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Huo Luan (acute vomiting and diarrhea) is the most severe among sudden diseases. Although people's daily life proceeds normally, within a moment of turmoil, drastic changes occur, leading to unconsciousness or even death, which is extremely terrifying. Describing it as "standing on the edge of an abyss" or "treading on thin ice" is insufficient to convey its danger. For those who are alive, it is imperative to thoroughly understand its principles and essence. Generally, its etiology involves all three categories: internal causes, external causes, and neither-internal-nor-external causes. Readers of Shanghan Lun (Treatise on Cold Damage) see the statement "originally Huo Luan, now Shanghan," and mistakenly conclude that Huo Luan is identical to Shanghan. They fail to realize that when Huo Luan results from Shanghan, it is merely one manifestation of external causes. Furthermore, wind, summerheat, and dampness pathogens can all present with such symptoms. Moreover, they do not know that emotional disturbances such as anger, joy, worry, and anxiety, as well as dietary irregularities like hunger and overeating, can all induce Huo Luan syndromes. Therefore, a detailed discussion is necessary.

The symptoms of Huo Luan include sudden pain in the heart and abdomen, vomiting accompanied by diarrhea, aversion to cold with fever, headache, and dizziness. If heart pain occurs first, vomiting precedes; if abdominal pain occurs first, diarrhea precedes; if both heart and abdomen hurt, vomiting and diarrhea occur simultaneously. In severe cases, muscle spasms (Zhuan Jin) may appear, and if the pathogen enters the interior, it leads to death. The critical syndromes of Huo Luan do not exceed these manifestations. This is essentially due to the reversal of Yin and Yang Qi, where clear and turbid Qi interfere with each other. Yang Qi rises suddenly, while Yin Qi drops abruptly, causing blockage between Yin and Yang and chaotic movement of Qi above and below. If supportive rescue is not administered promptly, treatment should primarily focus on warming and tonifying, followed by a detailed differentiation of the Three Causes for regulation based on internal or external factors; otherwise, one can only watch helplessly as the patient collapses and perishes.

Various symptoms such as aversion to wind, aversion to cold, presence or absence of sweating, heavy sensation, and irritability with toxic heat belong to external causes. Contracting wind leads to aversion to wind with sweating; contracting cold leads to aversion to cold without sweating; exposure to dampness leads to heaviness; contracting summerheat leads to fever and irritability. Although this is conventional theory, during the sudden onset of Huo Luan, hasty differentiation often leads to errors, disrupting meridians and violating normal patterns, causing significant harm. It is not merely a case of misdiagnosing Huo Luan as Shanghan. Treatment must be guided by the specific external cause.

To treat Huo Luan with vomiting and diarrhea, abdominal distension, indigestion, and heart/abdominal pain:
Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix), Gan Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Preparatum, processed), Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), Zhi Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Preparatum, honey-fried), each 3 liang.
Grind the above herbs into a coarse powder. Take 4 qian per dose, add 1 zhen of water, decoct until reduced to 0.7 zhen, strain, and take before meals. For prevention of Huo Luan during long journeys, mix the powder with refined honey to form pills the size of wu zi (Chinese quince seeds). Take 30–50 pills per dose. Alternatively, if taken as a powder, use 1 fang cun bi (a square-inch measure) per dose, mixed with wine. If muscle spasms (Zhuan Jin) occur, add Shi Gao (Gypsum Fibrosum) 3 liang. If there is a pulsating sensation above the navel, indicating Kidney Qi moving, remove Bai Zhu and add Gui Xin (Cinnamomi Cortex) 4 liang. Since the Kidney dislikes dryness, Bai Zhu is removed to prevent triggering Ben Tun (fleeing tumor); thus, Gui Xin is added. If vomiting is predominant, remove Bai Zhu and add Sheng Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens) 3 liang. If diarrhea is predominant, retain Bai Zhu. If palpitations occur, add Fu Ling (Poria) 2 liang. If thirsty and desiring water, increase Bai Zhu so that the total amount becomes 4.5 liang. If abdominal pain occurs, increase Ren Shen so that the total amount becomes 4.5 liang. If feeling cold, increase Gan Jiang so that the total amount becomes 4.5 liang. If abdominal fullness occurs, remove Bai Zhu and add Fu Zi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Preparata). After taking the medicine, wait a short while, then drink a cup of hot porridge, cover slightly to maintain warmth, but do not expose oneself to drafts. If hiccups (Yue) occur, add Ding Xiang (Caryophylli Flos). If vomiting and diarrhea cease but body pain persists, carefully investigate the cause and treat with harmonizing methods. If initially caused by wind injury, use formulas similar to Gui Zhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction). This is what is meant by treating the root cause.