温邪挟湿,则为湿温。其湿之轻者。仍以温邪为主,略参化湿可耳。其湿之重者,与热相合,热势虽炽,
而有脘闷呕水、舌腻不渴等证。初起宜参芳香宣化,迨湿邪化燥,用苍术白虎汤清热燥湿,可以一剂而愈。若
初起即与清滋,欲清其热,转助其湿,而发愈缠绵。每有治不如法,迁延一两月而病不退者,皆治之不得其法
也。然而此乃湿温之在胃者,治之犹易。有一种湿热蕴于太阴者,初起不见湿象,但觉热象蒸郁不扬,
脘闷口甜,而胃口无病,仍可纳谷,舌上不见浊苔。其湿热深郁于脾藏,漫无出路,或发黄,或腹满肢肿,或
则泄,或便秘,或呕恶,或小水赤涩。甚则热郁日深,脾营受伤,则舌底绛色,或薄苔罩灰黄而不甚噪。种种
见证,无非湿郁化热。何以燥之则增热,清之则助湿,如此其百无一效也?盖脏病无出路,必借道于腑,乃能
外出。此病热蕴已久,脾中之热,渐欲外达于胃∶或胃中挟有痰积,热即附之而炽。亦有便秘、舌焦、燥渴、
烦谵等证,投以苦泄,则胃热下行,而病势一松。然所泄者,胃腑之标热也。其脾脏中蕴遏之热,仍未达也。
故病虽暂减,而阅日复炽。屡伏屡炽,久而正气不支,遂成坏证。此等病,治之最难得手。诚以此证,病势不
重于外,病家每每忽视,投剂不能速效,病家势必更医。后来者见前医无功,必且改弦更张。因之杂药乱投,
致成不救者,吾见实多。治此者,必须将太阴之湿,与少阴之热,孰轻孰重,细细较量;再看其湿热所伤,或
为脾气,或为脾阴∶其兼挟之病,或为痰积,或为瘀滞;均宜细意分晰,方可用药。至用药之法,须得轻、清
、灵三字俱全,冀其缓缓疏化。切不可侧滞一面,以致无益反害。吴鞠通温病条辨,其原出于叶氏,上中焦湿
温各条,颇有此理者。薛生白湿热条辨,亦多可取。试细绎之,当有得心应手之妙也。
When warm pathogenic factors are accompanied by dampness, it is termed Damp-Heat (Shi Wen). In cases where the dampness is mild, the treatment should primarily focus on the warm pathogen, with only a slight reference to methods for resolving dampness. In cases where the dampness is severe, it combines with heat; although the heat is intense, symptoms such as epigastric stuffiness, vomiting of clear fluid, a greasy tongue coating, and absence of thirst may be present. At the initial stage, aromatic methods for diffusing and transforming should be employed. Once the dampness transforms into dryness/heat, Cangzhu Baizhu Tang (Atractylodis Rhizoma and Gypsum Decoction) can be used to clear heat and dry dampness, often resulting in recovery after a single dose. If cooling and moistening agents are used at the initial stage to clear the heat, they will inadvertently assist the dampness, causing the disease to become more lingering and difficult to resolve. It is common to see cases where improper treatment leads to the illness persisting for one or two months without receding; this is due to incorrect therapeutic methods. However, this refers to Damp-Heat located in the Stomach, which is relatively easier to treat. There is another type where damp-heat accumulates in the Taiyin Spleen. Initially, there are no obvious signs of dampness; instead, there is a sensation of steaming and stifling heat that does not manifest outwardly prominently, along with epigastric stuffiness and a sweet taste in the mouth. The appetite remains normal, food intake is unaffected, and the tongue lacks turbid coating. This occurs because damp-heat is deeply entrenched and stagnant within the Spleen organ, with no outlet. Symptoms may include jaundice, abdominal fullness and limb edema, diarrhea, constipation, nausea and vomiting, or scanty and painful urination. If the heat stagnation deepens over time, damaging the Spleen Ying (Nutritive Level), the base of the tongue may appear crimson, or a thin coating may cover a grayish-yellow hue without being excessively dry. All these manifestations stem from dampness stagnating and transforming into heat. Why do drying methods exacerbate the heat, and clearing methods aggravate the dampness, rendering treatments ineffective? This is because diseases of the Zang organs lack direct outlets and must utilize the Fu organs' pathways to exit the body. Since the heat has been accumulated for a long time, the heat within the Spleen gradually attempts to reach the Stomach externally. If phlegm accumulation exists in the Stomach, the heat attaches to it and becomes intense. Cases may also present with constipation, scorched tongue, dry thirst, restlessness, and delirium. Administering bitter-draining herbs allows Stomach heat to descend, temporarily relieving the condition. However, what is drained is merely the superficial heat of the Stomach Fu organ. The heat constrained within the Spleen Zang organ remains unresolved. Thus, although the condition temporarily improves, it flares up again after a day or two. Repeated cycles of latent and intense heat eventually deplete the healthy Qi, leading to a critical or irreversible state (Huai Zheng). Treating such diseases is extremely difficult. Indeed, because the severity appears less pronounced externally, patients often neglect it. When medications fail to produce rapid results, patients inevitably seek other doctors. Subsequent physicians, seeing the failure of previous treatments, will likely change their approach entirely. Consequently, indiscriminate use of various medicines often leads to untreatable conditions, a scenario I have witnessed frequently. To treat this, one must carefully weigh the relative severity of Taiyin dampness versus Shaoyin heat. One must also determine whether the damp-heat has injured Spleen Qi or Spleen Yin, and identify any accompanying conditions such as phlegm accumulation or blood stasis. Detailed differentiation is essential before prescribing. The method of medication must embody the principles of "Light" (Qing), "Clear" (Qing), and "Agile" (Ling), aiming for gradual resolution and transformation. One must avoid rigid adherence to a single approach, which would prove futile and harmful. Wu Jutong's *Wenbing Tiaobian* (Systematic Differentiation of Warm Diseases), derived from Ye Tianshi's teachings, contains many principles regarding upper and middle jiao damp-heat that align with this logic. Xue Shengbai's *Shire Tiaobian* (Differentiation of Damp-Heat) is also highly valuable. Careful study of these texts will yield adept clinical mastery.