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A boy named Shangda, aged sixteen, suddenly developed severe facial swelling and slight swelling in his feet, accompanied by restless panting. This was caused by Spleen deficiency leading to an accumulation of dampness. The treatment employed Jiu Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix processed with wine), Sangbaipi (Mori Cortex), Fangfeng (Saposhnikoviae Radix), Tinglizi (Lepidii Semen), Chenpi (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium), Qianghuo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix), Shengma (Cimicifugae Rhizoma), Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), Zexie (Alismatis Rhizoma), and Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma). This method is known as "Shangxia Fenxiao" (eliminating pathogenic factors through upper and lower pathways). After taking the medicine, the swelling subsided slightly, but the Zhengqi (Vital Qi) was extremely deficient. Therefore, Liu Junzi Tang (Six Gentlemen Decoction) was administered with added Maiya (Hordei Fructus Germinatus) and Zexie for regulation, resulting in stabilization. One day, due to overeating and exposure to wind-cold, he experienced surging phlegm, vomiting, hallucinations of seeing ghosts, facial twitching, opisthotonos (rigidity of the body with arching backward), and blackening of the lips and mouth. The condition was extremely critical, diagnosed as Xianzheng (Epilepsy). The prescription included Danning (Arisaematis Cum Bile), Banxia (Pinelliae Rhizoma), Tianma (Gastrodiae Rhizoma), Jiangcan (Bombyx Batryticatus), Juhong (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Rubrum), Zhigancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Preparatum), Zhishi (Aurantii Fructus Immaturus), Maiya, Baizhu, Zisuzi (Perillae Fructus), Xingren (Armeniacae Semen Amarum), Qianhu (Peucedani Radix), Bai Fuling (Poria), and three slices of Shengjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens). Taken as a water decoction, one dose cured him, and there was no recurrence thereafter.

My clan nephew Liangquan suffered from bloody dysentery with abdominal pain and tenesmus (the feeling of incomplete defecation). Contemporary physicians treated him with Xianglian Wan (Fragrant Link Pill) and Huangqin Shaoyao Tang (Scutellaria and Peony Decoction) without success; instead, the pain increased. His face turned red, and his lips were bright red, resembling cinnabar paint. His shouting terrified the neighbors. At that time, a student of the Imperial Academy named Ningyu, who was benevolent, pitied his family's poverty and inability to afford proper care, and invited me to examine him. The six pulses were flooding (Hongda) yet deep and forceless upon pressure (Fu yu chuang jian), and his eyes were filled with tears, rendering him unable to speak. Student Ningyu understood his meaning and told me: "The condition is indeed urgent; he finds it difficult to speak because he has no means to arrange his affairs." I said: "Very well, I can cure him." I prescribed Sheng Baishao (Raw Paeoniae Radix Alba) and Shu Baishao (Prepared Paeoniae Radix Alba), each 6 qian; Sheng Gancao (Raw Glycyrrhizae Radix) and Shu Gancao (Prepared Glycyrrhizae Radix), each 2 qian; Ganjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma), Rougui (Cinnamomi Cortex), each 1 qian; Muxiang (Aucklandiae Radix), 5 fen; and two Jujubae Fructus (Jujube dates). These were decocted in water and administered. After finishing the drink, he lay down quietly. Student Ningyu was suspicious and instructed his servant at home: "If there is any emergency, knock on the door and report to me immediately." By morning, seeing no movement, he sent someone again to observe the patient. The report came back: "Last night, the dysentery decreased by five-tenths, and the pain decreased by seven-tenths. In the morning, he had already consumed half a cup of porridge." Student Ningyu happily asked me: "His face is red, lips are red, the pulse is large, and what he passes is all blood. All symptoms belong to Heat. Yet you administered hot-natured herbs. I was very afraid I would not sleep all night. Now the illness has halved, and there is hope for life. What formula did you use today?" I said: "It is slightly smaller in dosage than yesterday's formula, but the prescription remains the same." Student Ningyu said: "I am confused. Why do you treat Heat as Cold?" I said: "You know that a large pulse indicates Heat, but you do not know that a large pulse that is forceless indicates Deficiency-Cold. The red face and red lips are due to Cold in the Middle Jiao preventing Fire from descending, a syndrome of Yin Excess repelling Yang (Yin Cheng Ge Yang). If it were true Heat causing abdominal pain, the patient would lie supine and relaxed; if Cold, he would curl up and flex. The passed blood is dark and dull. All these are false Heat, clearly indicating a Cold syndrome. If the previous formula had been continued, full recovery would have occurred." Student Ningyu wrote to me again: "Yesterday, hearing your discussion on the truth and falsity of Deficiency and Excess, only one who has drunk from the Upper Pool (a metaphor for profound medical wisdom) could speak thus. I hope you record this to instruct future generations."