Library

Various conditions of astringency, withering, drying up, stiffness, and skin cracking all belong to Dryness (Zao). The Metal of Yangming Dryness refers to the Qi of the Lung and Large Intestine.

"Astringency" (Se) indicates a sensation of stagnation throughout the body, lacking smoothness and lubrication. "Withering" (Ku) signifies a lack of nourishment and vitality. "Drying up" (He) denotes a lack of circulation of Qi and fluids. "Dryness" (Gan) means a lack of moistening. "Stiffness" (Jin) implies rigidity and lack of flexibility. "Cracking" (Cun Jie) refers to the splitting or fissuring of the skin.

Various diseases involving the discharge of clear, cold fluids from above and below; as well as masses (Jia), hernias (Shan), hard epigastric masses, abdominal distension with urgent pain, dysentery with clear and white discharge, feeling no hunger after eating, vomiting and diarrhea with fishy or foul odors, inability to flex and extend limbs, cold extremities (Jue Ni), and rigid fixation, all belong to Cold (Han). The Water of Foot-Taiyang Cold refers to the Qi of the Kidney and Bladder. Regarding the clear and cold fluids discharged from above and below, it is like how water naturally clarifies when the weather is cold.

The accumulation formed by the gathering of Qi, which gathers and scatters without a fixed location, is referred to in the context of pathological masses. "Jia" (often associated with blood stasis in this specific textual context regarding women's menstruation) refers to mass formations due to blood stasis, often arising from stagnant menstruation in women over time.

The Classic states: "Heat transferring from the Small Intestine to the Large Intestine forms deficiency Jia and sinking disorders." Thus, blood Jia can also involve heat. This must be distinguished by analyzing the root and branch. "Shan" (Hernia) occurs when the Foot-Jueyin Liver channel is affected by Cold, leading to swelling of the genitalia. Hard masses, abdominal distension, and urgent pain are like ice forming from cold water, becoming hard as the earth. Dysentery with clear and white discharge occurs because cold water appears clear and bright. Feeling no hunger after eating happens because Stomach Heat digests food, whereas Cold prevents digestion; thus, even after eating, there is no sensation of hunger. Vomiting and diarrhea with fishy/foul odors occur when Cold Water is excessive and suppresses Fire, failing to control Metal; Lung Metal becomes excessive, causing the fluid to have a fishy odor. Inability to flex/extend limbs, cold extremities, and rigid fixation refer to curled, spasmodic, and cold hands and feet.

When Qi overflows excessively, it is called "Excess leads to Harm" (Kang Ze Hai). When things reach their extreme and recover, it is called "Succession brings Control" (Cheng Nai Zhi). Generally, Yin and Yang mutually contain each other to maintain balance and harmony; if the Five Elements become unbalanced, disaster ensues. Xuanyuan (Yellow Emperor) and Qibo modeled themselves on Heaven and Earth, grasping Yin and Yang. Humans are generated by inheriting the complete principle of Taiji. Therefore, as stated in the *Neijing*: Below Ministerial Fire, Yin Essence succeeds it; below Ashman Fire (Ministerial Fire), Water Qi succeeds it; below Wood Qi, Metal Qi succeeds it; below Water Qi, Earth Qi succeeds it; below Earth Qi, Wood Qi succeeds it. This means Earth controls Water, but Wood (the child of Water) succeeds below Earth. This represents the innate harmonious pairing.

The scripture says "Excess leads to Harm, Succession brings Control," meaning that the harm caused by excess must be countered by the child element of the harmed party to succeed its victory and control it. This is the principle of "the child avenging the mother." Originally, extreme Wood resembles Metal, extreme Fire resembles Water, extreme Earth resembles Wood, extreme Metal resembles Fire, and extreme Water resembles Earth. For example, Wind-Wood disease causes tremors and dizziness; when severe, limbs become spasmodic, stiff, and immobile, representing movement turning into stillness. Excessive Fire melts Metal, causing thirst and sweating. Extreme Earth disease manifests as muscle twitching, palpitations, slow convulsions, etc., representing stillness turning into movement. Violent contraction of Metal leads to apparent heat; extreme Water leads to ice-like freezing; human illness involves constriction and urinary retention. Contemporary physicians often fail to understand the mechanism of Yin-Yang generation and destruction. They do not investigate that Fire excess harms Yin-Metal. When symptoms present as shivering and aversion to cold, one must distinguish yellow/red eyes, dry mouth/thirst, patency/obstruction of urination and defecation, and pulse speed/slowness to discern right from wrong, avoiding misdiagnosis. If there is dry mouth, red stool, and a non-slow pulse, even with severe chills, cooling agents should be urgently used. Contemporary physicians often see chills, cold extremities, and aversion to cold, failing to comprehend the principle that "deep cold extremities indicate deep heat," and blindly administer hot medicines. As the *Shanghan Fu* states: "If Guizhi Tang enters the stomach, those with Excess Yang will die." There are also Yin syndromes resembling Yang, characterized by delirium, restlessness, desire to jump into mud/water, but without significant thirst, with clear urine and a slow pulse. Vulgar physicians treat these as Yang syndromes. The Fu also states: "If Chengqi Tang enters the stomach, those with Excess Yin will perish." Any good physician must possess broad knowledge and profound understanding. Therefore, decoctions like Chengqi and Jiedu can treat syndromes resembling Yin (True Heat, False Cold); decoctions like Lizhong and Sini can treat emergencies resembling Yang (True Cold, False Heat). Mediocre people do not understand the changes of extreme excess, mistakenly believing Fuzi can treat heat diseases and cooling herbs can treat cold extremities. They fail to realize that usage depends on appropriate principles. Alas! Fuzi and Chengqi are tools for enlightened physicians to save lives, yet they become instruments for mediocre physicians to kill. Benevolent gentlemen, how can they neglect studying the principle of "Excess leads to Harm, Succession brings Control"?

Regarding miscellaneous diseases, Wood excess harms Earth. When Earth is controlled and harmed by Wood, appetite suffers. Wood's nature is bending and straightening, producing sourness, leading to conditions like dysphagia, chest fullness, and abdominal distension. What succeeds below Wood is Lung Metal. Metal is the child of Earth. Since Lung Metal governs Qi, and Qi belongs to Yang, Yang moves vigorously, facilitating distribution and transformation through Qi power. Lung and Large Intestine are responsible for transmission. Now, Wood excess insults Metal and harms Earth. One must support the child of Earth, i.e., strengthen Lung Qi, so it can control Wood's excess. Thus, the treatment method should nourish Lung Metal Qi, thereby calming Wood and protecting Earth. Vulgar practitioners instead use Qi-consuming and dispersing herbs, causing Earth to weaken further and Wood to attack more fiercely. How lamentable! Furthermore, Fire excess can harm Lung Metal. When Metal is severely controlled by Fire, illness presents as aversion to cold, shivering, evening fever, cough, and thirst. It resolves only after midnight, when Qi and Blood pass through Lung Metal, accompanied by slight sweating. This embodies the meaning of "Succession brings Control." If one does not nourish Water to assist Metal, Yuan Qi will daily diminish. The treatment should cultivate Yin Essence and True Water to resist the violence of Ministerial and Sovereign Fire, thereby reducing aversion to cold and tidal fever, stopping spontaneous sweating, cooling the body, and restoring Zheng Qi. Some use acrid-sweet dispersing agents, which further deplete fluids and essence, making deficiency worse. Other cases can be inferred similarly. The key to human health lies in Yin and Yang mutually containing each other to maintain harmony; otherwise, the Five Elements alternate in conquest, harming the body and causing disease. Hence, the scripture says: "When Qi is in excess, it encroaches upon what it cannot overcome and harms what it can overcome." Alas! The reason excess causes harm lies in the insufficiency of succession/control initiating the reaction. Is this not a firm argument? Achieving neutrality and harmony to preserve life is the mark of a good physician. The *I Ching* states: Creation does not allow things to end in exhaustion. Chronic illnesses await seasonal shifts, where succession brings control, leading to self-healing. For instance, in Shanghan, waiting for the disease to transmit and cool down is success bringing control, resulting in recovery. This is the wonder of creative force. In remote areas lacking doctors, as stated in the *Book of Han*, "Not taking medicine is equivalent to being treated by a doctor." Compared to the theory of "Excess leads to Harm, Succession brings Control," this approach might suffice.