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The art of health preservation lies in moderation in all things. A person's longevity or premature death depends on proper regulation and care. If there is any bias or excess, myriad diseases will arise simultaneously. The five labors and seven injuries damage Qi and Blood, leading to Yin deficiency, which manifests as phlegm, cough, asthma, and fever. The pulse becomes choppy and rapid. The disease develops into a state of deficiency and frailty, resembling withered tree roots. Treatment should focus on tonifying and reconnecting, maneuvering Yuan Qi (Original Qi), and nourishing the depletion of Yang. Only the skillful hands of a divine physician can prevent premature death. The patient must possess firm resolve, akin to chewing nails and biting iron, adhering to regulation for years and taking thousands of prescriptions. One must extinguish delusional desires, abstain from sexual activity, eliminate anger and indignation, and regulate diet. Any slight violation will make regret come too late. Purify the mind and thoughts, strictly follow established methods; these maxims from Yunlin are not empty words but thousand-gold secrets for preventing illness and prolonging life.

In Yangcheng, at the residence of Ma Fusuo, he once suffered from a severe illness that all physicians failed to cure. After I treated him successfully, we became bosom friends. In the summer of Gengxu year of the Wanli era, his son, aged over twenty, had always possessed a delicate and weak constitution. He was addicted to alcohol and lust and had been frequently startled by fright over the years, eventually developing consumptive disease (Xu Lao). Upon invitation, I examined his six pulses, finding them wiry, rapid, and forceless. His symptoms included tidal fever and aversion to cold, profuse night sweats like rain, occasional mild phlegmy cough, hot palms but cold fingers, palpitations with anxiety, and nocturnal emissions. All these symptoms stem from the exhaustion of Kidney Water and Heart Blood, with Ministerial Fire flaming upward, scorching and impairing Lung Metal. This injures Yuan Qi and damages the Spleen and Stomach, causing the Qi and Blood of the Zang-Fu organs to become exhausted and depleted.

I treated him with Shiquan Dabu Tang (Complete Great Tonifying Decoction), modifying it according to the condition. I used Dihuang Wan (Rehmannia Pill) to strengthen the source of Water to control the Sunlight (Ministerial Fire), added Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), Maidong (Ophiopogonis Tuber), Suanzaoren (Ziziphi Spinosae Semen), and Zhizi (Polygala Root? Note: Context implies Yuanzhi/Zhigancao usually, but text says 'Suan, Zhi' likely Suanzaoren and Yuanzhi/Gancao. Given 'Bu Xinxue', Yuanzhi is common. However, standard WHO term for 'Zhi' in this context often refers to Yuanzhi or Zhigan. Let's stick to literal 'Zhi' if ambiguous, but typically 'Yuanzhi' fits 'calming spirit'. Actually, 'Suan, Zhi' likely refers to Suanzaoren and Yuanzhi. Or Suanzaoren and Zhigancao. Let's use Sour Jujube Seed and Polygala Root for clarity based on common pairings for heart blood/spirit, or simply list ingredients. Text says 'Gui, Mai, Suan, Zhi'. Gui=Danggui, Mai=Maidong, Suan=Suanzaoren, Zhi=Yuanzhi (Polygala Root) is most likely for calming spirit/heart.) to tonify Heart Blood. I used Ruilian Wan (Auspicious Lotus Pill) and Baixue Gao (White Snow Cake) to tonify Yuan Qi and the Spleen-Stomach. Medication was administered daily, balanced like a scale pan, avoiding any bias. If even a slight bias occurs, the disease will worsen beyond remedy. Why? If biased toward excessive Yang-tonifying herbs, Yang will flourish while Yin further depletes, and Ministerial Fire will blaze more fiercely, leading immediately to sore throat, swelling, sores, and hoarseness. If biased toward excessive Yin-tonifying herbs, using cloying substances like Dihuang and Danggui will stagnate the Spleen and Stomach, impairing transportation and transformation, thereby generating dysentery, diarrhea, distension, fullness, and asthma. Thus, medication must not be biased, as illustrated.

After administering the first four types of medicine for ten days, there was slight improvement. I instructed the family to continue with this prescription, regulating care over years and accumulating hundreds of doses, hoping to avoid danger and achieve safety. Due to an official summons, I temporarily left. Unexpectedly, the family, eager for a quick cure, changed physicians. The new doctor, failing to examine the root cause, misdiagnosed it as Yang deficiency and prescribed herbs such as Wutou (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Preparata), Fuzi (Aconiti Radix Preparata), Renshen (Ginseng Radix), and Rougui (Cinnamomi Cortex). After several doses, symptoms subsided, and the family rejoiced, blaming my use of Danggui and Dihuang. Consequently, they continuously administered Yang-tonifying medicines. Within half a month, Yang fire blazed even more fiercely, and symptoms like sore throat and hoarseness reappeared. At this stage, even consuming several jin of Danggui and Dihuang daily would be useless. The physician, realizing the crisis, urgently administered human milk and child's urine to suppress the fire. However, the Spleen and Stomach were already critically depleted, resulting in upper heat remaining unremoved while middle jiao cold arose, causing diarrhea to recur. This was like felling a withered tree with two axes; within a few months, life ended. Alas! The physician did not realize the error of reckless treatment, and the family did not repent their desire for a hasty cure. What a sigh-worthy tragedy.