素问·五藏生成 On the Generation and Formation of the Five Viscera
心之合脉也，其荣色也，其主肾也。肺之合皮也，其荣毛也，其主心也。肝之合筋也，其荣爪也，其主肺也。脾之合肉也，其荣唇也，其主肝也。肾之合骨也，其荣发也，其主脾也。
是故多食咸则脉凝泣而变色；多食苦则皮槁而毛拔；多食辛则筋急而爪枯；多食酸则肉胝䐢而唇揭；多食甘则骨痛而发落，此五味之所伤也。故心欲苦，肺欲辛，肝欲酸，脾欲甘，肾欲咸，此五味之所合也。五藏之气，故色见青如草兹者死，黄如枳实者死，黑如尚炱者死，赤如衃血者死，白如枯骨者死，此五色之见死也。青如翠羽者生，赤如鸡冠者生，黄如蟹腹者生，白如豕膏者生，黑如乌羽者生，此五色之见生也。生于心，如以缟裹朱；生于肺，如以缟裹红；生于肝，如以缟裹绀；生于脾，如以缟裹栝楼实，生于肾，如以缟裹紫，此五藏所生之外荣也。色味当五藏：白当肺，辛，赤当心，苦，青当肝，酸，黄当脾，甘，黑当肾，咸，故白当皮，赤当脉，青当筋，黄当肉，黑当骨。
诸脉者皆属于目，诸髓者皆属于脑，诸筋者皆属于节，诸血者皆属于心，诸气者皆属于肺，此四支八溪之朝夕也。故人卧，血归于肝，肝受血而能视，足受血而能步，掌受血而能握，指受血而能摄。卧出而风吹之，血凝于肤者为痹，凝于脉者为泣，凝于足者为厥。此三者，血行而不得反其空，故为痹厥也。人有大谷十二分，小溪三百五十四名，少十二俞，此皆卫气之所留止，邪气之所客也，针石缘而去之。
诊病之始五决为纪，欲知其始，先建其母，所谓五决者五脉也。是以头痛巅疾，下虚上实过在足少阴，巨阳甚则入肾。徇蒙招尤目冥耳聋，下实上虚，过在足少阳，厥阴甚则入肝。腹满䐜胀，支鬲胠脇，下厥上冒，过在足太阴，阳明。咳嗽上气，厥在胸中，过在手阳明太阴。心烦头痛病在鬲中，过在手巨阳，少阴。
夫脉之小大滑涩浮沈，可以指别；五藏之象，可以类推；五藏相音，可以意识；五色微诊，可以目察。能合脉色，可以万全。赤脉之至也喘而坚，诊曰有积气在中，时害于食，名曰心痹，得之外疾，思虑而心虚，故邪从之。白脉之至也喘而浮，上虚下实。惊，有积气在胸中，喘而虚名曰肺痹寒热，得之醉而使内也。青脉之至也长而左右弹有积气在心下支胠，名曰肝痹，得之寒湿，与疝同法，腰痛足清头痛。黄脉之至也大而虚，有积气在腹中，有厥气名曰厥疝，女子同法，得之疾使四支汗出当风。黑脉之至也上坚而大有积气在小腹与阴，名曰肾痹，得之沐浴清水而卧。
凡相五色之奇脉，面黄目青，面黄目赤，面黄目白，面黄目黑者，皆不死也。面青目赤，面赤目白，面青目黑，面黑目白，面赤目青，皆死也。
The heart pairs with the blood vessels; its bloom shows in the complexion; it is governed by the kidney. The lung pairs with the skin; its bloom shows in the body hair; it is governed by the heart. The liver pairs with the sinews; its bloom shows in the nails; it is governed by the lung. The spleen pairs with the flesh; its bloom shows in the lips; it is governed by the liver. The kidney pairs with the bones; its bloom shows in the hair of the head; it is governed by the spleen.
Therefore, eating too much salty food causes the blood vessels to congeal and stagnate, changing the complexion; eating too much bitter food causes the skin to wither and the body hair to fall out; eating too much pungent food causes the sinews to tighten and the nails to wither; eating too much sour food causes the flesh to become calloused and thick and the lips to turn outward and crack; eating too much sweet food causes the bones to ache and the hair to fall out — these are the injuries caused by the five flavors. Thus the heart desires bitter, the lung desires pungent, the liver desires sour, the spleen desires sweet, and the kidney desires salty — these are the correspondences of the five flavors to the five viscera. As for the qi of the five viscera: if the complexion appears as green as dead grass, death follows; as yellow as the fruit of the trifoliate orange, death follows; as black as soot, death follows; as red as clotted blood, death follows; as white as dried bone, death follows — these are the five colors that indicate death. If the complexion is as green as a kingfisher's feathers, life is indicated; as red as a cockscomb, life is indicated; as yellow as a crab's belly, life is indicated; as white as pig fat, life is indicated; as black as a crow's feathers, life is indicated — these are the five colors that indicate life. A healthy complexion generated from the heart is like vermilion wrapped in white silk; generated from the lung is like crimson wrapped in white silk; generated from the liver is like dark blue-green wrapped in white silk; generated from the spleen is like the fruit of the trichosanthes wrapped in white silk; generated from the kidney is like purple wrapped in white silk — these are the outward blooms produced by the five viscera. Colors and flavors correspond to the five viscera: white corresponds to the lung and to pungent flavor; red corresponds to the heart and to bitter flavor; green corresponds to the liver and to sour flavor; yellow corresponds to the spleen and to sweet flavor; black corresponds to the kidney and to salty flavor. Likewise, white corresponds to the skin, red to the blood vessels, green to the sinews, yellow to the flesh, and black to the bones.
All the blood vessels belong to the eyes; all the marrow belongs to the brain; all the sinews belong to the joints; all the blood belongs to the heart; all the qi belongs to the lung — these govern the rising and settling of qi and blood through the four limbs and the eight great junctures. Thus when a person lies down, the blood returns to the liver; when the liver receives blood, the eyes are able to see; when the feet receive blood, they are able to walk; when the palms receive blood, they are able to grasp; when the fingers receive blood, they are able to hold. If, upon rising from lying down, one is struck by wind, blood that congeals in the skin causes numbness; blood that congeals in the vessels causes stagnation; blood that congeals in the feet causes cold reversal. In these three cases, the blood moves but cannot return to its proper cavity, and thus numbness and cold reversal occur. The human body has twelve great valleys and three hundred fifty-four small ravines, minus twelve transport points — these are all places where defensive qi lodges and where evil qi may take up residence; needles and stone lancets should be applied along these to remove it.
In diagnosing the onset of disease, the five determinations serve as the guiding principle. To know the origin of a disease, one must first establish its root — what is called the five determinations are the five pulses. Thus, in headache and disorders of the vertex, with deficiency below and excess above, the fault lies in the foot lesser yin; if severe, it enters the greater yang. In dizziness, spinning, staggering, blurred vision, and deafness, with excess below and deficiency above, the fault lies in the foot lesser yang; if severe, it enters the reverting yin. In abdominal fullness and distension, with support failing at the diaphragm and flanks, with reversal below and clouding above, the fault lies in the foot greater yin and yang brightness. In coughing and rising qi, with reversal in the chest, the fault lies in the hand yang brightness and greater yin. In vexation of the heart and headache, with the disease located within the diaphragm, the fault lies in the hand greater yang and lesser yin.
As for the pulse's smallness or largeness, smoothness or roughness, floating or sinking quality — these can be distinguished by the fingers; the manifestations of the five viscera can be inferred by category; the correspondence of the five viscera to the five tones can be understood by intuition; and subtle diagnosis by the five colors can be observed with the eyes. One who can combine examination of the pulse and the complexion can achieve complete accuracy. When the red pulse arrives panting and hard, the diagnosis is: there is accumulated qi within, which at times interferes with eating — this is called heart-numbness, acquired from external illness, from worry and overthinking that empties the heart, so that evil qi follows and enters. When the white pulse arrives panting and floating, with deficiency above and excess below, there is fright and accumulated qi in the chest, panting with deficiency — this is called lung-numbness with cold and heat, acquired from intoxication followed by sexual intercourse. When the blue-green pulse arrives long, twanging left and right like a plucked string, there is accumulated qi below the heart supporting the flanks — this is called liver-numbness, acquired from cold and dampness, following the same pattern as hernia, with lower back pain, cold feet, and headache. When the yellow pulse arrives large and empty, there is accumulated qi in the abdomen and reversal qi called reversal-hernia — women follow the same pattern — acquired from exerting the four limbs to the point of sweating and then being struck by wind. When the black pulse arrives hard above and large, there is accumulated qi in the lower abdomen and genital region — this is called kidney-numbness, acquired from bathing in cold water and then lying down.
In general, when observing the five colors together with an unusual pulse: a yellow face with green eyes, a yellow face with red eyes, a yellow face with white eyes, or a yellow face with black eyes — in all these cases the patient will not die. A green face with red eyes, a red face with white eyes, a green face with black eyes, a black face with white eyes, or a red face with green eyes — in all these cases the patient will die.