The shen of the complexion consists in glitter and body. Glitter means that the
complexion appears clear and bright from the outside; body means that it is moist
and with lustre in the inside.63(234)If a complexion has such attributes, even if the colour is pathological, it indicates that the Mind
and Spirit are stable and unaffected and therefore the prognosis is good.
The "Simple Questions" in chapter 17 describes the look of pathological colours with or without
shen:
A red complexion should look like vermilion covered with white, not like ochre. A
white complexion should look like feathers of a goose, not like salt. A blue
complexion should look like moistened greyish jade, not like indigo. A yellow
complexion should look like realgar covered with gauze, not like loess (the soil in
North China along the Yellow River basin). A black complexion should look like
dark varnish, not like greyish charcoal.64(235)Dr Chen Shi Duo in "Secret Records of the Stone Room" (1687) goes so far as saying:
If the complexion is dark but with shen, the person will live even if the disease is
serious. If the complexion is bright but without shen, the person will die even if
there is no disease.65(236)Observation of the complexion must be closely linked to the feeling of the pulse. The pulse
shows the state of Qi, while the complexion the state of the Mind and Spirit. If the pulse shows
changes but the complexion is normal, it indicates that the problem is recent. If both the pulse
and the complexion show pathological changes, it indicates that the problem is old.
The "shen" of the complexion should also be checked against the glitter of the eyes. A change in
the complexion always indicates a deeper or more long-standing problem. For example, a
sustained period of overwork and inadequate sleep may cause the eyes to lack glitter: if the
complexion is not changed, this is not too serious and the person can recover easily by resting. If,
however, the eyes lack glitter and the complexion is dull, without lustre, or dark, it indicates that
the problem is not transient but deeper-rooted.
Various emotions may show on the complexion with specific signs.
Anger usually manifests with a greenish tinge on the cheeks. A greenish tinge on the forehead
means that Liver-Qi has invaded the Stomach, a greenish tinge on the tip of the nose that
Liver-Qi has invaded the Spleen. A character prone to anger may also manifest with eyebrows
that meet in the centre. In some cases, if the anger is bottled up inside as resentment leading to