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Commentary: The progression of disease depends on the pathology, the therapeutic action depends on the substances (herbs/minerals), and the preparation and application depend on the physician. When these three are clearly understood, one can then master the methods of the Seven Formulas (Qi Fang) and the Ten Categories (Shi Ji).

Large, Small, Slow, Rapid, Odd, Even, Dispersing - these are called the "Seven Formulas" (Qi Fang).

Qi, Blood, Cold, Heat, Diffusing, Unblocking, Tonifying, Draining, Light, Heavy, Slippery, Astringent, Drying, Moistening - these are called the "Ten Categories" (Shi Ji).

Regarding Qi disorders: Middle Qi deficiency, urgent and confused Qi stagnation.

Regarding Taste: Substances with specific flavors.

Essence is the root; therefore, earth-grown substances nourish the form. For those with deficient form, tonify Qi with warming agents.

The method for preserving life lies in the five grains, five livestock, five vegetables, and five fruits. Sour, Bitter, Sweet, Pungent, and Salty flavors are the essentials of tonification and nourishment. Why? Grain enters the mouth and gathers in the Stomach. The Stomach is the sea of water and grain; it favors grain and dislikes medicine. Medicine entering the body does not compare to the natural Qi of grain. This is why the method of treating disease must prioritize grain Qi first. Thus, the Sages discuss True Qi and Pathogenic Qi, saying: "Sweat is generated from grain," relying not merely on medicinal stones. To distinguish signs of life and death, they say: "If one can eat grain, there is life; if one loses grain, there is death." This shows that all five Zang organs rely on Stomach Qi as their foundation. From this, we know that the five flavors can nourish the form. Although drugs can attack toxic pathogens, it is like using soldiers—done out of necessity. Therefore, the Sages say: To release the exterior, do not avoid hot-natured herbs; to attack the interior, do not avoid cold-natured herbs. Pungent and Sweet flavors disperse and belong to Yang; Sour and Bitter flavors induce vomiting and draining and belong to Yin. Thus, Pungent disperses, Sour astringes, Sweet moderates, Bitter solidifies, and Salty softens hardness. According to the pathologies of the five Zang organs, apply the corresponding flavors of herbs, and then consider the systems of Odd/Even and Large/Small, Slow/Rapid formulas.

The Even Formula refers to the method of four sides and four systems. The so-called "four systems" refer to Small, Large, Slow, and Rapid. The Classics state: Qi has varying amounts, diseases have excess and deficiency, treatments have slow and rapid approaches, and formulas have large and small sizes. Therefore, One Sovereign (Jun) herb and two Ministers (Chen) herbs constitute an Odd system; Two Sovereigns and four Ministers constitute an Even system; Two Sovereigns and three Ministers constitute an Odd system; Two Sovereigns and six Ministers constitute an Even system. It is also said: Odd formulas include One Sovereign/Two Ministers and Two Sovereigns/Three Ministers; Even formulas include Two Sovereigns/Four Ministers and Two Sovereigns/Six Ministers. Thus, the method of establishing formulas involves these four systems. How to understand Odd, Even, Large, and Small? For example, Xiao Cheng Qi Tang and Tiao Wei Cheng Qi Tang are Odd Small formulas; Da Cheng Qi Tang and Di Dang Tang are Odd Large formulas. They are used for purging because of their purgative nature. Gui Zhi Tang and Ma Huang Tang are Even Small formulas; Ge Gen Tang and Da Qing Long Tang are Even Large formulas. They are used for diaphoresis because of their releasing nature. The Classics say: For close (interior) conditions, use Odd formulas; for distant (exterior) conditions, use Even formulas. The body's surface is distant; the body's interior is close. Diaphoresis does not use Odd formulas; purgation does not use Even formulas. "Not using" means not adopting. Therefore, tonifying the upper part requires a Slow formula; tonifying the lower part requires a Rapid formula. Rapid implies strong flavor and aroma; Slow implies weak flavor and aroma. Thus, strong flavors belong to Yin; weak flavors are Yang within Yin, representing impure flavors. Strong flavors drain; weak flavors promote Qi circulation. Wang Bing commented: Strong flavors drain; weak flavors promote Qi circulation. Strong aromas belong to Yang; weak aromas are Yin within Yang. Fuzi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata) and Ganjiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma) have intense heat and are pure Yang substances due to their strong aroma. Dingxiang (Caryophylli Flos) and Muxiang (Aucklandiae Radix) are pungent and warm but have weak aromas, representing Yin within Yang with impure aromas. Strong aromas generate heat; weak aromas cause sweating. The Classics say: Weak causes sweating, strong generates heat. Wang Bing commented: Yin and Yang descend; thus, weak flavors diffuse, which is the rising of Yang Qi, so strong aromas generate heat. Weak flavors, having less Yin, induce vomiting/draining; weak aromas, having less Yang, cause sweating. Therefore, discussing the weakness or strength of aroma/flavor combines with the odd/even and large/small nature of formulas. Kidney and Liver are distant and low; frequent dosing makes the Qi slow, unable to reach quickly; thus, large doses with few administrations are taken for swift action to reach the lower jiao. Heart and Lung are near and high; infrequent dosing makes the Qi urgent, unable to diffuse upward; thus, small doses with frequent administrations are taken for aggregated Qi to disperse easily and tonify the upper jiao. Wang Bing commented: Lung takes 9 parts, Heart 7, Spleen 5, Liver 3, Kidney 1. These are the constant numbers of the five Zang organs. If an Odd formula fails, use an Even formula; this is called a Repeated Formula (Zhong Fang). If an Even formula fails, use counter-assistance (Fan Zuo); meaning Cold, Heat, Warm, Cool should follow the disease. Wang Bing commented: Thus, the Sages use counter-assistants to harmonize the Qi, making sounds and Qi correspond, mixing cold and heat, so they ultimately differ, moistening dryness and dissipating hardness, breaking rigidity, and eliminating fragility. Contrary treatment is Standard Treatment (Zheng Zhi); following treatment is Counter-Treatment (Fan Zhi). Follow more or less depending on the situation. Zhang Zhongjing said: In Shaoyin disease with diarrhea and faint pulse, give Bai Tong Tang. Hot medicines must be taken cold. After entering the stomach, the cold nature disappears, and the hot nature activates, curing the disease and stopping vomiting/hiccups without violating sentiment, thereby treating major reversal. This involves adding Ren Nao (Hominis Urina) and Zhu Dan Huang (Suis Fel) – salty, bitter, cold substances – to the hot Bai Tong Tang to ensure Qi compatibility and remove rejecting cold. The Classics say: "Treat heat with cold usage, treat cold with heat usage, treat obstruction with obstruction, treat flow with flow." One must take the governing medicine, address the cause first. Initially similar, finally different; this breaks accumulation, dissolves hardness, harmonizes Qi, and ensures cure. If the disease is distant and mid-body Qi blocks it, use food to guide it, without exceeding regulations. Wang Bing commented: If the disease is in the Kidney, but the Heart's medicine Qi stops midway, it must pass quickly, not letting Kidney medicine dominate, lest Heart and Lung decline further, contradicting up/down/near/far principles. Thus, the Sages treat the upper without offending the lower, and the lower without offending the upper. Neither offends both. The Classics say: "Punishing the innocent is called great confusion." There are internal-external non-interferences and root-branch relationships, maintaining order. What comes from the source is Root (Ben); what is received is Branch (Biao). Internal diseases are treated internally; external diseases are treated externally. The Classics say: "Upper overflowing downward, pacify with what overcomes it..." If internal causes external symptoms severe externally, regulate internal first, then treat external. If external causes internal symptoms severe internally, regulate external first, then treat internal. Wang Bing commented: Both mean removing the root first, then pruning the branches. Thus, excess disease onset, as Zhang Zhongjing said: After mistaken purgation in Cold Damage, leading to clear diarrhea and body pain, urgently save the Interior. Save Interior with Si Ni Tang; save Exterior with Gui Zhi Tang. Interior deficiency must be saved first. If bowels/bladder are normal, use Gui Zhi Tang for Exterior. This is treating the Branch when disease originates from Root; treat Root first, then Branch. Here, Cold is Root. Not knowing Root/Branch is reckless action. Although Ben Cao says: Top 120 herbs are Sovereigns (Heaven), Middle 120 are Ministers (Human), Bottom 125 are Assistants (Earth). But for treating disease, emphasizing these three grades is secondary. The Classics say: Toxic or non-toxic, focus on treatment, adjust size/dosage accordingly. Governing disease is Sovereign; assisting Sovereign is Minister, not referring to Top/Middle/Bottom grades. Wang Bing commented: If it breaks accumulation, relieves pain, solves emergencies, saves from death, toxicity is correct, non-toxicity is incorrect. Measure disease severity. Yellow Emperor asked: To clarify good and evil distinctions. Thus, Sages say toxic/non-toxic medicines have limits. Disease is new or old; combine with standard regimen. Great toxicity treats disease, remove 60%; common toxicity, remove 70%; slight toxicity, remove 80%; non-toxicity, remove 90%. Remaining nourishment via grains, meats, fruits, vegetables. Do not exceed limits, damaging Zheng Qi. If not cured, repeat method. Stop according to toxicity degree, avoiding excess. Ancient Sages stopped when disease was half gone. Drug properties/flavors are for treating illness; if applied moderately, doubt healing? This is the principle. If not cured by regulating Qi, how to treat? Toxic/non-toxic... Wang Bing commented: Four categories of disease origin. 1. Qi movement causing internal formation, e.g., accumulations. 2. Qi movement causing external formation, e.g., abscesses, sores, scabies, ulcers, swelling, itching. 3. Non-Qi movement causing internal disease, e.g., retained fluid, food retention, emotions, obsession, worry. 4. Non-Qi movement causing external disease, e.g., miasma, falls, wind/cold/heat/dampness, cuts, stabs, blows. Among these, some cured by internal treatment alone: Da/Xiao Cheng Qi Tang, Xian Xiong Tang, Di Dang Tang, San Hua Tang, Shen Bao Wan, Cang Yong Wan. Some cured by combined internal/external: Da/Xiao Chai Hu Tang, Tong Sheng San, Xi Xin San, Liang Ge San, Huang Lian Jie Du Tang. Some cured by external treatment alone: Wan Ying Gao, Ba Du San, eye drops. Some cured by internal then external: Measles, erysipelas, sores, fungal infections due to Triple Burner ministerial fire, heat inside. First open middle with cool/bitter-cold agents to cleanse organs, then apply external treatments like scarification, poultices, smearing. Some cured by external then internal: Trauma... Inside, first disperse exterior. If dispersion fails, judge depth and purge severely. With toxicity... fetal death, hard accumulations, distension. Also non-toxic regulators for phlegm/stagnation, Qi... unblocking meridians/regulating Qi herbs. Methods vary: scatter/astringe, suppress/high, moisten/dry, relax/tense, attack/stagnant, remove/pathogenic, warm/laborious. (Warm = nourish). Dissolve knots, moisten dryness, tonify deficiency. (Tonify = nourish). Move leisure, activate labor, calm shock. (Calm = normalize, familiar sights/sounds). Induce vomiting for upper, drain for lower... Moxibustion, bathing, thinning, seizing, burning needle puncture below, opening, releasing. Treat appropriately, settle Qi, clear... Qi declines, return to source. This is the general principle of treatment. Sages' laws have no fixed form; forms change with administration; medicines do not stick to one prescription. Hence, treat cold with heat, heat with cold, but physicians cannot abandon rules. For heat disease, use cold... Some use heat for cold, resulting in cold; both exist, new disease arises. How to treat cold turning heat? Take Yin. Heat turning cold? Take... Seek the affiliation. Wang Bing commented: If treatment fails and disease worsens with heat/cold... eliminate Yin shadows... benefit Heart... Call. Sages... Understand thus.

Formulas have Seven Categories; Agents have Ten Categories; cannot cure disease... Cannot be treated with one or two herbs... Small formula theory has two aspects... Near and upper, light dosage... Formulas like sugar, honey, licorice... Reason. Slow formulas with many ingredients: many herbs cannot exert individual potency. Non-toxic slow formulas: non-toxic attacks are naturally slow. Qi... Method for tonifying upper/upper. Rapid formulas... Rapid formulas for urgent wind/purging... Toxic rapid formulas, e.g., above... Directly descending, power undiminished... Also, near disease suitable for Odd formulas... Theory has two: two herbs paired... Four ministers six, number matches Yin... Yue Bi Tang etc. Formulas combined, repeated... Oppression not dispersed is congestion; must use Diffusing Category (Xuan Ji) to disperse, e.g., fullness/blockage. Disperse like ginger/orange. Attacking interior, diffusing acts upward; draining acts downward, surging... Same. Unblocking: stagnation is blockage; must use Unblocking Category (Tong Ji) to move, e.g., water disease, phlegm癖. Fangji etc. Attacking stagnation, unblocking moves. Kansui, Shi Gao, Fu Ling, Yuan Hua, Da Ji... Must tonify to support, e.g., Qi/form emaciation. Ben Cao says: Tonify can... Classics say: Speaking faintly all day then repeating indicates Qi depletion. Thus, form deficiency... Illness, medicine cures, grains/meats nourish. Drain, excess is... Ben Cao says: Drain can remove closure, e.g., Ting Li, Da Huang. Classics say turbid... Thus Ting Li/Da Huang, bitter/cold, specifically drains heat, removes dampness, directs Qi down... Frequent urination, floating/choppy pulse conflict, difficult stool, Spleen constrained, thus... Drains Stomach excess. Light: Excess Qi congestion, desire to raise. Ben Cao says: Light can remove excess, e.g., Ma Huang, Ge Gen. Classics say... Yang excess disperses. Heavy: Timidity Qi floats, desire to sedate... Sedate. Ben Cao says: Heavy can remove timidity, e.g., Ci Shi, Tie Fen... Use heavy substances to descend saliva/astringe. Astringent... Must use Astringent Category (Se Ji) to collect. Ben Cao says: Astringent can remove collapse... Qi sticking, desire to lubricate. Constipation/internal closure, must use Slippery Category (Hua Ji) to lubricate. Ben Cao says: Slippery can remove sticking, e.g., Dong Kui, Yu Pi... Nourish orifices, thus moisten/lubricate. Dryness: Dampness excessive, edema, Spleen damp, must use Drying Category (Zao Ji) to remove. Ben Cao says: Drying can remove dampness, e.g., Sang Bai Pi, Chi Xiao Dou. So dampness high, vomit with bitter, drain with bland. Ying/Wei dried flow, must use Moistening Category (Shi Ji) to moisten. Ben Cao says: Moistening can remove withered, e.g., Zi Shi Ying. Thus used for flaccidity. Wang Bing commented: Heart... Heat alone excessive, fire flares up, Kidney meridian often inactive. Fire flares up, Kidney meridian follows fire, reverses upward... Yin Qi rebellion, fire flares internally, Yin blocks Yang above, Lower fails to hold position, Heart Qi connects to vessels... Lift together, calf tendons relaxed unable to function. Can drain hundreds of times to cure. Thus Seven Formulas and Ten Categories are ancient masters setting rulers for straightness/crookedness. Later physicians create squares/circles from compasses. Wang Bing commented: Death is called fate, not blaming ignorant physicians for killing. ... Thus things have natures, finite. Prepared and used... Made infinite. Since nature infinite, use infinite, applied to grades/agents to assist humans, functions cannot be complete in one. Thus... Use based on nature, use based on overcoming, same Qi seeks same, opposing Qi controls, excess Qi tonifies deficiency, sensing Qi directs by intent, same substance different nature... Different name same reality. Snake nature creeping guides herbs; Cicada nature shedding removes nebula; Horseleech drinks blood treats blood; Rat good at drilling treats... Cause... Also. Hemp/grain treats wind; Bean/water treats water, so Qi same seeks same. Ox Earth animal, milk quenches thirst; Pig Water animal, heart calms panic, so opposing Qi controls. Bear meat strengthens weakness; Rabbit liver improves vision, so excess Qi tonifies deficiency. Carp treats water... treats water, so sensing Qi directs by intent. Honey made by bee, honey warm/bee cold; Oil born from hemp, hemp warm/oil cold, same substance different nature. Mi Wu born from Xiong Qiong... Peng... born from Fu Pen, different name same reality... Such examples endless. Heaven/Earth shape,不离 Yin/Yang, color/form natural, all have images. Fur/feathers born Yang belong Yin; scales/shells born Yin belong Yang. Kong Qing mimics Wood green governs Liver; Cinnabar mimics Fire red governs Heart; Cloud Mother mimics Metal white governs Lung; Magnet Stone mimics Water black governs Kidney; Yellow Earth mimics Soil yellow governs Spleen. Thus touch category grow... All have natural logic. Healer must know Astronomy above, Geography below, Human affairs middle. Three clear, then cure disease. Else blind night walk, footless travel, fall die, wanting to cure disease, never happens.

Medical Invention Theory says: Disease has contrary/following, Treatment has counter-treatment. Counter-treatment clarifies Four Meridians sources, one divides Hand/Foot... Four... Method... Like... No... Sage established "Treat flow with flow" meaning Shaoyang Spring, beginning of generating transforming all things, metals/stones/plants/feathers/scales are Yin/Yang... Generating Transforming... End... Order then... To emit... Symptoms many... Caution... Yin Meridian... Inside... Decoct... Method... Taiyang Mark has Yang name, no Yang reality, means changing to Yin. Pulse tight/rapid... Inside true cold. Thus Zhongjing uses Jiang Fu Tang long hot decoction, not warm take but sudden take... Long hot decoction, double Yang heat, drains pure Yin cold, treats Root. Not warm take... Treats Taiyang Mark fake Yang. Thus... Cold Qi, exterior heat signs, but great thirst pull... Pursued, want to stop dryness, sit well... Moreover internal injury diet, material has form, also... But Spleen/Stomach has Pi Qi, Zhongjing treats Pi has five... Types, also use Da Huang/Zhi Shi Yin Han drugs to drain downward. These two, are "Treat obstruction with obstruction", also "Treat cold with cold", clearly known... Though... Standard treatment: Treat heat with cold, cold with heat, direct reduction. Also Classics: Yangming/Jueyin not from Middle. Qi Xuanzi comment... Almost not... At Mao... After... Disease... Two Yangs combine bright, hence Yangming, between Chen/Si, generation transformation use. Two Yins exhaust, hence Jueyin, between Xu/Hai, destruction use. Jueyin Pericardium, total cover twelve meridians. Classics: Middle has Yangming life/death root, Foot Yangming sea of water/grain. Also Classics: All things born Earth end Earth. Root/Branch both Yang, all meridians have, thus cannot follow Mark, nor... Follow Root. Hand Yangming likes heat hates cool, Foot Yangming likes cool hates heat, Foot Jueyin generation source, warm hates cool, Hand Jueyin Pericardium not Five Elements, Kun Yuan correct Earth, though main longevity, Yin quiet Yang dry, inherit Shaoyang, Yuan Qi can generate... If lone Yin not grow, clarify this, is Root/Branch both Yin. Foot Jueyin Liver also Root/Branch both Yin, Liver one of five Zang, receives Gallbladder Qi... Can grow, mark stem grass shell in ground, meridian Yin exhaust. Yangming Pure Yang, Jueyin Pure Yin, these two Root/Branch not related... Thus treat heat with cold, cold with heat, standard treatment. Should judge disease. If heat disease treat cold, cold disease treat heat, hence follow... Middle. Now clarify standard treatment, suppose Hand Yangming excess, Foot Yangming deficiency, should treat cold with heat. If Foot Yangming excess, Hand Yangming deficiency, should treat heat with cold. Hence treat heat with cold, cold with heat, speaking standard treatment. From Middle, follow harmony appropriate medium medication... Hand/Foot Jueyin two meridians, through calculate, is Hand/Foot whole body twelve meridians reverse standard treatment method.