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The various "wen" diseases mentioned by the ancients mostly refer to those with a warm-heat nature, i.e., "Wen" (Warm Disease). Although speaking of "Wen" and not "Wen" (Plague/Wen) seems to imply two different syndromes, since the described symptoms are identical to those of Wenbing, it is evident that Wenbing and Wenyi are the same disease. Later generations added the radical for disease (疒) to change "Wen" to "Wenyi", which is merely a matter of nomenclature; how can one treat them as two distinct syndromes? Terms such as Spring-Wen, Summer-Wen, Autumn-Wen, and Winter-Wen are essentially arbitrary classifications; in reality, they all result from contracting the epidemic qi of the four seasons. Terms like Fengwen (Wind-Warmth), Shiwen (Damp-Warmth), Wen-Nue (Warm-Malaria), and Wen-Shu (Warm-Summerheat) refer to Wenyi complicated by Wind, Dampness, Summerheat, or Malaria pathogens. "Wendu" refers to severe cases of Wenyi. "Rebing" (Heat Disease) specifically refers to Wenyi occurring in summer. As for the theory of "late onset," it is absurd. If one contracts cold epidemic qi in winter, illness should ensue immediately; how could it lie dormant in the skin and muscles for half a year without harm, only manifesting in the following spring or summer? This is logically impossible, yet how can one remain familiar with such ideas without scrutiny!

Regarding the character "Yi" (Epidemic), it is traditionally explained as affecting the people uniformly. Because the disease spreads through households, with everyone exhibiting similar symptoms, much like corvée labor, it is named "Yi". Removing the person radical (亻) and adding the disease radical (疒) simply emphasizes its relation to illness. Thus, "Wenyi" is a compound term meaning that Wenyi manifests as an epidemic. It must be understood that "Yi" covers a broad scope. The character "Wen" originally did not fully encompass "Yi". "Wenyi" is but one manifestation among many epidemics; it always arises from contracting warm-heat epidemic qi, hence it is distinguished by this name. Besides, there are distinctions between Cold-Yi and Mixed-Yi, yet books on Wenyi often omit these two categories. By treating "Wenyi" as a single undifferentiated concept, they artificially separate Wenbing and Yibing, prescribing different formulas for each. However, upon close examination, their formula theories show no substantial difference, lacking logical consistency, and thus should not be followed.

Alas! If the meaning of "Wenyi" is not clear, how can one possibly treat it?

Ancient texts state: "Yi means the people all suffer the same疾 (illness)." It also says: "Yi is Li (pestilential qi); 'Zhong' (to strike/infect, pronounced with falling tone) affects people as sharply as a whetstone damages objects." When it says the people suffer the same illness without specifying what illness, the scope of "illness" is vast. This is because everyone, whether in cities, villages, mountain corners, or seaside areas, accepts the same Tian-Di Li Qi (Heaven-Earth Pestilential Qi). Since it afflicts the masses uniformly, like corvée service, it is called "Yi". The manifestations of this disease are myriad, but broadly categorized into three types.

First is "Wenyi". "Wen" is the beginning of heat; "Re" (Heat) is the end of warmth. From start to finish, it belongs to Heat Syndromes. Upon initial contraction, there is fever, spontaneous sweating, thirst, and aversion-to-cold is absent. Regarding its transmission between exterior and interior: if in the exterior, it presents symptoms of the Three Yang Meridians; if entering the interior, it presents symptoms of the Three Yin Meridians; if entering the Fu organs, it presents indications for purgation. Recovery generally occurs through sweating, and patients are most critical during the febrile stage. Unlike Shanghan (Cold Damage), Wenyi does not originate from cold pathogen invasion; rather, Li Qi enters via the mouth and nose, remaining purely hot throughout. Since "Re" is the culmination of "Wen", it is named "Wenyi".

Second is "Lengyi" (Cold Epidemic). Regardless of the season, if the weather suddenly warms up, causing pores to open, and then sudden cold strikes, forcing cold qi upon the body, symptoms include headache, body heat, and neck stiffness. If affected by Wind, there is sweating; if affected by Cold, there is no sweating. This resembles Taiyang Shanghan (Cold Damage) or Shangfeng (Wind Strike), but it is a natural disaster where everyone suffers similarly. Occasionally, rashes may appear in winter, justifying the term "Yi". Treatment methods vary between dispersing (Fasan) and releasing the muscle layer (Jieji). Mild cases, such as wheezing, cough, chest oppression, nasal congestion, or heavy voice, may resolve spontaneously even without treatment. Another form occurs in mid-summer or autumn, resembling Wenyi but unresponsive to cold-natured herbs, failing to resolve with a single sweat, and lingering for days. These are also termed "Lengyi".

Third is "Zayi" (Mixed Epidemic). Symptoms are bizarre and varied; the pathology involves both Cold and Heat. Excluding acute strange diseases like various Wens, convulsions, and Sha-Zhang, conditions such as Nue-Li (Malaria and Dysentery), Xie-Xie (Diarrhea), Zhang-Man (Distension and Fullness), Ou-Tu (Vomiting), Chuan-Sou (Wheezing and Cough), Jue-Jing (Syncope and Spasm), various pains, various bleeding disorders, various abscesses/swellings, Lin-Zhuo (Strangury and Turbid Urine), and Huoluan (Cholera-like disorder), when suffered uniformly by the masses, indicate the presence of Li Qi. Consequently, standard treatments for other diseases often fail. One must thoroughly understand the principles of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, deeply investigate the subtleties of pulse and symptoms, and carefully apply rational analysis to achieve efficacy. This is harder to grasp than Wenyi. While Wenyi has fixed treatment principles, Zayi has no fixed formulas. Pathologies may be Cold, Heat, Upper-Cold/Lower-Heat, Upper-Heat/Lower-Cold, Exterior-Cold/Interior-Heat, or Exterior-Heat/Interior-Cold, with countless variations. Many know the name "Wenyi" but not its meaning; some know of "Lengyi" but not its true nature. Regarding "Zayi", it is often mistaken for ordinary endemic diseases, leading to frequent misdiagnosis. Therefore, it is specifically highlighted and elucidated here.