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In all cases of diagnosing and treating diseases, one must examine the deficiency or excess of Yuan Qi (Primordial Qi). In cases of Excess (Shi), the patient may recover without medication; in cases of Deficiency (Xu), medication should be administered, and moxibustion should be applied to Guanyuan (CV-4) to consolidate life and nature. If only mild and neutral medicines are used, efficacy is difficult to achieve, merely delaying time and gradually leading to severe illness. (Mild and neutral medicines are those favored by physicians in recent times; laypeople praise them as safe and steady. Physicians, accustomed to wavering between approaches, when faced with severe illness, become panicked and prescribe incorrectly, compounding errors. This stems entirely from a lack of true insight, leading to negligence and harm.)

Deficient conditions vary greatly but are roughly categorized into five types: Ping Qi (Balanced Qi), Wei Xu (Slight Deficiency), Shen Xu (Severe Deficiency), Jiang Tuo (Impending Collapse), and Yi Tuo (Complete Collapse). "Ping Qi" refers to a state where pathogenic factors and Yuan Qi are equal, allowing righteous Qi to effectively resist pathogens. Treatment involves regulating with mild and neutral medicines for a gradual recovery, such as Buzhong Yiqi Tang (Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction), Xiaochaihu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Decoction), and Bawu Tang (Eight Substances Decoction). "Wei Xu" indicates that pathogenic factors are vigorous while righteous Qi cannot resist them. One must administer acrid-warm medicines to disperse pathogens and simultaneously tonify Yuan Qi to facilitate the subjugation of pathogens. Suitable formulas include Bidengqie San (Cubeb Powder), Quanzhen Dan (Complete True Pill), Laifu Dan (Reviving Return Pill), Lizhong Wan (Regulate the Middle Pill), and Jiangfu Tang (Ginger and Aconite Decoction). "Shen Xu" occurs when Yuan Qi is severely depleted, resulting in serious illness. One must employ acrid-hot medicines and rich, thick preparations to vigorously assist Yuan Yang, leaving no time to attack the disease directly. The *Classic* states: "For insufficiency of form, warm with Qi; for insufficiency of essence, tonify with flavor." This refers to materials such as Guigui (Cinnamon Bark), Fuzi (Prepared Aconite Root), Lurong (Deer Antler Velvet), and Heche (Placenta Hominis). "Jiang Tuo" signifies that Yuan Qi is on the verge of collapse. Although a trace of Yuan Qi remains and the six pulses still show a slight amount of Stomach Qi, life hangs by a thread, with death imminent. At this juncture, ordinary medications cannot save the patient; one must apply moxibustion to Qihai (CV-6), Dantian (CV-8), and Guanyuan (CV-4), three hundred moxa cones each, to consolidate Spleen and Kidney. The Spleen is the mother of the five Zang organs, and the Kidney is the root of the entire body. Therefore, in treating Shanghan (Cold Damage), one must palpate the Taixi (KI-3) and Chongyang (ST-42) pulses, which reflect the roots of the Spleen and Kidney. If these pulses remain, the person will not die, so moxibustion is still viable. Internally, one may administer Baoyuan Dan (Protect Yuan Qi Pill), Duhanai Dadan (Great Pill of Solitary Skeleton), or Baoming Yanshou Dan (Protect Life and Extend Longevity Pill) to potentially preserve life. (Focusing solely on protecting the Spleen and Kidney reflects the profound foundation of the author's scholarship, as the Kidney is the origin of congenital constitution and the Spleen is the foundation of acquired constitution. All nourishment and initiation stem from here. Thus, even in severe illness, if one of the two pulses has not dispersed, supporting it can prolong life.) "Yi Tuo" means that True Qi has already departed, and the pulses lack Stomach Qi. Even if a thousand moxa cones are applied, it is of no use. (These five syndromes should be carefully studied in advance to ensure adaptive responses and avoid errors. Recent physicians often favor cold-cooling medicines and exclusively perform draining methods, causing balanced Qi to become deficient, and deficiency to progress to collapse. When the Triple Burner loses its transformative function, Spirit and Qi change their normal state, the pathways of entry and exit become discordant, and the mechanisms of ascending and descending cease, yet they persist in the theory that pathogenic factors are not fully eliminated and heat fire is not cleared. They administer cooling medicines in the morning and draining medicines in the evening, relentless until death, which is truly heartbreaking!)