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[Formula] *Semen Pruni* (Yuli Ren), *Rhei Radix et Rhizoma* (Dahuang), *Cinnamomi Ramulus* (Guixin), *Black Sesame* (Hei Qianniu), *Angelicae Sinensis Radix* (Danggui), *Phellodendri Cortex* (Huangbai) (all used raw, each 1.5 liang), *Calomelas* (Qingfen, a small amount).
Grind the above herbs into fine powder, add water to make pills the size of *Koelreuteriae Fructus* (Wutongzi). Take 30 to 40 pills per dose, administered with warm water or ginger decoction.

[Treatment Indication] Treats urinary retention and obstruction, caused by blood stasis leading to qi stagnation, thereby causing orifice blockage.

[Formula] *Anemarrhenae Rhizoma* (Zhimu, processed with wine), *Alismatis Rhizoma* (Zexie, ground into powder, each 3 qian), *Poria* (Fuling, peeled), *Talcum* (Huashi, stir-fried until yellow, each 2 qian), *Phellodendri Cortex* (Huangbai, soaked in wine).
Mix the above herbs evenly as one dose. Add two cups of water, decoct until one cup remains. Take warm on an empty stomach. In cases of acute retention, take at any time.

The *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) states: When the six qi invade the body, wind-cold is below, dryness-heat is above, and dampness is in the middle. Only fire wanders between them, often penetrating and causing diseases in both upper and lower parts. Among those that cause disease through movement, only fire is prominent. The *Bingji* (Pathogenesis) treatise states: Diseases caused by the five fires include internal rejection, vomiting, and regurgitation where food cannot enter; this indicates the presence of fire. All heat-induced dizziness and convulsions belong to fire. Excessive heat leads to turbidity and confusion. As the classics state, "when sinews and vessels pull against each other and become tense, it is called convulsion," hence commonly referred to as spasms. All conditions involving mouth closure, shivering, and trembling, resembling a loss of spiritual control, belong to fire. Mouth closure, shivering, panic, and confusion, resembling a loss of spiritual control, along with palpitations and anxiety, are caused by heat acting internally. Therefore, treatment should employ agents that restrain fire, allowing the spirit to be preserved and the nutritive blood to recover naturally. All rebellious qi rushing upward belongs to fire attacking upwards. Since fire flares upward, it causes vomiting and prevents food from descending. All irritability, mania, and unruliness belong to fire. When the stomach is full, the limbs are strong, enabling one to climb high; thus, the limbs are the root of all yang. The classics state, "when yin cannot overcome yang, the pulse flows rapidly, and the disease manifests as madness." Thus, excessive yang leads to speaking nonsense, cursing, and disregarding kinship, which is a disorder of the spirit. Treatment involves tonifying yin and draining yang; if food intake is restricted, the disease will resolve. All these syndromes belong to fire. However, within fire, there are distinctions between Ministerial Fire (Xiang Huo) and Sovereign Fire (Jun Huo). Therefore, Zhu Danxi stated: Sovereign Fire is human fire, while Ministerial Fire is heavenly fire. Fire resides internally but manifests externally as yang, governing movement. Among the five elements, only fire has two aspects, though this is not exhaustive; thus, all movements belong to fire. In terms of name, form and substance generate each other and correspond to the five elements, so it is called Sovereign. In terms of position, it arises from emptiness, maintains its station, receives commands, and becomes visible through movement, so it is called Ministerial Fire. It governs the generation of life and is constantly active. Humans, having life, are also constantly active. Those constant activities are assisted by Ministerial Fire. Manifested in heaven, it arises from dragon-thunder qi; manifested in the sea, it is water qi. In humans, it resides in the liver and kidney regions. The liver belongs to wood, and the kidney to water. The gallbladder is the palace of the liver, the bladder is the palace of the kidney, and the pericardium is the counterpart of the kidney. The Sanjiao (Triple Burner) is named for its scorching nature, and the Lower Burner governs the domains of the liver and kidney, all belonging to yin and located below. Heaven cannot generate life without this fire, nor can humans survive without it.

Liu Wansu deeply understood the intent of the *Neijing* and discussed various diseases: wheezing, vomiting, acid regurgitation, sudden diarrhea with tenesmus, muscle cramps, turbid urine, abdominal distension like a drum, carbuncles, ulcers, rashes, submandibular masses and nodules, cholera, dizziness and oppression,郁 swelling and nasal congestion, epistaxis, bloody diarrhea, stranguria and retention, fever with aversion to cold, shivering, panic, confusion, laughing/crying, delirium, nasal bleeding, and blood-stained discharge. These are all due to the heat of Shaoyin Sovereign Fire, resulting from the qi of the Heart Proper and Small Intestine. If there are kidney-related convulsions, sudden aphonia, dizziness and agitation, mania, cursing, fear, edema, pain, soreness, rebellious qi rushing upward, mouth closure and shivering resembling loss of spiritual control, sores and throat bi, tinnitus and deafness, vomiting and inability to swallow food, blurred vision, sudden diarrhea and convulsions, sudden illness and death, these are all due to the heat of Shaoyang Ministerial Fire, resulting from the qi of the Pericardium and Sanjiao. The qi of Sovereign Fire is described in the classics as summer heat and heat. The qi of Ministerial Fire is described simply as fire, and its violent and fierce nature is more severe than that of Sovereign Fire. Ministerial Fire easily rises; when combined with Jueyang Fire, they fan each other and move recklessly. Fire arises from delusion, changes unpredictably, exists at all times, and boils down to true yin. Yin deficiency leads to disease; yin exhaustion with extreme heat leads to death. Li Dongyuan stated that Ministerial Fire is the thief of Yuan Qi (Original Qi). He also said that Ministerial Fire and Yuan Qi cannot coexist; when one prevails, the other declines. So what should be done to ensure neither prevails? The answer is: Spirit emerges from perception. The five natures are moved and all affairs arise. These five natures, stimulated by external objects, cannot remain still. This movement is the "five fires" mentioned in the *Neijing*. Ancients advocated maintaining neutrality, benevolence, righteousness, and stillness. Zhu Xi advocated that the Daoxin (Way Mind) should be the master of the body, while the Renxin (Human Mind) should obey it. This is how to properly manage fire: when the Human Mind obeys the Way Mind and is mastered by it, remaining still and unmoved, then Ministerial Fire only assists creation and sustains endless life, posing no threat. Some argue that besides Ministerial Fire, there are also Jueyang fires of the zang-fu organs. This refers to the great imbalance of "one water failing to overcome two fires" arising from heaven, and "one water failing to overcome five fires" arising from humans. Each of the five zang organs has its own fire; when stirred by the five emotions, fire arises accordingly. Great anger moves fire, which is the heat of Shaoyin Sovereign Fire, from the Heart Proper and Small Intestine. Great anger causes fire to rise from the liver; overeating and drinking cause fire to rise from the stomach; sexual excess causes fire to rise from the kidneys; sorrow affecting the interior causes fire to rise from the lungs; self-burning of heart fire leads to death. Fire originates from the zang-fu organs, causing symptoms such as: wind-related tremors and dizziness belong to liver fire movement; qi stagnation and flaccidity belong to lung fire rising; dampness-related swelling and fullness belong to spleen fire excess. These are all Ministerial Fire. Shaoyang Ministerial Fire heat, from the Pericardium and Sanjiao, causes various diseases. All pain, itching, and sores belong to heart fire function. If Shaoyang disease presents internally with convulsions, Taiyang disease presents with frequent dizziness and falling, Shaoyin disease presents with dizziness, sudden aphonia, depression, and unconsciousness, and all heat-induced dizziness and convulsions belong to fire; Shaoyang disease presents with aversion to cold and shivering; Gallbladder disease presents with chills; Shaoyin disease presents with shivering and trembling; Jueyin disease presents with shivering and trembling. If all tremors, jaw clenching, and shivering resemble loss of spiritual control, they belong to fire. The *Yuanbing Shi* (Book of Original Causes) states: Excessive emotions damage the respective zang organs; all injuries from the five emotions result in heat. Yang moves, yin is still, resulting in clarity and peace. Thus, the superior are like water, the inferior are like fire. Sudden stiffening and falling are often due to excessive five emotions and seven passions. Joy is the emotion of heart fire; pathological laughter indicates extreme fire. Extreme excess of the five emotions transforms into fire. Wang Bing stated: Sovereign and Ministerial fires dictate treatment methods. For mild diseases, akin to human fire, which ignites grass and burns wood, it can be subdued by wetness or extinguished by water; counteract its nature to suppress it. For severe diseases, akin to dragon fire, the classics state: Treat contraries with orthodox methods, treat similars with reverse methods; follow the degree, observing the situation. To remove fire from the five zang and six fu organs: Coptis Chinensis Rhizoma (Huanglian) drains heart fire; Scutellariae Radix (Huangqin) drains lung fire; Paeoniae Radix Alba (Baishao) drains spleen fire; Anemarrhenae Rhizoma (Zhimu) drains kidney fire; Akebiae Caulis (Mutong) drains small intestine fire; Gypsum Fibrosum (Shigao) drains stomach fire; Bupleuri Radix (Chaihu) drains Sanjiao fire, assisted by Huangqin; Chaihu drains liver fire, assisted by Huanglian; the same applies to the Gallbladder meridian; Phellodendri Cortex (Huangbai) drains bladder fire, also known as dragon fire, as the bladder is the house of water. Li Dongyuan further stated: Ministerial fire governs the Foot-Taiyang and Shaoyin meridians; treated with stir-fried Huangbai, utilizing its bitter taste to drain fire from water. These are all bitter-cold flavors that drain excess fire. If diet and fatigue injure Yuan Qi, and fire conflicts with qi, it is a yang-deficiency disease; treat with sweet-warm agents like Astragali Radix (Huangqi), Ginseng Radix (Renshen), and Glycyrrhizae Radix (Gancao). If yin is weak and yang is strong, with blazing Ministerial Fire invading yin positions and slowly boiling, it is a blood-deficiency disease; treat with sweet-cold agents like Danggui and Rehmanniae Radix (Dihuang). If heart fire is hyperactive with internal stagnant heat, it is a yang-excess disease; treat with salty-cold agents like Dahuang and Natrii Sulfas (Puxiao). If kidney water is injured and yin is unsecured, with rootless fire causing deficiency flare-up, treat with sweet-cool agents like Shengdihuang and Scrophulariae Radix (Xuanshen). If Mingmen fire is deficient, causing yang collapse, treat with warm-hot agents like Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata (Fuzi) and Zingiberis Rhizoma (Ganjiang). If stomach deficiency from excessive cold food suppresses yang, causing fire depression in spleen earth, treat with ascending-dispersing agents like Cimicifugae Rhizoma (Shengma), Puerariae Radix (Gegen), Chaihu, and Saposhnikoviae Radix (Fangfeng). If physicians do not understand these, treating fire diseases is difficult. Predecessors have detailed these thoroughly; success lies in prescribing according to the specific case, thereby avoiding the disaster of reinforcing excess and depleting deficiency.