方盛衰论篇/Fang Sheng Shuai Lun

(On the Prosperity and Debility of the Yin and Yang Energies)

雷公请问气之多少，何者为逆，何者为从。黄帝答曰:阳从左，阴从右，老从上，少从下。是以春夏归阳为生，归秋冬为死，反之，则归秋冬为生，是以气多少，逆皆为厥。

Lei Gong asked:"In the prosperity and debility of the energies, what is adverse and what is agreeable?" Yellow Emperor said:"The Yang energy moves from the left to the right, the Yin energy moves from the right to the left; the energy of the elders moves from below to above, and the energy of juveniles moves from below to above. So, when the Yang energy returns to spring and summer, it is agreeable and causes survival, when the Yang energy returns to autumn and winter, it is adverse and causes death. In the vice versa, when the Yin energy returns to autumn and winter, it is agreeable and causes survival, when the Yin energy returns to spring and summer, it is adverse and causes death. Therefore, no matter the energy is prosperous or debilitating, the jueni-syndrome (coldness of extremities) will occur whenever the energy is adverse."

问日:有余者厥耶?答日:一上不下，寒厥到膝，少者秋冬死，老者秋冬生;气上不下，头痛巅疾，求阳不得，求阴不审，五部隔无征，若居旷野，若伏空室，绵绵乎属不满日。

Lei Gong asked:"Can a man contract jue-syndrome when his energy is having a surplus?" Yellow Emperor said: "If the Yang energy ascends continuously without descending, it will cause the cold feet under the knees. If this disease happens to a youth in autumn or winter, he will die; if it happens to an elder people in autumn or winter, he will survive. When the Yang energy ascends without descending, it will cause headache and the diseases of head. When you take the jue-syndrome as a Yang disease, you can not find the Yang heat, when you take it as a Yin disease, you can not distinguish the cold energy of Yin. It is a syndrome like Yang and also like that of Yin. Besides, the viscera seem quite remote and there are no prominent syndromes manifested for verifying. It seems that the patient is in the wilderness or hiding himself in an empty room where he can hardly see things clearly even with a concentrated mind.

是以少气之厥，令人妄梦，其极至迷，三阳绝，三阴微，是为少气。

"Thus, when one's energy is deficient in the jue-syndrome, he will have nonsensical dreams, when the energy is extremely deficient, the dreams will be fantastic and perplexing. When the energies of the three Yang channels are severed, and the energies of the three Yin channels are fine when diagnosing, it is the symptom of the deficiency of energy.

是以肺气虚，则使人梦见白物，见人斩血藉藉，得其时则梦见兵战。肾气虚，则使人梦见舟船溺人，得其时则梦伏水中，若有畏恐。肝气虚则梦见菌香生草，得其时则梦伏树下不敢起。心气虚则梦救火阳物，得其时则梦燔灼。脾气虚则梦饮食不足，得其时则梦筑垣盖屋。此皆五藏气虚，阳气有余，阴气不足，合之五诊，调之阴阳，以在经脉。

"When the lung energy is deficient, the patient will see white things in the dream, or dream of the slaughtering and bleeding of men, when the lung metal energy is prosperous, he will dream of war.

"When the energy of kidney water is deficient, he will dream of boat and the drowning of men, when the energy of kidney water is prosperous, he will dream of the hiding of himself in the water like encountering something dreadful.

"When the energy of liver wood is deficient, he will dream of fragrant grasses and trees, when the energy of liver wood is prosperous, he will dream of his hidding under a tree, daring not to get up.

"When the energy of the heart fire is deficient, he will dream of putting out a fire and dream of lightening, when the energy of the heart fire is prosperous, he will dream of a big fire is burning.

"When the energy of the spleen earth is deficient, he will dream of the insufficiency of his food and drink, when the energy of the spleen earth is prosperous, he will dream of building the wall and house.

"All these cases are caused by the deficienty of the five solid organ's energy and the having a surplus of the six hollow organ's energy. When the Yin energy of the five-viscera is insufficient, the deficiency of Yin leads to hyperactivity of Yang, It causes the dreams to become disorderly, When treating, one shoyld infer the outer appearance of the visceral disease and adjust the Yin and Yang and the twelve channels.