素问·玉版论要 Discourse on the Essentials Inscribed on the Jade Tablet
黄帝问曰：余闻揆度奇恒，所指不同，用之柰何。歧伯对曰：揆度者，度病之浅深也。奇恒者，言奇病也。请言道之至数，五色脉变，揆度奇恒，道在于一。神转不回,回则不转，乃失其机，至数之要，迫近以微，著之玉版，命曰合玉机。
容色见上下左右，各在其要。其色见浅者，汤液主治，十日已。其见深者，必齐主治，二十一日己。其见大深者，醪酒主治，百日已。色夭面脱，不治，百日尽已。脉短气绝死，病温虚甚死。色见上下左右，各在其要。上为逆，下为从。女子右为逆，左为从；男子左为逆，右为从。易重阳死，重阴死。
阴阳反他，治在权衡相夺，奇恒事也，揆度事也。搏脉痹躄，寒热之交。脉孤为消气，虚泄为夺血。孤为逆，虚为从。行奇恒之法，以太阴始。行所不胜曰逆，逆则死；行所胜曰从，从则活。八风四时之胜，终而复始，逆行一过，不复可数，论要毕矣。
Huangdi asked: I have heard of assessing measures and of the extraordinary and the constant, and that what they refer to differs — how are they to be applied? Qibo replied: Assessing measures means gauging the depth of a disease. The extraordinary refers to unusual diseases. Let me speak of the ultimate reckoning of the Way: the five colors, the changes of the pulse, assessing measures, and the extraordinary and the constant — the Way lies in unity. The spirit turns and does not reverse; if it reverses, it no longer turns, and thereby loses its pivot. The essentials of the ultimate reckoning are pressing and close, yet subtle; when inscribed on jade tablets, this is called uniting with the jade pivot.
When facial complexion appears in the upper, lower, left, and right regions of the face, each has its own essential meaning. If the color appears shallow, decoctions govern the treatment, and the disease will resolve within ten days. If it appears deep, potent formulas of medicine must govern the treatment, and it will resolve within twenty-one days. If it appears extremely deep, sweet wine ferments govern the treatment, and it will resolve within a hundred days. If the complexion is withered and the face gaunt, it cannot be treated, and the patient will die within a hundred days. If the pulse is short and the qi cut off, death follows; in warm disease with extreme deficiency, death follows. When complexion appears in the upper, lower, left, and right, each has its own essential meaning: appearing above indicates a contrary condition, appearing below indicates a compliant condition. In women, complexion appearing on the right is contrary and the left is compliant; in men, the left is contrary and the right is compliant. A change resulting in doubled yang leads to death, and doubled yin leads to death.
When yin and yang reverse into their opposites, treatment lies in weighing and balancing to seize back the advantage — these are matters of the extraordinary and matters of assessing measures. A pounding, struggling pulse indicates numbness and paralysis, the interaction of cold and heat. An isolated pulse indicates dissipation of qi; deficiency with diarrhea indicates loss of blood. An isolated pulse is contrary; a deficient pulse is compliant. In applying the method of the extraordinary and the constant, begin with the greater yin. To proceed toward what one cannot overcome is called contrary, and being contrary leads to death; to proceed toward what one can overcome is called compliant, and being compliant leads to survival. The overcoming relationships of the eight winds and four seasons end and begin again in cycle; if one deviates from this succession even once, it can no longer be reckoned. Thus the essentials of this discourse are complete.