Huangdi asked: When a person suffers from stomach abscess, how should the diagnosis be made? Qibo replied: To diagnose this, one should examine the stomach pulse. The pulse should be deep and thin; a deep and thin pulse indicates qi counterflow. When there is counterflow, the Renying (ST9) pulse is very strong, and a strong pulse indicates heat. Renying (ST9) is the stomach pulse. When there is counterflow and the pulse is strong, heat accumulates in the appetite and does not disperse, thus causing an abscess in the stomach.
The Emperor said: Good. Why do some people feel restless when lying down? Qibo said: When the organs are injured and the essence has a place to reside, one feels at ease. Therefore, a person cannot suspend their illness.
The Emperor asked: Why do some people find it difficult to lie flat? Qibo replied: The lungs are the canopy of the organs. When lung qi is abundant, the pulse becomes large, and a large pulse makes it difficult to lie flat. This is discussed in the "Extraordinary Yin-Yang" section.
The Emperor asked: For a patient with reversal, the right pulse is deep and tight, while the left pulse is floating and slow. If not, where does the illness primarily reside? Qibo replied: In winter, the right pulse should naturally be deep and tight, which corresponds to the four seasons. The left pulse being floating and slow is contrary to the four seasons. On the left, the illness primarily resides in the kidneys, but it is also related to the lungs, and it should cause lumbago. The Emperor asked: How do you explain this? Qibo said: The shaoyin pulse connects the kidneys and the lungs. Now, since the lung pulse is present, the kidneys are affected, hence the illness of lumbago.
The Emperor said: Good. For those suffering from cervical carbuncle (acute yogenic lymphadenitis of the neck), some are treated with stones, and some with acupuncture, and all are cured. What is the true reason? Qibo said: These are cases of the same name but different levels. For abscesses where the qi is stagnant, it is appropriate to use acupuncture to open and remove it. For cases where qi is abundant and blood is congested, it is appropriate to use stones to drain it. This is what is called treating the same disease differently.The Emperor asked: How does the illness of rage and mania arise? Qibo said: It arises from yang. The Emperor asked: How does yang cause mania? Qibo said: Yang qi, due to sudden obstruction and difficulty in resolution, causes frequent rage. The illness is called heat reversal. The Emperor asked: How do you know this? Qibo said: The yangming pulse is always active, while the taiyang and shaoyang pulses are not. When the inactive pulses become excessively active, this is the sign. The Emperor asked: How is it treated? Qibo said: Depriving the patient of food will cure it. Food enters the yin and generates qi in the yang, so depriving the patient of food will cure it. Have them drink a decoction made from iron filings, as iron filings rapidly lower qi.
The Emperor said: Good. What is the illness where the body is hot, fatigued, sweating profusely as if bathing, averse to wind, and short of breath? Qibo said: The illness is called wine wind. The Emperor asked: How is it treated? Qibo said: Use Alisma and Atractylodes, each ten parts, and five parts of deer antler, mix them, and take a three-finger pinch after meals.
What is called deep and thin is when it feels like a needle to the touch. Rubbing and pressing, the gathered areas are firm, and the broad areas are large. The "Upper Classic" discusses the qi of Tongtian (BL7); the "Lower Classic" discusses the changes of illness; the "Golden Cabinet" determines life and death; the "Measurements" are about pulse diagnosis; the "Extraordinary" discusses unusual diseases. What is called extraordinary is when unusual diseases do not follow the seasonal patterns of death; what is called ordinary is when diseases follow the seasonal patterns of death. What is called measurement is the method of carefully seeking, meaning carefully seeking the pulse principles; what is called degree is determining the location of the illness and measuring it according to the four seasons.