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Individuals aged sixteen and above are considered adults; when they fall ill, it is termed Lao (consumptive disease). Individuals under the age of sixteen are considered children; when they fall ill, it is termed Gan (infantile malnutrition or chronic wasting syndrome). This is because their innate Qi and Blood are weak, their True Yuan (Original Qi) is insufficient, their Zang-Fu organs are delicate, and they are prone to injury. Some cases arise within the first year of life when the intestines and stomach are not yet firm; mixed intake of milk and food results in the inability of the sucked milk and ingested food to digest and transform properly. Some cases arise in children just over one year old due to unregulated consumption of sweet and fatty foods, leading to long-standing accumulation, yellowish complexion, and emaciation. Some cases arise after the age of two or three from indiscriminate eating of miscellaneous items, causing food stagnation; excessive use of digestive and purgative methods then damages Stomach Qi. Some cases arise after severe illnesses such as vomiting, diarrhea, malaria, or dysentery, where reduced milk and food intake leads to a lack of nourishment for the Spleen and Stomach. Some cases arise from wet nurses with imbalanced cold and heat, or those who breastfeed immediately after experiencing emotional extremes (anger or joy) or sexual exertion. Ultimately, the source of these diseases lies in the Spleen and Stomach. The Stomach is the sea of water and grain; the essence of water and grain transforms into Ying (Nutritive) Qi, while its vigorous aspect transforms into Wei (Defensive) Qi. When Ying and Wei are abundant, they irrigate the five Zang organs. Thus, sufficient Qi makes pores dense and interstices strong; sufficient Blood gives a fresh complexion and moist skin. If a child suffering from Gan lacks robust physique, it indicates a deficiency of Qi; if their complexion lacks luster, it indicates a deficiency of Blood. All these stem from the Spleen and Stomach: stagnation transforms into heat, heat generates Gan, consuming Qi and Blood and boiling body fluids. Initially, symptoms may only include urine turbid like rice washings and afternoon tidal fever. If left untreated for a long time, it progresses to shiny and tight scalp, scorched and sparse hair, retracted cheeks, dry nose, craving for food but white lips, dim and ulcerated eyes, frequent rubbing of eyebrows and nose, hunched spine, sallow body, grinding teeth, biting nails, extreme thirst with spontaneous sweating, white stools with sour diarrhea, distended abdomen with visible blue veins, and intense cravings for fruits, melons, salty substances, charcoal, cement, or soil. These constitute the typical presentation of Gan. If one claims that treating Gan requires attacking stagnation, this stagnation is "accumulation within deficiency," and aggressive attack may overwhelm the patient's resistance, worsening the condition dangerously. If one claims that treating Gan requires clearing heat, this heat is "heat within deficiency," and incomplete clearing may also worsen the condition dangerously. If one can differentiate the specific patterns and treat them appropriately, how could there be untreatable critical signs such as anorexia, slippery diarrhea, undigested food passing directly through, blackened and rotting gums, flaccidity of the head and neck, cold limbs, dysentery with swelling, silvery-white complexion, hard abdomen like stone, bluish-black muscles, lax anus resembling a tube, vomiting of black blood, or vomiting/passing roundworms? Therefore, I have不厌其烦 (wearyingly) provided this explanation.