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Xuanming San Yi Chengqi Decoction treats accumulation of heat in the zang-fu organs manifesting as fullness, distension, dryness, excess, hardness, and swelling.
Ingredients: Gancao (Licorice Root), Zhishi (Immature Bitter Orange), Nongpo (Thick Bark of Magnolia Officinalis), Dahuang (Rhubarb Root and Rhizome), Mangxiao (Mirabilite).
Preparation and Administration: Cut the herbs into small pieces, add fresh ginger, and decoct for oral administration.

Commentary: This is a formula for the Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian. The *Faming* section states: Zhang Zhongjing of the Han Dynasty wrote the *Shanghan Lun* (Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases), stating that when pathogenic factors enter from the exterior and transmit to the stomach, it is called "entering the fu organ." The term "fu" implies gathering; the stomach is the sea of water and grain, the source of Ying and Wei (Nutritive and Defensive Qi). Water and grain gather here and transform into Ying and Wei. If pathogenic factors enter the stomach, the qi in the stomach becomes stagnant, and waste products become constipated, resulting in an Excess pattern. The principle of "treating excess by purging" is well known. However, the urgency and weight of the prescription must be adjusted according to the specific situation. If there is no aversion to cold but rather aversion to heat, thirst, delirious speech, abdominal fullness with panting, and continuous sweating on the hands and feet, urgent purgation is required, and Da Chengqi Tang (Major Order the Qi Decoction) should be used. If the pathogenic factor is not deep-seated and one fears dry feces, one may first administer a small dose of Xiao Chengqi Tang (Minor Order the Qi Decoction) as a test. If flatus occurs after taking the medicine, it indicates the presence of dry feces, and purgation can proceed. If no flatus occurs, it suggests the stool is hard at the beginning but loose at the end, and purgation should not yet be attempted; forcing purgation will lead to abdominal fullness and inability to eat. If abdominal fullness and obstruction persist, Xiao Chengqi Tang may be given to mildly harmonize the Stomach Qi, avoiding severe diarrhea. If, after sweating, there is no aversion to cold but only fever, this indicates a Stomach Excess pattern; the Stomach Qi should be harmonized using Tiaowei Chengqi Tang (Regulate the Stomach and Order the Qi Decoction). Cheng Wuji stated: For patterns of intense heat and solid accumulation, Da Chengqi Tang is administered; for patterns of mild heat and slight accumulation, Xiao Chengqi Tang is administered. Because the heat is not severe, Mangxiao (Mirabilite) is removed from Da Chengqi Tang; because the accumulation is not hard, the dosage of Nongpo (Thick Bark of Magnolia Officinalis) and Zhishi (Immature Bitter Orange) is reduced. If the condition does not present with severe hardness and fullness, but the pathogenic heat is significant requiring purgation, Da Chengqi Tang should not be used immediately. Instead, a milder purgative should be employed, which involves reducing Nongpo and Zhishi and adding Gancao (Licorice Root) to Da Chengqi Tang. This creates a mild agent to regulate the Stomach. Conversely, if Tiaowei Chengqi Tang is used for a Da Chengqi Tang pattern, the pathogenic factor will not be subdued; if Da Chengqi Tang is used for a Xiao Chengqi Tang pattern, it will excessively damage the healthy qi, leading to abdominal fullness and inability to eat, hence the warning against severe purgation. This is why Zhang Zhongjing differentiated treatments, adhering strictly to the standards of the Sages. Later physicians combined these three formulas into one, claiming they treat all indications of the three formulas, regardless of whether the disease is Shanghan or miscellaneous internal disorders, affecting both interior and exterior. Such claims contradict Zhang Zhongjing's original intent and lose the principles of urgency and moderation found in the *Huangdi Neijing*. This causes confusion between red and purple (true and false patterns), misleading the public, where one voice is echoed by hundreds, causing patients to suffer silently. Those with benevolent hearts and discernment should seek guidance in the *Neijing* and Zhang Zhongjing's formulas. It is crucial to match the medicine to the syndrome and adopt the mindset of the sages, so that the authenticity of the formulas can be discerned.

Danggui Chengqi Tang treats diseases caused by dry-heat accumulating internally and fire stagnation, manifesting as dry and rough skin, or dry throat and nose, or difficult and obstructed urination and defecation. This formula is appropriate for such conditions.
Ingredients: Danggui (Angelica Sinensis Root), Dahuang (Rhubarb Root and Rhizome) [each 4 qian], Gancao (Licorice Root), Mangxiao (Mirabilite) [each 3 qian].
Preparation and Administration: Cut the herbs into small pieces, add fresh ginger, and decoct for oral administration.

Commentary: These are herbs for the Foot-Taiyin Spleen Meridian, Jueyin Liver Meridian, and Yangming Stomach Meridian. For detailed examples of using purgatives in blood syndromes, refer to Zhang Zhongjing's Didang Tang and other formulas, which are not listed here. Comparing this formula with the previous one reveals the distinction between Qi and Blood syndromes.