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Wind and cold, the two qi, have a distinction of yin and yang, and they cause disease mutually. If wind is without cold, it is gentle wind; once it carries cold pathogen, invading the person and causing illness, its symptoms are similar to Shanghan (Cold Damage), so it can also be named Shanghan. Therefore, wind and cold exist in all four seasons, but are most severe in winter. Shanghan and Fengzhong (Wind Strike) each have degrees of severity, which lies not in their names but in their presenting symptoms. In the Taiyang Chapter of *Shanghan Lun*, there are two descriptions of Fengzhong pulse and symptoms: one states that Taiyang Fengzhong presents with floating-yin and weak-yin pulses; floating-yang indicates spontaneous heat, while weak-yin indicates spontaneous sweating, accompanied by aversion to cold, aversion to wind, mild fever, nasal congestion, and dry retching, treated with Guizhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction). The other states that Taiyang Fengzhong presents with floating-tight pulses, fever, aversion to cold, body pain, anhidrosis, and irritability, treated with Da Qinglong Tang (Major Blue Green Dragon Decoction). Comparing these two conditions: floating-yang indicates lighter cold, while floating-tight indicates heavier cold; sweating indicates lighter cold, while anhidrosis indicates heavier cold; "se-se xi-xi" (shivering from cold and wind) indicates lighter wind-cold, while "xi-xi" (mild fever) indicates lighter fever; simultaneous fever and aversion to cold indicate heavy cold-heat; nasal congestion indicates lighter wind, while body pain indicates heavier wind; spontaneous sweating and dry retching indicate lighter irritability, while anhidrosis and irritability indicate heavier irritability. There are also two descriptions of Shanghan pulse and symptoms: one states that Taiyang disease, whether fever has not yet appeared or has already appeared, must present with aversion to cold, body pain, vomiting, and nausea, with yin and yang pulses both tight, named Shanghan. The other states that Shanghan presents with floating pulse, spontaneous sweating, frequent urination, mental restlessness, slight aversion to cold, and cramping of the foot. Comparing these two: slight aversion to cold indicates the severity of "must be aversive to cold"; body pain indicates the lightness of foot cramping; spontaneous sweating, frequent urination, and mental restlessness indicate lighter Shanghan; absence of fever indicates lighter fever; initial vomiting and regurgitation indicate heavier Shanghan; floating pulse indicates lighter cold, while tight yin and yang pulses indicate heavier cold. Thus, Fengzhong and Shanghan have such distinctions in severity. Nowadays, people insist that Shanghan is severe and Fengzhong is light, knowing only to distinguish between "Zhong" (Strike) and "Shang" (Damage) of wind and cold, but failing to differentiate the severity of wind and cold. This leads to excuses like "Shanghan showing wind symptoms, Fengzhong showing cold symptoms." Wind is a yang pathogen, cold is a yin pathogen; although both result from seasonal qi influence, each retains its yin-yang nature. Therefore, mild Shanghan resembles Fengzhong completely, except for foot cramping, because the upper body is yang, and wind damages the upper part. Severe Fengzhong resembles Shanghan completely, except for irritability, because cold causes vomiting without irritability, and regurgitation without agitation. However, yin and yang are interdependent roots; irritability (fan) is a yang pathogen, extreme irritability leads to agitation (zao); agitation is a yin pathogen, extreme agitation leads to irritability. Thus, mild Fengzhong has mild irritability, severe Fengzhong has irritability and agitation, severe Shanghan has agitation and irritability, and mild Shanghan has slight irritability. Slight irritability implies slight aversion to cold, meaning weak yang is sufficient to overcome weak cold, hence the pulse is floating but not tight. As stated in this book: "For self-resolution, one must first experience irritability, then sweat resolves it." Because the pulse is floating and not tight, we know resolution comes through sweating. If one attacks the exterior recklessly before self-resolution, yang collapse occurs due to weak yang. Whenever Shanghan presents with irritability, cold qi is about to resolve. Agitation and irritability mean yang is constrained by cold, and the pathogen becomes stronger. Thus, on the first day of Shanghan, if there is agitation and irritability, the disease is about to transmit; on the sixth or seventh day, agitation and irritability mean yang is leaving to enter yin. Because patients' innate yang qi differs, and the sites of pathogen invasion and yin-yang conditions vary, yang has abundance or scarcity, and heat has mildness or severity. For example, Taiyang is the primordial Great Yang; its heat arises from Ying and Wei, causing robust heat in the whole body and limbs. Yangming is the combination of Shaoyang and Taiyang yang; its heat arises in the muscles, causing steaming heat. Shaoyang is the half-exterior half-interior yang; its heat arises in the interstices, opening and closing intermittently, causing alternating chills and fever. These are the differences in fever among the three yang meridians. Taiyin is Extreme Yin, having no heat to emit; because the stomach circulates fluids to nourish the four peripheries, it governs the four limbs, so heat manifests in the hands and feet. Therefore, in Taiyin Shanghan, hands and feet are naturally warm; in Taiyin Fengzhong, the four limbs are painful and irritable. Shaoyin is the root of storage; if Shaoyin fails to store, Kan Yang has no cover. Thus, some initially suffer wind-cold with deep pulse and fever, or initially have no exterior heat, but after eight or nine days, heat enters the Bladder, causing heat throughout the body and limbs. Jueyin represents the end of two yins and the beginning of one yang. In its Shanghan, some start with yin, experiencing cold extremities first then fever; others start with yang, experiencing fever first then cold extremities; or yang advances with more heat and fewer cold extremities, or yang retreats with less heat and more cold extremities, or yin and yang harmonize with corresponding cold extremities and fever. These are the differences in fever among the three yin meridians. Taiyang is Father, often suffering from excessive yang diseases. For instance, after taking Guizhi Tang, one might feel worse with irritability, or feel worse again after half a day, or after purgation, the pulse remains floating with Qi rushing upward, or without sweating but with agitation, or after medication symptoms slightly subside but irritability and drowsiness lead to epistaxis; all these are due to heavy yang. Shaoyin is Female, often suffering from yang collapse. For example, diarrhea with undigested food, cold extremities, pulse faint and nearly absent, aversion to cold with curled posture, vomiting and diarrhea with sweating, interior cold with exterior heat, non-irritability but agitation—all are due to yang collapse. Also, *Neijing·Bingxing Pian* says: "Pathogen striking the nape descends to Taiyang; striking the face descends to Yangming; striking the cheek descends to Shaoyang; striking the chest, back, and flanks also strikes their meridians." Thus, in this book, Taiyang pathogen invasion has differences between striking the nape and the back; striking the nape causes stiff neck and head, striking the back causes stiff back. Yangming has differences between striking the face and the chest; striking the face causes eye pain and dry nose, striking the chest causes fullness and hardness in the chest. Shaoyang has differences between striking the cheek and the flank; striking the cheek causes bitter taste and dry throat, striking the flank causes fullness and hardness under the ribs. This is Qibo's principle of yang pathogen entering meridians. It also says: "Pathogen striking yin starts from the arm, moving from meridian to zang; if zang qi is solid and cannot contain it, the pathogen returns to the fu." Thus, all three yin meridians in this book have spontaneous diarrhea, indicating cold pathogen returning to fu; all three yin meridians have indications for purgation, indicating heat pathogen returning to fu. This is Qibo's principle of yin pathogen entering fu. The positions of the six meridians have high and low, so the days of pathogen invasion have near and far. Taiyang is the first of the three yang, highest in the exterior, most susceptible to Shanghan, so it is affected on the first day. Yangming is the second of the two yang, located anteriorly, so affected on the second day. Shaoyang is the first of the one yang, located laterally, so affected on the third day. Taiyin is the third of the three yin, highest in the yin position, so affected on the fourth day. Shaoyin is the second of the two yin, located centrally in yin, so affected on the fifth day. Jueyin is the first of the one yin, at the end of the three yin, so affected on the sixth day. These refer to the timing of symptom appearance, not the sequential transmission of the six meridians. *Neijing* says: "Qi has high and low, disease has near and far, reaching its destination." This is the meaning. Regarding the term "transmission" in this book, meanings vary; forcing a theory of meridian transmission is erroneous. Shanghan on the first day affects Taiyang; if the pulse is quiet, it is not transmitting, meaning heat transmits within the same meridian, not to Yangming. Yangming has nowhere further to transmit; initial aversion to cold stops spontaneously on the second day, meaning cold transmits within the same meridian, not to Shaoyang. On the second and third days of Shanghan, if Yangming and Shaoyang symptoms do not appear, it is not transmitting, referring to heat transmitting within the same meridian, not transmitting to Yangming on day two and Shaoyang on day three. Taiyang disease healing after seven days is because the meridian cycle is complete. It means on the day of return (day seven), the Taiyang meridian disease should end, not that one meridian is transmitted daily, re-transmitting to Taiyang on day seven. If it were re-transmission, it would not say "complete"; if daily transmission, it would not say "traversing the meridian." If it were to restart as a meridian disease, Taiyang would not cease but combine with Yangming. Transmission or non-transmission means preventing Yangming from receiving heat from Taiyang, not re-transmitting to Shaoyang. Since Taiyang, Yangming, and Shaoyang are geographically close, if Taiyang yang excess does not cease, it transfers to Yangming; if yang decline does not cease, it attaches to Shaoyang. If yang sinks, it attaches to Taiyin; if yang deficiency, it enters Shaoyin; if yang rebels, it transfers to Jueyin. Yangming is the gathering place of all things, so all six meridians can transfer to it. But since Yangming has nowhere further to transmit, we know Taiyang and Yangming do not have symptoms transferring to Shaoyang. Yangming and Taiyin both belong to the Stomach; if Stomach is excess, Taiyin transfers to Yangming; if Stomach is deficient, Yangming transfers to Taiyin. Shaoyin is geographically close to the other two yin meridians; receiving Taiyin cold causes vomiting, diarrhea, and undigested food; receiving Jueyin heat causes sore throat and bloody stool. Jueyin is the end of yin, just as Yangming has nowhere further to transmit; however, when yin emerges to yang, there is more heat and fewer cold extremities; when yin extreme leads to yang collapse, there is less heat and more cold extremities. This is the variable pattern of Shaoyang's alternating chills and fever. According to this book: "Taiyang disease, with fever, sweating, aversion to wind, and slow pulse, is Fengzhong." Also: "Taiyang Fengzhong, with floating-tight pulse, anhidrosis, and irritability." Also: "Yangming Fengzhong, with string-like, floating, large pulse, and inability to sweat." Synthesizing these, one cannot say anhidrosis excludes Fengzhong. This book says: "Taiyang disease, whether fever has not yet appeared or has already appeared, must present with aversion to cold, body pain, vomiting, and regurgitation, with yin and yang pulses both tight, named Shanghan," but never mentions anhidrosis. Also: "Taiyang disease with headache, fever, body pain, lower back pain, joint pain, aversion to wind, anhidrosis, and wheezing is treated with Mahuang Tang (Ephedra Decoction)." This does not prefix "Shanghan" nor mention aversion to cold. Also: "Shanghan with floating pulse, spontaneous sweating, and slight aversion to cold." Synthesizing these, one cannot say sweating excludes Shanghan. People only rely on Guizhi Tang treating Fengzhong with spontaneous sweating, ignoring that Shanghan also has spontaneous sweating. They force Mahuang syndrome's anhidrosis to define Shanghan, ignoring that Fengzhong often has anhidrosis. They claim Shanghan has floating-tight pulse and Fengzhong has floating-slow pulse, ignoring that Shanghan can have floating-slow and Fengzhong can have floating-tight. They know three yang meridians have floating pulses and three yin meridians have sinking pulses, ignoring that three yin meridians can have floating pulses and three yang meridians can have sinking pulses. This is relying on isolated statements without considering the whole book. One should know that Mahuang Tang and Da Qinglong Tang are heavy formulas for treating severe Fengzhong, while Guizhi Tang and Gegen Tang are light formulas for mild Fengzhong; Shanghan can use them generally, they are not exclusive to Shanghan. The world promotes Guizhi Tang as the main formula for Fengzhong but dares not promote Da Qinglong Tang for Fengzhong, confused by the fallacy of "Fengzhong showing cold pulse, Shanghan showing wind pulse." Daring not to use Mahuang Tang for Fengzhong stems from the fallacy of "sweating is Fengzhong, anhidrosis is Shanghan." Wind is a yang pathogen, changing with four seasons, and even within a day possessing four-season qi, with different qi movements of depression, recovery, and excess. Thus, there are methods using Mahuang, Guizhi, Gegen, Qinglong, etc. One should know that all four seasons have Fengzhong and Shanghan; one must not stick to the saying "spring injury by wind, winter injury by cold." Taiyang meridian has many Fengzhong formulas, such as Mahuang, Guizhi, Gegen, Da Qinglong. Shaoyin meridian has many Shanghan formulas, such as Mahuang Fuzi Xixin Tang, Zhenwu Tang, Fuzi, Zhuyu, Baitong, Sini Tang, Tongmai Tang, etc. Fengzhong formulas can be adapted for Shanghan, but Shanghan formulas cannot be adapted for Fengzhong, because cold can be warmed, but wind cannot be treated with heat. Wind is a yang pathogen, so Fengzhong, even in Shaoyin, often presents with yang symptoms; cold is a yin pathogen, so Shanghan, even in Taiyang, often presents with yin symptoms. Taiyang meridian has many Fengzhong symptoms, yang follows yang; Shaoyin meridian has many Shanghan symptoms, yin follows yin. Wind moves swiftly and changes frequently, so pulse and symptoms cannot be rigidly fixed. Observing changes: symptoms may include spontaneous sweating and nasal congestion, or anhidrosis and wheezing, or anhidrosis and irritability, or diarrhea and vomiting, or thirst for water, or alternating chills and fever, or bitter taste and dry throat, or shortness of breath, abdominal fullness, dry nose, and lethargy, or red eyes, deafness, chest fullness, and irritability, or painful and irritable limbs—various and distinct. Pulses may be floating-slow, floating-tight, string-like-floating-large, weak-yin-choppy, or weak-yin-floating—also various and distinct. Observing constants: only floating is the main pulse of Fengzhong, and aversion to wind is the fixed symptom of Fengzhong. Wind pulse varies abnormally, but floating is its true form; wind symptoms change endlessly, but aversion to wind is its true emotion. Zhang Zhongjing widely established various formulas to exhaustively cover these variations. Cold injuring humans has three sources: morning and evening fog/dew, wind/rain in four seasons, frost/snow in winter/spring—this is heaven's cold qi; secluded rooms, brick floors/stone steps, great rivers/deep marshes, deep valleys/high mountains—this is earth's cold qi; liking cold spring water, preferring raw/cold food, craving fruits/melons, mistakenly taking cold medicine—this is human cold qi. This principle is shallow, yet few Shanghan books mention it, covering it instead with winter cold, spring warmth, and epidemic diseases. Why not seek the cause of disease and attribute it to seasonal changes? Although cold is winter qi, do the other three seasons necessarily lack cold? Cold has severity, injury has severity, not fixed to winter. Warmth is spring qi, but warmth sickness occurs in other seasons too, and warmth arising with time is common, while resulting from winter Shanghan is rare; it cannot be said to be an inevitable law. Even if warmth sickness occurs in winter, it arises due to the person's yin deficiency; how could winter's warm qi be toxic to harm humans? If epidemic qi is the toxicity of heaven and earth's warmth, when cool wind blows, epidemic evil disperses naturally; how could it worsen upon encountering cold? Epidemic and cold are unrelated like wind and cattle/horses; why label epidemic qi with cold? If illness results from sudden cold restraint, it is simply Shanghan in the three seasons, do not wrongly name it epidemic. Claiming that in months 3-4 yang qi is weak, so cold restraint causes mild heat; in months 5-6 yang qi is strong, so cold restraint causes severe heat; in months 7-8 yang qi declines, so cold restraint causes slight heat—is Shuhe's baseless theory. When treating cold or heat diseases, one must examine the patient's yin-yang abundance and decline, not be bound by weather cold or heat. Weather cold/heat harming humans depends on the patient's yin-yang quantity and yuan qi deficiency/excess for severity, not solely determined by seasonal yin-yang. Therefore, Zhongjing's formula creation prioritizes balancing pulse and distinguishing symptoms, not bound by cause of disease or time of onset. For example, in summer heat, Shanghan with vomiting/diarrhea often responds to Ginger, Aconite, and Evodia; in deep winter cold, warmth sickness often resolves with Gypsum, Nitre, and Rhubarb. Now claiming Mahuang and Guizhi decoctions are only suitable for winter proper Shanghan, and should not be lightly used in other seasons—how great is this error! Speaking of Shanghan but acting with cold-cooling attacking agents, why not understand the name Shanghan literally? Cold damaging the exterior requires warming dispersion; cold damaging the interior requires warming tonification. Zhongjing's treatment of Shanghan uses only warming dispersion and warming tonification. His methods of clearing fire, cooling resolution, emesis, and purgation are designed for warmth, summer heat, and epidemics, thus treating heat, not cold; treating heat overflowing internally, not cold damaging the exterior. Today's Shanghan practitioners say Zhongjing's treatment of warmth and summer heat must have other lost methods. They claim Shanghan has only emesis, sweating, and purgation methods, discarding the correct warming tonification method, and falsely claiming Shanghan treatment has no tonification. Thus, people injured by heaven-earth cold are lightly harmed, but heavily harmed by physicians' methods; few die from internal dietary injury, but many die from internal cold medicine injury.