指纹淡淡亦堪惊，总为先天赋禀轻。
脾胃本虚中气弱，切防攻伐损胎婴。
（小儿禀受阳虚，肌肤晃白，唇舌淡莹者，指纹四时皆淡，虽有病亦只淡红、淡青、淡
紫而已。盖淡红虚寒、淡青虚风，淡紫虚热。此等之儿，根本不坚，中气怯弱，无论新病久
病总归于虚，一毫攻化不敢轻用，倘误投克削，覆水难收，悔之晚矣。）
关纹涩滞基因由，邪遏阴营卫气留。
食郁中焦风热炽，不行推荡更何求。
（病邪阻郁营卫，营运迟滞，升降稽留，所以指纹推之转涩，全无活泼流利之象，由食
饮风热相搏，是为实证。急宜推荡去其菀 ，其愈亦易。若三关纯黑，推之不动，死证也，
不治。）
腹疼纹入掌中心，弯内风寒次第侵。
纹向外弯痰食热，水形脾肺两伤阴。
（掌心包络所主，纹入掌中，邪侵五内，由中气寒也，故为腹痛。纹若弯弓，内外有别
，其纹之两头弯向中指为内，为顺症，为外感风寒，治之犹易。其纹弯向大指为外，为逆症
，为内伤饮食，治之稍难。形如水字，脾肺不足，食塞太阴，中气怯弱，脾不运化故也。或
问∶指纹惟止一线，安能有水字之形？曰∶不观太渊之脉亦止一线，何以阳维阴维、阳跷阴
跷皆左右弹石，岂非水字之形乎。脉有左右，安知纹无左右。但能触类旁通，无往非理，岂
特指纹为然哉。）
凡看指纹，以我之大拇指侧面推儿食指三关，切不可覆指而推。盖螺纹有火，克制肺金
，纹必变色。又只可从命关推上风关，切不可从风关推出命关，此纹愈推愈出，其纹在先原
未透关，今误推而出之，大损肺气，慎之戒之。
以上表里寒热虚实，凿凿有据。但能于临症时认得比六字分明，胸中自有主宰，虽不中
不远矣。
指纹颜色浅淡也令人惊惧，这总归是因为先天禀赋薄弱。
脾胃原本虚弱，中气不足，务必防止使用攻伐药物损伤胎儿或婴儿。
（小儿如果禀受阳气不足，肌肤苍白，嘴唇和舌头颜色淡而晶莹，那么指纹在四季中都会呈现淡色，即使生病也只是淡红、淡青、淡紫而已。大概淡红色代表虚寒，淡青色代表虚风，淡紫色代表虚热。这类孩子根本不坚固，中气怯弱，无论是新病还是久病都归属于虚证，丝毫不敢轻易使用攻邪消导的药物，如果误用克削之剂，后果难以挽回，后悔就晚了。）
关部纹理涩滞是由原因引起的，邪气遏制阴分，营卫之气滞留。
饮食停滞在中焦，风热炽盛，如果不进行推荡祛邪，还能寻求什么办法呢？
（病邪阻郁营卫，运行营运迟缓停滞，升降功能稽留，所以指纹推起来感觉涩滞，完全没有活泼流利的景象，这是由于饮食和风热相互搏结，属于实证。应当紧急使用推荡法去除积滞，痊愈也容易。如果三关指纹纯黑，推之不动，这是死证，无法治疗。）
腹部疼痛且指纹延伸至掌心中心，弯曲向内是风寒依次侵袭。
指纹向外弯曲是痰食热邪，形状像水字则是脾肺两伤阴液。
（掌心由心包络所主，指纹进入掌中，说明邪气侵犯五脏内部，由于中气寒冷所致，所以表现为腹痛。如果指纹像弓一样弯曲，内外是有区别的，指纹两头弯向中指为内，属于顺症，是外感风寒，治疗还比较容易。指纹弯向大拇指为外，属于逆症，是内伤饮食，治疗稍微困难。形状像“水”字，是脾肺不足，食物堵塞太阴经，中气怯弱，脾脏不能运化所致。有人问：指纹只有一条线，怎么会有“水”字的形状？回答说：没看过太渊穴的脉象也只有一条线吗？为什么阳维脉、阴维脉、阳跷脉、阴跷脉都会在左右两侧弹石般跳动，难道不是“水”字的形状吗？脉象有左右之分，怎知指纹没有左右之分。只要能触类旁通，无处不是道理，哪里只是指纹如此呢。）
凡是观察指纹，要用我的大拇指侧面推动孩子的食指三关，千万不要反方向覆盖手指去推。因为螺纹有火，会克制肺金，指纹必然变色。而且只能从命关推向风关，绝不可以从风关推出命关，这样指纹越推越显露出来，原本指纹在先并没有透关，现在错误地推出来了，极大地损伤肺气，一定要谨慎戒除。
以上关于表里、寒热、虚实的判断，都有确凿的依据。只要在临症时能把这六个字辨认得分明，心中自然就有主宰，虽然不一定完全准确，但也相差无几了。
The faintness of the fingerprint is also alarming; it generally stems from weak congenital endowment.
The spleen and stomach are originally deficient, with weak middle qi (Middle Qi); one must strictly guard against using attacking methods that damage the fetus or infant.
(If a child has received insufficient yang qi during conception, presenting with pale skin and lips and tongue that are pale and translucent, the fingerprint will appear faint in all four seasons. Even if ill, it will only be faint red, faint green, or faint purple. Generally, faint red indicates deficiency-cold, faint green indicates deficiency-wind, and faint purple indicates deficiency-heat. Such children have unstable root qi and weak middle qi. Whether the illness is new or chronic, it always belongs to deficiency patterns. One dare not lightly use attacking or resolving methods. If mistakenly prescribed harsh draining agents, the consequences are irreversible, and regret will come too late.)
The obstruction and stagnation at the Guan position arise from specific causes: pathogenic factors obstruct the ying-nutritive level, causing stagnation of wei-defensive qi.
Food retention in the middle jiao (Middle Burner) and blazing wind-heat require pushing and purging to resolve; what else can be sought?
(When pathogenic factors obstruct and depress the ying-nutritive and wei-defensive levels, their circulation becomes sluggish and stagnant, and ascending-descending functions are delayed. Thus, pushing the fingerprint feels rough and obstructed, lacking any lively and smooth quality. This results from food retention clashing with wind-heat, constituting an excess pattern. It is urgent to employ pushing and purging methods to eliminate the accumulated pathogens, after which recovery will be easy. If the three sections of the finger show pure black color and cannot be moved by pushing, it is a death sign and untreatable.)
Abdominal pain accompanied by the fingerprint extending into the center of the palm suggests sequential invasion by wind-cold bending inward.
Fingerprints bending outward indicate phlegm-food heat; a shape resembling the character "water" implies injury to the yin of both the spleen and lungs.
(The palm center is governed by the pericardium. When the fingerprint enters the palm, it indicates pathogenic invasion of the five internal organs due to cold in the middle qi, hence abdominal pain. If the fingerprint bends like a bow, there is a distinction between interior and exterior: if both ends bend toward the middle finger, it is interior, representing a favorable syndrome of external wind-cold invasion, which is relatively easy to treat. If it bends toward the thumb, it is exterior, representing an unfavorable syndrome of internal dietary injury, which is slightly more difficult to treat. A shape resembling the character "water" indicates insufficiency of the spleen and lungs, food blocking the taiyin channel, weak middle qi, and the spleen's failure to transform and transport. One might ask: The fingerprint is merely a single line; how can it form the shape of "water"? I reply: Have you not observed that the pulse at Taiyuan (LU-9) is also a single line? Yet why do the Yang Linking Vessel, Yin Linking Vessel, Yang Heel Vessel, and Yin Heel Vessel pulse on both left and right sides like stones striking? Is this not a "water" shape? Since pulses have left and right aspects, who says fingerprints do not? As long as one can draw analogies and understand principles universally, logic applies everywhere, not just to fingerprints.)
When examining the fingerprint, use the side of your thumb to push along the three sections of the child's index finger. Never push by covering the finger downwards. Because the whorls contain fire, which controls lung metal, the fingerprint color will inevitably change. Furthermore, one should only push from the Ming Gate (Life Gate) towards the Feng Gate (Wind Gate), never from the Feng Gate outwards to the Ming Gate. Doing so forces the fingerprint to emerge further; if the fingerprint originally did not extend through the section, erroneous pushing exposes it, severely damaging lung qi. Be cautious and heed this warning.
The above distinctions regarding exterior-interior, cold-heat, and deficiency-excess are well-founded. As long as these six characters are clearly recognized during clinical practice, one will naturally have mastery over the situation. Although perfection may not always be achieved, the diagnosis will not be far off.