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Diseases caused by the Seven Emotions (joy, anger, worry, thought, sadness, fear, and fright) are termed Internal Injury; invasions by the Six Excesses (wind, cold, summer-heat, dampness, dryness, and fire) are termed External Contraction. From the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), *Nan Jing* (Classic of Difficult Issues), and various medical texts from the Tang and Song dynasties onwards, there is no work that does not expound upon this clearly and profoundly. Regarding these two categories of disease, there are cases where the clinical manifestations are identical but the etiology differs; there are also cases where the etiology is the same but the clinical manifestations differ. Furthermore, there are conditions that are purely external contraction or purely internal injury. Logically, one must also consider cases of internal injury complicated by external contraction, or external contraction complicated by internal injury. Thus, etiology and pathology intersect and intermingle in a complex manner, requiring distinctly different treatment methods. Generally speaking, internal injury originates from the Shen (Spirit/Mind), while external contraction arises in the meridians (Jingluo). In terms of severity, depth, sequence, and urgency, whether treating separately or jointly, any error can lead to significant harm. If one is well-versed in the *Huangdi Neijing* and the works of Zhang Zhongjing, and carefully observes and discerns, then although diseases may present in myriad ways, their underlying principles remain orderly and clear, leaving no room for doubt; flexible application will yield effective results. Otherwise, one will hesitate and be uncertain, indiscriminately administering medicines without any methodological discipline, leading to repeated failures. Lacking confidence, instead of blaming oneself for unclear diagnosis, one blames the medicine for ineffectiveness. Those who die in such circumstances are killed by the physician!

Diseases have both fixed patterns of transmission and non-fixed patterns of transmission. Fixed patterns of transmission include, for example, the progression of Shanghan (Cold Damage) disease from the Taiyang meridian to the Yangming meridian, or as stated in the *Jingui Yaolue* (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet), knowing that liver disease will transmit to the spleen. It also includes conditions like Pi syndrome (epigastric fullness/obstruction) transforming into Gu zhang (abdominal distension/tympanites), or blood deficiency transforming into edema; physicians can anticipate and prevent these. Non-fixed patterns of transmission occur when a patient has pre-existing constitutional weaknesses, or due to unknown climatic changes, they contract epidemic pathogens, or due to improper care, new illnesses arise. In such cases, the disease's evolution cannot be predicted or prevented by the physician. In summary, whenever a person has a disease, utmost caution must be exercised; otherwise, secondary complications may arise, weakening the Zheng Qi (Upright Qi) and making the pathogenic factor more severe, turning mild conditions into critical ones. After transmission has occurred, regarding the handling of Ben (Root/Etiology) and Biao (Branch/Symptoms), urgency, sequence, and separation or combination, medication must address multiple aspects simultaneously without confusion or杂乱ness; thus, various diseases can gradually recover. Otherwise, new diseases will increase daily without limit. As for transmission caused by medicinal errors, there are numerous variations: excessive use of cold-cooling herbs may result in Cold-Zhong disease; overuse of warm-drying herbs may result in Heat-Zhong disease; excessive purgation may severely deplete Yuan Qi (Original Qi); and excessive moistening may fail to strengthen Pi Qi (Spleen Qi). These instances are too numerous to list. In recent years, the most harmful practice occurs after major illnesses, when pathogens have not fully subsided. Without examining which part of the body's Qi has been injured, physicians immediately administer tonifying and astringent herbs such as Fuzi (Aconite Lateralis Radix Praeparata), Rougui (Cinnamomi Cortex), Shudi Huang (Rehmanniae Radix Preparata), Maidong (Ophiopogonis Tuber), Renshen (Ginseng Radix), Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), Wuweizi (Schisandrae Fructus), and Yurou (Corni Fructus), thereby trapping the pathogenic fire through tonification and astringency. Initially, it may seem stable, but over time, it leads to rebellious Qi and rising Phlegm, abdominal distension, drowsiness, and symptoms resembling Stroke (Zhongfeng). The pathogen and Zheng Qi become entangled, rendering all medicines ineffective, leading to death. Physicians and patients still attribute this to post-illness severe deficiency, unaware that it is actually due to the consolidation of pathogenic factors. I have seen many such cases; this must be deeply cautioned against!