《灵枢·大惑论》帝曰∶人之善饥而不嗜食者，何气使然？岐伯曰∶精气并于脾，热气留于胃，胃热则
消谷，消谷则善饥。胃气逆上，则胃脘寒，故不嗜食也。
本经云∶少火生气，壮火食气。胃者，如贮食之鼎，少火在下，聚而不炎，则蒸腐水谷，以生精气也；
壮火者，炎而不聚，则反耗蚀元气，而不能化水谷也。故如精气偏并于脾而不输布，则运化失度而胃火外炎，
其脘中反寒，故火炎似饥，而脘寒仍不嗜食，
以鼎下无火也。仲景曰∶厥阴之为病，消渴，气上撞心，心中热疼，饥不欲食。盖以厥阴中相火而化邪热，
由胃上冲，故使消渴心热而似饥，其胃气逆甚，则不欲食也。
《素问·通评虚实论》帝曰∶肠 便血何如？岐伯曰∶身热则死，寒则生。帝曰∶肠 下白沫何如？岐
伯曰∶脉沉则生，脉浮则死。帝曰∶肠 下脓血何如？岐伯曰∶脉悬绝则死，滑大则生。帝曰∶肠 之属，身
不热，脉不悬绝，何如？岐伯曰∶滑大者曰生，悬涩者曰死，以脏期之。
肠 者，久伤湿邪，传导失职而便不固，垢秽血液杂下，下多则亡阴，阴为阳之根，阴竭则阳气离根，
而外露身热，故死；身寒者，阳藏不动，故生也。下白沫者，虚寒气陷也，脉沉，尚可温中助气以治之；脉浮
者，下竭而气上脱，故死也。下脓血则挟热邪，脉滑大，与证合而元气未败，可生；脉悬绝者，细小欲绝，
本元败而邪热盛，故死也。如身不热，脉不悬绝，统指以上三证而言，脉滑大为元气未损，可生；悬涩者，
脉无胃气矣，故死，审其五脏之生克时日为期也。后世名痢疾者，与此病相类，惟痢疾有积而必腹痛，故《内
经》名滞下，以其数便不得畅下也。此不言腹痛，则与痢疾大同小异耳。
《灵枢·大惑论》中黄帝问道：人之所以容易感到饥饿却不爱吃东西，是什么气机导致的？岐伯回答说：精气偏聚于脾，热气滞留于胃，胃中有热则消化食物速度快，消化快就容易感到饥饿。如果胃气逆乱向上冲，就会导致胃脘部寒冷，所以就不爱吃东西了。
本经（指《内经》）说：少火（温和的阳气）能生气血，壮火（过亢的邪火）会消耗气血。胃就像是一个盛放食物的鼎锅，如果鼎下有温和的火（少火），火力聚集而不猛烈燃烧，就能蒸熟腐化水谷，从而生成精气；如果是壮火，火势炎上而不聚集，反而会耗损元气，不能正常转化水谷。因此，如果精气偏聚在脾而不能输布全身，导致脾胃运化功能失常，胃火就会外越，此时胃脘反而出现寒象，所以表现为似饥非饥（因火炎所致），但因为胃脘寒冷（因为鼎下无火），仍然不爱吃东西。
张仲景说：厥阴病的症状包括消渴（口渴多饮）、气上撞心、心中热痛、感觉饥饿但不想吃东西。这是因为厥阴经中的相火转化为邪热，由胃部向上冲逆，所以导致消渴、心中发热并产生类似饥饿的感觉；如果胃气逆乱严重，就会出现不想吃东西的症状。
《素问·通评虚实论》中黄帝问道：肠道出血的情况怎么样？岐伯回答说：身体发热的预后不良（死），身体不热的预后良好（生）。黄帝又问：肠道排出白色粘液的情况怎么样？岐伯回答说：脉象沉伏的预后良好，脉象浮散的预后不良。黄帝再问：肠道排出脓血的情况怎么样？岐伯回答说：脉象悬绝（极细弱或断绝）的预后不良，脉象滑大的预后良好。黄帝最后问：属于肠道病变的一类疾病，如果身体不发冷发热，脉象也不悬绝，情况如何？岐伯回答说：脉象滑大的表示生机尚存可活，脉象悬涩（细弱且不畅）的表示正气衰竭将死，并根据五脏相生相克的规律来推断死亡的时间。
所谓“肠澼”（指痢疾或便脓血等肠道疾病），是因为长期受湿邪伤害，传导功能失职导致大便不固，污秽血液混杂而下。如果泻下过多会导致亡阴，阴是阳的根本，阴液枯竭则阳气失去根本而外露，表现为身体发热，所以预后不良（死）；如果身体寒冷，说明阳气潜藏未动，所以预后良好（生）。排出白色粘液的，是由于虚寒气陷，脉象沉伏，还可以用温中助气的方法治疗；脉象浮散的，是因为下部阴血枯竭而上部阳气脱失，所以预后不良（死）。排出脓血的，通常夹杂热邪，脉象滑大，与证候相符且元气尚未败坏，可以存活；脉象悬绝的，脉形细小欲绝，是本元败坏而邪热炽盛，所以预后不良（死）。如果身体不发热，脉象也不悬绝，这是对上述三种情况的统称，脉象滑大表示元气未受损，可以存活；脉象悬涩表示脉中没有胃气（生机），所以死亡，需仔细审查五脏生克的关系及日期来推断死期。后世称为“痢疾”的病，与此病相似，但痢疾有积滞且必然伴有腹痛，所以《内经》称之为“滞下”，因为它排便次数多却排得不畅快。这里没有提到腹痛，说明此病与痢疾大体相同只有细微差别。
In the *Ling Shu: Da Huo Lun* (Spiritual Pivot: Chapter on Great Perplexity), the Yellow Emperor asked, "What qi mechanism causes a person to feel hungry easily but lack the desire to eat?" Qibo replied, "When Jing-Qi (Essential Qi) clusters in the Spleen and Heat-Liu (Stagnant Heat) remains in the Stomach, Stomach-Heat accelerates the digestion of food. Rapid digestion leads to frequent hunger. If Stomach-Qi rebels upward, it causes Cold in the Epigastrium; therefore, there is no desire to eat."
The Classic states: "Shao-Huo (Mild Fire/Warm Yang) generates Qi, while Zhuang-Huo (Excessive Fire/Pathogenic Heat) consumes Qi." The Stomach is like a cauldron storing food. If mild fire exists below, gathering without blazing, it steams and decomposes water and grain to generate Essence and Qi. If it is Zhuang-Huo, the fire blazes upward without gathering, consuming Yuan-Qi (Original Qi) and failing to transform water and grain. Thus, if Jing-Qi clusters excessively in the Spleen and fails to distribute, the transport and transformation functions become disordered, causing Stomach-Fire to flare outward. Consequently, the epigastrium appears cold. This results in a sensation resembling hunger due to the flaring fire, yet the cold epigastrium still suppresses the desire to eat, just as a cauldron lacks fire beneath it.
Zhang Zhongjing stated: "In Jueyin disease, symptoms include Xiao Ke (Wasting-Thirst/Polydipsia), Qi rushing up to strike the Heart, heat and pain in the Heart region, hunger without desire to eat." This occurs because the Xiang-Huo (Ministerial Fire) of the Jueyin meridian transforms into Pathogenic Heat, which rushes upward from the Stomach. This causes wasting-thirst, heart heat, and a false sensation of hunger. When Stomach-Qi rebellion is severe, the desire to eat is absent.
In the *Su Wen: Tong Ping Xu Shi Lun* (Basic Questions: Chapter on Uniform Assessment of Deficiency and Excess), the Yellow Emperor asked, "What is the prognosis for Chang Pi (Intestinal Dysentery/Bloody Stool) with blood discharge?" Qibo answered, "If the body is hot, death ensues; if the body is cold, survival ensues." The Emperor asked, "What about Chang Pi with white mucus discharge?" Qibo answered, "If the pulse is Chen (Deep), survival ensues; if the pulse is Fu (Floating), death ensues." The Emperor asked, "What about Chang Pi with pus and blood discharge?" Qibo answered, "If the pulse is Xuan-Jue (Suspended and Cut-off/Extremely Weak or Absent), death ensues; if the pulse is Hua-Da (Slippery and Large), survival ensues." The Emperor asked, "Regarding cases of Chang Pi, if the body is not hot and the pulse is not Xuan-Jue, what is the situation?" Qibo answered, "A Slippery and Large pulse indicates life; a Suspended and Choppy pulse indicates death. The time of death can be predicted based on the generation and restriction cycles of the Zang organs."
Chang Pi refers to conditions caused by long-term injury from Dampness pathogens, leading to failure of transmission and transportation functions and uncontrolled defecation, where filth and blood mix and discharge. Excessive discharge leads to Yin exhaustion. Since Yin is the root of Yang, when Yin is depleted, Yang loses its root and floats externally, manifesting as body heat, which indicates death. If the body is cold, it means Yang is retained and stable, indicating survival. Discharge of white mucus indicates sinking of Deficient-Cold; a Deep pulse suggests it can be treated with warming the Middle and assisting Qi. A Floating pulse indicates depletion at the lower jiao and collapse of Qi ascending, indicating death. Discharge of pus and blood usually involves Heat pathogens; a Slippery and Large pulse matches the syndrome, indicating that Yuan-Qi is not yet exhausted, suggesting survival. A Xuan-Jue pulse, being extremely thin and weak, indicates collapse of the fundamental essence and flourishing pathogenic heat, indicating death. If the body is not hot and the pulse is not Xuan-Jue, this generally refers to the three aforementioned conditions. A Slippery and Large pulse indicates undamaged Yuan-Qi, suggesting survival. A Suspended and Choppy pulse indicates the absence of Wei-Qi (Stomach Qi) in the pulse, indicating death. One must carefully examine the five Zang organs' generative and controlling cycles to predict the timing of death.
Diseases later named Li Ji (Dysentery) are similar to this condition. However, Li Ji involves accumulation and necessarily includes abdominal pain. Therefore, the *Nei Jing* calls it "Zhi Xia" (Stagnant Downward), referring to frequent bowel movements that are not relieved. Since abdominal pain is not mentioned here, this condition is largely similar to Li Ji with only minor differences.