素问·藏气法时论 Discourse on the Qi of the Five Viscera Patterned on the Seasons
黄帝问曰：合人形以法四时五行而治，何如而从，何如而逆，得失之意，愿闻其事。歧伯对曰：五行者，金木水火土也，更贵更贱，以知死生，以决成败，而定五藏之气，间甚之时，死生之期也。帝曰：愿卒闻之。歧伯曰：肝主春，足厥阴少阳主治，其日甲乙，肝苦急，急食甘以缓之。心主夏，手少阴太阳主治，其日丙丁，心苦缓，急食酸以收之。脾主长夏，足太阴阳明主治，其日戊己，脾苦湿，急食甘以缓之。心主夏，手少阴太阳主治，其日丙丁，心苦缓，急食酸以收之。脾主长夏，足太阴阳明主治，其日戊己，脾苦湿，急食苦以燥之。肺主秋，手太阴阳明主治，其日庚辛，肺苦气上逆，急食苦以泄之。肾主冬，足少阴太阳主治，其日壬癸，肾苦燥，急食辛以润之，开腠理，致津液，通气也。
病在肝，愈于夏，夏不愈，甚于秋，秋不死，持于冬，起于春，禁当风。肝病者，愈在丙丁，丙丁不愈，加于庚辛，庚辛不死，持于壬癸，起于甲乙。肝病者，平旦慧，下晡甚，夜半静。肝欲散，急食辛以散之，用辛补之，酸写之。
病在心，愈在长夏，长夏不愈，甚于冬，冬不死，持于春，起于夏，禁温食热衣。心病者，愈在戊己，戊己不愈，加于壬癸，壬癸不死，持于甲乙，起于丙丁。心病者，日中慧，夜半甚，平旦静。心欲耎，急食咸以耎之，用咸补之，甘写之。
病在脾，愈在秋，秋不愈，甚于春，春不死，持于夏，起于长夏，禁温食饱食湿地濡衣。脾病者，愈在庚辛，庚辛不愈，加于甲乙，甲乙不死，持于丙丁，起于戊己。脾病者，日昳慧，日出甚，下晡静。脾欲缓，急食甘以缓之，用苦写之，甘补之。
病在肺，愈在冬，冬不愈，甚于夏，夏不死，持于长夏，起于秋，禁寒饮食寒衣。肺病者，愈在壬癸，壬癸不愈，加于丙丁，丙丁不死，持于戊己，起于庚辛。肺病者，下晡慧，日中甚，夜半静。肺欲收，急食酸以收之，用酸补之，辛写之。
病在肾，愈在春，春不愈，甚于长夏，长夏不死，持于秋，起于冬，禁犯焠㶼热食温炙衣。肾病者，愈在甲乙，甲乙不愈，甚于戊己，戊己不死，持于庚辛，起于壬癸。肾病者，夜半慧，四季甚，下晡静。肾欲坚，急食苦以坚之，用苦补之，咸写之。
夫邪气之客于身也，以胜相加，至其所生而愈，至其所不胜而甚，至于所生而持，自得其位而起。必先定五藏之脉，乃可言间甚之时，死生之期也。
肝病者，两脇下痛引少腹，令人善怒，虚则目䀮䀮无所见，耳无所闻，善恐如人将捕之，取其经，厥阴与少阳，气逆，则头痛耳聋不聪颊肿。取血者。
心病者，胸中痛，脇支满，脇下痛，膺背肩甲间痛，两臂内痛，虚则胸腹大，脇下与腰相引而痛，取其经者，少阴太阳，舌下血者。其变病，刺郄中血者。
脾病者，身重善肌肉痿，足不收，行善瘈，脚下痛，虚则腹满肠鸣，飱泄食不化，取其经，太阴阳明少阴血者。
肺病者，喘咳逆气，肩背痛，汗出尻阴股膝髀腨胻足皆痛，虚则少气不能报息，耳聋嗌乾，取其经，太阴足太阳之外厥阴内血者。
肾病者，腹大胫肿，喘咳身重，寝汗出憎风，虚则胸中痛，大腹小腹痛，清厥意不乐，取其经，少阴太阳血者。
肝色青，宜食甘，粳米、牛肉、枣、葵皆甘。心色赤，宜食酸，小豆、犬肉、李、韭皆酸。肺色白，宜食苦，麦、羊肉、杏、薤皆苦。脾色黄，宜食咸，大豆、豕肉、栗、藿皆咸。肾色黑，宜食辛，黄黍、鸡肉、桃、葱皆辛。辛散，酸收，甘缓，苦坚，咸耎。毒药攻邪，五谷为养，五果为助，五畜为益，五菜为充，气味合而服之，以补精益气。此五者。有辛酸甘苦咸，各有所利，或散或收，或缓或急，或坚或耎，四时五藏，病随五味所宜也。
Huangdi asked: In according the human body with the pattern of the four seasons and the five phases in treatment, what course follows the natural order and what course goes against it? I wish to hear the principles of gain and loss in this matter. Qibo replied: The five phases are metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. They alternately wax and wane in ascendancy, by which one may know death and life, determine success and failure, and fix the timing of the ebb and flow of qi in the five viscera — the periods of remission and exacerbation, and the times of death and life. Huangdi said: I wish to hear the whole of it. Qibo said: The liver governs spring; the foot jueyin and shaoyang channels govern its treatment; its days are jia and yi (the first two of the ten Heavenly Stems). The liver suffers from being drawn up tight, so one should promptly eat sweet foods to relax it. The heart governs summer; the hand shaoyin and taiyang channels govern its treatment; its days are bing and ding. The heart suffers from laxity, so one should promptly eat sour foods to constrict it. The spleen governs long summer; the foot taiyin and yangming channels govern its treatment; its days are wu and ji. The spleen suffers from dampness, so one should promptly eat sweet foods to relax it. The heart governs summer; the hand shaoyin and taiyang channels govern its treatment; its days are bing and ding. The heart suffers from laxity, so one should promptly eat sour foods to constrict it. The spleen governs long summer; the foot taiyin and yangming channels govern its treatment; its days are wu and ji. The spleen suffers from dampness, so one should promptly eat bitter foods to dry it. The lung governs autumn; the hand taiyin and yangming channels govern its treatment; its days are geng and xin. The lung suffers from qi rebelling upward, so one should promptly eat bitter foods to drain it. The kidney governs winter; the foot shaoyin and taiyang channels govern its treatment; its days are ren and gui. The kidney suffers from dryness, so one should promptly eat pungent foods to moisten it, opening the interstices, bringing forth fluids, and freeing the flow of qi.
When disease is in the liver, it resolves in summer; if it does not resolve in summer, it worsens in autumn; if it does not cause death in autumn, it stabilizes in winter and flares up again in spring. The patient should avoid exposure to wind. In liver disease, recovery occurs on the days bing and ding; if not resolved on bing and ding, it worsens on geng and xin; if it does not cause death on geng and xin, it stabilizes on ren and gui, and flares up again on jia and yi. In liver disease, the patient is clearer at dawn, worsens in the late afternoon, and is calm at midnight. The liver desires to disperse; one should promptly eat pungent foods to disperse it — use pungent flavor to supplement it and sour flavor to drain it.
When disease is in the heart, it resolves in long summer; if it does not resolve in long summer, it worsens in winter; if it does not cause death in winter, it stabilizes in spring and flares up again in summer. The patient should avoid warm food and hot clothing. In heart disease, recovery occurs on wu and ji; if not resolved on wu and ji, it worsens on ren and gui; if it does not cause death on ren and gui, it stabilizes on jia and yi, and flares up again on bing and ding. In heart disease, the patient is clearer at midday, worsens at midnight, and is calm at dawn. The heart desires softness; one should promptly eat salty foods to soften it — use salty flavor to supplement it and sweet flavor to drain it.
When disease is in the spleen, it resolves in autumn; if it does not resolve in autumn, it worsens in spring; if it does not cause death in spring, it stabilizes in summer and flares up again in long summer. The patient should avoid warm food, overeating, damp ground, and wet clothing. In spleen disease, recovery occurs on geng and xin; if not resolved on geng and xin, it worsens on jia and yi; if it does not cause death on jia and yi, it stabilizes on bing and ding, and flares up again on wu and ji. In spleen disease, the patient is clearer in the early afternoon, worsens at sunrise, and is calm in the late afternoon. The spleen desires relaxation; one should promptly eat sweet foods to relax it — use bitter flavor to drain it and sweet flavor to supplement it.
When disease is in the lung, it resolves in winter; if it does not resolve in winter, it worsens in summer; if it does not cause death in summer, it stabilizes in long summer and flares up again in autumn. The patient should avoid cold food, cold drink, and cold clothing. In lung disease, recovery occurs on ren and gui; if not resolved on ren and gui, it worsens on bing and ding; if it does not cause death on bing and ding, it stabilizes on wu and ji, and flares up again on geng and xin. In lung disease, the patient is clearer in the late afternoon, worsens at midday, and is calm at midnight. The lung desires constriction; one should promptly eat sour foods to constrict it — use sour flavor to supplement it and pungent flavor to drain it.
When disease is in the kidney, it resolves in spring; if it does not resolve in spring, it worsens in long summer; if it does not cause death in long summer, it stabilizes in autumn and flares up again in winter. The patient should avoid searing heat, hot food, and warm, overheated clothing. In kidney disease, recovery occurs on jia and yi; if not resolved on jia and yi, it worsens on wu and ji; if it does not cause death on wu and ji, it stabilizes on geng and xin, and flares up again on ren and gui. In kidney disease, the patient is clearer at midnight, worsens at the turning points of the four seasons, and is calm in the late afternoon. The kidney desires firmness; one should promptly eat bitter foods to firm it — use bitter flavor to supplement it and salty flavor to drain it.
When pathogenic qi lodges in the body, it advances by way of the phase that overcomes the affected organ's phase; the disease resolves when it reaches the phase that the organ generates; it worsens when it reaches the phase that overcomes the organ; it stabilizes when it reaches the phase that generates the organ; and it flares up again when it reaches the organ's own proper phase-position. One must first determine the pulses of the five viscera before one can speak of the timing of remission and exacerbation, and the periods of death and life.
In liver disease, there is pain under both flanks pulling into the lower abdomen, causing the person to be prone to anger. In deficiency, the eyes are dim and see nothing, the ears hear nothing, and the person is prone to fear, as if someone were about to seize him. Select the jueyin and shaoyang channels. When the qi rebels upward, there is headache, deafness, impaired hearing, and swelling of the cheeks; bleed the channel.
In heart disease, there is pain in the chest, a bracing fullness in the flanks, pain under the flanks, pain in the chest, back, and between the shoulder blades, and pain along the inner arms. In deficiency, the chest and abdomen become distended, with pain pulling between the flanks and the lower back. Select the shaoyin and taiyang channels, and bleed under the tongue. For its complicated transformations, needle and bleed the Weizhong (Bend Center) point.
In spleen disease, the body feels heavy, the muscles tend toward wasting, the feet cannot be controlled, walking is often accompanied by spasms, and there is pain in the soles of the feet. In deficiency, the abdomen is distended and there is intestinal rumbling, with undigested food in loose stools. Select the taiyin, yangming, and shaoyin channels and bleed them.
In lung disease, there is panting and coughing with rebellious qi, pain in the shoulders and back, sweating, and pain throughout the buttocks, genitals, thighs, knees, hips, calves, shins, and feet. In deficiency, there is shortness of breath such that one cannot complete an exhalation, deafness, and dryness of the throat. Select the taiyin channel, the points outside the foot taiyin channel, and the points inside the jueyin channel, and bleed them.
In kidney disease, the abdomen is distended and the shins are swollen, with panting, coughing, and heaviness of the body; night sweats occur during sleep, and there is aversion to wind. In deficiency, there is pain in the chest, pain in the upper and lower abdomen, cold reversal of the limbs, and a despondent mood. Select the shaoyin and taiyang channels and bleed them.
The liver's color is blue-green; it is proper to eat sweet foods — polished rice, beef, jujubes, and mallow are all sweet. The heart's color is red; it is proper to eat sour foods — red beans, dog meat, plums, and chives are all sour. The lung's color is white; it is proper to eat bitter foods — wheat, mutton, apricots, and scallion-leek are all bitter. The spleen's color is yellow; it is proper to eat salty foods — soybeans, pork, chestnuts, and bean leaves are all salty. The kidney's color is black; it is proper to eat pungent foods — yellow millet, chicken, peaches, and scallions are all pungent. Pungent flavor disperses, sour flavor constricts, sweet flavor relaxes, bitter flavor firms, and salty flavor softens. Potent drugs attack pathogenic qi; the five grains provide nourishment; the five fruits give assistance; the five kinds of meat provide benefit; the five vegetables supply fullness. When qi and flavor are properly combined and taken, they supplement essence and boost qi. Of these five flavors — pungent, sour, sweet, bitter, and salty — each has its own benefit: some disperse, some constrict; some relax, some tighten; some firm, some soften. According to the four seasons and the five viscera, disease is treated according to whichever of the five flavors is appropriate.