岐伯曰∶“寸以候上焦，关以候中焦，尺以候下焦。”扁鹊
曰∶“三焦者，元气之别使也，主通行于三气，经历于五脏六
腑。”华元化曰∶“三焦者，人身三元之气也，总领五脏六腑、营卫经络、内外左右上下之气也。”
【按】三说而细绎之，乃知脉本身中之元神，和会后天谷气，以周流
于一身者也。盖元神附于肾间之动气，出于下焦，合水谷之精气，谓之
营气；升于中焦，合水谷之悍气，谓之卫气；升于上焦，营行脉中，卫行脉
外，其宗气积于胸中，名曰气海。故三焦者，统领周身之气，而分隶于胸
膈腹，即分发于寸关尺，灼然无可疑者。乃伯仁亦承讹袭舛，而谓右尺
云“手心主、三焦脉所出”，何其不稽于古，不衷于理耶！
扁鹊曰∶“初持脉，如三菽之重，与皮毛相得者，肺部也；如
六菽之重，与血脉相得者，心部也；如九菽之重，与肌肉相得
者，脾部也；如十二菽之重，与筋平者，肝部也；按之至骨，举指
来疾者，肾部也。”（由是推之，不独以左右六部分候脏腑，即指下轻重之间，便
可测何经受病矣。粗工不察于此，而专分六部，则脉中之微妙，岂在是可尽其蕴耶！）
岐伯曰∶“言人之阴阳，则外为阳，内为阴；言人身之阴阳，
则背为阳，腹为阴；言人身脏腑中阴阳，则脏为阴，腑为阳；肝、
心、脾、肺、肾五脏为阴，胆、胃、大小肠、三焦、膀胱六腑为阳。
故背为阳，阳中之阳，心也；阳中之阴，肺也。腹为阴，阴中之
阴，肾也；阴中之阳，肝也；阴中之至阴，脾也。此言阴阳表里、内外雌雄
相输应也。”（心肺皆居上而属阳，但心位乎南，故为阳中之阳；肺位
乎西，故为阳中之阴也。肾肝皆处乎下而属阴，但肾
位乎北，故为阴中之阴；肝位乎东，故为阴中之阳也。脾土位卑为阴，且
为孤脏而居乎内，又不主时令，而寄旺于四季之末，故为阴中之至阴也。）
扁鹊曰∶“呼出心与肺，吸入肾与肝，呼吸之间，脾受谷气
也，其脉在中。浮者阳也，沉者阴也。心肺俱浮，何以别之？
然，浮而大散者，心也；浮而短涩者，肺也。肾肝俱沉，何以别
之？然，牢而长者，肝也；举之濡，按之来实者，肾也。脾主中州，故其脉在中，是阴阳之法也。”
（呼出者，阳也，故心肺之脉皆浮也。心为阳中之阳，故浮而且大且散也；肺为
阳中之阴，故浮而兼短涩也。吸入者，阴也，故肾肝之脉皆沉也。肾为阴中之阴，故
沉而且实也；肝为阴中之阳，故沉而兼长也。脾为中州，故不浮不沉，而脉在中也。）
岐伯说：“寸口脉候察上焦，关部脉候察中焦，尺部脉候察下焦。”扁鹊说：“三焦是元气的别使，主要通行于三种气（宗气、营气、卫气），经历五脏六腑。”华元化（华佗）说：“三焦是人身的三元之气，总领五脏六腑、营卫经络以及内外左右上下各部位的气机。”
【按语】仔细推究这三种说法，就知道脉象本身中的元神，与后天水谷精气相和会，从而在全身周流运行。大概元神依附于肾间的动气，出于下焦，与水谷的精微结合，称为营气；上升至中焦，与水谷的悍烈之气结合，称为卫气；上升至上焦，营气行于脉管之中，卫气行于脉管之外，其宗气积聚于胸中，名为气海。所以三焦统领周身之气，分别隶属于胸、膈、腹三个区域，也就相应地分发于寸、关、尺三部，这是明显无疑的。然而王叔和（字仲宣，号伯仁）也沿袭错误，认为右尺脉是“手厥阴心包络、手少阳三焦经脉所出”，这多么不符合古法，不切合理趣啊！
扁鹊说：“初诊持脉时，如三颗豆子的重量，感觉与皮毛相得的，是肺部的脉象；如六颗豆子的重量，感觉与血脉相得的，是心部的脉象；如九颗豆子的重量，感觉与肌肉相得的，是脾部的脉象；如十二颗豆子的重量，感觉与筋平齐的，是肝部的脉象；重按至骨，抬起手指时脉搏反应迅速有力的，是肾部的脉象。”（由此推断，不仅通过左右六部来分候脏腑，即使在指下的轻重之间，就可以推测哪一经受病了。粗疏的医生不考察这一点，而专门区分六部，那么脉象中的微妙之处，怎么能够穷尽其内涵呢！）
岐伯说：“谈论人的阴阳，则外部为阳，内部为阴；谈论人身体的阴阳，则背部为阳，腹部为阴；谈论人身脏腑中的阴阳，则脏为阴，腑为阳；肝、心、脾、肺、肾五脏属阴，胆、胃、大肠、小肠、三焦、膀胱六腑属阳。所以背部为阳，阳中之阳，是心；阳中之阴，是肺。腹部为阴，阴中之阴，是肾；阴中之阳，是肝；阴中之至阴，是脾。这是讲阴阳表里、内外雌雄相互对应关系。”（心和肺都居上位而属阳，但心位于南方，所以是阳中之阳；肺位于西方，所以是阳中之阴。肾和肝都处在下位而属阴，但肾位于北方，所以是阴中之阴；肝位于东方，所以是阴中之阳。脾土地位卑微属阴，且为孤脏居于体内，又不主司时令，而是寄旺于四季之末，所以是阴中之至阴。）
扁鹊说：“呼气时，气息出自心和肺；吸气时，气息入于肾和肝；呼吸之间，脾接受水谷之气，其脉象在中部。浮脉属阳，沉脉属阴。心和肺的脉象都浮，如何区别它们？回答说：浮大而散的，是心脉；浮而短涩的，是肺脉。肾和肝的脉象都沉，如何区别它们？回答说：牢而长的，是肝脉；轻取濡软，重按来势实有力的，是肾脉。脾主中州，所以其脉象在中部，这就是阴阳的方法。”（呼出属于阳，所以心肺的脉象都浮。心为阳中之阳，所以脉象浮而且大而且散；肺为阳中之阴，所以脉象浮而且兼有短涩。吸入属于阴，所以肾肝的脉象都沉。肾为阴中之阴，所以脉象沉而且实；肝为阴中之阳，所以脉象沉而且兼有长。脾为中州，所以不浮不沉，而脉象在中部。）
Qibo said: "The Cun (inch) position observes the Upper Jiao, the Guan (bar) position observes the Middle Jiao, and the Chi (cubit) position observes the Lower Jiao." Bian Que said: "The Sanjiao (Triple Burner) is the special envoy of Yuanqi (Original Qi), primarily circulating through the three types of Qi (Zongqi, Yingqi, Weiqi), and traversing the Zang-Fu organs." Hua Yuanhua (Hua Tuo) said: "The Sanjiao (Triple Burner) is the Qi of the Three Origins in the human body, commanding the Qi of the Five Zang and Six Fu organs, Ying-Wei (Nutritive-Defensive) meridians, and the Qi of all internal, external, left, right, upper, and lower regions."
[Commentary] Carefully analyzing these three statements reveals that the Shen (Spirit) within the pulse itself harmonizes with the acquired Guqi (Grain Qi) to circulate throughout the body. Generally, the Shen attaches to the Dongqi (Moving Qi) between the kidneys, emerges from the Lower Jiao (Lower Burner), combines with the essence of food and drink to become Yingqi (Nutritive Qi); ascends to the Middle Jiao (Middle Burner), combines with the fierce Qi of food and drink to become Weiqi (Defensive Qi); ascends to the Upper Jiao (Upper Burner), where Yingqi circulates within the vessels and Weiqi circulates outside the vessels. Its Zongqi (Pectoral Qi) accumulates in the chest, named Qihai (Sea of Qi). Therefore, the Sanjiao (Triple Burner) commands the Qi of the entire body, distributed among the chest, diaphragm, and abdomen, which corresponds to the distribution at the Cun, Guan, and Chi positions, a fact beyond doubt. However, Wang Shuhe (courtesy name Zhongxuan, pseudonym Boren) also perpetuated errors by stating that the Right Chi position is where the "Pericardium Meridian of Hand-Jueyin and Sanjiao Meridian of Hand-Shaoyang originate," which is so inconsistent with ancient texts and unreasonable!
Bian Que said: "When initially holding the pulse, with a pressure equivalent to the weight of three beans, feeling it in harmony with the skin and hair, this is the Lung position; with a pressure equivalent to six beans, feeling it in harmony with the blood vessels, this is the Heart position; with a pressure equivalent to nine beans, feeling it in harmony with the muscles, this is the Spleen position; with a pressure equivalent to twelve beans, feeling it level with the sinews, this is the Liver position; pressing down to the bone, and when lifting the finger, the pulse response is swift and vigorous, this is the Kidney position." (From this, we can deduce that not only do the left and right six positions observe the Zang-Fu organs, but even within the variations of light and heavy pressure under the fingers, one can determine which meridian is diseased. Crude practitioners fail to examine this, focusing solely on dividing the six positions; thus, how could they exhaust the subtleties contained within the pulse!)
Qibo said: "Speaking of human Yin and Yang, the exterior is Yang and the interior is Yin; speaking of the Yin and Yang of the human body, the back is Yang and the abdomen is Yin; speaking of the Yin and Yang within the Zang-Fu organs, the Zang are Yin and the Fu are Yang; the Five Zang organs—Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lung, Kidney—are Yin, while the Six Fu organs—Gallbladder, Stomach, Large Intestine, Small Intestine, Sanjiao (Triple Burner), Bladder—are Yang. Therefore, the back is Yang; among Yang, the Yang within Yang is the Heart; the Yin within Yang is the Lung. The abdomen is Yin; among Yin, the Yin within Yin is the Kidney; the Yang within Yin is the Liver; the Ultimate Yin within Yin is the Spleen. This describes the correspondence between Yin-Yang, interior-exterior, and male-female." (The Heart and Lung both reside in the upper part and belong to Yang, but since the Heart is located in the South, it is the Yang within Yang; since the Lung is located in the West, it is the Yin within Yang. The Kidney and Liver both reside in the lower part and belong to Yin, but since the Kidney is located in the North, it is the Yin within Yin; since the Liver is located in the East, it is the Yang within Yin. Earth of the Spleen has a humble status and belongs to Yin, and as a solitary organ residing internally, it does not govern any specific season but thrives at the end of each of the four seasons, thus it is the Ultimate Yin within Yin.)
Bian Que said: "Exhalation originates from the Heart and Lung; inhalation enters the Kidney and Liver; between exhalation and inhalation, the Spleen receives Grain Qi, and its pulse is in the middle. Floating pulses are Yang, sunken pulses are Yin. Both Heart and Lung pulses are floating; how to distinguish them? Answer: Floating, large, and scattered is the Heart pulse; floating, short, and choppy is the Lung pulse. Both Kidney and Liver pulses are sunken; how to distinguish them? Answer: Firm and long is the Liver pulse; soft upon light lifting and solid upon deep pressing is the Kidney pulse. The Spleen governs the Central Region (Zhongzhou), so its pulse is in the middle; this is the method of Yin and Yang." (Exhalation is Yang, so the pulses of the Heart and Lung are both floating. The Heart is the Yang within Yang, so its pulse is floating, large, and scattered; the Lung is the Yin within Yang, so its pulse is floating and additionally short and choppy. Inhalation is Yin, so the pulses of the Kidney and Liver are both sunken. The Kidney is the Yin within Yin, so its pulse is sunken and solid; the Liver is the Yang within Yin, so its pulse is sunken and additionally long. The Spleen is the Central Region, so it is neither floating nor sunken, but its pulse is in the middle.)