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Q: If a person contracts Taiyang disease (Taiyang Disease, a syndrome caused by external pathogenic factors affecting the Taiyang channel) after sexual exertion, is the responsibility attributed to Shaoyin (Shaoyin, one of the six channels, associated with the Heart and Kidney)?
A: Not so. When Taiyang disease occurs precisely after sexual exertion, one must still attribute it to its primary disease. For syndromes of the Yang channels, the responsibility remains with the Yang channels; only for syndromes of the Yin channels does the responsibility begin to lie with the Yin channels. Zhang Zhongjing, in his methods of sweating (Sweating Method, a treatment to induce perspiration to release exterior pathogens) and purging (Purging Method, a treatment to remove internal accumulation), always carefully attends to the patient's body fluids (Jinye, normal body fluids). Patients with deficiency constitutions who contract Taiyang disease have precedents for not following standard orthodox treatments. It is unnecessary to inquire whether they engaged in sexual exertion or not. If deficiency signs are indeed present, even without sexual exertion, one must not recklessly apply sweating or purging methods. However, if after sexual exertion, the contracted disease remains an excess syndrome, then those requiring sweating should be sweated, and those requiring purging should be purged. Once the pathogen is expelled, the healthy Qi (Zhengqi, vital energy) naturally becomes secure. The term "Yin disease" strictly refers to the presence of symptoms from all three Yin channels (Taiyin, Shaoyin, Jueyin). Taiyang disease contracted after sexual exertion can also present with Yang channel symptoms and should not generally be treated as a Yin disease. This view was long ago clarified and corrected by former sages, yet modern physicians still adhere to this flawed practice. I have witnessed deaths caused by erroneous tonification leading to pathogen stagnation, and deaths caused by erroneous warming leading to exhaustion of Yin fluids. After death, they still blame sexual exertion, deepening their confusion.

Q: How can one identify Jueyin disease (Jueyin Disease, a syndrome involving the Liver and Pericardium)?
A: The symptoms of Jueyin disease are complex and varied. Zhang Zhongjing summarized the guiding principles of Jueyin disease using thirst (Xiaoke, excessive thirst), sensation of Qi rushing up to strike the heart (Qi Shang Zhuang Xin), burning pain in the epigastrium (Xin Zhong Teng Re), hunger without desire to eat (Ji Er Bu Yu Shi), and vomiting roundworms immediately after eating (Shi Ji Tu Hui). This is because Jueyin represents the convergence of two Yins. Its channel originates at the big toe, runs along the inner thigh, enters the genital region, circles the genitals, reaches the lower abdomen, penetrates the heart and diaphragm. When pathogens enter Jueyin, they follow the channel upward in rebellion, causing the aforementioned symptoms. Furthermore, "Jue" means reversal/rebellion; when there is rebellion, Yin and Yang fail to connect smoothly, thus leading to cold limbs (Jue Ni, cold extremities due to failure of Yang to reach the limbs). Jueyin is the organ where Yin ends and Yang begins. At the end of Yin, Yang arises. The waxing and waning of Yin and Yang harbor great danger. At this juncture, emergence to the exterior leads to life, while sinking into the interior leads to death. Therefore, Zhang Zhongjing considers more Jue than heat as disease progression, and more heat than Jue as disease regression. However, since the pathogen has entered deeply, with mixed cold and heat, it is extremely difficult to distinguish. Yu Jiayan stated that in the Jueyin chapter, there are syndromes of pure Yang without Yin, pure Yin without Yang, syndromes with slight differences in Yin and Yang, syndromes where Yang advances indicating recovery, syndromes where Yin advances indicating non-recovery, and syndromes where Yin occupies eight or nine parts and Yang only one or two. Cold limbs with fever, deeper heat leading to deeper cold limbs, attacking upward to cause throat obstruction (Hou Bi, sore throat/swelling), and attacking downward to cause pus and blood in stool, these are syndromes of pure Yang without Yin. A faint, thin pulse nearly imperceptible, cold limbs, lack of warmth after moxibustion, aversion to cold, profuse sweating and severe diarrhea, restlessness unable to lie down, and cold binding at Guanyuan (Guanyuan, CV4 acupoint), these are syndromes of pure Yin without Yang. Three days of Jue accompanied by three days of heat, five days of Jue accompanied by five days of heat, cold limbs with pathogenic heat in the chest and water-heat in the stomach, these are syndromes with differential amounts of Yin and Yang. Thirst desiring water, hunger desiring food, slippery and rapid pulse, warm hands and feet spontaneously, these are syndromes where Yang advances indicating recovery. Silence and lack of desire to eat, floating and rapid pulse at the Cun position but choppy pulse at the Chi position, vomiting saliva and froth, abdominal distension and body pain, these are syndromes where Yin advances indicating non-recovery. Diarrhea with undigested food, interior cold with exterior heat, vomiting with weak pulse, free urination, pre-existing cold-type diarrhea further mistreated with emesis and purging, deep and faint pulse with cold limbs, facial flushing resembling Dai Yang (Dai Yang, false heat sign with red face), these are syndromes where Yin occupies eight or nine parts and Yang one or two. These are clearly categorized and ordered most logically. Jueyin diseases are all interior syndromes, except for fever which indicates a potential shift toward the exterior. Generally, if the disease belongs exclusively to the interior, treat the interior urgently; if it sank from the exterior, attempt to draw it back to the exterior. For repeated cold invasions, urgent warming is beneficial; for heat syndromes, direct suppression is inappropriate. I have synthesized Zhang Zhongjing's major principles as follows. Understanding them profoundly depends on the individual practitioner.