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Yang Dashou said: Hong Kong jiao (a disease characterized by swelling and pain in the lower limbs) is a condition of stagnation and obstruction. It should be treated with agents that promote circulation and unblocking, so that qi does not become stagnant. For example, decoctions such as Qianghuo Daozhi Tang are suitable for general use. Furthermore, using Cang Zhu (Atractylodis Rhizoma), Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), Fang Ji (Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix), and Nan Xing (Arisomatis Tuber) to eliminate dampness; Qiang Huo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix), Du Huo (Angelicae Pubescentis Radix), Mu Gua (Chaenomelis Fructus), and Bing Lang (Arecae Semen) to move qi and benefit the joints to remove obstruction; supplemented by Mu Tong (Akebiae Caulis) and Niu Xi (Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix) as guiding herbs; and Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) and Sheng Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix) to harmonize blood—these are essential medications. Additionally, formulas such as Dian Yuan's Niantsong Tang are also very effective. I differentiate and treat based on the deficiency or excess of the syndrome, which constitutes flexible and adaptive treatment methods.

Xue treated a male patient who had a history of Hong Kong jiao, presenting with pain under the hypochondrium, fever, dizziness, vomiting, and numbness and loss of sensation in the legs. Medications such as Xiaodu (detoxification) and Huxin (heart protection) were ineffective. The pulse at the left Guan position was tight, and the right Guan position was wiry, indicating this was also Hong Kong jiao. He was cured using Banxia Zuojing Tang. Another male patient presented with weakness, swelling, and pain in the feet, fever, craving for cold drinks, and constipation of both urine and stool. The pulse at the right Guan position was rapid, indicating damp-heat flowing into the Foot Yangming Meridian. He was cured using Dahuang Zuojing Tang. A female patient presented with swelling and pain in the joints, particularly severe in the shins and feet, accompanied by spontaneous sweating or headache from time to time, caused by damp-heat in the Taiyang Meridian. She was cured after two doses of Mahuang Zuojing Tang. A male patient presented with swelling and pain in both legs, with a slippery and rapid pulse, caused by damp-phlegm. Initially, Wuling San combined with Cang Zhu and Huang Bo was administered for two doses, resulting in slight improvement. Subsequently, Erchen Tang, Er Zhu (Cang Zhu and Bai Zhu), Bing Lang, Zi Su, Qiang Huo, Du Huo, Niu Xi, and Huang Bo were used, leading to recovery. In cases of damp-phlegm syndromes, the primary treatment must focus on moving qi, promoting diuresis to resolve dampness, and strengthening the middle jiao. Once the middle qi is harmonized, phlegm will naturally dissipate, and dampness will have no place to reside. A male patient presented with redness, swelling, and pain in the right leg, with a deep and rapid pulse. Danggui Niantsong Tang was prescribed. However, pain in all four limbs worsened due to the entrapment of damp-toxin. Moreover, medicines intended for the lower body may not easily reach the affected area; this was not a mismatch of medicine and syndrome. Therefore, bianshi (stone acupuncture) was applied to the affected area to drain toxic blood, and the previous prescription was continued. Symptoms decreased significantly after one dose and resolved after four additional doses. A female patient suffered from Hong Kong jiao, with intermittent leg swelling and tendon spasms, abdominal pain, and resistance to various medications, progressing to a critical state. Classical texts state that Bawei Wan treats Kidney Meridian Hong Kong jiao entering the abdomen, causing pain, upward rushing of qi, and severe asthma suffocating the patient. Thus, it was administered, resulting in immediate relief after one dose and full recovery after subsequent doses. Individuals with Kidney Meridian deficiency-cold often suffer from this condition, representing a pattern where Kidney Water overacts on Heart Fire (Water overcoming Fire). Delay could lead to imminent death, so urgent administration is required. A female patient suffered from leg pain preventing flexion and extension, worsening upon exposure to wind and cold, and resistant to various medications, causing great distress. One pill of Huoluo Dan was administered first, resulting in immediate relief, followed by further doses leading to recovery. The following year, the pain recurred. One pill was taken again, reducing symptoms by more than half, and subsequently, Duhuo Jisheng Tang was administered for four doses, resulting in complete cure. A male patient with a history of Hong Kong jiao also developed an osteomyelitis (bone abscess) causing pain. One pill of Huoluo Dan cured both conditions simultaneously. Yu Luyue, a scholar-official, had an incurable hernia. When he developed leg pain, he also took one pill of Huoluo Dan. Not only did it effectively treat the leg condition, but the hernia was also cured. The daughter of Jin Eshou, residing in the capital, suffered from severe convulsive disorders (Jing Feng) in a critical condition, beyond the remedy of various physicians. She self-administered one pill of Huoluo Dan and recovered immediately, with no recurrence. When pathogenic factors are deeply entrenched internally, no other medication can penetrate them as effectively. However, modern practitioners claim that this drug "draws wind into the bones," likening it to oil mixing with dough (implying difficulty in removal or exacerbation). Consequently, many later generations refuse to take it. Generally, if there is a specific disease, the corresponding medicine should be used. How can one rigidly adhere to such statements, thereby making the disease difficult to cure?