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When taking medicine for internal injury caused by diet, both the prescriber and the patient regard it as a trivial matter. Consequently, what should be taken seriously is treated lightly, and the harm is not minor. One fails to realize that *Wei Qi* (Stomach Qi) is *Ying Qi* (Nutritive Qi), *Wei Qi* (Defensive Qi), *Gu Qi* (Grain Qi), *Qing Qi* (Clear Yang Qi), and also the foundation that nourishes the generating and ascending Qi of Shaoyang. The prosperity or decline of the body's True Qi depends entirely on the state after food enters the stomach. When Stomach Qi is harmonious, Grain Qi ascends. Grain Qi is the ascending energy; it is the beginning of the generation and growth of the Yuan Qi (Original Qi) of the Foot and Hand Shaoyang meridians, and the alias for the transformation and generation of all things.

If dietary injury occurs, using resolving and guiding medicines against the injured food, once the food is digested, Stomach Qi becomes even more vigorous. The essence of the five grains ascends, which is referred to as "Clear Qi becoming Heaven." Jing Qi (Essence Qi), Shen Qi (Spirit Qi) will all become strong. The Seven Spirits (referring to mental activities) will guard, Sheng Qi (Vital Qi) will be abundant and greatly increased, Qi and Blood will circulate throughout the body, so that hundred diseases cannot invade, and even severe wind or toxic pathogens cannot harm. The utility of this single medicine is indeed extensive!

Mr. Zhang from Yishui (Zhang Yuansu) once warned against using harsh and purgative foods and medicines. After swallowing such medicine, before the pill has time to act, the power at the skin level just begins to open, and one feels empty and comfortable. At this point, the injured food has already gone. If one waits another hour or two for the medicine to fully dissolve, the harsh medicine will inevitably damage the nature/function of the Spleen and Stomach. After the pathogen is eliminated, how can the Spleen and Stomach not be damaged? Once the Spleen and Stomach are damaged, True Qi and Yuan Qi will be ruined, shortening life expectancy.

Usually, Zhi Zhu Wan (Immature Bitter Orange and Atractylodes Macrocephala Pill) is used to digest injuries in the stomach. After entering the stomach, it cannot remove the food immediately; one must wait an hour or two for digestion. This method first tonifies and then resolves, making it not harsh for the injured food. Therefore, lotus leaves are used with cooked rice to form pills. The lotus leaf is hollow in the center, symbolizing the structure of the Zhen Trigram (Thunder/Movement). Zhen represents movement. Human perception of it generates the Qi of the Foot Shaoyang Jia Gallbladder. The Jia Gallbladder corresponds to Wind, which is the root of generating and transforming all things. As stated in the *Zuo Zhuan*: "Begin at the proper starting point, and the order will not err." When human food enters the stomach, Ying Qi ascends, which is the Qi of the Foot Shaoyang Jia Gallbladder. The Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian is the body's Yuan Qi. The principles of the hand and foot meridians are the same; this is the generation of Shaoyang Yuan Qi. Stomach Qi, Grain Qi, Yuan Qi, and the ascending Qi of the Jia Gallbladder are essentially one. Although there are many different names, they all refer to the ascending of Stomach Qi.

If there is internal injury to the Spleen and Stomach due to consuming pungent and hot substances like alcohol and meat, feeling uncomfortable, and seeking medicine from a doctor, this custom is common. Doctors often do not inquire about the specific injury but prescribe Ji Xiang Wan (Agarwood and Amber Pill) or Ba Dou (Croton Seed), a very hot drug. After administration, bowel movements occur, and the food is expelled. However, the residual heat nature of the food and the heat nature of the medicine severely damage the Yuan Qi, causing the Seven Spirits to lose vigor. The *Classic* states: "Heat damages Qi," which refers to this situation. Such a person will certainly lack Qi to move, have heat trapping the limbs preventing them from rising, and undergo numerous transformations into other diseases, causing True Qi to decline from this point onward.

If injured by cold, raw, or hard foods, physicians sometimes administer Da Huang (Rhubarb Root) and Qian Niu (Morning Glory Seed), two very cold drugs. The food is expelled with the medicine, and the injury is removed. However, the residual cold nature of the food and the cold nature of the medicine heavily purge Yang Qi. With Yang Qi departing, the skin, muscles, tendons, and blood vessels lose their support, resulting in deficiency and damage syndromes. Discussing this makes one shudder.

Pungent and thin-qi medicines should not be taken indiscriminately without cause, and this applies not only to Qian Niu. The *Treatise on the Great Importance of Human Life* states: "The five flavors enter the mouth, each first attacking what it likes." Attacking implies overcoming, similar to purging. Upon swallowing pungent flavors, they first attack and purge the Zheng Qi (Upright Qi) of the Lung. Zheng Qi is True Qi and Yuan Qi. The pungency and ferocity of Qian Niu are particularly damaging to Qi. For dietary injury where the Spleen and Stomach are affected by pathogens, one should use bitter flavors to drain the intestines and stomach. What crime have the Lungs and Yuan Qi committed?

There are five reasons why Qian Niu should not be used; this is the first. Moreover, the Stomach governs Blood. Injury by objects involves有形 (form/material) objects, which belong to Blood disorders. Purging Qi when there is a Blood disorder is the second reason. Furthermore, dietary injury affects the Middle Jiao; one should only resolve and guide the food. Heavily purging the already deficient Qi of the Upper Jiao Lungs is the third reason. Food injury to the intestines and stomach should be treated with "treating obstruction with obstruction" (Sa Yin Sai Yong) and "treating cold with cold" (Han Yin Han Yong), such as using bitter-cold substances like Zhi Shi (Immature Bitter Orange) and Da Huang to treat solid accumulations. Conversely, using pungent-hot Qian Niu to scatter and purge True Qi violates the major prohibition (fourth).

One fails to realize that the *Needle Classic* states: "When external guest pathogens like wind and cold injure the five Zang organs, mistakenly purging Stomach Qi leads to death, and mistakenly tonifying also leads to death. Death occurs because there is no Qi to move, hence stillness. If internal injury affects the intestines and stomach, mistakenly purging the five Zang organs leads to death, and mistakenly tonifying also leads to death. Death occurs because Yin Qi is excessive, hence restlessness." Now, internal injury to the intestines and stomach is a disease of insufficiency of the six Fu organs. Purging the empty Qi of the Upper Jiao Lungs—the Lungs being one of the five Zang organs—causes daily loss of Yuan Qi through the use of Qian Niu-like substances. This secretly reduces lifespan and violates the fifth major prohibition. It is truly lamentable.

It is also said: The Stomach dislikes heat and prefers clarity; the Large Intestine dislikes cold and prefers heat. How to harmonize these two when they are discordant? Qibo said: "To regulate this, diet and clothing should also suit the cold and heat. In cold, avoid shivering; in heat, avoid sweating. Food should not be scorching hot, nor freezing cold. Warmth and coolness should be moderate, so that Qi is maintained and deviations do not occur." See the Basic Classic for details. There must be a reason; how can one use uniformly cold or uniformly hot foods and medicines causing damage?

The *Inner Canon* states: "In internal injury, the Qi Kou pulse is reversely larger than the Ren Ying pulse by one, two, or three times." Medicines should be prescribed according to the meridian. It also says: "If there is a pulse in the upper part but none in the lower part, the person should vomit; if they do not vomit, they will die. If they eat but cannot retain it, feel nauseous, and want to vomit, regardless of whether the pulse difference is one, two, or three times, one should not strictly use Gua Di San (Melon Sprout Powder) to induce vomiting, but rather use fingers or objects to probe and remove it. If the injured food is not completely removed, re-examine the pulse, ask about the injury, and use food or medicine to remove it, responding to 'treating obstruction with obstruction' and 'treating cold with cold.' Draining and descending responds to the function of the Taiyin. Add generating medicines within to allow Yuan Qi to ascend. 'Treating obstruction with obstruction' and 'making straight by bending.' What is bending? Internal injury to Stomach Qi. What is straightening and ascending Stomach Qi? By treating the internal injury of diet to increase Sheng Qi and restore Stomach Qi completely, this is making straight by bending."

If prescribing according to meridians, the injured substances vary in cold, heat, warmth, coolness, hardness, and softness, making it difficult to establish fixed methods. One should establish treatment methods based on the specific injured substance and adjust temporarily. When prescribing, one must ask about the patient's innate constitution strength or weakness, whether the cold or hot food was consumed out of preference, in which case breaking-Qi medicines should not be used. Or was it eaten while hungry and fatigued, in which case Stomach Qi should be supplemented. Or was it forced eating due to persuasion, in which case Blood should be reduced and Qi supplemented. Examine the pulse to determine which Zang organ is injured before prescribing targeted medicine. How can one recklessly purge the innocent Sheng Qi and lightly lose the treasure of the body?

For example, if one eats hot food without injury, followed by cold food, causing the previous food to fail to digest due to the latter, one should ask which was more abundant, hot or cold food, and prescribe accordingly without error. For instance, if injured by two parts hot food and one part cold food, use two parts cold medicine and one part hot medicine, combined and administered, so that Ying and Wei Qi will surely circulate. Similarly, if one drinks alcohol first and then injures themselves with cold food, or eats hot food with cold water or ice, etc., one must verify the sequence of injuries, estimate the cold and heat agents, disperse them, and prescribe each according to the syndrome. There will be no failure in efficacy.