木主酸（收）泻辛（散）补之，火主甘（取舒缓）泻咸（取柔软）补施。土主苦（取坚燥）
泻甘（安缓）味补，金主辛（散）泻酸（收）补为。水主咸（软）泻苦（坚）补是，六气补泻客
后随。辛（散）补酸（收）泻甘（苦急）缓厥，甘泻酸（苦缓）收少阴知。咸补甘泻咸软相，甘
补苦泻甘缓脾。酸补苦泻肺经施，苦补咸泻于水推。更以苦坚以辛润，同极太阳尤其宜。
二火之气虽殊，其用则一。木用辛补酸泻。经注∶辛味散，故补；酸味收，故泻。《校正》
云∶自为一义。今未详。法复司气可犯无犯，如夏寒甚，则可热犯热；不甚，则不可反。
酸主收之属肝脏，苦坚入心甘缓脾。
辛性味散能调肺，咸则软兮于肾宜。
咸寒二火木辛凉，甘热当令治太阳。
苦折太阴宜苦热，阳明之味苦温尝。
明阴阳运转之六气，辨南北岁政之尊卑；察主客胜负之由，审淫胜郁复之变，须在脉候，然
后为工矣。五运不及，则所胜者来克；五运太过，则不胜者受邪。天地六气，互相临遇，应则顺，
否则逆。气相得则和，不
相得则病。唯天地胜复之气不形于证者，乃初气终三气，天之胜，四气尽终气，地之复。盖以气
不以位；故不以形证观察也。
余则当知六脉。故经曰∶厥阴之至，其脉弦；少阴之至，其脉沉；少阳之至，其脉大而浮阳
明之至，其脉短而涩；太阳之至，其脉大而长。至而和则平，至而甚则病，至而反者病，至而不
至者病，未至而至者病，阴阳易者危，不当其位者病，（见于他位也。）迭易其位者病，失守其
位者危，此之谓也。
然人之生也，虽五行备于一身，生气根于内，亦随天地之气卷舒也。何以明之？谓如春脉弦，
夏脉洪，秋脉毛，冬脉石是也。夫人感运气而生，亦曰感运气而疾。《经》曰∶逆之则变生，变
生则病。物生其应世，气脉其应也，当立岁气以诊别之。平人气象论曰∶太阳脉至，洪大而长；
少阳脉至，乍数乍疏，乍短乍长；阳明脉至，浮大而短。《难经》引此，亦论三阴三阳之脉者，
乃以阴阳始生之浅深而言之也。
六脉者，盖言运与气，胜复临遇，正当行令，当其司化之时而应，故脉之动不相同。若交运
交气时日，及期而见，无相先复、不及太甚，方谓之平。若瘥之者，当知其病也。
木行对应酸味，治疗原则是辛味发散以泻，酸味收敛以补；火行对应甘味（取舒缓之意），治疗原则是咸味软坚以泻，甘味缓和以补。土行对应苦味（取坚燥之意），治疗原则是甘味安缓以泻，苦味坚燥以补；金行对应辛味发散以泻，酸味收敛以补。水行对应咸味软坚以泻，苦味坚燥以补，这是六气补泻法则随客气变化而调整的依据。厥阴风木之经，用辛味补、酸味泻，甘味可缓解其急迫；少阴君火之经，用酸味收、甘味泻，需知此理。咸味补、甘味泻，咸能软坚相互为用；甘味补、苦味泻，甘能缓脾。肺经施治用酸味补、苦味泻；肾水推演用苦味补、咸味泻。进一步运用苦味坚阴、辛味润燥，对于太阳病尤为适宜。
二火之气（君火与相火）虽然不同，但其应用原则是一致的。木行使用辛味补、酸味泻。经络注释说：辛味能发散，所以用于补；酸味能收敛，所以用于泻。《校正》认为这是自成一义，如今尚不明确。治疗方法还要看司天在泉之气是否可犯，如夏季寒气甚重，则可用热药治热病；若寒气不重，则不可反向用药。
酸味主收敛，归属于肝脏；苦味能坚阴入心，甘味能缓脾。辛味性散，能调理肺气；咸味能软坚，适宜于肾脏。
咸寒与二火、木辛凉，甘热当令时治疗太阳病。苦味折损太阴之气宜用苦热，阳明经的病证宜尝服苦温之味。
阐明阴阳运转的六气规律，辨别南北岁运政气的尊卑次序；观察主气与客气胜负的原因，审视淫胜、郁复的变化，这些都必须在脉象候察之后，才能成为高明的医生。五运不及，则被所胜之行克制；五运太过，则不胜之行受邪。天地六气互相遭遇，相应则顺，不相应则逆。气相得则和谐，不相得则生病。只有天地胜复之气不在症状上显现的，是指初气到三气是天气的胜，四气到终气是地气的复。这是因为以气为主而不以位为主，所以不以形体症状来观察。
其余情况应当了解六脉的变化。所以经文说：厥阴之气至，脉象弦；少阴之气至，脉象沉；少阳之气至，脉象大而浮；阳明之气至，脉象短而涩；太阳之气至，脉象大而长。脉至而平和则为正常，脉至而过盛则为病，脉至而反常则为病，脉至而迟至者为病，未至而至者为病，阴阳易位者危，脉位不当者为病（出现在其他位置），脉位更替变化者为病，失守其位者危，说的就是这些情况。
然而人的生存，虽然五行具备于一身，生气根植于体内，但也随着天地之气的卷舒而变化。如何证明这一点？比如春脉弦，夏脉洪，秋脉毛，冬脉石就是这样。人感受运气而生，也感受运气而致病。经文说：违背了就会发生病变，病变发生了就会生病。万物生长应合世运，气脉也应合时令，应当建立岁气理论来诊断辨别。《平人气象论》说：太阳脉至，洪大而长；少阳脉至，忽快忽慢，忽短忽长；阳明脉至，浮大而短。《难经》引用此段，也是论述三阴三阳之脉，是从阴阳始生的深浅程度来说的。
所谓六脉，大概是指运与气，胜复临遇，正当行使职权，在其司化之时而应验，所以脉动各不相同。如果交运交气的时间，到了期限而见到，没有相先复、不及或太甚的情况，才称为平脉。如果有偏差的，应当知道那是病了。
Wood corresponds to the sour taste; the treatment principle is to use pungent (dispersing) taste for purging and sour (astringing) taste for tonifying. Fire corresponds to the sweet taste (taking the meaning of soothing); the treatment principle is to use salty (softening) taste for purging and sweet (relaxing) taste for tonifying. Earth corresponds to the bitter taste (taking the meaning of drying and firming); the treatment principle is to use sweet (calming) taste for purging and bitter (firming) taste for tonifying. Metal corresponds to pungent (dispersing) taste for purging and sour (astringing) taste for tonifying. Water corresponds to salty (softening) taste for purging and bitter (firming) taste for tonifying; this is how the tonification and purgation of the Six Qi follow the changes of the Guest Qi. For the Jueyin Wind-Liver channel, use pungent taste for tonification and sour taste for purgation, while sweet taste can relieve urgency; for the Shaoyin Ministerial-Fire channel, one must know that sour taste astringes and sweet taste purges. Salty taste tonifies and sweet taste purges, with salty softening interacting mutually; sweet taste tonifies and bitter taste purges, with sweet relaxing the Spleen. The Lung Channel employs sour taste for tonification and bitter taste for purgation; the Kidney Water is deduced using bitter taste for tonification and salty taste for purgation. Furthermore, employing bitter taste to firm and pungent taste to moisten is particularly suitable for Taiyang disease.
Although the two Fires (Ministerial Fire and Sovereign Fire) differ in nature, their application principles are identical. Wood uses pungent taste for tonification and sour taste for purgation. The Meridian Commentary states: Pungent taste disperses, thus it is used for tonification; Sour taste astringes, thus it is used for purgation. The "Correction" claims this forms its own independent meaning, which remains unclear today. Treatment methods must also consider whether the Si Tian (Chief Qi) or Zai Quan (Guest Qi) allows for violation; for example, if cold is severe in summer, heat may be used to treat heat; if not severe, reversal should not be employed.
Sour taste primarily astringes and belongs to the Liver; Bitter taste firms and enters the Heart, Sweet taste relaxes the Spleen. Pungent nature and taste disperse and can regulate Lung Qi; Salty taste softens and is suitable for the Kidney.
Salty-Cold, the Two Fires, and Wood-Pungent-Cool; Sweet-Hot when in command treats Taiyang Disease. Bitter reduces Taiyin Qi, suitable for Bitter-Hot; Yangming channel flavors are tasted as Bitter-Warm.
Clarify the rotation of Yin and Yang regarding the Six Qi, distinguish the hierarchy of North-South annual governance; observe the causes of victory and defeat between Host and Guest Qi, examine the variations of excessive victory, depression, and retaliation. This must be done through pulse diagnosis before one can become a skilled physician. When the Five Movements are insufficient, the element that overcomes it comes to suppress; when the Five Movements are excessive, the element that cannot overcome it suffers from pathogenic factors. Heaven and Earth's Six Qi encounter each other; correspondence leads to harmony, non-correspondence leads to reversal. When Qi agrees, there is peace; when Qi disagrees, disease arises. Only the Qi of Heaven and Earth's victory and retaliation does not manifest in symptoms; this refers to the First Qi ending at the Third Qi being Heaven's victory, and the Fourth Qi ending at the Final Qi being Earth's retaliation. Because it relies on Qi rather than position, it is not observed through physical symptoms.
In other cases, one must understand the Six Pulses. Thus the Classic states: When Jueyin arrives, the pulse is Wiry (Xian); when Shaoyin arrives, the pulse is Deep (Chen); when Shaoyang arrives, the pulse is Large and Floating; when Yangming arrives, the pulse is Short and Choppy (Se); when Taiyang arrives, the pulse is Large and Long. Arrival with harmony indicates normalcy; arrival with excess indicates disease; arrival with reversal indicates disease; late arrival indicates disease; early arrival indicates disease; exchange of Yin and Yang indicates danger; improper position indicates disease (appearing in another position); alternating positions indicate disease; losing one's position indicates danger; these are what is meant.
However, human life, although possessing the Five Elements within one body, has vital energy rooted internally but also expands and contracts with the Qi of Heaven and Earth. How is this demonstrated? Such as Spring pulse being Wiry, Summer pulse being Surging (Hong), Autumn pulse being Hairy (Mao), Winter pulse being Stone-like (Shi). Humans are born by sensing the Moving Qi and become ill by sensing the Moving Qi. The Classic states: Violating it leads to transformation, transformation leads to disease. All things grow responding to the world's movement, Qi and Pulse respond accordingly. One must establish Annual Qi theory to diagnose and differentiate. The Treatise on Normal People's Qi and Image states: When Taiyang pulse arrives, it is Surging, Large, and Long; when Shaoyang pulse arrives, it is suddenly rapid then slow, suddenly short then long; when Yangming pulse arrives, it is Floating, Large, and Short. The Nan Jing cites this, also discussing the pulses of the Three Yin and Three Yang, speaking from the perspective of the depth of initial generation of Yin and Yang.
The so-called Six Pulses refer to Movement and Qi, victory and retaliation encountering each other, just when exercising authority, responding during the time of their transformation, hence the pulse movements differ. If the times of changing Movement and Qi arrive and are seen, without premature retaliation, insufficiency, or excess, it is called a Normal Pulse. If there is deviation, one should know that disease exists.