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Hongjiao (a disease characterized by swelling and pain in the feet) symptoms are indeed numerous, but one must distinguish between Yin and Yang through pulse diagnosis to avoid errors and confusion. A floating pulse indicates Wind, a tight pulse indicates Cold, a slow and fine pulse indicates Dampness, and a surging and rapid pulse indicates Heat; when these pulses appear in diseases of the Yang meridians with pathology located externally, resolution via dispersing methods is appropriate for recovery. A deep and wiry pulse also indicates Wind, a deep and tight pulse indicates Cold, a deep and fine pulse indicates Dampness, and a deep and rapid pulse indicates Heat; when these pulses appear in diseases of the Yin meridians with pathology located internally, warming and purging methods are appropriate for recovery. In external manifestations, spontaneous sweating and migratory afflictions indicate predominance of Wind; absence of sweating, pain, and spasmodic stiffness indicate predominance of Cold; swelling, fullness, heaviness, and stagnation indicate predominance of Dampness; irritability, thirst, heat, and stubborn numbness indicate predominance of Summerheat. These four pathogens may coexist, but one should deduce which pathogen is predominant. Treatment requires mutual differentiation of various syndromes to distinguish between exterior and interior: Cold syndromes are treated with warming methods, Heat syndromes with cooling methods, exterior conditions with dispersing methods, and interior conditions with purging methods. If the patient suffers from extreme deficiency and lack of Qi, tonifying decoctions may be administered intermittently, applied flexibly according to the cold or heat nature of the disease; one must not rigidly adhere to the notion that tonifying medicines cannot be taken.

If the patient experiences headache, protrusion or discomfort of the eyes, neck stiffness, pain connecting the waist and spine to the body's pivot, extending along the lateral thigh to the posterior aspect of the lateral malleolus, then along the Jinggu point to the lateral side of the little toe, this indicates that the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian is subjected to the flow and injection of Wind, Cold, Summerheat, and Dampness. Spontaneous sweating indicates predominance of Wind; absence of sweating and pain indicate predominance of Cold; stubborn heat indicates predominance of Summerheat; heaviness, swelling, and fullness indicate predominance of Dampness. All other meridians should be analyzed in this manner. Diseases of the Taiyang Meridian are generally suitable for resolution via dispersing methods according to the nature of the four pathogens.

To treat the flow and injection of Wind, Cold, Summerheat, and Dampness into the Foot-Taiyang Meridian, causing spasmodic paralysis of the hands and feet, difficulty walking, aversion to cold with fever, absence of sweating with aversion to cold, or spontaneous sweating with aversion to wind, headache with vertigo, heavy sensation in the waist, and joint pain.
Prescription: Ephedrae Herba (Mahuang, 麻黄) [remove nodes], Puerariae Radix (Gegen, 干葛), Asari Radix (Xixin, 细辛), Atractodis Rhizoma (Baizhu, 白术) [sliced, soaked in rice wash water], Poria (Fuling, 茯苓), Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix (Fangji, 防己), Cinnamomi Ramulus (Guixin, 桂心) [not roasted over fire], Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix (Qianghuo, 羌活), Saposhnikoviae Radix (Fangfeng, 防风), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gancao, 甘草) [roasted], all in equal proportions.
Grind the above ingredients into a coarse powder. For each dose of 4 qian, add 2 zhan of water, 3 slices of ginger, and 1 jujube. Decoct until 0.7 parts remain, filter out the dregs, and take on an empty stomach. If there is spontaneous sweating, remove Ephedrae Herba (Mahuang, 麻黄) and add Cinnamomi Ramulus (Guizhi, 桂枝) and Paeoniae Radix Alba (Shaoyao, 芍药); if there is heaviness and stagnation, add Atractodis Rhizoma (Baizhu, 白术) and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chenpi, 橘皮); if there is no sweating, reduce the amount of Cinnamomi Ramulus (Guizhi, 桂枝) and add Armeniaci Semen Amarum (Xingren, 杏仁) and Alismatis Rhizoma (Zexie, 泽泻). The added ingredients should be in equal proportions.