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At the initial stage of macules and papules (maculopapular eruptions), symptoms such as aversion to cold, fever, headache, thirst, cough, sneezing with nasal discharge, redness of the eyes, and a rapid pulse appear; this is measles. It is appropriate to use herbs such as Bohe (Menthae Haplocalycis Herba), Niubangzi (Arctii Fructus), Jingjie (Schizonepetae Spica), Lianqiao (Forsythiae Fructus), Xingren (Armeniacae Semen Amarum), Qianhu (Peucedani Radix), Pipaye (Eriobotryae Folium), and Chichengliu (Salicis Tomentosae Ramulus), employing acrid-cool methods to disperse wind and vent the eruption.

Macules (ban) are heat-toxins of the Yangming channel, while papules (zhen) are wind-heat of the Taiyin channel; both generally arise from transformation by warm-heat pathogens and manifest externally on the body surface. In the early stage, if the cou-li (skin pores and interstitial spaces) are not unobstructed, there will be aversion to cold; if yang pathogens are at the exterior, headache occurs; if heat steams from within, thirst arises; if pathogens interfere with the lung region, cough and nasal discharge result. When the spots have not yet appeared, it is first appropriate to use dispersing and venting methods. Therefore, Bohe, Jingjie, and Niubangzi are used to disperse wind and induce sweating; Lianqiao, Xingren, and Qianhu are used to clear and diffuse the qi level; Pipaye and Chichengliu are light and ascending to reach the exterior. The hope is that through sweating and opening of the cou-li, the macules and papules will emerge quickly, which is crucial to prevent the transmission and progression of the disease.

When macules and papules have emerged, accompanied by absence of headache and aversion to cold, but with fever, thirst, sore throat, red eyes, and faintly visible macules and papules, it is appropriate to use herbs such as Bohe, Niubangzi, Lianqiao, Hei Zhi Zi (Gardeniae Fructus), Xingren, Shegan (Belamcandae Rhizoma), Mabo (Catharanthi Herba), Jiegeng (Platycodonis Radix), Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), and Xuanshen (Scrophulariae Radix), employing bitter-acrid clearing and resolving methods.

In the previous paragraph, the macules and papules had not yet appeared, accompanied by fever and aversion to cold; in this paragraph, the macules and papules have already appeared, with sweating, no headache, and no aversion to cold, indicating that the cou-li have opened and external pathogens have been expelled. However, the presence of thirst, sore throat, and red eyes indicates that internal pathogens remain unresolved and heat is still stagnant and steaming. Over-dispersing should be avoided; instead, clearing and resolving is appropriate. Thus, Bohe, Jiegeng, Xingren, and Niubangzi are used for venting and expelling; Lianqiao, Xuanshen, and Hei Zhi Zi are used to clear fire; Mabo, Shegan, and Gancao are used to benefit the upper jiao.

When macules and papules are accompanied by vexatious heat, thirst, sore throat, withered teeth, yellow tongue coating, crimson tip of the tongue, and fully erupted macules and papules, it is appropriate to use Baihu Tang (White Tiger Decoction) added with Lianqiao, Xuanshen, Xingren, Shegan, and Da Qing Ye (Isatidis Folium), employing methods to clear qi-level heat and resolve macules.

In the previous paragraph, where macules and papules were faintly visible, dispersing and venting was still appropriate; in this paragraph, where macules and papules are fully erupted, accompanied by vexatious heat, thirst, yellow tongue coating, and crimson tip, it indicates that pathogens are gradually transmitting inward and heat is reluctant to resolve. It is presumed that merely using dispersing and venting methods to reach the exterior cannot achieve efficacy. Therefore, it is appropriate to use Baihu Tang directly to clear heat in the Yangming qi level, combined with Lianqiao and Xuanshen to resolve macules, Xingren and Shegan to clear the upper jiao, and Da Qing Ye to detoxify, thereby avoiding the risk of pathogens sinking into the ying level, leading to coma, convulsions, and syncope.