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The patient must be roused by hand; they neither drink nor eat, have no bowel movement nor sleep, or speak incessantly without fatigue, or remain unresponsive to questions for a long time. This indicates the constraint of the Seven Emotions (Seven Affects), with Qi stagnation failing to disperse for a prolonged period, causing body fluids to congeal into phlegm, allowing pathogenic factors to take root and attach.
Even if treatment hits the mark precisely, immediate recovery is difficult; waiting without medication, how can the disease be expelled? Therefore, within a formula for clearing and resolving heat, ingredients that dispel phlegm, promote Qi circulation, unblock the Stomach, and soothe the Liver are incorporated. By the fourteenth day, the fever subsided. After a few more days, the amount of phlegm and saliva gradually decreased. Ten days later, bowel movements finally occurred. Porridge intake increased daily until recovery. This therapeutic approach was carried through consistently from start to finish. Not only were warming, drying, ascending, and tonifying herbs avoided entirely, but also cloying and blood-nourishing substances were shunned. It required thirty doses to achieve results. If the family lacked firm faith, the physician lacked persistence, and bystanders offered conflicting opinions, how could success be attained? However, it was not merely due to the cautionary tale of his daughter-in-law’s previous illness that he would so steadfastly trust this capable physician without wavering.

Yang, suffering from a common cold for ten days, initially presented with loose stools. The physician administered warming and dispersing herbs; although the diarrhea ceased, the fever persisted. Yang lay quietly day and night, refusing food and drink. Mengying palpated the pulse: slow and moderate, extremely faint on superficial pressure. There was ocular discharge, the tongue was bright red and glossy, there was no thirst, urination was normal, and there was no discomfort in the chest or abdomen. Speech was lazy and voice low, followed quickly by sleep. This indicated latent Summerheat-Dampness internally, combined with dry fecal impaction in the Stomach, obstructing the functional mechanisms. Initially, two doses of a formula to clear the Ying (Nutritive) level and unblock the Stomach were given. The fever subsided and the tongue became pale, yet the pulse and symptoms remained unchanged. Wine-processed Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii (Qianghuo) [Note: Text says 大黄 Dahuang - Rheum officinale / Polygonum cinnabarinum Rhizome] and Herba Pogostemonis (Shentoucao) were added. Subsequently, a large amount of hard, black, dry feces were discharged. Sleep decreased, and porridge consumption resumed. Following this, cooling and moistening herbs were administered, leading to full recovery within ten days.

Ren Feiting from Haiyan. He was employed as a tutor in the Wu Qinchu household. In late summer, he contracted a cold. Physician Huang, noting his fever accompanied by occasional slight chills, prescribed Ginger, Cornus, Perilla, and Jujube. After several doses, the fever intensified, and both urination and defecation ceased. A subsequent physician continued with diuretic and draining agents. Initially, urination improved slightly, but then became completely obstructed. The employer grew worried and invited Mengying for consultation. On the fourteenth day of illness, Ren was emaciated ("skin and bones"), with a wiry, fine, and choppy pulse. The tongue was bright purple, covered with white thrush-like patches. He suffered from insomnia, thirst without desire to drink much, inability to eat even a grain of rice, tenderness upon pressure in the lower abdomen, and impending asthma/wheezing. Although this presents as a Lower Jiao excess pattern, the physical and pulse signs preclude direct aggressive treatment. First, one large river snail, a handful of fresh Plantago asiatica Leaf (Cheqiancao), and six cloves of garlic were crushed together, mixed with a small amount of Moschus (Musk), and applied as a poultice to the Shuifen (CV9) acupoint below the umbilicus. The herbal decoction consisted of Radix Scrophulariae (Xuanshen), Flos Asteroatis (Ziwan), Fructus Gardeniae (Zhizi), Radix Anemarrhenae (Zhimu), Radix Trichosanthis (Huafen), Rhizoma Cyperi Rotundi (Haibiqi - *Note: Text likely refers to Dioscorea bulbifera or similar, often translated as Air Potato or similar tuber in context of moistening*), Cistanche Stem (Rongrong), Achyranthes Root (Niuxi), and Asparagus Tuber (Tiantong). Fresh Rehmannia Juice was added. That night, urination commenced, breathing eased, and he slept briefly. After two more doses, bowel movements occurred, fever subsided, and he began tolerating thin gruel. The Xue Geng Decoction components (Snow Soup), Zhizi, Ziwan, Rongrong, Niuxi, and Rehmannia juice were removed. They were replaced with American Ginseng (Xiyangshen), Ophiopogon Tuber (Maidong), Dendrobium Stem (Shihu), Dry Rehmannia Root (Gan Shengdi), Bamboo Shavings (Zhuru), and Honeysuckle Flower (Yinhua). After over ten doses, three episodes of black stool passage occurred. The tongue coating returned to a healthy red and moist appearance, and sleep and appetite gradually normalized, allowing him to rise.

Xu Zhiqing suffered from external Cold, requiring heavy quilts to cover himself. Internally, he felt hot, and drinking did not quench his thirst, yet he could digest food normally, and urination/defecation were patent. Some considered it Deficient-Cold; others suspected a carbuncle/ulcer condition. Warming and dispersing herbs were administered, which immediately manifested as sore throat. Mengying palpated the pulse: deep, wiry, and slow, diagnosing internal latent Phlegm-Heat. He prescribed a formula containing Rhinoceros Horn (Xijiao - *Note: Now substituted with Buffalo Horn Lingyangjiao*), Antelope Horn (Lingyangjiao), Radix Scrophulariae (Xuanshen), Moutan Bark (Danpi), White Peony Root (Baiwei - *Note: Text says Baiwei, usually Pseudolarix or related, but context suggests cooling blood/phlegm heat*), Black Gardenia (Heizhi), Bamboo Shavings (Zhuru), Fritillaria Bulb (Beimu), Inula Flower (Xuanfu), and Bitter Apricot Seed (Niangao - *Note: Text says Niubang, usually Arctium Fruit Niubangzi*). After two doses, the chills, thirst, and sore throat all diminished. The Xijiao, Lingyangjiao, and Niubangzi were removed. Erzhi Wan (Two Winter Pill), Zhimu, Huafen, and Yinhua were added. Passage of "soy-sauce" like stool occurred, and he recovered.