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Xue Lizhai stated: For diarrhea, if caused by excessive consumption of rice, add Guoya (Sprouted Rice) to Liujunzi Tang (Six Gentlemen Decoction); if caused by excessive consumption of wheat products, add Maiya (Sprouted Barley) to Liujunzi Tang; if caused by excessive consumption of meat, add Shanzha (Hawthorn Fruit) to Liujunzi Tang. If accompanied by alternating chills and fever with vomiting, this indicates Liver Wood overacting on Spleen Earth, so add Chaihu (Bupleurum Root) and Shengjiang (Fresh Ginger) to Liujunzi Tang. If accompanied by vomiting, abdominal pain, and cold extremities, this indicates Cold Water overacting on Spleen Earth, so add Jiang (Dried Ginger) and Rongui (Cinnamon Bark) to Liujunzi Tang. If there is no response, use Yihuang San (Yellow Protecting Powder) from Qian Yi. If due to sinking of Yuan Qi (Primal Qi), accompanied by fever, thirst, and limb fatigue, use Buzhong Yiqi Tang (Decoction for Replenishing the Middle and Augmenting the Qi). If the stool is yellow in color, representing the true color of Spleen Earth, add Muxiang (Aucklandia Root) and Rouguo (Nutmeg) to Liujunzi Tang. If accompanied by vomiting, anorexia, abdominal pain, and aversion to cold, this indicates deficiency-cold of Spleen Earth, so add Muxiang, Jiang, and Rongui to Liujunzi Tang. If diarrhea occurs during the fifth watch (between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.) or early morning, with reduced appetite, this indicates deficiency of both Spleen and Kidney; take Sishen Wan (Four Spirits Pill) at the fifth watch and Baizhu San (Atractylodes Powder) during the day. If there is no response, or if the condition recurs after remission, or if appetite remains poor, urgently use Bawei Wan (Eight-Ingredient Pill) to tonify the Fire of the Gate of Vitality (Mingmen), thereby generating Spleen Earth, which is advisable.

Shenzhen commented: The above two paragraphs describe diarrhea occurring before pregnancy. Diarrhea during pregnancy must be traced to its cause. Generally, it is mostly due to deficiency of the Spleen and Kidney organs. Blood is governed by the Spleen; when blood becomes stagnant affecting the fetal origin, Spleen Yin becomes deficient, leading to failure of food transformation and digestion, resulting in diarrhea. The fetus is rooted in the Kidney; when Kidney Qi is weak and the Fire of the Gate of Vitality declines, the fetus steals Qi for support, causing the Yang Qi within the Kidneys to fail to steam upwards to warm Spleen Earth, resulting in diarrhea. This is the etiology of diarrhea during pregnancy. Although external pathogens such as Wind, Cold, Summer-heat, and Dampness, or internal injuries from raw and cold foods may exist, the root lies in the deficiency of the Spleen and Kidney. *Daquan* arbitrarily lists four syndromes as a general overview of pregnancy diarrhea, which is hasty and unreasonable. Xue Lizhai further categorized general diarrhea syndromes with specific prescriptions for each, a rigid approach that restricts future practitioners' perspectives, which I cannot but criticize.

*Daquan* states: The classics say: "If food intake doubles, the intestines and stomach will be injured." It also says: "The generation of Yin originates from the five flavors, but the five viscera governing Yin can be injured by improper use of the five flavors." If dietary habits are irregular during pregnancy, consuming raw, cold, or toxic substances without restraint, damaging the Spleen and Stomach, then treating food stagnation during pregnancy is difficult. Only Muxiang Wan (Aucklandia Pill) and Baizhu San (Atractylodes Powder) are considered the safest formulas.