（《素问·脉要精微论》）
五脏者，中之守也。（五脏者各有所藏，藏而勿失则精神完固，故为中之守也。）中盛藏满，气胜伤恐者，声如从室
中言，是中气之湿也。（中，胸腹也。藏，脏腑也。盛满，胀急也。气胜，喘息也。伤恐者，肾受伤也。声如从室中言，
混浊不清也。是皆水气上逆之候，故为中气之湿证，此脾肺肾三脏之失守也。）言而微，终日乃复言者，此夺气也。（气
虚之甚，故声不接续，肺脏失守也。）衣被不敛，言语善恶，不避亲疏者，此神明之乱也。（神明将脱，故昏乱若此，心
脏之失守也。）仓廪不藏者，是门户不要也。（要，约束也。幽门、阑门、魄门皆仓廪之门户，门户不能固则肠胃不能藏，
所以泄利不禁，脾脏之失守也。要，平声。）水泉不止者，是膀胱不藏也。（膀胱与肾为表里，所以藏津液，水泉不止而
遗溲失禁，肾脏之失守也。）得守者生，失守者死。（五脏得守，则无以上诸病故生，失守则神去而死矣。）
夫五脏者，身之强也。（此下言形气之不守，而内应乎五脏也。藏气充则形体强，故五脏为身之强。）头者精明之府，
头倾视深，精神将夺矣。（五脏六腑之精气，皆上升于头，以成七窍之用，故头为精明之府。头倾者，低垂不能举也。视
深者，目陷无光也。脏气失强，故精神之夺如此。）背者胸中之府，背曲肩随，府将坏矣。（背乃脏俞所系，故为胸中之
府。背曲肩随，亦脏气之失强也。）腰者肾之府，转摇不能，肾将惫矣。（此肾脏之失强也。）膝者筋之府，屈伸不能，行
则偻附，筋将惫矣。（筋虽主于肝，而维络关节以立此身者，惟膝 之筋为最，故膝为筋之府。筋惫若是，则诸经之失强
也。偻音吕。）骨者髓之府，不能久立，行则振掉，骨将惫矣。（髓充于骨，故骨为髓之府。髓空则骨弱无力，此肾脏之
失强也。）得强则生，失强则死。（藏强则气强，故生。失强则气竭，故死。）
（出自《素问·脉要精微论》）
五脏，是体内精气守持的根本。（五脏各自藏纳精气，若藏而不失，则精神完固，因此称为体内的守持者。）如果胸腹部胀满，喘息急促且损伤肾气，说话声音沉闷如同从室内传出，这是中焦湿气阻滞的表现。（中，指胸腹。藏，指脏腑。盛满，指胀急。气胜，指喘息。伤恐，指肾受伤。声如从室中言，指声音混浊不清。这些都是水气上逆的征候，所以属于中气湿证，这是脾、肺、肾三脏失去守持的表现。）说话声音低微，整天说不了几句话，这是元气大虚耗损的表现。（气虚到了极点，所以声音不能接续，这是肺脏失去守持的表现。）穿衣不能自理，言语不分好坏，不避亲疏远近，这是神明错乱的表现。（神明即将脱失，所以昏乱到这种地步，这是心脏失去守持的表现。）肠胃不能固摄，这是因为门户约束无力。（要，意为约束。幽门、阑门、魄门都是仓廪的门户，门户不能固守则肠胃不能藏纳，所以出现泄利不禁，这是脾脏失去守持的表现。要，读平声。）小便淋漓不止，这是膀胱不能固摄的表现。（膀胱与肾互为表里，负责藏纳津液，水泉不止即遗尿失禁，这是肾脏失去守持的表现。）能够守持的就生存，失去守持的就死亡。（五脏得以守持，就不会出现上述各种疾病，所以能生存；失去守持则神气离去而死亡。）
五脏，是身体强健的基础。（下文论述形体之气不守持，而内应五脏的情况。脏气充盛则形体强健，所以五脏是身体的强健之本。）头，是精明之府，如果头低垂不能抬起，目眶深陷无光，说明精神即将耗夺。（五脏六腑的精气，都上升于头部，以形成七窍的功能，所以头是精明之府。头倾，指头低垂不能举起。视深，指目陷无光。脏气失去强健，所以精神耗夺到如此程度。）背，是胸中之府，如果背部弯曲、肩膀下垂，说明胸中之府将要败坏。（背部是脏腑俞穴所在之处，所以称为胸中之府。背曲肩随，也是脏气失去强健的表现。）腰，是肾之府，如果腰部转动摇动困难，说明肾气将衰竭。（这是肾脏失去强健的表现。）膝，是筋之府，如果膝盖屈伸不利，行走时弯腰驼背依附他物，说明筋将衰竭。（筋虽然主要由肝所主，但维系联络关节以支撑身体，主要依靠膝部的筋，所以膝是筋之府。筋衰惫到这种地步，就是各条经脉失去强健的表现。偻，音吕。）骨，是髓之府，如果不能久站，行走时身体颤抖摇晃，说明骨将衰竭。（骨髓充盈于骨骼，所以骨是髓之府。髓空虚则骨弱无力，这是肾脏失去强健的表现。）能够强健就生存，失去强健就死亡。（脏气强健则正气强盛，所以生存。失去强健则正气竭绝，所以死亡。）
(From *Suwen: Mai Yao Jing Wei Lun*)
The Five Zang Organs are the guardians within. (Each of the Five Zang Organs stores essence; if stored without loss, spirit and vitality remain solid, hence they are called the guardians within.) If there is fullness in the center with organ distension, excessive qi leading to damage of fear (kidney injury), and a voice sounding as if coming from inside a room, this indicates dampness in the middle qi. (Center refers to the chest and abdomen. Organ refers to the zang-fu. Fullness/distension refers to bloating and urgency. Excessive qi refers to panting. Damage of fear refers to kidney injury. Voice sounding as if from a room refers to turbid and unclear speech. These are all signs of counterflow of water qi, thus constituting a middle qi dampness syndrome, representing the loss of guardianship by the Spleen, Lung, and Kidney.) If speech is faint and one can only speak again after a whole day, this indicates depletion of qi. (Qi deficiency is severe, so the voice cannot continue; this is the loss of guardianship by the Lung.) If one does not gather clothes and blankets properly, speaks indiscriminately about good and bad, and shows no avoidance of intimacy or distance, this indicates disorder of the Shen (Spirit). (Shen is about to escape, hence the confusion; this is the loss of guardianship by the Heart.) If the granaries cannot be stored, it is because the gates lack control. (Control means constraint. The pylorus, ileocecal valve, and anus are all gates of the granaries; if the gates cannot hold firm, the intestines and stomach cannot store, resulting in uncontrolled diarrhea and incontinence; this is the loss of guardianship by the Spleen. 'Control' is pronounced with the level tone.) If water springs do not stop, it is because the Bladder cannot store. (The Bladder and Kidney are exterior-interior pairs, responsible for storing fluids; when water springs do not stop, i.e., urinary incontinence, this is the loss of guardianship by the Kidney.) Those who maintain guardianship live; those who lose guardianship die. (If the Five Zang Organs maintain guardianship, the aforementioned diseases will not occur, so one lives; if guardianship is lost, spirit departs and death ensues.)
The Five Zang Organs are the strength of the body. (The following discusses the failure of form and qi to maintain themselves, which internally corresponds to the Five Zang Organs. When zang qi is abundant, the body is strong; thus, the Five Zang Organs are the foundation of bodily strength.) The head is the mansion of clarity and intelligence. If the head droops and cannot be lifted, and the eyes are sunken and devoid of luster, the spirit and vitality are about to be depleted. (The essence and qi of the Five Zang and Six Fu Organs all ascend to the head to facilitate the functions of the seven orifices; thus, the head is the mansion of clarity and intelligence. Drooping head means inability to lift the head. Sunken eyes mean hollow orbits without light. Loss of strength in zang qi leads to such depletion of spirit.) The back is the mansion of the chest. If the back is curved and shoulders sag, the mansion is about to collapse. (The back is where the shu points of the organs are located, hence it is called the mansion of the chest. Curved back and sagging shoulders also indicate loss of strength in zang qi.) The waist is the mansion of the Kidney. If turning and shaking the waist is impossible, the Kidney is about to become exhausted. (This is the loss of strength by the Kidney.) The knees are the mansion of the sinews. If flexion and extension are impossible, and walking requires stooping and leaning on others, the sinews are about to become exhausted. (Although sinews are primarily governed by the Liver, it is the sinews at the knees that connect joints and support the body; thus, the knee is the mansion of the sinews. Such exhaustion of sinews indicates loss of strength in the meridians. 'Stooping' is pronounced 'lv'.) The bones are the mansion of marrow. If one cannot stand for long, and trembles while walking, the bones are about to become exhausted. (Marrow fills the bones, hence bones are the mansion of marrow. Empty marrow leads to weak and powerless bones; this is the loss of strength by the Kidney.) Those who maintain strength live; those who lose strength die. (Strong zang qi leads to strong righteous qi, hence life. Loss of strength leads to exhaustion of qi, hence death.)