藏气法时论篇/Zang Qi Fa Shi Lun

(On the Relation Between Energies of Five Viscera and the Four Seasons)

黄帝问日: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。岐伯对日: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。

Yellow Emperor asked:"When one treats the disease integrating the human body and following the law of the four seasons and the five elements, what is the agreeable way and what is the adverse way, which way will be hitting and which way will be missing?" Qibo answered:"The five elements you have said are metal, wood, water, fire and earth, from which one can infer whether the disease is serious or not, whether the treating will be successful or not by the variations of decline and prosperity, producing and restricting of them, so as one can distinguish the prosperity or decline of the five viscera, the serious extent of the disease, and the date of death or survival of the patient."

帝日:原卒闻之。岐伯日:肝主春，足厥阴少阳主治，其日甲乙，肝苦急，急食甘以缓之。

Yellow Emperor said:"I hope you can tell me in details." Qibo said:"The liver takes charge of the energy of spring which is the season of wood, there are Yin wood and Yang wood, when liver is in the Foot Jueyin Channel, it is Yin wood, when the gallbladder is in the Foot Shaoyang Channel, it is Yang wood, in spring, these are the two main channels for treating. Jia and Yi associate with wood, so Jia and Yi are the days when liver being prosperous, The characteristic of liver is impetuos which should be moderated with medicine of sweet taste.

心主夏，手少阴太阳主治，其日丙丁，心苦缓，急食酸以收之。

"The heart takes charge of the energy of summer which is the season of fire, there are Yin fire and Yang fire, when the heart is in the Hand Shaoyin Channel, it is Yin fire, when the small intestine is in the Hand Taiyang Channel, it is Yang fire; in summer, these are the two main channels for treating. Bing and Ding associate to the fire, so Bing and Ding are the days when the heart energy being prosperous. The characteristic of heart is dispersing, it should be gathered with medicine of sour taste.

脾主长夏，足太阴阳明主治，其日戊已，脾苦湿，急食苦[《素问绍识》:“‘苦’是‘咸’之误”]以燥之。

"The spleen takes charge of the energy of long summer which is the season of earth, there are Yin earth and Yang earth, when the spleen is in the Foot Taiyin Channel, it is Yin earth, when the stomach is in the Foot Yangming Channel, it is Yang earth; in long summer, these are the two main channels for treating. Wu and Ji associate with earth, so Wu and Ji are the days when the spleen being prosperous. The characteristic of spleen is wet, it should be dried with medicine of salty taste.