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[Scriptural Principles]
Wind is the leader of all diseases. When wind-cold pathogens invade the human body, they cause the hair follicles to stand erect and the skin pores to close, resulting in fever. At this time, sweating can be induced to expel the pathogen. ○ The arrival of evil wind is as swift as wind and rain. ○ One should avoid empty evils and thieving winds (pathogenic factors arising from abnormal climatic conditions) at appropriate times. ○ Those injured by wind pathogens are first affected on the upper part of the body. (From *Suwen*)

[Philosophical Discourse]
Wind is the head of a hundred diseases. Among the six qi (wind, cold, summer-heat, dampness, dryness, fire), only wind can fully combine with the other five. For example, combining with cold is called wind-cold; with summer-heat, summer-heat wind; with dampness, wind-dampness; with dryness, wind-dryness; with fire, wind-fire. This is because wind can agitate and stir these five qi to harm the human body, whereas the other five cannot mutually combine completely. For instance, cold cannot combine with summer-heat and fire, nor does summer-heat combine with cold; dampness does not combine with dryness, nor does dryness with dampness; fire does not combine with cold. From this perspective, diseases originating from wind are numerous. However, while wind can combine with cold, cold does not combine with wind. For example, during winter cold, even in a sealed room, if a person lies naked, they will inevitably contract Cold Damage (*Shanghan*). This occurs without wind invasion, being merely an injury from cold without wind combination. Wind combines with cold because there is inherent cold qi within wind. In I Ching, Xun represents wind; the nature of wind is originally cold, corresponding to the initial yin line of the Xun trigram. Because wind flows and agitates, its function belongs to yang, aligning with the two yang lines (second and third) of the Xun trigram. For instance, during humid and hot summer days, if several people fan one person, that person’s sweat pores will close, leading to headache, aversion to cold, and joint pain, causing Cold Damage to manifest. Although there is no cold qi in the environment at that moment, the wind being blown contains inherent cold qi, thus causing the person to suffer and the cold disease to arise suddenly. This is an injury from wind combined with cold damage. Therefore, there are cases of injury from cold alone without wind, cases of wind injury leading to combined cold damage, cases of wind injury alone without cold damage, and cases where wind injury is combined with wind-warmth, wind-dampness, wind-dryness, or wind-fire. There are also cases where summer-heat, dampness, dryness, and fire independently cause injury without any wind combination. Ke Yunbo, in his commentary on *Shanghan Lun*, stated: Severe wind injury belongs to Cold Damage, presenting with symptoms such as absence of sweating, tight pulse, and joint pain. This book uniquely opens a new path for Zhang Zhongjing’s work. Zhang Zhongjing’s *Treatise on Cold Damage* focuses primarily on cold pathogens; since wind can combine with cold, wind is mentioned to elucidate the relationship. Students must understand this principle. Regarding internal and external wind affecting the zang-fu organs, each has specific manifestations recorded in *Neijing*, which should be carefully studied. (From *Linzheng Zhinan*)

Wind injury originates from external contraction. If the pathogen is severe and deep, spreading through the meridians, it becomes Cold Damage; if the pathogen is mild and superficial, affecting only the skin and hair, it is wind injury. Skin and hair are the exterior correspondence of the Lung, connecting upwards to the nose. Thus, externally it manifests as nasal congestion with heavy voice, or headache and alternating chills and fever; internally it manifests as cough, and severely as phlegm and wheezing. If cold dominates and wind is contracted, there will be no sweating; if heat dominates and wind is contracted, there will be profuse sweating. Those with strong constitution recover after a few days as the pathogen disperses; those with weak constitution find it difficult to resolve the pathogen, leading to lingering illness. Generally, wind pathogens attack between the Dazhu (BL11), Fengmen (BL12), and Feishu (BL13) acupoints at the back of the shoulders and neck root, reaching the Lung closely. Individuals with weak constitutions are particularly susceptible. By protecting these areas day and night from cold exposure, one can avoid illness. (Zhang Jingyue)

Changing clothes, removing hats, bathing in the wind, causing sudden pathogen invasion into the skin and hair, settling internally in the Lung, is an external cause; wearing thick clothing causing upper jiao heat stagnation, generating internal wind that mimics wind injury, is an internal cause. If the Lung already has phlegm-heat, and is bound by wind pathogens preventing the release of internal fire, it is called "Han-Xuan" (external cold binding with internal heat stagnation), representing an excess syndrome of both internal and external causes. If one has chronic deficiency of primordial qi, loose surface and porous interstices, showing wind symptoms upon slight negligence, it represents a deficiency syndrome of both internal and external causes. ○ Wind following the meridians also undergoes Six Meridian transmission. Initial headache and fever resemble Cold Damage, but wind injury necessarily involves nasal congestion and runny nose, along with aversion to wind; the patient feels comfortable in a warm room. Cold Damage involves aversion to cold; even near a fierce fire, the patient still fears cold. Wind injury at the exterior presents with sweating and slight restlessness in the hands and feet; Cold Damage at the exterior presents with no sweating and slightly cold hands and feet. Wind injury entering the interior causes lung heat and skin rashes; Cold Damage entering the interior causes stomach heat and muscle macules. These are distinct. (From *Zhengzhi Huibu*)

Regarding wind injury, most schools treat it together with common colds involving the four qi and stroke sections. Only Chen Wuze established a separate section for wind injury, starting with the Taiyang meridian according to *Shanghan Lun* and differentiating the Six Meridians, which is quite detailed. However, wind is an external pathogen, and formulas typically use exterior-releasing methods. Yet the source of disease varies. If wind is contracted due to exterior deficiency, using only exterior-releasing methods will lead to excessive sweating and loss of Yang qi. If there is internal phlegm-heat, internal and external treatments should be combined; one should not focus solely on releasing the exterior. Someone asked: Is this "exterior deficiency" the same as exterior deficiency in Taiyang wind strike? The answer is no. That refers to Taiyang wind strike, distinguishing deficiency and excess based on presence or absence of sweating; excess adds Ephedrae Herba (Mahuang), deficiency adds Puerariae Radix (Gegen), both releasing the exterior. Here, "exterior deficiency" means securing the Defensive Qi to disperse wind pathogens. (Liu Zongnong)

Wherever the pathogen gathers, the Zheng Qi (Upright Qi) must be deficient. Therefore, when treating wind, the concern is not how to drive it out, but how to defend against it; one does not fear the wind not leaving, but fears its return. Why? Because excessive dispersion prevents the closure of Yuan Fu (pores). Ignorant practitioners do not know the method of supporting the interior and consolidating the exterior, trying various wind-dispelling drugs. The pathogen leaves, but returns again, lingering indefinitely. (Ke Yunbo)

Although wind injury is a minor illness, the proverb says if untreated it becomes consumption (Lao). This is due to insufficiency of Metal (Lung) and Water (Kidney) organs, with Yang Qi unable to guard the exterior. *Jing* states: "Those injured by wind are first affected on the upper part." Hence, headache is inevitable. Zhongjing said: "When Yang floats, heat arises spontaneously; when Yin is weak, sweat comes out spontaneously." Hence, fever and spontaneous sweating are inevitable. Wind is Heaven's Yang, and Wei Qi (Defensive Qi) is Human's Yang; wind injuring Wei Qi follows the principle of similarity. Treatment should determine the exact internal and external causes. If external excess prevails, use pungent-warm in autumn/winter and pungent-cool in spring/summer to release the muscle layer and disperse via sweat; if internal deficiency prevails, secure the Wei Qi and simultaneously resolve wind pathogens. Know that where the pathogen gathers, the Zheng Qi is deficient. If one only engages in expulsion, the existing pathogen may leave, but future pathogens will never cease. If symptoms persist after exterior dispersion, it indicates insufficient blood and qi, and disharmony of Ying and Wei Qi; the primary treatment should be harmonizing Ying and Wei Qi. Do not neglect minor illnesses; misprescription can lead pathogens from superficial to deep levels, invading zang-fu organs, transforming into consumptive disease, which becomes untreatable. (From *Fengshi Jinnang*)

[Pulse Diagnosis]
If the left Cun and Guan pulses are floating, wiry, and forceful, it is wind injury; if the right Cun and Guan pulses are surging, slippery, and forceful, it is warmth injury; if the right Cun and Guan pulses are soggy, weak, and forceless, it indicates concurrent deficiency. (From *Zhengzhi Huibu*)

[Selected Case]
Shi Kaixiao suffered from wind injury with cough, without fever, feeling urgently distressed as if dying, with interrupted breathing, red face, restlessness, and a large, empty pulse. I said: This presentation resembles the Dai Yang syndrome (Floating Yang) of Cold Damage. How can a minor wind injury present this way? Urgently administer Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata (Fuzi) to warm and tonify the Lower Yuan and retrieve Yang Qi. Otherwise, death by Yang collapse with profuse sweating will occur during the Zi-Chou hours. He did not agree. As sunset approached, Yang Qi declined, he became panicked and unsupported, sweating like rain. He hurriedly took the previous medicine, and stabilized slightly; after another dose, sweating stopped, spirit calmed, and cough ceased. Upon inquiry, he reported taking four doses of Mahuang Tang (Ephedra Decoction), leading to extreme restlessness and distress. Thus, it was known that wind injury can also present as Dai Yang syndrome, indistinguishable from Cold Damage. Because the patient had chronic lower deficiency, True Yang easily floated upward. (Yu Jiayan)