舌心外候本泽红，红深赤色热为轻，外红内紫为热重，滑白寒表少阳经，沉迟细紧
脏寒结，干薄气液两虚空，黄黑苔润里热浅，焦干刺裂热深明，黑滑若与三阴见，水来克
火百无生。
【注】舌者心之外候，色应红泽为无病也。
若初感内外红深，则为有热。外红内紫，则为热甚。舌苔滑白，则为表寒。其苔渐浓，则
为传少阳经也。热者宜辛凉汗之，寒者宜辛温汗之。在少阳者为胸中有寒，丹田有热也，
小柴胡汤两解之。胸中指表也，浅也；丹田指里也，深也。非直指胸中丹田，谓半里之
热未成，半表之寒犹在。故舌白一证，有寒有热也，若其苔滑浓与阴证脉同见，乃脏虚
寒结，以理中加枳实温而开之。若其苔干薄与阳证同见，乃气虚液竭，以白虎加人参清
而补之。若白苔渐变黄色，此为去表入里，其热尚浅，表不罢者，宜三黄石膏汤；已入里
者，凉膈散，如焦干黑色，或芒刺裂纹，此为里热已深，宜栀子金花汤。兼满痛者，大
承气汤。红，火色也；黑，水色也。与三阳证见，为热极反兼胜已之化，清之下之，尚
可治也。若与三阴证见，则为水来克火，百无一生。治者以生姜擦之，其黑色稍退，急
用附子理中、四逆辈救之可生。
邪气传里必先胸，由胸及胁少阳经。太阳脉浮惟胸满，过经不解有阳明。干呕潮热
胸胁满，大柴加硝两解行。心腹引胁硬满痛，干呕尿秘十枣攻。
【注】邪气传里必先自胸，若脉浮惟胸满而不及胁者，仍属太阳表分也，宜麻黄汤。因
胸及胁而皆满者，属少阳经也，宜小柴胡汤。若十余日不解，而胸胁满，兼干呕潮热者，是
少阳兼有阳明也，宜大柴胡汤加芒硝两解之。若表已解，心下及腹引胁、满硬而痛，干呕
小便不利者，是停饮内实也，宜十枣汤攻之。
舌心（舌面中心）的外部征象本应是润泽的红色，红色加深变为赤色表示热势较轻；外部红而内部紫暗表示热势严重；舌苔滑白属于表寒兼少阳经病变，脉象沉迟细紧则提示脏腑虚寒凝结；舌苔干薄表示气液两虚；黄黑苔且湿润表示里热尚浅；焦黑干燥并伴有芒刺裂纹表示热势极深明显；若黑滑苔与三阴病证同时出现，则是水克火之象，预后不良，百无一生。
【注】舌是心的外在征象，颜色呈现红润光泽为无病状态。如果初感病邪时内外皆红且色深，说明体内有热。外部红内部紫，说明热势极盛。舌苔滑白，说明是表寒。舌苔逐渐变厚浓密，说明病邪传入少阳经。对于热证适宜用辛凉药物发汗解表，对于寒证适宜用辛温药物发汗解表。病在少阳经表现为胸中有寒、丹田有热，可用小柴胡汤双向调节。这里的“胸中”指表、指浅；“丹田”指里、指深。并非直接指解剖学上的胸中和丹田，而是说半里的热邪尚未形成，半表的寒邪依然存在。所以舌苔发白这一症状，既有寒证也有热证。如果舌苔滑厚且与阴证脉象同见，这是脏腑虚寒凝结，应用理中汤加枳实温补并开结。如果舌苔干薄且与阳证同见，这是气虚液竭，应用白虎加人参汤清热并补益。如果白苔逐渐变为黄色，这说明病邪由表入里，热势尚浅，如果表证未除，宜用三黄石膏汤；如果病邪已入里，宜用凉膈散。如果舌苔焦黑干燥，或有芒刺裂纹，这说明里热已深，宜用栀子金花汤。如果兼有腹部胀满疼痛，宜用大承气汤。红色是火的颜色；黑色是水的颜色。如果黑苔与三阳病证同见，是热极反而兼有胜己之化（即真寒假热或热极似水），采用清热和攻下法，还可以治疗。如果黑苔与三阴病证同见，则是水来克火，百无一生。医生可以用生姜擦拭舌面，如果黑色稍退，急用附子理中汤、四逆汤之类急救可以存活。
邪气传入里部必先经过胸部，再由胸部波及胁部，涉及少阳经。太阳病脉浮仅表现为胸部胀满，如果经过传变仍未解除，可能涉及阳明经。出现干呕、潮热、胸胁胀满，是大柴胡汤加芒硝双向和解少阳与阳明。如果心腹部牵引胁肋部硬满疼痛，伴有干呕、小便闭塞，需用十枣汤攻逐水饮。
【注】邪气传入里部必然先从胸部开始，如果脉象浮仅见胸部胀满而未波及胁部，仍属于太阳表分，宜用麻黄汤。如果胸部和胁部都感到胀满，属于少阳经病变，宜用小柴胡汤。如果十余日病情未解，出现胸胁胀满，兼有干呕、潮热，这是少阳病兼有阳明病，宜用大柴胡汤加芒硝双向和解。如果表证已解，心下及腹部牵引胁肋部，胀满坚硬且疼痛，伴有干呕、小便不利，这是水饮停聚且内有实邪，宜用十枣汤攻逐。
The external manifestation of the center of the tongue (She Xin) should originally be moist and red. If the redness deepens to crimson, it indicates mild heat; if the exterior is red and the interior is purplish, it indicates severe heat; a slippery white coating with a deep, slow, fine, and tight pulse suggests internal cold due to organ deficiency and knotting; a dry and thin coating indicates emptiness of both Qi and fluids; a yellow or black coating that is moist indicates shallow interior heat; a scorched, dry coating with prickles and cracks clearly indicates profound heat; if a slippery black coating appears alongside Shaoyin disease patterns, it signifies Water overcoming Fire, a condition with no hope of survival.
[Note] The tongue is the external indicator of the Heart. A color that is red and lustrous indicates health. If upon initial contraction of pathogenic factors, both the interior and exterior are deeply red, it indicates the presence of heat. If the exterior is red and the interior is purple, it indicates extreme heat. A slippery white coating indicates exterior cold. As the coating gradually becomes thicker and denser, it indicates transmission to the Shaoyang channel. For heat syndromes, acrid-cool diaphoresis is appropriate; for cold syndromes, acrid-warm diaphoresis is appropriate. Involvement of the Shaoyang channel manifests as cold in the chest and heat in the Dantian, which can be harmonized by Xiao Chai Hu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Decoction). Here, "chest" refers to the exterior and superficial aspect; "Dantian" refers to the interior and deep aspect. This does not refer directly to the anatomical chest or Dantian, but rather implies that half-interior heat has not yet fully formed, while half-exterior cold remains. Therefore, a white tongue coating can indicate either cold or heat. If a slippery, thick coating appears simultaneously with Yin-pattern pulses, it indicates organ deficiency and cold knotting, treated with Li Zhong Tang (Regulate the Middle Decoction) plus Zhi Shi (Immature Bitter Orange) to warm and resolve the knot. If a dry, thin coating appears simultaneously with Yang-pattern signs, it indicates Qi deficiency and fluid exhaustion, treated with Bai Hu Jia Ren Shen Tang (White Tiger Plus Ginseng Decoction) to clear heat and tonify. If a white coating gradually turns yellow, this indicates the pathogen moving from the exterior to the interior, with heat still shallow; if exterior symptoms persist, San Huang Shi Gao Tang (Three Yellows and Gypsum Decoction) is indicated; if the pathogen has entered the interior, Liang Ge San (Cooling Diaphragm Powder) is indicated. If the coating is scorched, dry, black, with prickles and cracks, it indicates profound interior heat, treated with Zhi Zi Jin Hua Tang (Gardenia Golden Flower Decoction). If accompanied by abdominal fullness and pain, Da Cheng Qi Tang (Major Order the Qi Decoction) is indicated. Red is the color of Fire; Black is the color of Water. If black coating appears with Yangming/Shaoyang/Yangming patterns, it represents extreme heat mimicking its counteracting element (Water); clearing heat and purging may still be curative. If black coating appears with Three Yin patterns, it signifies Water overcoming Fire, a fatal prognosis. Physicians may wipe the tongue with fresh Ginger; if the black color fades slightly, urgent rescue with Fu Zi Li Zhong Tang (Aconite Regulate the Middle Decoction) or Si Ni Tang (Frigid Extremities Decoction) may save the patient.
Pathogenic factors transmitting to the interior must first pass through the chest, then spread to the hypochondrium, involving the Shaoyang channel. Taiyang disease presents with a floating pulse and only chest fullness; if unrelieved after passing through stages, it may involve the Yangming channel. Dry retching, tidal fever, and chest-hypochondriac fullness require Da Chai Hu Tang (Major Bupleurum Decoction) plus Mang Xiao (Mirabilite) for dual harmonization. If the heart and abdomen radiate to the hypochondrium with hard, full, painful distension, accompanied by dry retching and urinary retention, Shi Zao Tang (Ten Jujube Decoction) is used to attack the retained fluid.
[Note] Pathogenic factors transmitting to the interior necessarily start from the chest. If the pulse is floating and only chest fullness is present without extending to the hypochondrium, it still belongs to the Taiyang exterior, treated with Ma Huang Tang (Ephedra Decoction). If both the chest and hypochondrium are full, it belongs to the Shaoyang channel, treated with Xiao Chai Hu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Decoction). If unresolved after ten-plus days, with chest-hypochondriac fullness, dry retching, and tidal fever, this is Shaoyyang syndrome combined with Yangming syndrome, treated with Da Chai Hu Tang (Major Bupleurum Decoction) plus Mang Xiao (Mirabilite) for dual harmonization. If the exterior syndrome has resolved, and there is hardness, fullness, and pain in the epigastrium and abdomen radiating to the hypochondrium, accompanied by dry retching and dysuria, this is retained fluid with interior excess, treated with Shi Zao Tang (Ten Jujube Decoction) to purge.