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In treating diseases, one must understand the relationship between the root (Ben) and the branch (Biao). Regarding the human body, the exterior is the branch, and the interior is the root; Yin is the branch, and Yang is the root; the Six Fu Organs (Six Bowels) belong to Yang and are the branch, while the Five Zang Organs (Five Viscera) belong to Yin and are the root; the Zang and Fu organs located internally constitute the root, while the Twelve Meridians (Twelve Channels) located externally constitute the branch. Regarding the disease, the body's Yuan Qi (Primal Qi) is the root, and the pathogenic evil of the disease is the branch; the initial pathogenesis received is the root, while the subsequent transmitted symptoms are the branch. Therefore, in treating a disease, one must seek its origin and treat the root first. This is the supreme principle of the ancient sages. However, in acute cases, treat the branch; in chronic or mild cases, treat the root. This represents the flexible adaptation by later philosophers. Nevertheless, if the disease is in the Yin aspect, do not violate the Yang aspect; if the disease is in the Yang aspect, do not violate the Yin aspect. To violate this is called punishing the innocent (injuring healthy Qi unnecessarily). For febrile diseases, one must examine the source: if it is Excess Fire (Shi Huo), use Bitter-Cold (Ku Han) or Salty-Cold (Xian Han) herbs to subdue it; if it is Deficiency Fire (Xu Huo), use Sweet-Cold (Gan Han) or Sour-Cold (Suan Han) herbs to astringe it. For cold diseases, one must also examine the source: if Cold Evil (Han Xie) enters from the exterior, use Pungent-Warm (Xin Wen) or Pungent-Hot (Xin Re) herbs to disperse it; if Cold moves from within, use Sweet-Warm (Gan Wen) herbs to tonify it, assisted by Pungent-Hot or Pungent-Warm herbs. The *Classic* states: "The Five Zang Organs store Essence and Qi without excreting them, thus they are described as 'full but not solid'." This implies that tonification is the norm, while purgation is rare. If a Zang organ is occasionally invaded by pathogenic factors, expel the pathogens and stop once they are gone; this is purging the pathogen, not purging the Zang organ itself. If the Zang organ is not invaded, do not lightly violate it. The worldly saying that "the Liver has no tonification method" is incorrect. The Six Fu Organs conduct and transform waste materials, thus they are described as "solid but not full." When pathogenic factors invade them causing disease, they may be attacked with purgatives. Stop when the disease is addressed; do not administer the full dose. If the disease is in the meridians, treat the meridians; if the disease flows into the collaterals, treat the collaterals. The meridians run straight, and the collaterals run horizontally, supporting each other. If the disease arises from the Qi level, treat the Qi; for deficiency, use warmth; for excess, use regulation. If the disease arises from the Blood level, treat the Blood; for deficiency, tonify the Liver and Spleen; for Heart excess manifesting as Heat or Stasis, clear the Heat and invigorate the Blood. If Qi disease affects Blood, treat the Qi first; if Blood disease affects Qi, treat the Blood first. Since syndromes vary, precise differentiation is required. If the disease is at the Exterior (Biao), do not attack the Interior (Li); if the disease is in the Interior, do not weaken the Exterior. Wherever the pathogen resides, the attack must follow its course; receiving the pathogen is the root, presenting symptoms are the branch, the Five Deficiencies are the root, and the Five Evils are the branch. For example, abdominal distension caused by Dampness progresses rapidly; one should promote urination and remove Dampness, after which the distension will cease naturally. Here, the branch is more urgent than the root, so treat the branch first. If distension develops gradually due to Spleen Deficiency, worsening at night and quiet during the day, the disease belongs to Yin, and one should tonify Spleen Yin; if it worsens during the day and is quiet at night, the disease belongs to Yang, and one should benefit Spleen Qi. Here, the disease originates from the root, and the root is more urgent than the branch, so treat the root first. Taking these two as examples, the rest can be inferred. Diseases belonging to Deficiency should be treated with slow methods, as Deficiency involves the loss of Essence and Qi. If it is a chronic entrenched disease, it must also be treated slowly. There is no rapid or clever method for treating Deficiency, because the disease is entrenched. Any treatment should proceed in an orderly fashion, just as a poor household with long-standing emptiness cannot be filled overnight. Diseases belonging to Excess should be treated with urgent methods, as Excess involves the dominance of Pathogenic Evil. If the evil is not quickly expelled, the harm will spread. Thus, there is no delaying method for treating Excess, nor any clever method; it is like having bandits in the house—one must open the door and drive them out urgently to achieve peace. This is the fixed rule for the urgency of pathogenesis. Therefore, for new diseases where Yin and Yang are discordant, correcting imbalance and remedying defects requires using the specific properties of the drugs. For chronic diseases where Yin and Yang gradually harmonize, supporting Yuan Qi and nourishing Righteous Qi requires using balanced drugs. If heavy drugs are mistakenly used for chronic diseases, it only increases the risk of exhaustion and collapse. Regarding drug properties: Warm herbs correspond to Spring, generating all things; Hot herbs correspond to Summer, growing all things; Cool herbs correspond to Autumn,肃ating (clearing/descending) all things; Cold herbs correspond to Winter, killing all things. Those with insufficient Yuan Qi require Sweet-Warm formulas to tonify, like the arrival of spring bringing vitality. Those with extreme Yuan Qi deficiency, implying Great Deficiency accompanied by Cold, require Pungent-Hot formulas to tonify, like the heat of summer allowing vital energy to flow freely. Those with Excess Heat require Sweet-Cool formulas to clear, like the arrival of cool autumn dissipating humidity. Those with Excess Pathogenic Evil and extreme Blood hyperactivity, requiring suppression of what is high, require Bitter-Cold formulas to purge, like the deep winter when Yang Qi hides. Thus, all Warm-Hot formulas are for tonifying Deficiency; all Cold-Cool formulas are for purging Excess. However, since Yuan Qi is already deficient, there is only the肃ating (killing/clearing) energy of Autumn and Winter, lacking the generating energy of Spring and Summer. Deficiency inevitably generates internal Heat. If one fails to distinguish between Deficiency and Excess and administers Cold-Cool formulas, it is like imposing肃ation on a disease already in a state of肃ation. How can the patient endure this? Therefore, without Yang, Yin cannot generate; without Yin, Yang cannot transform. Generally, things are born from Yin but grow through Yang, just as Spring and Summer bring growth while Autumn and Winter bring肃ation. Plants facing the sun flourish easily, while flowers hidden in darkness wither easily. The *Classic* states: "The key to Yin and Yang is that Yang must be dense/sealed for Yin to be secure." This emphasizes that when Yang is dense, Yin is also firm, highlighting the importance of Yang. It further states: "Human Yang Qi is like the sky and the sun; losing its proper function shortens life and obscures vitality. Thus, the movement of heaven relies on the brightness of the sun." This indicates that both the movement of heaven and human life are rooted in Yang. Fuxi created the *I Ching* (Book of Changes), starting with a single unbroken line (Yang Yao), which is the ancestor of Yuan Yang. King Wen expanded the *I Ching* into sixty-four hexagrams, all using Yang to symbolize the Junzi (gentleman). The Image of Qian says: "Great is the Primordial Power of Qian, upon which all things depend for their beginning." This means Yang is the head of development and the virtue of Yang. Since ancient times, sages have always loved Yang and disliked Yin. Even Zhu Danxi, who advocated tonifying Yin, stated: "Excess Fire can be purged with herbs like Huang Qin (Scutellaria Root) and Lian Zi (Lotus Plumule); Deficiency Fire can be tonified with herbs like Ren Shen (Ginseng Root)." Today's people only know of "Fire" without distinguishing between Excess and Deficiency, preferring Cold-Cool herbs. This is akin to making Autumn and Winter execute the command of growth, and Spring and Summer become seasons of肃ation. Do they wish to shorten the lifespan and obscure the vitality of the people!