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Xia Yuzhu stated: Tracing and observing the vein patterns on the fingers is an unorthodox method among physicians. The vein patterns on the finger surfaces are congenital and fixed from birth; how can they transform into a "reverse bow" shape due to coughing, change into a "fish spine" shape due to fright and accumulation, form "flowing pearls" due to heat in the diaphragm, or appear as a "snake" due to coarse liver qi? Even if one claims these patterns can change, they merely indicate that a reverse bow signifies coughing, fish spines signify fright and accumulation, flowing pearls signify diaphragmatic heat, and snake shapes signify coarse liver qi. What else can they reveal? Moreover, the area of the index and middle fingers belongs only to the Large Intestine and Small Intestine channels, not to the locations where all five zang organs and various meridians manifest. Even if they did manifest simultaneously, a single finger is no more than one cun long and slightly more than one fen wide. If there were both diaphragmatic heat and coarse liver qi, and coarse liver qi accompanied by coughing, the patterns of flowing pearls, reverse bows, and snakes would be mixed together. From where could one distinguish them?

There is also a rhyme stating: "If the pattern enters the initial segment abruptly, it should be restrained; if the pattern penetrates all three segments, life is doomed." (Meaning: If the fingerprint appears suddenly at the Wind Gate [Feng Guan] and moves inward, its progression should be halted; if it penetrates the Wind, Qi [Qi Guan], and Life [Ming Guan] gates reaching the fingertip, death is inevitable.) Yet I often see individuals whose patterns penetrate all three segments who are actually healthy. Conversely, some patients with patterns penetrating all three segments do not die. Many people fail to understand this principle. Having observed through two generations of clinical practice that these theories are invalid, I cannot bear to remain silent. I hope those who read this do not remain stubbornly deluded.

Yuzhu stated: In treating diseases, one must not "close the door to kill the thief." Diseases of the zang and fu organs inevitably involve pathogenic factors ("thieves"), whether invading from outside or forming from within. Removing pathogens without providing an exit route, thereby causing them to linger internally, is called "closing the door to kill the thief." For instance, in Taiyang disease (Exterior Syndrome), pathogens enter from the exterior, so the treatment method should be to release the exterior and disperse. Heart Fire (Heart Heat) forms from within, so clearing and draining should be prioritized. Therefore, lowering Heart Fire without promoting urination, clearing Lung Heat without guiding it to the Large Intestine, treating Wind-Heat without using exterior-releasing herbs, failing to guide and digest food stagnation when present, failing to promote bowel movement in early-stage dysentery, or hastily using formulas to arrest malaria upon its onset—all these are the drawbacks of "closing the door." Not only will this fail to eliminate the pathogens, but the five zang and six fu organs will suffer devastation everywhere. How can the harm of "closing the door" be fully described? Any pediatrician must know this.

Yuzhu stated: In treating diseases, one must not "open the door to invite the robber." If the zang and fu organs are deficient, and although there is an external injury or pathogen, mistakenly using exterior-releasing or diuretic methods may attract other complications; this is called "opening the door to invite the robber." Let us discuss diarrhea caused by Spleen Deficiency. In Spleen Deficiency, one fears insufficient tonification; however, once diuretics are used, righteous qi declines daily, further injuring the Spleen, leading to symptoms of Spleen Sluggishness (chronic weakness of Spleen function). This is analogous to the Six States during the Warring States period suffering from weakness; Su Qin's strategy of vertical alliance was a remedial measure. Dissolving the alliances and breaking the vertical coalition is like opening the door for annexation. This is no different in principle from traitors causing the fall of a nation or using diuretics incorrectly causing the collapse of the Spleen. As for mistakenly using dispersing methods for Lung Deficiency, diuretics for Heart Deficiency, or suppressing Liver methods for Liver Deficiency, these can be inferred by analogy from the case of Spleen Deficiency treated incorrectly with diuretics.