经云。赤为热。夫赤者。心与包络小肠之色。亦暑热之色也。然热有表里阴阳虚实之辨。色有浮沉清浊微
甚之分。推而言之。则四时六部。亦各不同。如额赤者。上热也。颐赤者。下热也。目痛鼻干面赤者。阳明病也。
面赤如醉者。胃热也。两颊微赤。环目鼻而青者。恶寒发热也。面色缘缘正赤者。阳气怫郁在表也。颊赤面
青者。寒热往来也。面赤多言而寒者。阳中之阴邪也。面赤多言而热者。阳中之阳邪也。面赤而光者。上热
下寒也。面赤而郁者。下热上寒也。少阴病。不利清谷。手足厥逆。脉微欲绝。身反不恶寒。其人面色赤者。里
寒外热也。伤寒太阳病。得之八九日。如疟状。发热恶寒。热多寒少。面色反有热色者。未欲解也。面赤不退
者。邪盛病进也。面赤渐退者。邪解病退也。脉浮而迟。面赤而战惕者。六七日当汗出而解。反发热者瘥迟。
迟为无阳。不能作汗。其身必痒也。多唾口燥。寸脉沉。尺脉微。手足厥逆。气从小腹上冲胸咽。手足痹。其面
翕热如醉状。因复下流阴股。小便难。时复冒者。当治其气冲也。阳明病。面合赤色。不可攻之。攻之必发热。
色黄。小便不利也。先不乐数日乃热。热争则卒心痛。烦闷善呕。头痛。面赤无汗者。心热病也。伤寒下利。脉
沉而迟。其人面少赤。身有微热。下利清谷者。必郁冒汗出而解。所以然者。其面戴阳。下虚故也。肠满善喘
咳。面赤身热。喉咽中如核状。右寸阳实者。手阳明大肠热实也。满面色红而气盛者。实热也。面色微赤。或
隐或见者。虚热也。颊上赤青唇白者。中风也。面赤目上窜者。风中太阳也。色赤身热自汗口渴。脉虚者。伤
暑也。面赤斑斑如锦纹。咽喉痛。吐脓血。五日可治。七日不可治者。阳毒之为病也。小儿发热。面赤气粗。涕
泪交流。四末独冷。鼓栗恶寒者。痘疹也。发热面赤。眼中含泪。指梢冷者。痘也。头痛身热。咳嗽喷嚏。呵欠顿
闷。鼻流清涕。面肿腮赤者。疹也。面浮赤。而眼光利射者。狂病也。面赤心下有热。短气息微者。心痫也。痫发
身热。自汗。仰卧面赤。牙关紧急。啼叫不已。口吐涎沫。脉象洪数者。阳痫也。痫发。吐吞急叫。面色乍红乍白。
悚惕不安。如人将捕之状者。惊而致痫也。面翕然赤。 热有汗。胸中烦热。洗洗恶寒。翕翕发热者。肝中寒
也。小儿夜啼。面赤唇红。身腹俱热。小便不利而烦躁者。心热也。鼻红燥者。脾热也。儿生头面肢体赤若涂
丹者。胎赤之病也。咳嗽病。面赤咽干。痰黄气秽。多带稠粘。频频咳嗽者。热嗽也。太阳红黑。面如桃色者。痢
疾也。口干脸赤。五心烦热。痢不止者。中巴豆之毒也。喜寐不知痛处。面赤如醉。下利脓血。其下部孔稷稷
然赤者。 疮也。乍赤乍白乍黑者。狐惑也。颧如涂红粉者。腰痛也。身热足寒。颈项强急。恶寒。时头热。面赤。
独头摇。卒口噤。背反张者。有汗不恶寒。为柔痉。无汗反恶寒。为刚痉也。年寿赤光者。多生脓血也。肝与肾
脉并至。其色苍赤者。当病毁伤也。胃脉搏坚而长。其色赤。当病折髀。其 而散者。当病食痹也。疠风面紫
发泡者。病在肝也。年寿目堂赤者。疝气也。兰台庭畔赤如丝者。遗精白浊也。面色唇舌紫黯者。中毒也。颧
上起红点如火者。男痔疮。女产厄也。妊娠左目下赤者。男胎也。妊娠无病。身更轻健。其性多喜。面色加红。
左脉大者。男胎也。妊娠准头赤者。必产难也。产后发热。面正赤。喘而头痛者。中风也。色赤焦绝。善怒吓。多
汗恶风。甚则言不可快。口色赤者。心风也。面赤翕然而热。悲伤嗔怒。张目呼唤者。心风发也。脉沉而芤。胸
满悸。腹中热。上下无常处。面赤咽干。心烦掌中热。甚则唾血。身螈 。夏瘥冬剧者。心积之病也。心病色赤。
心痛短气。手掌烦热。或啼笑骂詈。悲思愁虑。身热脉实大而数者。可治之证也。色赤而络脉溢者。心热也。
面若涂朱者。心火也。气满胸中。喘息。面赤者。气海有余之病也。色赤。脉喘而坚者。有积气在中。时害于食。
名曰心痹。得之外疾。思虑而心虚。故邪从之也。劳倦即头面赤而下重。心中痛。自烦发热。当脐跳。其脉弦
者。此为心脏受伤所致也。颧赤舌卷短者。心病也。赤甚者。血病也。午后色赤如妆者。血虚也。两颧深赤者。
阴火上乘。虚损劳疾也。两颧鲜赤。如指如缕者。阴虚也。两颧鲜赤。或作或止者。戴阳也。两颊炎赤者。骨蒸
劳疰也。赤而索泽者。气虚也。面赤目白。忧恚思虑。心气内索。面色反好者。不过十日死也。中风面赤如妆
者。不可治也。面赤目白喘气者。火克金也。虚极面赤。发喘痰多。身热趺肿。溏泄。脉紧不食者。死证也。人病
面上忽见红点者。多死证也。呼吸不相通。五色不华者。魂之损也。茏葱华色者。魂之至也。耳目颧颊皆赤
者。死在五日中也。热病汗不出。大颧发赤。哕者。死证也。赤色出于颧。大如拇指者。病虽少愈。必卒死。大气
入于脏腑也。肺病赤黑如拇指。点 见颜颊上者。病虽少愈。必卒死也。神气脱而昏沉不醒。面赤黑者。心
绝也。面赤如脂者。心绝也。面赤黑。汗缀如珠者。心绝也。真心脉至。坚而搏。如循薏苡子。累累然。色赤黑不
泽。毛折乃死者。脉无胃气。水克火也。肺病身当有热。咳嗽短气。唾出脓血。其脉当短涩。今反浮大。其色当
白而反赤者。此是火之克金。为大逆。十死不治。是皆赤色之目也。（稷稷然一作搜搜然）
医经中说：赤色主热证。所谓赤色，是心、心包络和小肠对应的颜色，也是暑热之邪致病的色泽表现。然而，热证有表里、阴阳、虚实之分；面色也有浮沉、清浊、微甚的区别。推而广之，结合四时季节和六部脉象，面色变化也各不相同。
例如：额头发红，是上焦有热；下巴（颐）发红，是下焦有热；眼睛疼痛、鼻子干燥、面部发红，是阳明病；面部红得像喝醉了一样，是胃中有热；两颊微微发红，眼眶周围及鼻旁发青，是恶寒发热之证；面色整体持续发红，是阳气郁滞在体表所致；脸颊红而面部青，是寒热往来之证；面部红、多言语且怕冷，是阳证中的阴邪；面部红、多言语且发热，是阳证中的阳邪；面部红且有光泽，是上热下寒；面部红而晦暗郁滞，是下热上寒。
少阴病，出现腹泻完谷不化，手足厥冷，脉搏微弱几乎摸不到，身体反而不怕冷，患者面色发红，这是里寒外热的真寒假热证。
伤寒太阳病，患病八九日，症状像疟疾一样，发热恶寒，热多寒少，但面色反常地带有红色，说明病邪尚未解除。如果面红不退，说明邪气盛、病情进展；如果面红逐渐消退，说明邪气解、病情好转。
如果脉象浮而迟，面部发红且身体颤抖恐惧，通常在六七天后应当出汗而解；如果反而发热，则痊愈会延迟。这是因为“迟”脉代表阳气不足，无法作汗，所以身体必然感到瘙痒。
如果多唾沫、口干燥，寸脉沉，尺脉微，手足厥冷，气从小腹向上冲撞至胸咽，手足麻木，面部红热像喝醉的样子，随后热气下行至大腿内侧，小便困难，时常头晕目眩，这应当治疗气上冲的病症。
阳明病，面部呈现赤色，不可使用攻下法。如果误用攻下，必然导致发热、面色发黄、小便不利。
如果先前几天心情不悦，随后发热，热邪相争时突然心痛，烦闷想呕吐，头痛，面部红而无汗，这是心热病。
伤寒下利，脉象沉而迟，患者面部稍微发红，身体有轻微发热，腹泻完谷不化，必然会因郁冒而出汗解病。之所以这样，是因为面部戴阳，下部虚损的缘故。
大肠满闷，喜欢喘咳，面部红，身体热，喉咽中感觉像有核状异物，右寸脉阳实，这是手阳明大肠热实证。
满面通红且气息粗盛，是实热证。面色微红，或隐或现，是虚热证。
脸颊上红青相间、嘴唇白，是中风证。面部红、眼睛上视，是风邪中于太阳经。
面部红斑斑驳驳像锦缎花纹，咽喉痛，吐脓血，五天内可治，七天内不可治，这是阳毒病。
小儿发热，面部红，呼吸粗重，鼻涕眼泪交流，四肢末端唯独寒冷，打颤怕冷，这是痘疹。
头痛身热，咳嗽喷嚏，呵欠困倦，流清涕，面部肿胀腮部红，这是疹。
面部浮肿红赤，眼光锐利有神，是狂病。
癫痫发作时身体热，自汗，仰卧时面部红，牙关紧急，啼叫不停，口吐涎沫，脉象洪数，是阳痫。
癫痫发作时，吞咽急促啼叫，面色忽红忽白，惊恐不安，像被人追捕的样子，这是惊悸导致的癫痫。
面部红热，有汗，胸中烦热，怕冷如冷水洒身，发热如羽毛覆盖般温和，这是肝中寒证。
小儿夜间啼哭，面部红，嘴唇红，身体腹部都热，小便不利且烦躁，是心热。
婴儿出生后面部肢体红得像涂了丹砂，是胎赤病。
咳嗽病，面部红，咽干，痰黄气臭，多带稠粘，频频咳嗽，是热嗽。
喜欢睡觉且不知疼痛部位，面部红得像喝醉，下利脓血，下部孔窍红肿，是疮疡。
面色忽红忽白忽黑，是狐惑病。
颧骨像涂了红粉，是腰痛。
身体热脚冷，颈项强直急迫，怕冷，有时头热，面部红，只有头部摇动，突然牙关紧闭，背部反张，如果有汗不怕冷，是柔痉；无汗反而怕冷，是刚痉。
年寿部位（鼻准下方）红亮，多生脓血。
胃脉搏动坚实而长，面色赤，应当是大腿骨折之病。如果脉散乱，应当是食痹之病。
麻风病面部紫黑发泡，病位在肝。
年寿、目堂部位红，是疝气。
兰台庭畔（鼻翼两侧）红如丝线，是遗精白浊。
面色、嘴唇、舌头紫暗，是中毒。
颧骨上方起红点如火，男性是痔疮，女性是难产厄运。
妊娠左眼下发红，怀的是男胎。
妊娠期间无病，身体轻健，性格多喜，面色更红，左脉大，怀的是男胎。
妊娠鼻尖红，必定难产。
面色红焦枯绝，易怒惊吓，多汗怕风，严重时说话不畅快，口唇色赤，是心风。
脉象沉而芤，胸满心悸，腹中热，疼痛上下无常处，面部红咽干，心烦手掌热，严重时吐血，身体抽搐，夏季缓解冬季加重，是心积病。
心病表现为面色红，心痛短气，手掌烦热，或啼笑骂詈，悲思愁虑，身体热脉实大而数，这是可治的证候。
面部像涂了朱砂，是心火。
面色红，脉喘而坚，中有积气，时常影响饮食，名叫心痹。得自外邪，因思虑导致心虚，所以邪气侵入。
劳累疲倦即头面红且下肢沉重，心中痛，自烦发热，肚脐跳动，脉弦，这是心脏受伤所致。
红色严重者，是血病。
午后面色红如化妆，是血虚。
两颧鲜红，如指如缕，是阴虚。
两颧鲜红，或作或止，是戴阳证。
红而干枯无泽，是气虚。
面部红眼睛白，忧恚思虑，心气内索，面色反而好，不超过十天会死。
中风面部红如化妆，不可治。
极度虚弱面红，发喘痰多，身体热足肿，溏泄，脉紧不食，是死证。
病人面上忽然出现红点，多是死证。
朦胧华色，是魂将至。
耳目颧颊皆红，死在五日之内。
赤色出于颧骨，大如拇指，病虽稍愈，必猝死，这是大气进入脏腑。
肺病面色红黑如拇指大小，点点见于颜颊，病虽稍愈，必猝死。
神气脱失而昏沉不醒，面红黑，是心绝。
面红如脂，是心绝。
面红黑，汗珠如串，是心绝。
真心脉至，坚硬搏指，像触摸薏苡子，累累然，色赤黑无光泽，毛发折断乃死者，这是脉无胃气，水克火。
肺病身体应当发热，咳嗽短气，吐出脓血，其脉应当短涩，现在反见浮大，其色应当白而反红，这是火克金，为大逆，十死不治。
以上都是赤色主病的纲要。（注：“稷稷然”一作“搜搜然”）
The medical classics state: Red color indicates heat. The color red corresponds to the Heart, Pericardium (Xinbao), and Small Intestine, and is also the hue associated with summer-heat and pathogenic heat. However, heat syndromes are differentiated by exterior/interior, yin/yang, and deficiency/excess; facial colors vary by floating/sinking, clear/turbid, and faint/intense. Extending this logic, variations differ according to the four seasons and the six pulse positions.
For instance: Redness on the forehead indicates upper jiao heat; redness on the chin (Yi) indicates lower jiao heat; eye pain, dry nose, and facial redness indicate Yangming disease; a face red as if intoxicated indicates stomach heat; slightly red cheeks with bluish-green discoloration around the eyes and nose indicate aversion to cold and fever; persistent overall facial redness indicates yang qi constrained at the exterior; red cheeks with a blue face indicate alternating chills and fever; a red face with excessive talking and aversion to cold indicates yin pathogen within a yang syndrome; a red face with excessive talking and fever indicates yang pathogen within a yang syndrome; a red and lustrous face indicates upper heat and lower cold; a red and dull/oppressed face indicates lower heat and upper cold.
In Shaoyin disease, presenting with diarrhea of undigested food, cold limbs, and a faint pulse nearly imperceptible, yet the body feels no aversion to cold and the patient's face is red, this is interior cold with exterior heat (true cold, false heat).
In Taiyang disease from Cold Damage, after eight or nine days, presenting like malaria with fever and aversion to cold where heat predominates over cold, but the face abnormally shows a red hue, indicates the pathogen has not yet resolved. If the facial redness persists, the pathogen is strong and the disease progresses; if the redness gradually fades, the pathogen resolves and the disease recedes.
If the pulse is floating and slow, with facial redness accompanied by trembling and fear, sweating and resolution should occur around the sixth or seventh day; if fever occurs instead, recovery will be delayed. This is because a "slow" pulse indicates insufficient yang qi unable to induce sweating, resulting in bodily itching.
With excessive saliva, dry mouth, deep cun pulse, and faint chi pulse, cold limbs, qi rushing from the lower abdomen to the chest and throat, numbness in limbs, a face hot and red as if intoxicated, followed by heat descending to the inner thighs, difficult urination, and occasional dizziness, treatment should focus on the rebellious qi rising.
In Yangming disease, if the face presents with redness, purgative methods must not be used. Misapplication leads to fever, yellowish complexion, and dysuria.
If prior days showed irritability followed by fever, sudden heart pain during heat struggle, restlessness, vomiting, headache, and a red face without sweat, this is Heart Heat Disease.
In Cold Damage with diarrhea, a deep and slow pulse, slightly red face, mild body heat, and diarrhea of undigested food, resolution through sweating following a sensation of oppression and dizziness is expected. This occurs due to "floating yang" (Dai Yang) caused by lower deficiency.
Fullness in the intestines, frequent coughing and wheezing, red face, body heat, and a sensation of a lump in the throat/pharynx, with an excess-rapid right cun pulse, indicates Excess Heat in the Large Intestine (Hand-Yangming).
A fully red face with vigorous qi indicates Excess Heat. A slightly red face that appears intermittently indicates Deficiency Heat.
Reddish-blue cheeks with white lips indicate Wind-Stroke. A red face with upward-gazing eyes indicates Wind striking the Taiyang channel.
Red face, body heat, spontaneous sweating, thirst, and a deficient pulse indicate Summer-Heat Injury.
A face with mottled red spots resembling brocade patterns, sore throat, and expectoration of pus and blood, treatable within five days but not seven, indicates Yang Toxicity disease.
In children, fever, red face, coarse breathing, flowing tears and nasal discharge, yet cold extremities, shivering, and aversion to cold indicate Variola (Smallpox/Rash diseases). Fever, red face, teary eyes, and cold fingertips indicate Smallpox. Headache, body heat, coughing, sneezing, yawning, lethargy, clear nasal discharge, swollen face, and red cheeks indicate Measles.
Swollen, red face with sharp, piercing eyes indicates Mania. Red face, heat in the epigastrium, shortness of breath, and weak qi indicate Heart Epilepsy. During epilepsy attacks with body heat, spontaneous sweating, supine position with red face, locked jaw, incessant crying, foaming at the mouth, and a flooding-numerous pulse, this is Yang Epilepsy. Attacks with urgent swallowing/crying, alternating red/white face, terror, and a feeling of being hunted indicate Epilepsy caused by Fright.
A flushed red face with sweat, chest烦热 (vexing heat), aversion to cold (feeling chilled), and mild fever indicates Cold in the Liver. Night crying in children with red face, red lips, whole-body/abdominal heat, difficult urination, and irritability indicates Heart Heat. Red, dry nose indicates Spleen Heat. Infants with faces and limbs red as if painted with cinnabar have Congenital Erythema (Tai Chi).
In cough diseases, red face, dry throat, yellow foul sputum, frequent coughing indicates Hot Cough. Red-black face, peach-like complexion indicates Dysentery. Dry mouth, red face, five-palm heat, and unceasing dysentery indicate poisoning from Croton seed (Badou). Lethargy with unknown pain sites, face red as if intoxicated, bloody/purulent diarrhea, and redness at the lower orifices indicates Sores/Ulcers. Alternating red, white, and black faces indicate Huo-Huo disease (Chancroid/Behcet's-like). Cheeks red as if powdered indicate Lower Back Pain. Body heat, cold feet, stiff neck, aversion to cold, intermittent head heat, red face, isolated head tremor, sudden jaw locking, and opisthotonos with sweating/no aversion to cold indicates Soft Spasm (Rou Jing); without sweating/with aversion to cold indicates Hard Spasm (Gang Jing).
Redness/luster on the Nasal Tip (Nianshou) often indicates abscesses/pus and blood. Simultaneous full pulses in Liver and Kidney channels with a pale-red complexion indicates trauma/injury. Firm-long Stomach pulse with red face indicates femoral fracture. Scattered pulse indicates Food Bi (obstruction). Leprosy with purple, blistered face indicates Liver involvement. Redness on Nianshou and Eye Area indicates Hernia Qi. Red threads on the sides of the nose (Lantai Tingpan) indicate seminal emission/milky urine. Purple-dark face, lips, and tongue indicate poisoning. Red spots like fire on cheekbones indicate hemorrhoids in men and difficult labor in women. Redness under the left eye in pregnancy indicates a male fetus. Pregnancy with lightness, joy, increased redness, and large left pulse indicates a male fetus. Redness on the nasal tip in pregnancy indicates difficult delivery. Postpartum fever, bright red face, wheezing, and headache indicate Wind-Stroke. Red, scorched complexion, anger/fear, sweating, aversion to wind, difficulty speaking, and red lips indicate Heart Wind. Flushed red face with sadness/anger, staring, and calling indicates Heart Wind attack. Deep-thready pulse, chest fullness, palpitations, abdominal heat, wandering pain, red face, dry throat, vexation, palm heat, hemoptysis, convulsions, worse in winter/better in summer indicates Heart Accumulation (Ji).
Heart disease manifests as red face, heart pain, shortness of breath, hot palms, erratic laughter/cursing, sorrow/worry, body heat, and large-numerous solid pulse (treatable). Red face with overflowing collaterals indicates Heart Heat. Face like vermilion paste indicates Heart Fire. Chest fullness, wheezing, red face indicates Excess of Qi Sea. Red face, rapid-firm pulse, central accumulation affecting eating, named Heart Bi (obstruction), caused by external pathogen entering due to Heart deficiency from overthinking. Fatigue leading to red head/face, heavy lower body, heart pain, internal vexation/heat, umbilical pulsation, and string-taut pulse indicates Heart injury. Red cheekbones and curled/short tongue indicate Heart disease. Severe redness indicates Blood pathology. Afternoon redness like makeup indicates Blood Deficiency. Deep red cheekbones indicate Yin Fire ascending, deficiency consumption. Bright red cheekbones like lines/fingers indicate Yin Deficiency. Bright red cheekbones appearing intermittently indicates Floating Yang (Dai Yang). Inflamed red cheeks indicate Bone-steaming Consumption. Red and dry/dull indicates Qi Deficiency. Red face with white eyes, worry/thoughts, internal depletion of Heart Qi, yet good complexion, indicates death within ten days. Wind-Stroke with face red like makeup is incurable. Red face, white eyes, wheezing indicates Fire overcoming Metal. Extreme deficiency with red face, wheezing, phlegm, body heat, foot swelling, loose stools, tight pulse, and anorexia is a death sign. Sudden red spots on the face in illness are mostly death signs. Incompatible respiration and lack of luster in the five colors indicate Soul damage. Hazy luster indicates Soul arrival. Redness in ears, eyes, cheekbones, and cheeks indicates death within five days. Heat disease with no sweat, red great cheekbones, and hiccups is a death sign. Redness on cheekbones size of a thumb, even if symptoms briefly improve, indicates sudden death due to Pathogenic Qi entering the Zang-Fu. Lung disease with red-black face, thumb-sized spots on cheeks, brief improvement then sudden death. Spirit exhaustion with coma, red-black face indicates Heart Exhaustion. Face red like fat indicates Heart Exhaustion. Face red-black with beads of sweat indicates Heart Exhaustion. True Heart pulse, firm/beating like Coix seeds, red-black dull complexion, brittle hair indicates death; pulse without Stomach Qi, Water overcoming Fire. Lung disease with fever, cough, shortness of breath, pus/blood sputum should have short-chop pulse; floating-large pulse and red face (instead of white) indicates Fire overcoming Metal, a major reversal, ten deaths, untreatable. These are the general principles of Red Color diagnosis.