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According to the *Re Bing Lun* (Treatise on Heat Diseases): "The Taiyin meridian distributes in the stomach and connects with the throat; therefore, abdominal fullness and dryness of the throat occur." This is a condition where heat damages the *biao* (branch/superficial aspect) of the Taiyin, representing symptoms transmitted from the Yang meridians into this meridian, not the *ben bing* (root disease) of Taiyin. Zhang Zhongjing established the root disease as the guiding principle. Since Taiyin governs the interior, it does not involve exterior symptoms such as wind-stroke or vexatious pain in the four limbs. Furthermore, because Taiyin is the "extreme Yin within Yin," it does not involve symptoms like dryness of the throat caused by heat diseases.

Taiyin governs the "opening" function and belongs to the deficient pathway of Yin. Taiyin primarily governs diseases generated by the Spleen. The Spleen governs dampness and also governs transportation and transformation. Therefore, the guiding symptoms of Taiyin disease include abdominal fullness, intermittent pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. These are all manifestations of deficiency and insecurity in the interior, and excessive dampness overflowing outward. When the Spleen is deficient, the Stomach is also deficient; inability to ingest food indicates that the Stomach has lost its function of receiving and rotting/ripening. It must be understood that if the Stomach house is not excess (solid), it is Taiyin disease.

The Spleen and Stomach reside together in the abdomen; thus, abdominal fullness is a symptom shared by both Taiyin and Yangming diseases. In Yangming disease, this is caused by heat and excess; in Taiyin disease, it is caused by cold and dampness. One dare not lightly use purgation for abdominal fullness in Yangming disease, fearing that if the Stomach house is not solid (i.e., not a Yangming Fu-organ excess pattern), the condition will transform into Taiyin disease. The world adheres to the erroneous view that Yangming transmits to Shaoyang, thereby ignoring the meaning of transmission to Taiyin.

Abdominal fullness in heat diseases results from heat stagnating in the Taiyin meridian, evidenced by dryness of the throat, indicating the disease is at the *biao* (branch). Abdominal fullness due to cold-dampness results from cold generating in the Zhiyin (Extreme Yin) organ, evidenced by spontaneous diarrhea, indicating the disease is at the *ben* (root). If there is heat in the Spleen meridian, Yin essence cannot ascend to the Lungs, causing dryness of the throat. If there is cold in the Spleen organ, the Spleen fails to transport fluids for the Stomach, causing diarrhea. Purging is indicated in Yangming disease because it addresses the root disease; conversely, diarrhea in Taiyin disease represents a branch manifestation. This reveals the reason for the different positions of Yin and Yang, and illustrates the principle of Yin transforming from Yang.

Referring to the concept of "Zhong Yin Liu Fu" (Intermediate Yin flowing into the Fu organs), it is known that heat pathogens do not immediately enter the Zhiyin organs. Even if heat is in the Taiyin meridian, it essentially remains in the Yangming Stomach. Thus, purging indications exist only in Yangming; Taiyin root disease has no purging method.

Abdominal fullness is also a symptom of two meridians: Constipation accompanied by fullness and pain, or periumbilical pain, indicates excess heat and belongs to Yangming. Diarrhea accompanied by abdominal fullness and intermittent pain indicates deficiency-cold and belongs to Taiyin. Cold-dampness is the root symptom of Taiyin, while damp-heat is a transformed symptom caused by cold damage. The key mechanism lies in urination: if urination is difficult, damp-heat manifests externally causing jaundice; if urination is normal, either the patient will spontaneously recover after sudden irritability and diarrhea, or the stool will become hard and difficult to pass. This is because the Spleen and Stomach are connected. Here, when the Spleen house is solid (functionally robust), foul waste is naturally expelled, forming the "opening" mechanism of Taiyin. If the Stomach house is solid (Yangming excess), the intestinal pathway is blocked, transforming into the "closing" mechanism of Yangming. Therefore, Wang Shuhe knew of three Yangming patterns but did not understand the distinction between Taiyin and Yangming symptoms.

The *Xu Li* states that when Taiyin is affected, the pulse should be deep and fine. However, deep and fine pulses are characteristic of Taiyin root disease, not the pulse for heat disease with dry throat. Generally, the pulse follows the disease manifestation; for example, in Taiyin wind-stroke, the pulse floats, following the Yang nature of wind rather than the Yin nature of the organ. Although a floating pulse is typically associated with Mahuang Tang, Guizhi Tang is used here because Taiyin represents an interior-exterior syndrome, and Guizhi Tang is a medicine for treating interior-exterior conditions. Since the Spleen governs muscles, releasing the muscle layer is appropriate. In Taiyin cold damage, a floating and moderate pulse is not the Taiyin root pulse. Floating is a Yang pulse, and moderate is the Stomach pulse. A Taiyin cold damage pulse that is not deep and fine but instead floating and moderate indicates Yang within Yin and the presence of Stomach Qi in the pulse. Consequently, the hands and feet remain warm, revealing a solid state in the Spleen house, or leading to jaundice and hard stools, transforming into Yangming. These pulse and symptom patterns lie between Taiyin and Yangming, hence described as "connected to." If Taiyin directly contracted cold pathogens, this would not occur.

A floating pulse in Taiyin indicates the disease is in the exterior, manifesting as vexatious pain in the four limbs; a deep pulse indicates the disease is in the interior, manifesting as abdominal fullness, vomiting, and diarrhea. Exterior wind-heat can be treated with sweating, preferably using Guizhi Tang; interior cold should be warmed, preferably using Sizni Tang or similar formulas. In Taiyang disease, a deep pulse is due to cold, which is a Yin pathogen, and deep is a Yin pulse. In Taiyin disease, a floating pulse is due to wind, which is a Yang pathogen, and floating is a Yang pulse. One must understand that the pulse changes with the disease and is not confined to the meridians; thus, Yang meridians can have Yin pulses, and Yin meridians can have Yang pulses. The common belief that pulses at the Three Yin levels are always deep, and that Yin meridians should not be treated with sweating methods, stems from a failure to examine this principle carefully.

In Taiyin wind-stroke, if the pulse is slightly wiry-choppy (*se*) yet long, recovery is imminent. Note that *se* and long pulses do not appear simultaneously; *se* is the pulse of the existing disease, and the transition from *se* to long indicates healing. The wind pulse is originally floating; now that the floating quality has diminished, it is known that the wind pathogen is departing. *Se* indicates qi and blood deficiency causing wind-stroke; a long pulse indicates harmonious qi, hence recovery. Taiyin wind-stroke presents with vexatious pain in the four limbs; Taiyin cold damage presents with warm hands and feet. This refers to exterior heat. If heat is in the four limbs, it is evident that the body is not hot. Since Taiyin governs the interior, the exterior should lack heat. Only the four limbs are the root of all Yang meridians; the Spleen transports fluids for the Stomach to irrigate the four sides, thus governing the limbs. Therefore, warmth in the limbs still reflects Yangming Yang. Moreover, saying "self-warm" implies that sometimes they are not warm, and sometimes cold limbs (*si ni*) occur. The *Neijing* states: "When a person has hot limbs and feels as if roasted upon exposure to wind, it is due to deficient Yin and abundant Yang. Wind is Yang, and the limbs are Yang; the collision of two Yangs causes fire to scorch internally." This is the Taiyin wind-stroke syndrome. It must be understood that Taiyin wind-stroke differs from the Three Yang diseases. The Yin of Taiyin is called "Guan Zhe" (closed and stored), so Yang pathogens cannot penetrate deeply. Only if the disease persists in the four gates without resolving, and Spleen fluids are insufficient to nourish the muscles, will the muscles emaciate. Many people suffer from this condition; those with heat in the palms and soles are experiencing a mild form of wind-stroke. However, Taiyin wind-stroke arises from Yin deficiency allowing Yang pathogens to gather. External wind is caused by internal heat; thus, one should nourish Yin to harmonize Yang, not dispel wind which would increase heat.

The phrase "hands and feet self-warm" implicitly contrasts with "body not feverish," and does not mean that Taiyin cold damage always presents with warm hands and feet. Even in Three Yang diseases, there are cases of cold hands and feet, let alone Taiyin. Tao's differentiation of Taiyin having warm hands/feet, Shaoyin having cold hands/feet, and Jueyin having cold hands/feet greatly contradicts the meaning of "Taiyin vexatious pain in limbs, Shaoyin whole-body heat." All injuries from cold pathogens eventually manifest as heat diseases. Cold is Yin, and Taiyin is Extreme Yin; the combination of two Yins leaves no heat to emit. Only the extremities are the meeting point of Yin and Yang, so they should be warm. Because the hands and feet are self-warm, the central palace (Spleen/Stomach) is not immediately invaded by pathogens; thus, either jaundice develops, or sudden irritability and diarrhea cease spontaneously. It is precisely at the point of self-warm hands and feet that the solidity of the Spleen house is revealed.

Jaundice is a Yangming disease. Saying "Taiyin body should develop jaundice" does not mean jaundice is a root symptom of Taiyin. The area of warm hands and feet indicates abundant Yangming Yang. Cold pathogens cannot injure the Taiyin organ; since the organ lacks cold but the body has dampness, jaundice should develop. If dampness drains through urine, causing sudden irritability and diarrhea, the transportation function remains intact, so it remains a Taiyin disease. If there is irritability but no diarrhea, it is Stomach excess heat, not Taiyin damp-heat. Taiyin cold damage relies entirely on Yangming as its root, hence there are transforming symptoms. This shows that Shanghan relies on Yang as the master, and Taiyin cold damage relies on Yangming as the master.

Li Dongyuan's distinction of vomiting based on the presence or absence of sound is incorrect. Vomiting involves both sound and material expulsion; only dry heaving (*gan ou*) involves sound without material. "Ou" (retching/vomiting fluid) is dominated by water/phlegm and belongs to the Upper Jiao; "Tu" (vomiting food) is dominated by solids and belongs to the Middle Jiao. All Six Meridians can present with vomiting, but "Ou" belongs to Shaoyang because of frequent retching; "Tu" belongs to Taiyin and not Yangming, reflecting the distinction between governing transportation and governing the interior.

Taiyang takes Yin as its root, while Taiyin takes Yang as its foundation. Taiyang dares not sweat recklessly, fearing the loss of Shaoyin fluids; Taiyin dares not purge lightly, fearing injury to Yangming Qi. Taiyin root disease has no purging indication; however, if Taiyang was incorrectly purged, causing Yang pathogens to sink into Taiyin, methods like Guizhi Tang plus Shaoyao are employed. If the Taiyin pulse is weak, it indicates the Stomach Qi is easily disturbed, and the dosage should be small. This caution is given because while certain conditions like tenesmus may require this approach, it must not be overused.