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Pang stated: The *Classic of Internal Difficulty* (*Huangdi Neijing*) records: "The disease of latent qi," which ancient prescriptions call "Kidney Cold Damage" (Shen Shanghan). This refers to sudden cold from an improper season invading the human body, where toxic qi lies dormant in the Shaoyin meridian. When the healthy qi begins to weaken and the disease manifests, it usually occurs after a decade or month. The pulse is weak; according to the principles, throat pain should occur. This belongs to the category of Cold Damage (Shanghan) rather than the disease of sore throat (Houbi); subsequently, diarrhea must inevitably follow.

Respectfully note: In the first one or two days of Shaoyin Cold Damage, the pathogen does not transmit from the Taiyang meridian. This is because the meridian itself is insufficient, leading to a sudden strike by cold pathogens. The cold pathogens stagnate internally, obstructing the Yang qi, causing the Yang qi to transform into heat and ascend to the gateway of the throat, which is the convergence point of meridians. Cold and heat contend with each other, resulting in pain, or forming Houbi. Because physicians fail to carefully examine the pulse and symptoms for deficiency or excess, they immediately use cold and cool agents to attack and treat, causing the patient to die suddenly. The patient themselves feels wronged. Alas! They fail to observe that for Shaoyin disease causing throat pain, as well as sores preventing speech and voice production, the medication should be sweet, bitter, pungent, and warm to control the branch manifestation and unblock the pharynx. As for Cold Damage latent qi manifesting internally, accompanied by throat pain and diarrhea with undigested food (Qinggu), interior cold with exterior heat, red face, and weak pulse, pungent and hot medications should be used to attack the root disease to harmonize Yin and Yang. Once diarrhea stops, Water ascends and Fire descends, and throat pain naturally disappears. This is not comparable to miscellaneous diseases where one Yin and one Yang knot together to form Houbi. One must not recklessly apply acupuncture, moxibustion, or cold and cool drugs. Furthermore, diseases caused by fire and heat move rapidly; Zihe (Liu Wansu) has discussed treatment in detail. However, for diseases caused by Cold Damage latent qi, throat pain or swelling stems from extreme Yin cold forcing heat upward, causing the throat to become blocked; forcing heat downward inevitably leads to pus and blood in the stool. This is branch heat but root cold. Zhang Zhongjing has his own treatment examples, so Zihe omitted them without discussion. If this is the case, for severe swelling in fire-heat Houbi, one should urgently use medicated powder insufflation or prick acupoints such as Shaoshang (LU11), Hegu (LI4), Fenglong (ST40), Yongquan (KI1), and Guanchong (SJ1) to resolve the knots in the collaterals. Classics state that internally administering sweet, pungent, and cool agents lowers fire and controls both root and branch; one must not immediately use bitter-cold drugs to attack and treat. If there are diseases caused by internal cold repelling heat, I fear it would only increase the pathological momentum.

See detailedly in the Phlegm-Fluids section.

See detailedly in the Qi section.

Chen Wuze said: Wind and dryness both cause Houbi and throat swelling, making swallowing impossible; dryness makes swallowing difficult. This is often due to consuming spicy and hot foods or repeated vomiting and hemoptysis causing injury, leading to the drying up of the throat system. This differs from diseases originating in the throat gate. There is also sudden swelling of the uvula blocking the throat, similar to throat closure, but the uvula is located superiorly. It is commonly called "Yingweng" (Oriental Magpie-Robin's throat?), also known as "Eju" (Goose cluster), with vulgar pronunciation errors; this must be carefully recognized.