Commentary Five on Faults

The Yellow Emperor said, "Alas, how far away is the closed world? It's like looking into the abyss or meeting the floating clouds. Looking into the abyss, one can still measure it; meeting the floating clouds, one cannot know where it is." The art of the sage is for the common people. When discussing and judging the will and intention, there must be rules. By following the classics and numbers, and adhering to medical practices, it is for the common people. There are five faults and four virtues in the story. Do you know them? Lei Gong abstained from his seat and paid homage to the sun again: "I am young and confused by ignorance. I have not heard of the Five faults and the Four virtues. I compare them with other forms and names, and quote their scriptures in vain. My mind has no focus." The emperor said, "Those who have not been diagnosed with illness will inevitably experience high and low prices from time to time. Even if they are not infected by evil, their illness will arise from within and they will lose their health day after day." After experiencing wealth and then falling into poverty, one may lose essence during the day, have the five qi lingering, and suffer from various diseases. The medical engineer examined him, not in the Tibetan mansion, without changing his physical form. He examined him with doubts and did not know the name of the disease. The body deteriorates day by day, qi is weak and lacks essence, the illness is severe and there is no qi. When exposed to the sun, one feels dizzy and startled. For those with a severe illness, due to the external consumption of the body's defense and the internal occupation of the body's honor, good work is lost and the condition is unknown. This is also one of the faults of treatment. All those who wish to seek medical treatment must alternate their diet and living conditions, experiencing extreme joy and suffering, starting with joy and then suffering. All these will deplete their vital energy. When vital energy is exhausted, the body will be ruined. Rage harms Yin, and excessive joy harms Yang. The qi of the Jujie ascends, forming a history of the entire pulse. Blindly treating the patient without knowing how to tonify or purifier, or the condition of the illness, the essence gradually deplets and the pathogenic factors merge. This is the second flaw of the treatment. Those who are good at diagnosing the pulse must be able to understand it with ease and composure. If one is skilled but does not know, this diagnosis is insufficient and this treatment is the third flaw. There are three constant principles in diagnosis: one must inquire about nobility and lowliness, the status of a Lord, his downfall and injury, as well as the desire for a marquis or a king. Therefore, even if one is not possessed by evil, internal harm to the spirit will surely lead to the downfall of the body. At first, one becomes rich but then poor. Although it does not harm the pathogenic factors, the skin is scorched and the tendons are bent, and there are frequent contractions and cramps. If medicine cannot be strict and cannot move the spirit, it will be weak externally, chaotic to the point of abnormality, and the disease cannot be moved. Then the medical practice will be ineffective. This is the fourth flaw of treatment. All doctors must know the beginning and the end, be aware of the afterthoughts, take the pulse and ask the name, and be appropriate for both male and female patients. Apart from the beauty of flowers, the fear of joy and anger, the emptiness of the five organs, the separation of blood and qi, the inability to know, what kind of art can be used? After suffering a severe injury, he cut off his tendons and meridians, but his body resumed normal movement and his energy never ceased. Therefore, when the injury is defeated, a thin body is left to return to Yang, and pus accumulates with cold spirit. Rough treatment involves stabbing the Yin and Yang, causing the body to disintegrate, the four tendons to shift, and a definite return to death. However, if the doctor fails to identify the cause and only claims a return to death without considering the root cause, this is also considered rough treatment. This is the fifth fault of the treatment. All these five are due to the lack of understanding of techniques and human affairs. Therefore, it is said that when a sage treats diseases, he must understand the Yin and Yang of heaven and earth, the four seasons, the five storage areas and the six residences, the male and female, the exterior and interior, the acupuncture and moxibustion cabinets and stones, the master of poisons, and handle affairs with composure to understand the classics. ① Jing: The original work is "light", and ② Fu: it seems to be "negative". Dao. The noble and the humble, the rich and the poor, all have different moral principles. By inquiring about the principles of youth and age, courage and timidity, and examining each part, one can understand the root cause of illness. When a person is in the correct state, the diagnosis will surely be appropriate. The way to treat diseases lies in the fact that qi is precious within. If one follows its principle but fails to achieve it, the problem lies both inside and outside. By adhering to data for governance and never losing one's principles, if one can master this technique, one will never be in danger throughout life. Without understanding the principles of Yu, when the five viscera are hot and abscesses occur in the six viscera, and the diagnosis is not thorough, it is called disorder. Adhere to this treatment, which is in line with the classics. The Zhuangjing and Huaijing, in accordance with the principles of Yin and Yang, are extraordinary and constant among the five middle points, determine the brightness of the hall, and review from beginning to end, allowing for the operation of all directions.