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The use of heavy sedatives (Zhongzhen) leads to the depletion of Yin fluids, causing the heat pathogen to flare up further. When the healthy Qi is unable to resist the pathogenic factor, Liver Wind (Ganfeng, stirring of internal wind due to liver dysfunction) suddenly stirs internally. Gradually, symptoms such as limb convulsions, upward deviation of the eyes, spasms, closure of consciousness, and syncope appear, inevitably leading to deterioration or collapse. If, while the disease has not yet become rampant, one first uses acrid-cool herbs to open the Lung Qi, followed by sweet-cold herbs to resolve heat, assisted by methods to moisten dryness and descend phlegm, the condition will naturally stabilize after these two stages. This situation arises because warm pathogens have penetrated inward, consuming Yin fluids and disturbing the Liver Wind; it is actually not caused by fright or alarm. If mistakenly treated with herbs for calming fright, few cases would avoid critical danger.

As stated in the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon): "When facing illness, inquire about what brings comfort to the patient." The patient's preference or aversion to certain tastes or sensations serves as a sign of the deficiency or excess, cold or heat nature of the condition. Pulse taking and observation are less reliable than asking the patient directly, allowing them to describe their experience so that the underlying principles can be deduced accurately. For instance, if the body is extremely hot but the patient desires to drink hot liquids, this indicates false heat with true cold; if the body is cold and shivering but the patient desires cold drinks, this indicates false cold with true heat. Such examples illustrate this principle. Therefore, one should accommodate the patient's preferences, which can facilitate treatment.

Patients vary in temperament, and physicians differ in opinion. Some individuals can tolerate warm-natured treatments but not cool ones; some respond well to tonification, while others do not. It is essential to follow their natural tendencies and observe their specific conditions. Current symptoms may contradict the patient's usual state, or they may remain similar. One must not adhere rigidly to personal preconceptions and mistreat either the root cause or the manifest symptoms.

Contemporary physicians often apply ancient formulas indiscriminately and cite classic texts mechanically to boast of their erudition. They fail to realize that although ancient sages provided rules and standards for prescribing, they could not make practitioners clever automatically. Rules and compasses are rigid tools for making squares and circles, but when crafting objects, dimensions like length and size require constant adaptation. Thus, clinical presentations have no fixed template across time, nor do formulas consist of static, unchangeable ingredients. Modifications are necessary; embedding flexibility within established methods constitutes truly divine medical skill.