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At the beginning of a disease, when it is superficial, it is easy to treat; but if it lingers and penetrates deeply, it becomes difficult to cure. The *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) states: "The sage does not treat diseases that have already formed, but prevents those that have not yet arisen." To administer medicine only after a disease has established itself is akin to digging a well only when one is thirsty, or forging weapons only when battle has begun—is this not too late? The preface to the *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders) says: "When the seasonal qi is discordant, [one] should speak early; trace the source of the pathogenic factor, and while it resides in the couli (skin and interstices), treat it in due course, and rarely will it not be cured." Patients endure [the discomfort] for several days before complaining; by then, the pathogenic qi has entered the zang organs, making it difficult to control. In the past, Bian Que told Duke Huan of Qi that the disease was in the couli; after three visits, it had entered the zang organs and could no longer be treated, leading to his escape. The teachings passed down through successive sages are all consistent. Generally, when a disease first enters, wind-cold is still superficial, and the qi, blood, and zang-fu organs are not yet damaged, so treatment is naturally very easy; however, once the pathogenic qi penetrates deeply, it confuses with the healthy qi. If one attempts to attack the pathogen, it harms the healthy qi; if one attempts to support the healthy qi, it aids the pathogen. Even if the pathogen gradually recedes, the healthy qi may already be unable to sustain itself. Furthermore, after contracting a disease, if one engages in labor or contracts wind, damaging qi or injuring food digestion, this is called "adding illness to illness," which is extremely critical. Therefore, illnesses contracted while traveling or staying in guesthouses are often difficult to treat. It is not that the illness acquired there is inherently heavier, but rather that after falling ill, one cannot enjoy the comfort of home to seek timely treatment; additionally, fatigue and cold exposure cause the pathogen to deepen, making it hard to cure. Thus, whenever one feels slight discomfort, immediate regulation and treatment are necessary. One must absolutely not ignore it as a minor ailment, allowing it to deepen gradually; nor should one force oneself to endure it, causing the illness to worsen and leaving endless harm. This is what ordinary people should reflect upon deeply, and what physicians must also inquire about clearly regarding the cause of the illness, observing with greater care.

Every disease necessarily presents with several symptoms. There are cases where the disease is the same but the symptoms differ, and cases where the symptoms are the same but the disease differs. There are symptoms that are causally linked to the disease, and those that are not. Collectively, they are referred to as "disease" (bing); individually analyzed, they are called "symptoms" (zheng). Ancient prescriptions used a single herb to treat a single symptom; combining multiple symptoms into a disease corresponds to combining multiple herbs into a formula. Within this framework, there are instances where one herb treats several symptoms, and where several herbs combine to treat one symptom. Moreover, for the same symptom, different medications may be used depending on the context, resulting in infinite variations. Those aspects that are shallow and easily understood, such as using Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma) and Banxia (Pinelliae Tuber) for vomiting and regurgitation, or Zaoren (Ziziphi Spinosomi Semen) and Fushen (Poria Cum Radix) for insomnia, are known to everyone. As for miscellaneous symptoms, such as those recorded in the *Huangdi Neijing*: panting and chest fullness, belching and dysarthria, swallowing, yawning, sneezing, vomiting, laughing, crying, closing eyes, dry throat, empty feeling in the heart with frequent fear, salivation and runny nose, biting lips and tongue, forgetfulness and irritability, desire to grasp objects, frequent dreaming, vomiting acid, pohans (cold sweat), etc., these are countless. These may arise from the influence of Si Tian Yun Qi (Dominant Qi of the Year), from the generation and restriction relationships among zang-fu organs, or from the transmission of pathogenic factors, all of which are detailed most extensively in the *Huangdi Neijing*. Later physicians, unable even to know the general name of the disease, how can they clarify the origins of various symptoms within a single disease? Even if the patient suffers greatly and explains the details, the physician remains bewildered, unaware of what ancient methods were used for treatment, and instead responds with generic, irrelevant substances, or even uses contraindicated herbs that exacerbate the illness. This is why patients feel they have no way to seek help. Students of medicine must diligently study the *Huangdi Neijing*, investigate the causes of each symptom, detail their manifestations, distinguish their similarities and differences, and verify their authenticity. Then, they should extensively consult formularies and materia medica, thoroughly seeking out the treatment methods of the ancients. Upon encountering such symptoms, they will achieve immediate cures. Those who do not understand consider this miraculous, but in reality, the ancient sages all established definitive protocols.