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The *Shu Wu Guo Lun* (Discourse on the Five Errors) states: When diagnosing a patient who has not yet been examined, one must inquire about their history of formerly being noble and later becoming humble. Even if not afflicted by external pathogens, disease arises from within, named as "Tuo Ying" (Depletion of Ying/Nutritive Qi). (This is due to spiritual humiliation. Having once enjoyed honor and dignity, then suffering humiliation in a lower status, with lingering attachment and mental knotting of worry and fear, although not attacked by evil, disease originates internally, causing blood vessels to become deficient and reduced, hence called Tuo Ying.) Those who were formerly rich but later poor are named as "Shi Jing" (Loss of Jing/Essence), where the five qi remain stagnant and linked, and diseases combine. (Being rich allows desires to be fulfilled; poverty strips away wealth, leading to internal knotting of sorrow and torment, and external grief over past possessions. Thus, the heart follows longing, and spirit follows past calculations. The pathways of Ying and Wei (Nutritive and Defensive Qi) become obstructed and delayed, blood and qi fail to circulate, accumulating and combining to cause disease.) The body decreases day by day, qi becomes deficient and essence is lacking. (Blood and qi press against each other, flesh and muscles consume and burn, so the body diminishes daily. Qi transforms into essence, and essence feeds on qi. Now, with deficient qi unable to transform, there is no nourishment for essence.) The disease is deep with depleted qi, accompanied by shivering cold and occasional fright. (Disease qi is deep, grain qi is exhausted, yang qi presses inward, hence aversion to cold and fright. "Sasha" describes the appearance of cold trembling.) Deep disease occurs because externally it consumes Wei Qi and internally it deprives Ying Blood. (Blood is tormented by worry, qi diminishes with grief, thus externally consuming Wei and internally depriving Ying. Why is the disease deep? Precisely because of this consumption and deprivation.) If a skilled physician errs by not understanding the condition, this is the first error in treatment. ("Error" refers to failing to ask about the origin of the disease.) Anyone wishing to diagnose must inquire about diet and living habits. (Diet and living habits differ among the five regions, hence inquiry is necessary.) Sudden joy or sudden sorrow, starting with joy and ending with sorrow, all damage Jing Qi. When Jing Qi is exhausted and severed, the physical form is ruined and collapsed. (Joy causes qi to relax; sorrow causes qi to dissipate. Sorrow that moves the interior leads to exhaustion and loss of life, hence Jing Qi is exhausted, the form is damaged, and the mind-spirit is depressed.) A foolish physician treating them, unaware of tonification and sedation principles, and ignorant of the condition, causes the essence to deplete daily while pathogenic factors combine. This is the second error in treatment. (Not distinguishing the distinct emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, and applying tonification and sedation indiscriminately, causes the essence qi of the five zang organs to deplete daily, allowing pathogenic qi to erode and combine with the true qi.) A proficient pulse reader must use analogy, comparison with abnormal patterns, and calm analysis to understand the condition. If a practitioner does not know these principles, such diagnosis is not worthy of respect; this is the third error. ("Qi Heng" refers to conditions or pulses that are extraordinary compared to the constant norm. "Cong Rong" refers to distinguishing the deficiency and excess of organ qi and observing subtle similarities in pulse locations. The *Shi Cong Rong Lun* states: Spleen deficiency floating resembles Lung; Kidney small floating resembles Spleen; Liver urgent, sunken, and scattered resembles Kidney. These are often confused by practitioners, requiring calm differentiation to resolve.) There are three constants in diagnosis: one must ask about status (noble/base), the fall of feudal lords, and desires for nobility. (Nobles have comfortable bodies and happy minds; commoners have arduous bodies and bitter minds; musical preferences differ, hence inquiry comes first. "Fall of feudal lords" refers to demotion from ruler status to dukes/ministers. "Desires for nobility" refers to craving wealth and rank without restraint.) Thus, when nobles lose power, even without external pathogens, internal spiritual injury occurs, and the body will surely perish. (Due to fearful anxiety, torment, and suppressed knotting.) When one starts rich and ends poor, even without pathogenic injury, skin becomes dry, sinews contract, leading to Wei syndrome (flaccidity) and Luan syndrome (spasm/cramping). (Caused by stagnation of five zang qi and combination of pathogens.) If a physician cannot be strict, cannot move the patient's spirit, appears weak and yielding externally, disrupts normal order, and fails to alter the disease, medical practice fails. This is the fourth error. ("Strict" means admonition, to forbid misconduct and command obedience. Appearing weak and yielding means complying and following along. If admonition cannot forbid misconduct and influence cannot ensure obedience, blindly complying disrupts natural laws, and if the disease remains unchanged, what kind of doctor is this?) In all diagnoses, one must know the beginning and end, understand residual threads, take the pulse, and ask the name, aligning with male and female characteristics. ("Beginning and End" refers to complexion. Understanding externals is cyclical. Clearly knowing the five colors' manifestations cycles back. "Residual threads" refer to the aftermath of the disease's onset. "Take pulse" means pressing with fingers. "Ask name" means asking for the diagnostic label. Men have more yang qi, so a large left pulse is favorable; women have more yin qi, so a large right pulse is favorable; thus, alignment is necessary.) Separation, severance, depression, and knotting, along with worry, fear, anger, and joy, empty the five zang organs and scatter blood and qi. If the physician does not understand this, how can they speak of technique? ("Separation" means alienating loved ones. "Severance" means cutting off thoughts of cherished objects. "Guan" refers to tangled worries. "Knot" refers to fixed resentment. Alienating loved ones causes the soul to wander; severing cherished thoughts causes loss of intent; accumulated worries exhaust the spirit; fixed resentment makes the will bitter. Worry blocks qi flow; fear causes agitation and loss of guard; rage causes confusion and disorder; joy causes dispersion and lack of storage. Due to these eight factors, the five zang organs become empty, and blood and qi scatter. If the physician cannot reflect and understand, what words of medicine are there!) This is the fifth error in treatment.