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I have observed that among contemporary practitioners, jealousy is prevalent; while this may be acceptable in other trades, it is most severe in the medical profession. The purpose of medicine is to relieve people's distress and save them from danger, prioritizing life over profit. How can one harbor even a slight sense of jealousy! Yet, modern physicians often possess narrow minds, do not strive for excellence in their art, and become jealous when they encounter someone with superior skills. Once jealousy arises, the harm is incalculable. Some spread rumors, others slander behind backs, some change cold-cooling medicines to hot-warming ones without distinguishing between cold and heat patterns, or vice versa, disregarding patients' lives to satisfy their selfish desires. Their goal is always to obscure the Dao of those who possess it and prevent its practice, thereby fulfilling their jealous intentions.

I frequently observe cases where patients suffer from warm-heat diseases (Wenre Bing). Physicians initially prescribe acrid-cooling (Xinliang) or sweet-cooling (Ganliang) formulas, which are appropriate. However, after one or two doses, if the treatment does not deeply address the pathogen, and the patient continues to experience fever and thirst, causing anxiety and fear, they switch doctors. Even if explicitly informed that previous treatment was administered, the new physician fails to investigate the etiology. Seeing prior use of cold-cooling herbs, they blame the previous doctor for using cold-cooling agents. Without differentiating the pattern's cold or heat nature, the pulse's slow or rapid quality, the tongue coating's yellow or white color, or the urine's clarity or turbidity, they recklessly prescribe hot-warming formulas. They fail to realize that treating a warm-heat disease with hot-warming medicine is like adding oil to fire, instantly depleting body fluids and causing sudden complications. Conversely, if hot-warming medicine was previously used for a cold pattern, they also blame the harm of hot-warming agents, never distinguishing between cold and heat, and recklessly prescribing cold-cooling formulas. They do not know that administering cold-cooling medicine for a cold pattern is like adding frost to snow, immediately causing Yang collapse and Qi depletion, with changes occurring in an instant until critical condition, yet still blaming the previous doctor. This is truly lamentable! There are also cases where a physician openly refutes the previous doctor but secretly follows their method and achieves efficacy, then arrogantly claims credit and demands payment. Such disregard for life in favor of wealth is hardly tolerated by heavenly principles. I advise physicians: do not harbor jealousy, but instead cultivate great compassion; this would be fortunate indeed!

Physicians serve as the foundation for patients and are relied upon by all. If physicians do not deceive themselves, patients will have true reliance. The Way of Medicine requires first detailing the Four Diagnostic Methods (Si Zhen), refining the treatment discussion, observing complexion and listening to voice to differentiate organ diseases, examining symptoms and palpating pulses to distinguish deficiency and excess before treating. Only thus can one claim non-deception. Upon clinical presentation, one must carefully analyze pulse positions: knowing that floating pulses indicate exterior diseases, sunken pulses indicate interior diseases, slow pulses indicate cold diseases, and rapid pulses indicate heat diseases; understanding that enlarged Renying pulses indicate external contraction, while enlarged Qikou pulses indicate internal injury. Furthermore, one must observe the manifestation of five colors (green, red, yellow, white, black), listen to the emission of five tones (jiao, zhi, gong, shang, yu), and inquire about preferences for five odors (pungent, scorched, fragrant, fishy, putrid) to clarify the etiology of the five Zang organs (Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lung, Kidney) and utilize the five flavors (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, salty) in herbal prescriptions. Those who can achieve this, how could there be deception?

However, certain mediocre practitioners deceive others through absurdity. When encountering patients with alternating chills and fever, they suspect external contraction, deceiving the family by claiming ignorance of diagnostic methods, failing to differentiate pulse deficiency or excess, and recklessly administering dispersing agents. When encountering patients with cough, they suspect consumptive disease, deceiving the family by claiming ignorance of medical theory, failing to differentiate physical strength or weakness, and indiscriminately using tonifying formulas. Ignoring the examination of five colors, five tones, and five odors, how can they clarify Zang organ diseases and apply five-flavor medications? Such individuals not only deceive others but deceive themselves. ... Those who prefer tonics are labeled deficient; those preferring dispersants are labeled with external contraction; those fearing hot-warming drugs are given cold-cooling ones; those fearing cold-cooling drugs are given hot-warming ones. They cater to patients' preferences, recklessly applying formulas, having read no texts below the *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot) and *Su Wen* (Basic Questions), relying entirely on deceptive methods. Alas! The medical profession concerns life and death. A single deceitful thought leads to reckless medication, leaving survival uncertain. Why should the method of saving lives be treated as a technique for deception? I hope physicians will aspire to the standards of Xuanyuan and Qibo, keep Zhang Zhongjing in mind, investigate the Four Diagnostic Methods to treat diseases, and never deceive themselves, thus deserving the title of physician.