🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Facial observation is one of the ancient diagnostic methods passed down through generations known as "inspection" in TCM. Let me first tell a story. According to the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), during the Warring States period, the famous physician Bian Que passed through Qi State and saw Duke Huan of Qi. Upon observing his facial appearance, he immediately sensed signs of illness and told him: "You have a disease in your skin and muscles; if not treated, it will progress deeper." The duke replied: "I have no illness." After Bian Que left, the duke said to his attendants: "Doctors want money, so they try to treat healthy people." Five days later, Bian Que saw him again and informed him the disease had entered his blood vessels. Another five days passed, and he said the disease had reached the intestines and stomach. Yet the duke still refused treatment. After another five days, when Bian Que looked at his complexion, he realized the man was beyond saving and fled. The duke sent someone to ask why. Bian Que said: "When the disease was in the skin, it could be cured with herbal baths and moxibustion; when it entered the blood vessels, acupuncture and moxibustion would still work; when it reached the intestines and stomach, wine therapy could help; now it has entered the marrow—even the Lord of Hell cannot save him. So I have nothing more to say." Five days later, the duke died.
From this story, it is clear that Bian Que was truly skilled in inspection, reaching the level of "knowing by sight alone." Though this might involve artistic exaggeration, it illustrates how facial expression and color are crucial for understanding illness and predicting prognosis. Facial diagnosis requires careful observation of the patient’s facial expressions, complexion, and facial features.