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Treating the Interior First, then the Exterior: Initially, there is fever. Gradually, it transforms into a Yangming interior excess syndrome (Yangming Fu Syndrome), which can be cured by purgation (Xia Fa). Later, fever recurs, accompanied by headache, heaviness of the body, and a floating pulse; Baihu Tang (White Tiger Decoction) is indicated. If sweating does not occur after administration, it indicates exhaustion of body fluids (Jin Ye); add Ginseng (Renshen), and recovery will follow quickly upon finishing the cup. However, if after massive diaphoresis or massive purgation, both exterior and interior syndromes have disappeared, followed by generalized body pain, feeling as if beaten with a club, and a deep, fine pulse, this is due to excessive sweating causing Yang Qi to fail to circulate throughout the body, resulting in cold bones and pain. This is not an exterior syndrome. No specific treatment is necessary; within two to three days, Yang Qi will return, and self-healing will occur.

Predominance of Exterior Syndromes: When latent pathogens in the Membrane Source (Mo Yuan) manifest, the pathogens transmitting to the exterior are numerous, while those transmitting to the interior are few. How do we know this? Because exterior symptoms are predominant and interior symptoms are few. One should treat the exterior, addressing the interior concurrently.

If interior symptoms are predominant and exterior symptoms are few, treating the interior alone will allow the exterior symptoms to resolve spontaneously.

When pathogens injure the human body, they initially affect Qi, subsequently affecting Blood, flesh, sinews, and finally bones. There are moving pathogens (Xing Xie) and latent pathogens (Fu Xie); thus, treatment methods vary in difficulty, and efficacy varies in speed. Moving pathogens refer to standard Shanghan (Cold Damage) diseases, starting from the Taiyang channel, potentially transmitting to the Yangming channel or Shaoyang channel. Although the disease severity may be high, one episode of diaphoresis (Han Fa) can resolve it. If the pathogen enters the Stomach Fu, one episode of purgation can cure it. In contrast, plague pathogens lie latent before moving, residing in the Membrane Source like birds nesting or beasts hiding in holes, beyond the reach of Ying-Wei circulation and difficult for herbal medicine to penetrate. Upon manifestation, pathogenic toxins gradually expand, invading internally into the Fu organs and externally flooding the channels, injuring Ying-Wei, and causing various symptoms to appear gradually, allowing for treatment thereafter. During the stage of infiltration, when pathogenic toxins remain in the Membrane Source, only dispersing and draining methods can be used to facilitate the exit of latent pathogens. Once the pathogenic toxins leave the Membrane Source, observe their changes; whether they emerge to the exterior or enter the interior, guide the pathogens out accordingly. Only when all pathogens are expelled is the disease cured. At the initial onset, toxic pathogens expand rapidly, resisting control. Not only can immediate cure not be achieved, but symptoms worsen daily, and patients perceive increasing distress. Even if seeking a new physician, if the physician lacks understanding, they too may be startled, failing to realize that prior infection determines the outcome: strong pathogens cause severe disease, weak pathogens cause mild disease. It is said, "Do not treat plague from the head; do not treat consumptive cough from the tail." Thus, when plague pathogens are just rising, their momentum is unstoppable; the key treatment is to make the pathogenic toxins leave the Membrane Source as quickly as possible. The crucial work lies in the subsequent stages: discerning exterior/interior, deficiency/excess, and analyzing urgency and severity. Prescribing accurately without error ensures complete safety. Even in cases of most severe infection, following proper treatment guarantees survival. However, for those with prolonged illness leading to extreme emaciation, depletion from alcohol and sexual indulgence, or advanced age, where innate vitality is nearly exhausted, adding a plague condition makes support extremely difficult.