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Chen Wuyue stated: Spleen deficiency often leads to dampness-related diseases. Internally, excessive consumption of alcohol and food accumulation, drinking too much liquid, ingesting greasy and indigestible foods, and overeating roasted, grilled, or rich fatty foods cause heat to steam upward. This obstructs the flow of turbid fluids, causing them to surge within the middle jiao; this is dampness arising from within. Externally, sitting or lying on wet ground, being exposed to fog, dew, rain, and clouds, getting caught in the wind during bathing, or wading through water where dampness stagnates can lead to issues. If dampness stagnates in the exterior cou li (interstitial spaces), it causes jaundice. Thus, the Classics state: "The dampness of the earth, when it invades, harms the skin and sinews." This is dampness generated from the outside. It can be seen that both internal and external infections occur due to spleen qi deficiency, allowing pathogenic dampness to take advantage and invade. Therefore, it is said: "Those who are robust recover as their qi flows freely; those who are weak develop disease as the pathogen lingers."

When pathogenic dampness is contracted from the exterior, it constitutes an exterior pathogen with stagnant heat, thus causing aversion to cold and fever, a body color resembling smoke-staining (jaundice), and bi syndrome characterized by numbness and heaviness in the skin (Zhuo Bi). When clear cold-dampness attacks deficiency and moves upward, it causes headache, nasal congestion, and irritability; if it enters the bone joints, it causes heavy pain, edema of the dorsum of the foot, and a floating and moderate pulse. When dampness arises from within, it results in interior knotting and stagnation, leading to cholera-like vomiting and diarrhea. Severe cases may develop spasms and rigidity; mild cases present with epigastric fullness, diaphragmatic obstruction, abdominal distension, lethargy, drowsiness, heaviness, and weakness. If it floods the joints, it causes painful irritation; if it pours into the meridians, it limits flexion and extension. If qi fails to control fluid metabolism, edema occurs, with muscles soft like mud that do not rebound upon pressure, and the pulse is mostly deep.

The Classics state: "Affected by dampness, the head feels wrapped, and the voice sounds as if coming from inside a room." If damp-heat persists and steams upward, it causes heavy head, yellow eyes, and nasal congestion. Therefore, Li Dongyuan stated: "When dampness prevails excessively, use methods to calm wind to level it," referring to the treatment for dampness invading the upper body.

The Classics state: "Those injured by dampness suffer first in the lower part." Thus, the feet swell and the knees feel heavy, making walking difficult. Numbness in the legs and feet occurs, and the waist and legs become dysfunctional. It is also said: "A heavy sensation in the waist, as if carrying five thousand coins," all indicating dampness lodging in the lower body.

The Mai Jing (Pulse Classic) states: A pulse that is deep and moderate, deep and fine, or slightly moderate indicates dampness invasion. A floating pulse indicates wind-dampness. A floating and moderate pulse indicates dampness in the exterior; a deep and moderate pulse indicates dampness in the interior. A deep, fine, slow, and faint pulse indicates cold-dampness and damp-bi. A slippery and rapid pulse accompanied by fever, irritability, panting, chest fullness, dry mouth, and jaundice indicates damp-heat. A surging and moderate pulse indicates severe damp-heat causing pain.