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Zhu Danxi treated the younger brother of Scholar Chen. He suffered from coughing and hemoptysis due to melancholy, with a sallow complexion. After ten days of medication, there was no effect. Zhu told his elder brother, "This illness stems from frustration damaging the Kidney. It must be resolved through joy to heal." Therefore, they arranged for him a place sufficient to sustain his livelihood. He became overjoyed, his complexion immediately improved, and he recovered without further medication. From this, we see that treating disease requires seeking its root. Even if the medicine targets the symptoms, if the cause is not investigated, it cannot cure the disease.

The daughter of Secretary Xu was ill, resembling consumptive disease (Lao). The monk physician Fa Jing diagnosed her, saying, "The pulse at both cun positions is faint and hidden; this is an illness caused by worry and rumination." When asked about the cause, Mr. Xu said, "My daughter dreamed of swallowing a snake, which gradually led to this illness." Fa Jing claimed there was a snake in the abdomen and prescribed medicine specifically to expel small snakes, after which the illness healed. Fa Jing privately stated it was not a snake disease, but rather an illness formed by excessive worry due to the dream of a snake. One should treat the mind/intent rather than the physical disease itself.

A wealthy woman suffered from severe over-rumination, unable to sleep for two years, with no medicine effective. Her husband requested Dai Ren (Zhang Congzheng) to diagnose her. Dai Ren said, "The pulses in both hands are slow/weak; this indicates the Spleen is affected, as the Spleen governs rumination." He then used anger to provoke her, taking much money from her husband, drinking for several days, and leaving without prescribing any formula. The woman became extremely angry, sweated, and fell into deep sleep that night. This continued for eight or nine days until she no longer suffered from insomnia. Her appetite increased, and her pulse returned to normal.

A newlywed woman had not eaten since her husband left for business two years prior. She lay listlessly like a fool, with no other ailments, often sitting facing inward toward the bed. Zhu Danxi diagnosed a wiry pulse extending beyond the cun position in the Liver channel, saying, "This is longing for a man unrequited, causing Qi stagnation in the Spleen. Medicine alone is difficult to treat; joy can resolve it. Alternatively, making her angry would work. The Spleen governs rumination; excessive rumination causes Spleen Qi to knot, leading to loss of appetite. Anger belongs to Liver Wood, and Wood controls Earth. Anger causes Qi to rise and rush, thereby opening the knot in Spleen Qi." Her father slapped her face and scolded her. She cried loudly and raged for about three hours, after which she was comforted and persuaded. After taking one dose of medicine, she immediately asked for porridge. Zhu said, "Although the Qi of rumination is resolved, it must be accompanied by joy so it does not knot again." Thus, they falsely claimed her husband had sent a letter and would return soon. Three months later, her husband indeed returned, and she healed.

Zhu Danxi said: A monk from Shu, when he became a monk, his mother was still alive. Later, he traveled west of Zhejiang. After seven years, one day, his heart yearned intensely for his mother. He wanted to return but lacked travel funds, so he vainly gazed westward morning and evening, crying. Consequently, he fell ill, becoming yellow, thin, and fatigued. At that time, the monk was twenty-five years old. Master Taiwu Luo saw him and had him stay in the adjacent room. Every day, he cooked beef and pork stomach, rich and fatty foods, until soft and tender, and fed them to him. This lasted for more than half a month. Meanwhile, he frequently used comforting words to console him. He also promised to give him ten ingots of cash for travel expenses, saying, "I do not expect repayment; I only wish to save your life." Observing that his form slightly revived and his pulse slightly filled out, he administered Tao Ren Cheng Qi Tang. Three doses per day. After defecation, all were blood clots and phlegm accumulations. Only then did he stop. The next day, he only gave cooked vegetables and thin porridge for recuperation. After another half month, the monk returned to normal. More than half a month later, he gave him ten ingots of cash, and he departed.

[Appendix] A scholar was reading books and forgot to eat. One day, a person in purple robes stood before him and said, "You must not think for long; if you continue thinking, I will die." Asked who he was, he replied, "I am the God of Grain (Gushen)." Thereafter, he ceased excessive thinking, and his eating habits returned to normal.