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In epidemic febrile diseases, generalized redness and swelling of the body are caused by wind-heat overflowing into the skin. Treatment should employ Qianghuo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix), Duhuo (Angelicae Pubescentis Radix), Shengma (Cimicifugae Rhizoma), Chaihu (Bupleuri Radix), Gegen (Puerariae Lobatae Radix), and Baizhi (Angelicae Dahuricae Radix) to vent the hair follicles of the skin; Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum), Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), Zhizi (Gardeniae Fructus), and Lianqiao (Forsythiae Fructus) to clear heat in the muscles; and Chishao (Paeoniae Radix Rubra), Guiwei (Radix Angelicae Sinensis Cauda), Honghua (Carthami Flos), and Shengdi Huang (Rehmanniae Radix Preparata) to invigorate blood and resolve stasis caused by toxic heat. If interior syndromes are concurrent, refer to the sections on head swelling for comprehensive treatment.

The aforementioned discussions on head swelling are listed under exterior syndromes because they describe the initial stage of the disease. If these symptoms appear after the illness has progressed and sweating or purging therapies have been used, it indicates residual pathogens that are not fully cleared, and the treatment principle differs slightly. Generally, if seen at the onset with excess exterior pathogens, dispersing exterior agents should be primary, while clearing interior heat agents secondary; if seen post-illness with lingering interior pathogens overflowing, clearing interior heat agents should be primary, while dispersing exterior agents secondary. Using this as a criterion for balance allows for more than half of the understanding to be grasped.

There are four types of jaundice in epidemic febrile diseases: one is retained food, two is water retention, three is blood stasis, and four is constrained heat. When the epidemic syndrome initially remains in the exterior, if chest and diaphragm oppression, yellowing of the eyeballs, and yellowing of the center of the face and nose occur, this is due to retained food obstructing the stomach region. Add Shanzha (Crataegi Fructus), Shenqu (Massa Medicata Fermentata), Maiya (Hordei Fructus Germinatus), and Laifuzi (Raphani Semen) to the exterior-dispersing formula. When the pathogen transmits to the interior, presenting with difficulty in urination, abdominal fullness with borborygmus, and yellowing of the face, eyes, and entire body, this is water retention. Use Siling San (Four-Poria Powder) added with Zhizi (Gardeniae Fructus) and Yinchen (Artemisiae Scopariae Herba). If there are soft, tender areas in the chest and abdomen, free urination, and black stool accompanied by yellowing of the body, this is blood stasis. Use Tao Ren Cheng Qi Tang (Peach Kernel Decoction to Order the Qi). If heat is in the lower jiao, with both urination and defecation difficult and yellowing present, this is constrained heat. Use Yinyin Hao Tang (Artemisiae Scopariae and Gardeniae Decoction).

Jaundice must always be differentiated by the state of the bowels and urine. If both are regulated, the pathology belongs to the upper jiao; difficulty in urination indicates water; free urination with black, moist stool indicates blood; difficulty in both urination and defecation indicates heat constraint, which is stomach heat transferring to the bladder. It is unnecessary to specifically promote urination; rather, one should unblock the bowels. Therefore, Yinyin Tang (Artemisiae Scopariae Decoction) has specific efficacy.

Jaundice should also be differentiated by its color. Jaundice from upper jiao retained food appears only on the face and eyes, not spreading to the whole body; jaundice from water retention covers the whole body and is slightly dark and dull; jaundice from blood stasis is also slightly dark but lustrous; jaundice from constrained heat is reddish and bright. This is the method of distinguishing jaundice by its hue.