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I believe that for medical students, one must first become familiar with the properties of herbs, then understand the meridians, next recognize disease names, and subsequently explain pulse principles to verify the symptoms caused by diseases. When the syndrome and pulse correspond, there is no medicine that will not be effective. If a patient reports fever (Fever), aversion to cold (Aversion to Cold), headache in the head and neck, and stiffness in the waist and spine, one knows the disease is in the Taiyang Meridian (Taiyang Channel). If the body is hot, eyes hurt, nose is dry, and sleep is impossible, one knows the disease is in the Yangming Meridian (Yangming Channel). If there is pain in the chest and hypochondrium, deafness, bitter taste in the mouth, dry tongue, alternating chills and fever, and vomiting, one knows the disease is in the Shaoyang Meridian (Shaoyang Channel). If there is abdominal fullness, dry throat, naturally warm hands and feet, or spontaneous diarrhea without thirst, or abdominal fullness with intermittent pain, one knows the disease is in the Taiyin Meridian (Taiyin Channel). If one pulls clothes to curl up and lie down, fears cold, or has a dry tongue and mouth, one knows the disease is in the Shaoyin Meridian (Shaoyin Channel). If there is irritability and abdominal fullness, and contraction of the scrotum, one knows the disease is in the Jueyin Meridian (Jueyin Channel). If there is tidal fever, spontaneous sweating, delirium, thirst, aversion to heat rather than cold, throwing off clothes and blankets, waving hands and kicking feet, or appearance of macules and jaundice, mania, or constipation for five to six days, one knows the disease is in the Zheng Yangming, specifically the Stomach Fu organ. If the pulse and syndrome are unclear, and Mahuang Tang (Ephedra Decoction) is mistakenly used, it causes excessive sweating and loss of Yang; if Chengqi Tang (Purging Decoction) is mistakenly used, it causes fecal incontinence; if dried ginger (Ganjiang, Rhizoma Zingiberis Preparatum) and prepared aconite (Fuzi, Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata) are mistakenly used, it causes bleeding and mania. This is because cold medicines consume stomach Qi, acrid-hot medicines damage sweat fluids, and dry-heat medicines assist pathogenic heat. The killing of people by quack doctors is most severe in this regard. The pathogen of Shanghan (Cold Damage) indeed has no fixed form. If it enters the Qi level of the Yang meridians, Taiyang is primary, and its pulse must be floating (Floating Pulse), detectable with light pressure. If it enters the Blood level of the Yin meridians, Shaoyin is primary, and its pulse must be deep (Deep Pulse), detectable only with heavy pressure. Whether the floating pulse is forceful or feeble indicates the deficiency or excess of the exterior. Whether the deep pulse is forceful or feeble indicates the cold or heat of the interior. Whether the middle pulse is forceful or feeble indicates the urgency of the exterior and interior. Pulses vary in floating, deep, deficient, and excess states, so syndromes change unpredictably. The method of treatment is to first distinguish between exterior/interior, cold/heat, Yin/Yang, deficiency/excess, and root/branch. The initial disease is the root, the subsequent disease is the branch; treating the urgent condition first is the method of a superior physician. Ask questions to know the exterior, examine the pulse to know the interior; all lies in flexibility ("living methods"), and one must not be bound by the number of days. If Taiyang syndrome persists, directly treat Taiyang. If Shaoyin syndrome persists, directly treat Shaoyin. If true cold exists, directly rescue true cold. If these three conditions are present, make a decision; it is not necessary for all symptoms to be complete. One should determine how to treat based on the situation; this is flexibility. For things that are similar but different, clarify them. For things that appear similar but are not, differentiate them. For those at the exterior, use sweating (Diaphoresis) and dispersing methods. For those at the interior, use purgation (Purgative Method) and draining methods. For those above, induce vomiting according to their position. For those sinking, lift and raise them. For those in the middle, use harmonizing methods. For direct invasion of Yin meridians, use warming and tonifying methods. If the exterior cannot be resolved, do not attack the interior; even if many days have passed, if there is an exterior syndrome and a floating pulse, dispersion is still appropriate. Failure to understand this leads to counterproductive attacks. The Classics say: "One mistake may prolong life, two mistakes hasten death." If the exterior syndrome is resolved and interior symptoms appear, do not attack the exterior; even if few days have passed, if there are interior heat symptoms and a deep, solid pulse, urgent purgation is required. Failure to understand this leads to disaster as quick as turning a hand. The Classics say: "If pathogenic heat is not removed, adding dry-heat is like carrying firewood to save a fire."

For true cold syndromes from direct invasion of Yin meridians, where there is no fever, aversion to cold, and no thirst, urgent warming and tonification are needed, strictly forbidding cold medicines. Failure to understand this kills quickly. The Classics say: "It is not only useless but also harmful." For Yin syndromes resembling Yang, use warming. For Yang syndromes resembling Yin, use purgation. For Yang toxicity, purge according to severity. For Yin toxicity, warm according to urgency. For Yang mania, purge. For Yin collapse, warm. For jaundice due to damp-heat, drain and purge. For jaundice due to blood disorders, clear heat and purge. For macules, clear heat and purge. For delirium, purge or warm. For epigastric fullness and obstruction, dissipate and purge. For chest binding, resolve and purge. For Taiyang syndrome resembling Shaoyin, warm. For Shaoyin syndrome resembling Taiyang, sweat. For nasal bleeding, resolve and stop bleeding. For asthma/wheezing, sweat or purge. For cough, drain or resolve. For proper Shanghan, use heavy sweating and heavy purgation. For sudden cold exposure, use mild sweating and mild purgation. For cold contracted through labor, use warming dispersion. For extreme heat diseases, use mild resolution and heavy purgation. These are the general principles of the classics. There are cases where one meridian disease uses hot medicine and then cold medicine, such as using Baihu Tang (White Tiger Decoction) or Sini San (Inverted Cold Powder) for Shaoyin syndrome, or using Sini Tang (Four Reversal Decoction) or Zhenwu Tang (True Warrior Decoction) for Shaoyin syndrome. Quacks hesitate and doubt, unable to act! Alas, one who can observe Shanghan syndrome names and obtain Shanghan formulas and pulses with such precision is a good physician. Thus, we know that cold medicines treat Shaoyin when it is a transmitted heat syndrome. We know that hot medicines treat Shaoyin when it is a direct invasion cold syndrome of the Yin meridians. Differentiate names, determine meridians, clarify pulses, identify syndromes, verify before prescribing. Truly know to sweat when at the exterior, truly know to purge when at the interior, truly know to warm when invading Yin meridians directly. Sweat like this, purge like that, warm like another. Acrid-hot agents will not fail; cold-cool medicines will be appropriate. How can the disease escape? One must distinguish severity, urgency, age, constitution, chronic vs. acute onset, women's pregnancy/birth, and maidens' menstruation. Generally, women with pregnancy/birth contracting Shanghan are treated differently from men. Those without pregnancy/birth are treated similarly. When women's menstruation has just stopped or just started, and chills/fever resemble malaria, it is Heat Entering the Blood Chamber (Re Ru Xue Shi); only harmonize exterior and interior are needed. Chronic illness means passing through meridians without resolution, a damaged syndrome. Acute onset means initial illness. The elderly have declining Qi and Blood. The young have robust Qi and Blood. Slow indicates mild disease. Urgent indicates severe disease. Cold medicines taken hot, hot medicines taken cool, neutral medicines taken warm. Chills and sweating are divided into four syndromes; one must know the balance of pathogen and healthy Qi. Similar-to-Shanghan syndromes are treated according to standard rules. Although called "Enlightenment," it is actually the ladder to Zhang Zhongjing's medical achievements. Although I specialize in Shanghan, I certainly surpass quack doctors by far. Moreover, my lifelong accumulated family secrets and methods are fully recorded and elaborated. Those peering into my school, though numerous, require repeated explanation of concise essentials. Therefore, I describe Enlightenment, Quick Methods, Pulse Essentials, and Beaded Pearls, annotating each clearly. One should be cautious and secret, not teach non-appropriate persons, nor leak to frivolous people, lest you betray my intention.