Classica Sinica Medica

Outer Examination

外揣

Wài chuǎi

The shortest chapter in this part of the book, and among the most consequential. The Emperor has mastered the nine needles as technique — nine chapters, nine instruments — and still lacks their Way. What he asks is compression: to gather the finest hairs of the doctrine and bind them into one knot. Qi Bo deflects deliberately — this is not about needles only, for governing a state is the same — and then, pressed, gives three images.Sun and moon cast a shadow; water and mirror hold a form; drum and echo answer a sound. Each is an inside read from an outside, exactly and without delay, which is the argument of the title. The physician does not open the body; he reads the shadow, the reflection, the echo. When the five tones are unclear and the five colours dim and the viscera are stirred, the same law still holds.The closing formula — the far examined from outside by measuring what is within, the near from within by measuring what is without — is the earliest statement in the book of what later becomes the four examinations. The request for secrecy that follows is not decorative: a method this general was felt to be dangerous knowledge.The text keeps 於 beside 于 and writes 摇 for 搖; both are reproduced.

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黃帝曰：余聞九鍼九篇，余親授其調，頗得其意。夫九鍼者，始於一而終于九，然未得其要道也。 黄帝曰：余闻九针九篇，余亲授其调，颇得其意。夫九针者，始于一而终于九，然未得其要道也。
Huáng Dì yuē: yú wén jiǔ zhēn jiǔ piān, yú qīn shòu qí tiáo, pō dé qí yì. fū jiǔ zhēn zhě, shǐ yú yī ér zhōng yú jiǔ, rán wèi dé qí yào dào yě.
黄帝说：我听说九针九篇，我亲自承受其中的调治，颇得其中之意。九针从一开始到九结束，然而没有得到它的要道。
The Yellow Emperor said: I have heard the nine needles in nine chapters, and have myself received their regulation, so that I have got a fair part of their meaning. The nine needles begin at one and end at nine, yet I have not got their essential Way.
夫九鍼者，小之則無内，大之則無外，深不可爲下，高不可爲蓋，恍惚無窮，流溢無極，余知其合于天道人事四時之變也。然余願雜之毫毛，渾束爲一，可乎？ 夫九针者，小之则无内，大之则无外，深不可为下，高不可为盖，恍惚无穷，流溢无极，余知其合于天道人事四时之变也。然余愿杂之毫毛，浑束为一，可乎？
fū jiǔ zhēn zhě, xiǎo zhī zé wú nèi, dà zhī zé wú wài, shēn bù kě wéi xià, gāo bù kě wéi gài, huǎng hū wú qióng, liú yì wú jí, yú zhī qí hé yú tiān dào rén shì sì shí zhī biàn yě. rán yú yuàn zá zhī háo máo, hún shù wéi yī, kě hū?
九针，小到没有内，大到没有外，深不可为下，高不可为盖，恍惚无穷，流溢无极，我知道它合于天道、人事、四时的变化。然而我想把它的毫毛之处杂合起来，浑束成为一个，可以吗？
The nine needles: small, there is no inside to them; great, there is no outside; deep, they cannot be made lower; high, they cannot be made a cover. Vague and boundless, flowing and overflowing without limit, I know that they accord with the Way of heaven, with human affairs, and with the changes of the four seasons. Yet I wish to gather their finest hairs and bind them into one. May that be done?
歧伯曰：明乎哉問也！非獨鍼道焉，夫治國亦然。 歧伯曰：明乎哉问也！非独针道焉，夫治国亦然。
Qí Bó yuē: míng hū zāi wèn yě! fēi dú zhēn dào yān, fū zhì guó yì rán.
岐伯说：问得真高明啊！不只是针道，治国也是这样。
Qi Bo said: How lofty the question! It is not the Way of needling alone; the ordering of a state is the same.
黃帝曰：余願聞鍼道，非國事也。 黄帝曰：余愿闻针道，非国事也。
Huáng Dì yuē: yú yuàn wén zhēn dào, fēi guó shì yě.
黄帝说：我愿意听针道，不是国事。
The Emperor said: I wish to hear the Way of needling, not affairs of state.
歧伯曰：夫治國者，夫惟道焉。非道，何可小大深淺雜合而爲一乎？ 歧伯曰：夫治国者，夫惟道焉。非道，何可小大深浅杂合而为一乎？
Qí Bó yuē: fū zhì guó zhě, fū wéi dào yān. fēi dào, hé kě xiǎo dà shēn qiǎn zá hé ér wéi yī hū?
岐伯说：治国，只有道。不是道，怎能把小大深浅杂合成为一个呢？
Qi Bo said: In ordering a state there is only the Way. Without the Way, how could small and great, deep and shallow be mixed and made into one?
黃帝曰：願卒聞之。 黄帝曰：愿卒闻之。
Huáng Dì yuē: yuàn zú wén zhī.
黄帝说：愿意听到底。
The Emperor said: I wish to hear it to the end.
歧伯曰：日與月焉，水與鏡焉，鼓與響焉。夫日月之明，不失其影；水鏡之察，不失其形；鼓響之應，不後其聲。動摇則應和，盡得其情。 歧伯曰：日与月焉，水与镜焉，鼓与响焉。夫日月之明，不失其影；水镜之察，不失其形；鼓响之应，不后其声。动摇则应和，尽得其情。
Qí Bó yuē: rì yǔ yuè yān, shuǐ yǔ jìng yān, gǔ yǔ xiǎng yān. fū rì yuè zhī míng, bù shī qí yǐng; shuǐ jìng zhī chá, bù shī qí xíng; gǔ xiǎng zhī yīng, bù hòu qí shēng. dòng yáo zé yìng hè, jìn dé qí qíng.
岐伯说：日和月，水和镜，鼓和响。日月的光明，不失去影子；水镜的明察，不失去形貌；鼓响的应答，不后于声音。动摇就应和，完全得到实情。
Qi Bo said: The sun and moon; water and mirror; drum and echo. The brightness of sun and moon does not lose its shadow; the clarity of water and mirror does not lose its form; the answer of the drum does not fall behind the sound. When moved they respond, and the true condition is fully obtained.
黃帝曰：窘乎哉！昭昭之明不可蔽，其不可蔽，不失陰陽也。合而察之，切而驗之，見而得之，若清水明鏡之不失其形也。 黄帝曰：窘乎哉！昭昭之明不可蔽，其不可蔽，不失阴阳也。合而察之，切而验之，见而得之，若清水明镜之不失其形也。
Huáng Dì yuē: jiǒng hū zāi! zhāo zhāo zhī míng bù kě bì, qí bù kě bì, bù shī yīn yáng yě. hé ér chá zhī, qiè ér yàn zhī, jiàn ér dé zhī, ruò qīng shuǐ míng jìng zhī bù shī qí xíng yě.
黄帝说：深奥啊！昭昭的光明不可遮蔽，它不可遮蔽，是因为不失阴阳。合起来考察，切按而验证，见到而得到，像清水明镜不失去形貌一样。
The Emperor said: How profound! The brightness of the bright cannot be covered; it cannot be covered because it does not lose yin and yang. Join and examine it, press and verify it, see and obtain it, as clear water and a bright mirror do not lose the form.
五音不彰，五色不明，五藏波蕩，若是，則内外相襲，若鼓之應桴，響之應聲，影之似形。 五音不彰，五色不明，五藏波荡，若是，则内外相袭，若鼓之应桴，响之应声，影之似形。
wǔ yīn bù zhāng, wǔ sè bù míng, wǔ zàng bō dàng, ruò shì, zé nèi wài xiāng xí, ruò gǔ zhī yìng fú, xiǎng zhī yìng shēng, yǐng zhī sì xíng.
五音不显明，五色不明亮，五脏波动，像这样，内外互相侵袭，像鼓应桴、响应声、影似形。
When the five tones are not clear, the five colours not bright, and the five viscera are stirred, then inside and outside invade each other, like the drum answering the stick, the echo answering the sound, the shadow resembling the form.
故遠者司外揣内，近者司内揣外，是謂陰陽之極，天地之蓋。請藏之靈蘭之室，弗敢使泄也。 故远者司外揣内，近者司内揣外，是谓阴阳之极，天地之盖。请藏之灵兰之室，弗敢使泄也。
gù yuǎn zhě sī wài chuǎi nèi, jìn zhě sī nèi chuǎi wài, shì wèi yīn yáng zhī jí, tiān dì zhī gài. qǐng zàng zhī líng lán zhī shì, fú gǎn shǐ xiè yě.
所以远的司外揣内，近的司内揣外，这是阴阳的极致、天地的盖。请把它藏在灵兰之室，不敢让它泄漏。
Therefore the far is examined from outside by measuring what is within, and the near is examined from within by measuring what is without. This is the utmost of yin and yang, the cover of heaven and earth. I ask that it be stored in the chamber of the Numinous Orchid, and not be allowed to leak out.

Textual notes

Readings follow the base edition; significant variants are recorded here.

  1. 始於一而終于九始于一而终于九

    同一句中「於」「于」並用，底本如此，非刻誤。古書於、于通用，刻工隨手所出，不必歸一。本書他篇亦多有此例，錄文一概照存，不以一端繩之。

  2. 小之則無内，大之則無外大則無外，小則無内

    《禁服》載雷公引此語作「大則無外，小則無内」，先大後小；此處先小後大。二處語序不同而義無別，皆言其無所不包。引書倒文，古人不以爲異。

  3. 渾束爲一混束爲一

    渾，混同也；束，約束也。謂合衆理爲一，如束物然。一本作混，混、渾音近義通。此語爲全篇之骨，黃帝所問、雷公所引皆在此二字，故《禁服》以此發端。

  4. 鼓之應桴，響之應聲鼓之應桴，響之應聲

    桴，擊鼓之槌。鼓應桴、響應聲、影似形，三句一意，皆言外之可揣。上文「日與月焉，水與鏡焉，鼓與響焉」已設三喻，此復以桴、聲、形實之，喻中設喻而愈切。

  5. 故遠者司外揣内，近者司内揣外故遠者司外揣内，近者司内揣外

    司，主也，此謂據以推測。揣，量度也。遠者謂病勢在外在遠，則察其外以測其内；近者謂病在近在內，則察其內以測其外。二語互文見義，即後世望聞問切之權輿。

  6. 請藏之靈蘭之室，弗敢使泄也請藏之靈蘭之室，弗敢使泄也

    靈蘭之室，黃帝藏書之所，《素問》諸篇屢見。此句非虛設：方法的普遍性愈大，愈被視爲不可輕授，故《禁服》繼之而有割臂歃血之盟。

Cite this page

APA

Huangdi Neijing · Lingshu 黃帝內經靈樞 (Compiled over the same span as the Suwen; the present text was put in order in the Tang.). Wài chuǎi 外揣 [Outer Examination], Chapter 45. In Classica Sinica Medica. Base text: 《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。 Retrieved 28 October 2026, from https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/outer-examination/

MLA

"Wài chuǎi 外揣 [Outer Examination]." Huangdi Neijing · Lingshu 黃帝內經靈樞, chapter 45, Classica Sinica Medica, 2026, https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/outer-examination/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026. Base text: 《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。

Chinese scholarly

《黃帝內經靈樞·外揣》（Huángdì Nèijīng Língshū）。《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。Classica Sinica Medica，2026 年 10 月 28 日 存取，https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/outer-examination/。

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