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Li Dongyuan and Zhu Danxi treated diseases mostly by creating their own prescriptions. This is because both masters had a profound understanding of the properties of materia medica (herbs) and thoroughly investigated the essential methods of prescription formulation in the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), thus enabling them to create prescriptions independently. Since the Song Dynasty, the *Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang* (Prescriptions of the Bureau of People's Welfare) had been widely popularized, and people followed its use without daring to arbitrarily formulate their own prescriptions. Although the *Ju Fang* contained many errors in discussing symptoms and treating diseases, Zhu Danxi had once debated and criticized it; however, the prescriptions therein were formulated by famous physicians, and their principles of Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi (Sovereign, Minister, Assistant, Courier roles in herbal formulas), the lightness/heaviness, urgency/slowness, and size/quantity rules were not significantly flawed. Recently, the books of Li Dongyuan and Zhu Danxi have become highly prevalent. Secular physicians, seeing that they did not use ancient prescriptions, blindly imitated them, often creating their own prescriptions for diseases. However, lacking clarity on drug properties and failing to investigate the laws of prescription formulation, they acted rashly and chaotically, causing conditions that were previously non-existent or mild to become severe, with numerous variable syndromes arising, making diagnosis and treatment difficult! Moreover, the flavors and aromas of drugs differ. For example, Wuweizi (Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus) has a strong flavor, so Li Dongyuan’s prescriptions used only five or six berries, or up to ten-plus berries; yet modern physicians sometimes use two or three qian (approx. 6-9 grams). Shigao (Gypsum Fibrosum) has a light and thin flavor, so Baihu Tang (White Tiger Decoction) uses half a liang (approx. 15 grams); yet modern physicians dare not use much more. Prescriptions for treating the upper body should be light and small; yet now, regardless of whether the disease is in the upper or lower part, large doses are uniformly used. Wan (Pills), San (Powders), Tang (Decoctions), and Ye (Liquids) each have their appropriate applications; yet now, regardless of urgency, decoctions are uniformly used. There are many such cases. Modern physicians who do not carefully study the *Bencao* (Materia Medica) and deeply investigate the *Neijing*, but lightly create their own prescriptions, rarely fail to harm people!

I note: "Fang" (imitation/model) means imitating others to establish a standard for current application. In practical application, flexibility is even more valued; it is not something rigid and unchangeable. Therefore, the *Suwen* (Basic Questions) contains no specific prescriptions, nor does the *Nanjing* (Classic of Difficult Issues). Prescriptions only appeared during the Han Dynasty, presumably established by modeling after etiology (causes of disease).

A question was asked: Some people say today that Li Dongyuan’s methods are suitable for the North, and Zhu Danxi’s methods are viable for the South. What is your view? I replied: Li Dongyuan was a physician from the North; Luo Qianfu transmitted his methods, bringing fame to Jiangzhe (Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions). Zhu Danxi was a physician from the South; Liu Zongnong inherited his learning, bringing fame to Shaanxi. If this were true as people claim, would the *Bencao* and *Neijing*, which are teachings of Shennong (Divine Farmer) and Qibo, only be applicable in the North? The *Neijing*, specifically the chapters *Yifa Fangyi Lun* (Discourse on Different Methods and Appropriate Treatments for Different Regions) and *Wuchang Zheng Da Lun* (Great Discourse on the Five Constant Policies), has already detailed how diseases generated in the five directions differ, and how treatments must vary accordingly. Furthermore, while the North is cold and the South is hot, the river-lake areas are damp, and Lingnan is miasmic, stating that people acquire these climatic qi excessively and thus suffer related diseases does not mean northern diseases lack heat syndromes or southern diseases lack cold syndromes. As for treating cold with heat and heat with cold, this principle is uniform across all five directions; how could there be a north-south difference? It is simply that among human zang-fu organs, fire resides in two places, and among the six climatic qi of heaven, heat accounts for three parts and a half. Thus, globally, heat diseases are more common than cold diseases, as can be seen in the *Bingji* (Pathogenesis) chapter of the *Zhizhen Yao Da Lun* (Supreme Essential Reliability Great Discourse) in the *Neijing*. Additionally, diseases caused by damp-heat and ministerial fire are very numerous. Since Wang Bing’s (Grand Master of Records) annotations were obscured, the *Ju Fang* biased towards using damp-heat promoting drugs. Consequently, Zhu Danxi emerged to elucidate the purport of the *Neijing*, critique the bias of the *Ju Fang*, and discuss diseases of damp-heat and ministerial fire, supplementing the deficiencies of predecessors. Later generations failed to understand; seeing his frequent use of bitter-cold drugs like Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma), Zhizi (Gardeniae Fructus), and Huangbai (Phellodendri Cortex), they concluded he was suitable only for the South. This is shallow!

I note: The previous discussion stated that although fire syndromes are numerous, deficiency and excess differ, so treatment methods also differ. Thus, Mr. Wang Taipu (Wang Bing) said: Severe cold that does not warm even with heat therapy indicates absence of Fire (Kidney Yang); severe heat that does not cool even with cold therapy indicates absence of Water (Kidney Yin). Symptoms appearing by day and vanishing by night, or vice versa, occurring irregularly, indicate absence of Fire. Generally, fever with thirst for cold drinks and constipation indicates Excess Heat. Chills with fever, desire to curl up, cold limbs, and clear loose stools indicate True Cold. Restlessness, mania, desire to enter water, and aversion to clothing indicate Deficiency: False Heat externally and True Cold internally. Therefore, febrile sensations in consumptive diseases that do not resolve with cold herbs are due to this reason. From this perspective, heat syndromes are often few, while cold syndromes are often many. For those lacking Fire, Bawei Wan (Eight-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia) should be used to tonify the source of Fire to dissipate yin shadows; for those lacking Water, Liuwei Wan (Six-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia) should be used to strengthen the master of Water to suppress solar glare. However, the root cause of these illnesses lies in damaging the heart-mind during youth when qi and blood are flourishing, or indulging in lust before essence and blood are fully matured, leading to an insecure foundation, fire failing to return to its meridian, and resulting in symptoms difficult to name. Although one should frequently nourish yin to control fire, the left and right Chi (cun-guan-chi pulse positions at the wrist) pulses each contain yin and yang, and water and fire generate each other. One must differentiate yin and yang, deficiency and excess in these two viscera, seek their affiliation, and balance them. If the left Chi pulse is weak, fine, and rapid, it indicates insufficiency of True Yin in the Left Kidney; use Liuwei Wan. If the right Chi pulse is slow and soft, or deep, fine, and nearly imperceptible, it indicates insufficiency of Ministerial Fire in the Mingmen (Gate of Life); use Bawei Wan. If both Chi pulses are weak, it indicates dual deficiency of yin and yang; use Shibu Wan. These all nourish the source of transformation. If one indiscriminately administers heavy, yin-natured, fire-draining drugs like Huangbai and Zhimu, it will instead damage the Spleen and Stomach, often leading to death. (See *Yuji Wei Yi*. Clinical cases see Internal Medicine Formulas.)