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Sun Simiao resided in Mount Taibai and was proficient in all aspects of calendrical calculation and medicine. Lu Zhaolin, suffering from a severe illness that could not be cured, asked him, "How do skilled physicians cure diseases?" Sun Simiao replied, "Heaven has four seasons and five phases (Wu Xing). Cold and heat alternate; when harmonious, they transform into rain; when violent, into wind; when condensed, into frost and snow; when expanded, into rainbows. These are the constant laws of Heaven. Human beings have four limbs and five zang organs, states of wakefulness and sleep, inhalation and exhalation; these flow to form Ying (Nutritive) Qi and Wei (Defensive) Qi, expand to manifest as complexion, and emit as voice. These are the constant laws of humanity. Yang acts upon the physical form, while Yin acts upon the essence. This is common to both Heaven and humanity. If balance is lost, steaming generates heat, and blockage generates cold; knotting forms tumors or swellings, sinking forms carbuncles and sores; rushing causes panting and fatigue, exhaustion leads to withering. These phenomena appear on the face and move in the body. Heaven and Earth are the same: the contraction or expansion of the five planets (Wu Wei), the appearance of comets or meteors indicate danger; irregular cold and heat indicate steaming or blockage; standing stones or rising soil indicate swellings; mountain collapses or earth subsidence indicate carbuncles and sores; fierce winds and heavy rains indicate panting and fatigue; dried-up rivers and streams indicate withering. Skilled physicians guide with medicinal herbs and apply bian stone therapy; sages employ supreme virtue and assist human affairs. Thus, the body has diseases that can be cured, and Heaven has disasters that can be saved." (From *Book of Tang*)

*Qianjin Fang* states: The three things to avoid for Xiao Ke (Wasting-Thirst disease) are: first, drinking alcohol; second, sexual activity; third, consuming salty foods and wheat products. If one can abstain from these three, even without taking medicine, the Xiao Ke condition will naturally resolve. However, whether the disease has healed or not, one must always consider the hidden danger: major carbuncles and sores inevitably occur between bone joints, leading to sudden onset and death. I personally witnessed my friend Shao Rendao suffer from Xiao Ke for several years and ultimately die from a carbuncle and sore. Li Langzhong, a Cibu official of the Tang Dynasty, discussed Xiao Ke as being caused by Kidney deficiency. Each time it flares up, the urine becomes sweet. Physicians mostly did not understand this disease, hence its absence in ancient and modern medical texts. The *Hong Fan* chapter of the *Book of Documents* states that "grains and beans taste sweet." Inferring from physical principles, malt syrup, vinegar, wine, and meat jerky all become sweet within moments. This clearly demonstrates that after humans eat, the flavors are sweet and flow into the Bladder. If the Qi of the Waist and Kidneys is vigorous, this is True Fire steaming upwards to the Spleen and Stomach, transforming food and drink, separating water and grain, which exit through the two lower orifices. The essence enters the marrow, combines with Ying and Wei to circulate in the blood vessels, nourishing the whole body. Next, it transforms into fat and paste, then into flesh and blood. The remainder becomes urine; therefore, urine is yellow, being the surplus of blood. Qi refers to the Qi of the five zang organs, all moistening downwards, and thus the flavor also goes downwards. Since the waist and kidneys are deficient and cold, they cannot steam the grain Qi, which fully descends as urine; thus, it tastes sweet and remains unchanged in color, appearing clear and cold, causing the skin and muscles to wither. It is like a nursing mother: grain Qi flows upward to become breast milk. Xiao Ke patients, however, have downward discharge as urine because the essence is not solidified internally, resulting in frequent urination and polyuria. Furthermore, the Lung is the canopy of the five zang organs. If there is warm Qi steaming from below, the Lung is moist; if it is extremely cold below, Yang Qi cannot ascend, causing the Lung to dry out and thirst to arise. This resembles the Pi hexagram in the *I Ching*: Qian (Heaven/Yang) above, Kun (Earth/Yin) below. Without Yin, Yang does not descend; without Yang, Yin does not ascend. When upper and lower do not interact, Pi (obstruction) forms. Imagine a pot with water heated by fire; if covered with a board, warm Qi rises, moistening the board. Without fire power, water vapor cannot reach the board, and it remains dry. This "fire power" represents the strength of the waist and kidneys. One must constantly warm and tonify Kidney Qi. With the warming power of digestion, food is moistened and easily digested, preventing dryness and thirst. Therefore, Zhang Zhongjing stated that it is appropriate to take Shen Qi Ba Wei Wan (Kidney Qi Eight-Ingredient Pill). Although this disease and Jiao Qi (Foot Weakness/Gout) are both caused by Kidney deficiency, Jiao Qi begins in the second and third months, peaks in the fifth and sixth, and declines in the seventh and eighth. Conversely, Xiao Ke begins in the seventh and eighth months, peaks in the eleventh and twelfth, and declines in the second and third. Why? Jiao Qi is an obstructive disease, while Xiao Ke is a dissipative disease. In spring and summer, Yang Qi ascends, so when the obstructive disease flares, the dissipative disease heals. In autumn and winter, Yang Qi descends, so when the dissipative disease flares, the obstructive disease heals. Understanding these two aspects allows for proper treatment. It is like a wise ruler who balances leniency with severity according to circumstances. Zhang Zhongjing said: The Foot-Taiyang channel belongs to the Bladder, which is the mansion of the Kidney. Frequent urination indicates excessive Qi. Excessive Qi consumes grain rapidly, leading to hard stool; deficiency leads to Xiao Ke. Men with Xiao Ke who drink one dou of water may pass one dou of urine; they should take Ba Wei Shen Qi Wan (Eight-Ingredient Kidney Qi Pill). (From *Benshi Fang*)