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Whenever a patient has a weak constitution but suffers from excess pathogens, or has an existing disease that contradicts a new one, or suffers from two diseases simultaneously with conflicting etiologies, or has different ailments in different parts of the body, and the physician hesitates, feeling helpless and daring not to prescribe medicine, this is due to ignorance of the ancient principles of formula formulation. Ancient practitioners sought only the disease when prescribing. Medicines are used to control diseases; for every disease, there is a specific medicine to subdue it. If a person has a specific disease, the corresponding medicine will act specifically at the site of the disease to expel the pathogen, and will certainly not travel to healthy areas to cause harm. If the disease is retained and not expelled, even a robust person will eventually die from exhaustion of spirit and vitality after prolonged delay; this principle is quite obvious. For instance, although frail individuals generally should not undergo purgative therapies, if they contract Cold Damage (Shanghan) and the pathogen enters the Yangming channel, purgatives such as Natrii Sulfas (Xiaoshi, 芒硝) and Rheum Radix et Rhizoma (Dahuang, 大黄) may still be used. Once the pathogen is expelled, the essence and qi will naturally recover. Similarly, if a pregnant woman suddenly develops a mass (Zhengjia, 癥瘕), ingredients like Prunus Persica Seed (Taoren, 桃仁) and Rheum Radix et Rhizoma (Dahuang, 大黄) must be used to eliminate the mass; once the blood stasis is removed, the fetus will naturally remain secure. In the case of the elderly or those with chronic illnesses, whether dispersing or purging is indicated, one must not combine tonifying herbs merely because their blood and qi are deficient. For example, following Cold Damage, if relapse occurs due to improper diet (Shifu, 食复) or sexual indiscretion (Nulaofu, 女劳复), Zhang Zhongjing treated the food stagnation and cleared the heat, without using warming and tonifying methods simply because the patient was post-illness. The treatment focuses solely on the location of the pathology; once the medicine acts effectively on the disease, it is stopped, without further hesitation. Thus, there are no incurable cases in the world. Only when the medicine fails to hit the target—being biased, erroneous, or excessive—will healthy tissues be damaged, leading to danger. This aligns with the common saying: "The disease bears the burden of the medicine." This is a method passed down through generations. Therefore, physicians who hesitate and dare not prescribe according to symptoms during difficult cases do so because their observation of the disease is unclear, their syndrome differentiation is inaccurate, their understanding of formulas is superficial, and they lack comprehension of the profound meaning of the ancient sages.

There are cases in the world where the treatment method is correct, yet there is no effect throughout. This is because the pathological qi is deep-seated and stubborn, and cannot be cured by ordinary prescriptions. When a disease is located in the skin, hair, Ying (Nutritive), and Wei (Defensive) levels, even if the condition is severe, the site of invasion is shallow, and the pathogen is easy to expel. However, regarding stubborn diseases of the Zang-Fu organs, tendons, and bones, such as Consumption and Deficiency Cold (Laoqie, 劳怯), Epigastric Fullness and Obstruction (Pige, 痞隔), Wind-Bi, Flaccidity, and Cold Reversal (Feijue, 痿厥), the infection did not occur in a single day. The pathogen resides in the Zang-Fu and bones/tendons, permeating like oil in all directions, merging with the healthy qi. Patients, unaware of this, frequently change doctors. Physicians, seeing no efficacy, administer miscellaneous drugs indiscriminately. The disease deepens daily, and the primordial qi deteriorates, ultimately becoming incurable. They fail to realize that such diseases cannot be cured by one or two ordinary formulas. Modern compilers of formula books, for major conditions like Wind-Bi, merely record several ancient formulas at the beginning and append several general-purpose formulas at the end. Such treatment methods offer no hope of a cure date. One must thoroughly investigate the types of the disease, its root causes, and its changing manifestations, and inquire about any errors in previous medication. Then, broadly seek formulas from both ancient and modern times to treat this syndrome, selecting and applying various therapeutic methods in sequence; constantly evaluate the efficacy and adapt flexibly. In this way, stubborn diseases might have a chance of recovery. If one merely clings to a few general formulas and finds them ineffective repeatedly, resources are exhausted, and error is inevitable. Therefore, treating major syndromes requires profound learning, acute intellect, and dedicated, long-term treatment to achieve efficacy. There are also extremely severe and chronic cases where all medicines fail, yet suddenly heal after taking a very mild and light prescription. This is because the disease originally had a specific curative formula, and previous treatments were erroneous. Upon encountering the correct symptomatic medicine, recovery follows naturally.