color is white and un-lustrous, the pulse is empty, and the lips show redness, it is because Mai Bi (Vessel Bi) has not healed, and pathogenic factors have been re-contracted and lodged internally in the Heart. If there is much phlegm and saliva, facial edema, and rebellious Qi, it is Cough. If there is rebellious Qi, facial edema, and shoulder shrugging during breathing, it is coughing with rebellious Qi. In cough diseases, if the face is white, sputum is abundant and clear/thin, and the nose runs clear fluid, it is Cold causing cough. If breathing requires opening the mouth and there is shortness of breath, it is Lung萎 (Fei Wei) with spitting of foam. If pressing the abdomen yields a soft/綿 result, it is Qi deficiency with Phlegm. If there are white spots on the face, it is accumulation of parasites. If the color is white, the pulse is floating and fine/hair-like, disappearing upon pressure, with occasional pain in the hypochondrium radiating to the back, forgetfulness, shortness of breath, dizziness, cold skin, and intermittent pain/itching in the skin resembling insect bites, healing in winter and worsening in summer, it is a syndrome of Lung Accumulation (Fei Ji). In Gan Lao (infantile malnutrition/consumption) with coughing, bone-steaming fever, night sweats, diarrhea, abdominal hardness like stone, and a silver-like complexion, it is an untreatable condition. In epilepsy, if the face is white and the color does not change, the disease is in the Foot Yangming and Taiyin meridians. If the face is white and lacks spirit, with cold extremities, it is Spleen/Stomach deficiency causing diarrhea. If there is borborygmus, abdominal distension, recurrent pain, clear/cold stool, pale white face, and cold extremities, it is Middle Cold causing diarrhea. If the area above the eyes is white, it is an abdominal disease. If there is little Blood, no color on the face, palpitations, night sweats, nocturnal emissions, and even heart pain and throat swelling, it is mental overexertion, exhausting the Heart. For Wind affecting the Lung, observe the area below the eyes and nose, extending downwards on both sides to the mouth; if white, it is still treatable. If yellow, the Lung is damaged and untreatable. In Feng Yi (wind apoplexy), if the areas below the eyes and around the philtrum are white, it is treatable. If one is black and the other red, with foaming at the mouth, it is untreatable. If the face loses its normal color, it is a chronic illness. If the voice is hoarse and the complexion is depleted, it is an adverse sign of carbuncles and sores. If the complexion is withered and the face is depleted, it is untreatable. White hair on the Yintang point and yellow hair around the mouth are also untreatable signs. If a patient's lips and face are cyanotic-black, and the five orifices show black, with a white appearance like rubbed-off sweat powder, even if they do not appear ill, it indicates sudden death. If the five colors circle the mouth, it is a death color. If a parturient woman has white around her mouth, she will die within five to seven days. If a patient is white-faced, staring straight ahead, and shrugging shoulders while breathing, death will occur within one day. In Small Intestine disease, if pain is severe and localized, and the patient prefers lying supine with legs extended, but then develops hiccups, chaotic pulse, cold extremities, emaciated white face lacking spirit, and sudden cessation of pain, these are signs of death. If the eyes are fixed upward, the body arches backward, and convulsions occur, with a white complexion and absolute sweat (Jue Han), it is the termination of the Taiyang channel. If the color is grayish-white, with severe urgency and panting, Qi depletion, and loss of voice, it is the failure of the Lung and Kidney. If the face is white and the eyes are dark, it is the failure of the Lung and Kidney. When the true Lung pulse arrives, large and empty, like feathers penetrating human skin, with a white-red and un-lustrous complexion, and hair breaking off before death, it is a pulse without Stomach Qi, indicating Fire overcoming Metal. In Liver disease, if there is chest fullness and hypochondriac distension, frequent anger and shouting, body heat yet aversion to cold, white face and slippery body, the pulse should be wiry, strong, and rapid. If it is instead short and choppy, and the color should be green but is instead white, this is Metal overcoming Wood, a major adverse condition, ten deaths for every one cure. These are all the entries regarding diseases indicated by white.