头痛之证有三∶一太阳头痛，一少阳头痛，一厥阴头痛。太阳之脉，上额交巅络脑，而太阳之上，寒气主
之；太阳头痛，寒痛也。少阳之脉，上抵头角，而少阳之
上，相火主之；少阳头痛，火痛也。厥阴之脉，上出额，与督脉会于巅，而厥阴之上，风气主之；厥阴头痛，
风痛也。头痛虽有寒、火、风三者之异，尤当观其微剧，察其阴阳。身有他病而兼头痛，痛之微者也；独患
头痛，其痛欲死，痛之剧者也。凡阴血虚而阳热盛，则痛微；若阳气虚而阴寒盛，则痛剧。风火头痛，有余则
清散之，不足则滋补之。阴寒头痛，乃阴盛阳虚，所谓阳虚头痛者是也，非桂、附、参、 不能治之。世遇头
痛之证，便谓外受风寒，即与发散；发散不愈，渐加寒凉，非芎、防、荆、羌，即芩、连、栀、膏，风火头痛
而遇此，不致丧身，若阳虚头痛而遇此，必致殒命矣。可不慎哉！
世有三阴无头痛之说，岂知阴虚头痛，纯属阴寒，阳几绝灭，病此者，十无一生。所以然者，一如日不丽
天，下沉于海，万方崩陷也。盖人与天地相合，天有日，人亦有日，君火之阳，日也；地有四海，人亦有四海，
头为髓海，胸为气海，胃为谷海，胞中为血海。在天之日，昼行于天，夜行于海；在人之日，既行于天，亦行
于海。自头项至尾闾，如日之行于天也，自血海至髓海，如日之行于海也。今阳虚头痛，乃阴寒蔽日，逆于髓
海，不能上巅至项，以行于背，反从阳入阴，以行于腹。是以头痛不已则心烦，心烦者，阳光逆于气海也；心
烦不已则呕吐，呕吐者，阳光逆于谷海也；呕吐不已则神昏，神昏者，阳光逆于血海也。头痛至神昏，则入阴
之尽，如日
沉海底矣。在天则万方崩陷而大荒，在人则阳光绝灭而身死。不知其源，妄投汤药，至治之不效。有云肝风
入脑者，有云客寒犯脑者，有云真头痛者，其言如是，而散风、散寒之药，终以不免。岂知散之之法，非所
以治之，适所以害之，旨哉！《灵枢》四海论云∶得顺者生，得逆者败；知调者利，不知调者害。其即日逆
于海之头痛，而医者倒行逆施，不善治而致死之谓欤！
头痛这一病证主要有三种类型：一种是太阳头痛，一种是少阳头痛，一种是厥阴头痛。足太阳膀胱经的经脉，上行至额部，交会于头顶并络属脑部，而太阳经之上，由寒气所主；所以太阳头痛，属于寒性疼痛。足少阳胆经的经脉，上行抵住头角，而少阳经之上，由相火所主；所以少阳头痛，属于火性疼痛。足厥阴肝经的经脉，上行出于额部，与督脉会合于头顶，而厥阴经之上，由风气所主；所以厥阴头痛，属于风性疼痛。头痛虽然分为寒、火、风三种不同的性质，但更应当观察其疼痛程度的轻重，辨别其阴阳属性。如果身体有其他疾病同时兼有头痛，这是疼痛轻微的情况；如果单独患头痛，且疼痛剧烈到令人想死的地步，这是疼痛严重的情况。凡是阴血亏虚而阳热亢盛的，疼痛通常较轻；如果是阳气虚弱而阴寒内盛的，疼痛则非常剧烈。对于风火引起的头痛，如果属实证（有余），就用清热疏散的方法治疗；如果属虚证（不足），就用滋补的方法治疗。阴寒引起的头痛，是由于阴气盛而阳气虚，也就是所谓的“阳虚头痛”，这种病症非用桂枝、附子、人参、白术等温补药物不能治愈。世间医生遇到头痛的病证，就认为是外感风寒，立即给予发散解表的药物；如果发散后不见好转，又逐渐加入寒凉药物，不是用川芎、防风、荆芥、羌活，就是用黄芩、黄连、栀子、石膏。如果是风火头痛遇到这些寒凉药，不至于丧命；但如果是阳虚头痛遇到这些药，必定会导致死亡。这能不谨慎吗！
世间有一种说法认为三阴经没有头痛的症状，哪里知道阴虚导致的头痛，完全是由于阴寒极盛，阳气几乎灭绝，患这种病的患者，十个人中没有能活下来的。之所以这样，就像太阳不照耀天空，下沉到海里一样，导致万方崩陷。大概人与天地是相合的，天上有太阳，人也有太阳，君火之阳，就像太阳；地上有四海，人也有四海，头部是髓海，胸部是气海，胃是谷海，胞宫（或下焦）是血海。天上的太阳，白天运行于天空，夜晚运行于大海；人体的太阳，既运行于上部（头项背部），也运行于下部（血海）。从头项到尾闾，就像太阳在天空中运行；从血海到髓海，就像太阳在海中运行。现在的阳虚头痛，是因为阴寒遮蔽了太阳，逆乱于髓海，不能上行至头顶和颈项以行于背部，反而从阳分进入阴分，行于腹部。因此，头痛不止就会心烦，心烦，是因为阳光（阳气）逆乱于气海；心烦不止就会呕吐，呕吐，是因为阳光（阳气）逆乱于谷海；呕吐不止就会神志昏迷，神志昏迷，是因为阳光（阳气）逆乱于血海。头痛发展到神志昏迷，就是进入了阴分的尽头，就像太阳沉入海底一样。在天象上表现为万方崩陷和大荒乱，在人身上表现为阳光（阳气）灭绝而死亡。不知道疾病的根源，胡乱投药，直到治疗无效。有人说这是肝风入脑，有人说这是客寒犯脑，有人说这是真头痛，言论如此，但使用散风、散寒的药物，终究无法避免伤害。哪里知道发散的方法，并不是用来治疗这种病的，恰恰是害了病人，这话真是深刻啊！《灵枢·四海论》说：“得到顺调的就生存，得到逆乱的就败亡；懂得调理的就有利，不懂得调理的就有害。”说的不就是这种因阳气逆乱于海的头痛，而医生倒行逆施，不善于治疗而导致死亡的情况吗！
The syndrome of headache has three types: one is Taiyang (Greater Yang) headache, one is Shaoyang (Lesser Yang) headache, and one is Jueyin (Terminal Yin) headache. The meridian of Taiyang ascends to the forehead, intersects at the vertex, and connects with the brain; above Taiyang, Cold Qi governs it; therefore, Taiyang headache is a pain caused by Cold. The meridian of Shaoyang ascends to reach the temporal region; above Shaoyang, Ministerial Fire governs it; therefore, Shaoyang headache is a pain caused by Fire. The meridian of Jueyin ascends out of the forehead and meets the Du Meridian (Governing Vessel) at the vertex; above Jueyin, Wind Qi governs it; therefore, Jueyin headache is a pain caused by Wind. Although headaches differ in being caused by Cold, Fire, or Wind, one must particularly observe the severity of the pain and examine its Yin-Yang nature. If a patient has other diseases accompanied by headache, the pain is mild; if the patient suffers solely from headache, with pain so severe as to feel like death, the pain is extreme. Whenever Yin Blood is deficient and Yang Heat is excessive, the pain is mild; conversely, when Yang Qi is deficient and Yin Cold is excessive, the pain is severe. For wind-fire headaches, if there is excess (repletion), clear and disperse them; if there is deficiency, tonify and nourish them. Headaches due to Yin Cold result from Excess Yin and Deficient Yang, which is what is referred to as "Yang Deficiency Headache"; such conditions cannot be treated without using Gui Zhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction), Fu Zi (Aconite Root), Ren Shen (Ginseng Root), and Bai Zhu (Atractylodes Rhizome). In the world, when physicians encounter headache syndromes, they immediately assume it is external contraction of Wind-Cold and administer dispersing agents; if dispersal fails, they gradually add cold-natured herbs, using either Xiong Chuanshen (Ligusticum Chuanxiong Rhizome), Fangfeng (Saposhnikovia Root), Jingjie (Schizonepeta Spike), Qianghuo (Notopterygium Rhizome), or Huang Qin (Scutellaria Root), Lian Zi (Coptis Rhizome), Zhi Zi (Gardenia Fruit), Shi Gao (Gypsum Fibrosum). If wind-fire headaches are treated this way, death may not ensue; but if Yang deficiency headaches are treated this way, death is certain. How can one not be cautious!
There is a saying in the world that the Three Yin meridians do not present with headache. Who knows that headache due to Yin deficiency, purely caused by severe Yin Cold where Yang Qi is nearly extinguished, results in no survivors out of ten cases. The reason for this is akin to the sun not shining on the sky but sinking into the sea, causing all directions to collapse. Man corresponds to Heaven and Earth; just as Heaven has the Sun, Man also has the Sun—the Yang of Jun Fire (Monarch Fire) is the Sun; just as Earth has the Four Seas, Man also has the Four Seas: the head is the Sea of Marrow, the chest is the Sea of Qi, the stomach is the Sea of Grain, and the Bao Zhong (uterus/lower jiao) is the Sea of Blood. The sun in heaven travels through the sky during the day and through the sea at night; the sun in man travels through the upper body and also through the lower body. From the head and neck to the Weili (tailbone area) is like the sun traveling through the sky; from the Sea of Blood to the Sea of Marrow is like the sun traveling through the sea. Current Yang deficiency headache occurs because Yin Cold obscures the sun, rebelling within the Sea of Marrow, preventing it from ascending to the vertex and nape to travel along the back, instead moving from Yang into Yin and traveling through the abdomen. Therefore, unceasing headache leads to vexation; vexation indicates the Sunlight (Yang Qi) rebelling in the Sea of Qi; unceasing vexation leads to vomiting; vomiting indicates the Sunlight (Yang Qi) rebelling in the Sea of Grain; unceasing vomiting leads to clouded spirit (coma); coma indicates the Sunlight (Yang Qi) rebelling in the Sea of Blood. When headache progresses to coma, it enters the extremity of Yin, like the sun sinking to the bottom of the sea. In heaven, this manifests as universal collapse and great desolation; in man, it manifests as the extinction of Sunlight (Yang Qi) and death. Not knowing the source, practitioners blindly administer decoctions until treatment fails. Some say Liver Wind enters the brain; some say Guest Cold invades the brain; some call it True Headache. Despite such theories, dispersing Wind and dispersing Cold herbs ultimately cause harm. Who knows that dispersing methods are not suitable for treating this condition, but rather cause damage. This insight is profound! The *Lingshu* (Spiritual Pivot) chapter on the Four Seas states: "Those who obtain smooth flow survive; those who obtain rebellion perish; those who know how to regulate benefit; those who do not know how to regulate suffer harm." Does this not refer to headaches caused by Yang Qi rebelling in the seas, where physicians act counter to the natural order, failing to treat properly and causing death?