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(Zhang Zhongjing)
Treats Shaoyin Cold Damage (Shaoyin syndrome caused by cold pathogen), presenting with abdominal pain, difficult urination, heaviness and pain in the four limbs, and spontaneous diarrhea; this is due to water qi (pathogenic fluid accumulation). There may be cough or vomiting, or clear urination. (In Cold Damage, a deep and fine pulse, desire to vomit but unable to do so, irritability, and only wanting to sleep, along with diarrhea and thirst after five or six days, indicate a Shaoyin pattern. When awake, Qi circulates in the Yang aspect of the body.) Zhou Yang points out that this involves Water-Dampness.

Muscle twitching (Jinti Rourun), tremors causing the patient to want to fall to the ground, indicates Qi deficiency and aversion to cold (excessive sweating leads to palpitations; sweat is the fluid of the Heart. When sweat is lost excessively, Heart Qi becomes deficient, similar to a fish jumping when it loses its water; water stagnating below the Heart also causes palpitations because the Heart belongs to Fire, and Fire fears Water, hence palpitations. Deficient Yang moving internally causes dizziness; excessive sweating reduces fluids, which cannot nourish muscles and sinews, leading to muscle twitching and trembling. The reason for trembling and wanting to collapse onto the ground is the helplessness of Yang exhaustion, seeking support from the ground.) Cheng Jiaoqian states: Excessive sweating leading to Yang exhaustion is well known. However, there is the Defensive Yang that protects the exterior, which is the master of the body's Ying and Wei. Deficiency of this Yang leads to continuous leaking sweat, aversion to cold, and body pain. There is the Yang in the Danzhong (Chest), which is the master of the Upper Jiao Heart and Lungs. Deficiency of this Yang leads to crossing hands over the heart and Penetrating Pig (Ben Tun) syndrome. There is the True Yang in the Kidney, which is the master of the Lower Jiao's true Yuan. Deficiency of this Yang leads to fever, dizziness, palpitations, and tremors causing collapse. There is the Yang in the Stomach, which is the master of the transformation and production of water and grain in the Middle Jiao. Deficiency of this Yang leads to abdominal fullness, stomach disharmony, and epigastric glomus (Xia Pi). Those treating medical errors must observe the pulse and symptoms, understand what mistake was made, and treat according to the method. When the Kidney's True Yang is prosperous, water adheres internally, sharing the storage function with Kidney Qi; when Kidney Yang is deficient and cannot control water, water floods and causes disease, thus overwhelming the Heart and causing dizziness.

Fuzi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, one piece, processed), Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, two liang, stir-fried), Fuling (Poria), Shaoyao (Paeoniae Radix Alba, stir-fried), Shengjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, three liang). When Water and Cold contend, if there is cough, add Wuweizi (Schisandrae Fructus), Xixin (Asari Radix et Rhizoma), Ganjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma); Wuweizi astringes Lung Qi, while Xixin and Ganjiang disperse Water-Cold. If urination is clear/abundant, remove Fuling (which leaches out water). If there is diarrhea, remove Shaoyao and add Ganjiang (Shaoyao is sour and cold, Ganjiang is acrid and hot). If there is vomiting, remove Fuzi and double the amount of Shengjiang (Fuzi tonifies Qi, Shengjiang disperses rebellious Qi).

This is a formula for the Foot-Shaoyin meridian. Fuling and Baizhu tonify Earth to promote water metabolism, able to attack Kidney pathogens and treat palpitations; Shengjiang and Fuzi restore Yang and benefit Wei, strengthening True Fire to expel deficient cold; Shaoyao is sour and astringent, able to conserve Yin and harmonize Ying to stop abdominal pain (Tonifying Yang must simultaneously harmonize Yin, avoiding excess. The Classic states: For excess Cold, treat with Acrid-Hot; for excess Dampness, assist with Sour-Neutral). Zhenwu is the deity of the North, depicted as a turtle and a snake, governing Water and Fire, symbolizing the Kidney-Mingmen. This formula assists Fire and promotes water flow, hence named Zhenwu Tang (Cheng Jiaoqian says: Water qi exists only in the Taiyang and Shaoyin meridians because both govern water. However, Taiyang receives it from the exterior; when skin pores are not unobstructed, water qi is blocked by the Xu Fu (pores), so Xiao Qinglong Tang is used to release it. Shaoyin arises from cold in the Lower Jiao, failing to control its own Water, allowing external pathogens to penetrate deeply and disturb the root Qi due to Kidney Yang decline and failed defense. Thus, Zhenwu Tang is used to warm the interior and suppress water, gathering the Yin Qi. Note: Xiao Qinglong Tang governs Taiyang exterior water, Shizao Tang governs Taiyang interior water, and Zhenwu Tang governs Shaoyin interior water. Yu Jiayan says: There is absolutely no indication for using Fuzi in Yangming or Shaoyang meridians; only in Taiyang are there cases where it is indispensable. Because the Taiyang Bladder is the Fu organ of the Kidney, Kidney Yang deficiency and Yin excess inevitably transmit to the Fu organ. Therefore, upon seeing signs like faint pulse, aversion to cold, leaking sweat, aversion to wind, palpitations, dizziness, muscle twitching, and restlessness, even if there is transmitted heat pathogen, Jiang (Ginger) and Fu (Aconite) must be used to eliminate Yin and restore Yang).

Removing Shengjiang from this formula and adding Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, two liang) creates Fuzi Tang (Zhang Zhongjing): Treats Shaoyin disease with body pain, cold hands and feet, bone joint pain, and a deep pulse (The Kidney governs bones; excess Cold causes pain. Pain throughout all bone joints here is caused by Yang deficiency and Yin excess generating internal cold, not external contraction; treating it as an external contraction would be fatal. Therefore, Ren Shen and Fuzi are used to assist Yang and overcome Kidney cold, while Shaoyao is added to conserve Yin as an attachment to Yang); and Shaoyin disease occurring within one or two days, with a neutral mouth feeling and aversion to cold in the back (The back is the mansion of the chest; all Yang Qi receives energy in the chest and circulates to the back. The back is Yang, the abdomen is Yin. Insufficient Yang and盛 Yin-cold internally cause aversion to cold in the back. If aversion to cold were due to Wind-Cold in the exterior, the whole body would be cold. Wang Ang notes: The back belongs to the Taiyang region, yet the Shaoyin Kidney meridian also penetrates the spine, being exterior-interior related to Taiyang. Furthermore, the back is located in the North, corresponding to the Kidney's position. Thus, cold injuring Shaoyin causing back aversion to cold is consistent with this principle. There is also a case of insufficient Yin Qi, where Yang sinks inward vacuously, and the new deficiency of Yang on the surface within Yin causes slight back aversion to cold. The Classic mentions Cold Damage without significant fever, thirst, irritability, and slight back aversion to cold, treated with Baihu Jia Renshen Tang. One case is internal盛 Yin-cold; the other is internal sinking of Yang. How to distinguish? Generally, Yin-Cold disease has no internal dry-heat, so the mouth feels neutral; Yang sinking inward consumes fluids, causing dry mouth, dry tongue, and thirst. To distinguish between Yangming Cold and Heat, one should carefully examine whether the mouth is dry or moist. Another method is observing urine clarity and color: clear indicates Cold, red indicates Heat).