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Mr. Sun Zhi'an from Wujiang, serving as a Xingren (Censorial Official), was suffering from gout at the time. His hands swelled and hurt from the shoulders and Quchi (LI11) acupoint down to the fingertips; his feet swelled and hurt severely from the knees and heels/buttocks. The painful areas were hot, his appetite was poor, and he requested leave to return south, remaining bedridden for three years. A gentleman named Wu Jiuyi in the neighborhood, who was a private tutor for Scholar Shen Kaogong, saw me cure the official's illness and invited him to consult me. Upon examining his pulse, I found it string-taut, fine, and rapid (Xian Xi Shu). His complexion was dark green, muscles emaciated, and the flesh of both thighs and calves wasted away. I said to him: This disease stems from weak constitutional qi, deficiency in the lower jiao with internal heat, which has damaged Yin fluids. Living in Yan also exposed him to excessive cold. As the Classics state: Qi provides warmth, Blood provides nourishment. Now, with deficient Yin and Blood, the sinews lose nourishment, so Ying (Nutritive) Qi cannot circulate within; constrained by Cold, the hundred bones become spasmodic, so Wei (Defensive) Qi cannot protect the exterior. With Ying and Wei Qi failing to circulate, the limbs and joints swell and hurt, with heat accompanying the pain; this condition is called Zhou Bi (General Bi Syndrome). Treatment should focus on nourishing Blood and relaxing sinews, dispersing wind and moistening dryness, so that the meridians become unobstructed, swelling subsides, heat recedes, and pain ceases. Once the pain stops, use a major formula to tonify Yin and Blood to strengthen the lower Yuan, allowing leg muscles to regenerate. After slight improvement, you must take great care; only after more than a year can you venture outdoors. The official listened happily and said: Truly as you say, this is bringing life back to bones! Even before taking medicine, my illness seems half gone; I will follow your prescription. I initially prescribed Eucommiae Cortex (Wujia Pi), Atractylodis Rhizoma (Cang Zhu), Phellodendri Cortex (Huang Bai), Xanthii Fructus (Cang Er Zi), Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Dang Gui), Carthami Flos (Hong Hua), Coicis Semen (Yi Yi Ren), Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix (Qiang Huo), Saposhnikoviae Radix (Fang Feng), Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix (Qin Jiao), and Broussonetiae Cortex (Zijing Pi). After taking twenty doses, sinews gradually relaxed, swelling diminished, and pain reduced by more than half. Then I switched to Rehmanniae Radix (Sheng Di), Testudinis et Plastrum (Gui Ban), Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix (Niu Xi), Atractylodis Rhizoma (Cang Zhu), Phellodendri Cortex (Huang Bai), Bombyx Batryticatus (Wan Can Sha), Xanthii Fructus (Cang Er Zi), Coicis Semen (Yi Yi Ren), Sapindus Mukurossi Cortex (Haitong Pi), Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Dang Gui), and Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix (Qin Jiao). After thirty doses, swelling and pain completely subsided. The official was even happier. I said: Illnesses tend to relapse when slightly improved. Your lower Yuan is exhausted; it cannot be filled in a short time. The ancients said that what is hard to replenish but easy to deplete is Yin Essence. You must strictly abstain from alcohol and sexual activity to cultivate your root, so that medication will be effective and chronic ailments removed. Based on your six pulses being light, clear, and smooth, you are destined for high office and wealth. Preserve your True Qi and wait; do not belittle yourself. When the spring climate becomes harmonious next year, you may travel north. Thus, I used Morus Albae Cortex (Xian Mao - *Note: Xian Mao usually refers to Curculiginis Rhizoma, here likely a specific usage or typo in original context, translated as Curculiginis Rhizoma*) as the Sovereign herb, Lycii Fructus (Gou Qi Zi), Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix (Niu Xi), Cervi Cornu Colla (Lu Jiao Jiao), Ossis Tigris (Hu Gu - *Tiger Bone, prohibited/protected, historically used*), and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Ren Shen) as Ministers; Prepared Rehmanniae Radix (Shu Di Huang), Phellodendri Cortex (Huang Bai), Bombyx Batryticatus (Wan Can Sha), Poria (Fu Ling), and Xanthii Fructus (Cang Er Zi) as Assistants; Cinnamomi Cortex (Gui Xin), Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix (Qin Jiao), and Alismatis Rhizoma (Ze Xie) as Guides. These were made into honey pills. After one hundred days, leg muscles were fully restored, and spirit returned to normal. He joyfully told me: How can a poor official repay you? I will compile your great virtue of saving people and benefiting things in Scholar Shen's book postscript to highlight your noble deeds. Ten years later, the official rose to the position of Vice Commissioner of Jiangxi.