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The *Yangming Maijie Pian* (Chapter on the Explanation of the Yangming Pulse) states: When the Foot-Yangming meridian is diseased, the patient dislikes people and fire, and is startled by the sound of wood. (This is because stomach heat is internally constrained, hence the aversion to people and fire. The Stomach belongs to Earth in the Five Elements, hence the startle upon hearing the sound of Wood.) In severe cases, the patient discards their clothes and runs about, climbs high places and sings, or goes without food for several days, crossing walls and climbing onto roofs. The places they reach are beyond what they were previously capable of. Why can they perform these actions contrary to their usual abilities? The four limbs are the root of all Yang meridians. When Yang is excessive, the four limbs become full; when full, one can climb high. (Yang receives its qi from the four limbs, therefore the four limbs are the root of all Yang meridians.) Heat is excessive in the body, so the patient discards clothes and wishes to run. Excessive Yang causes a person to speak wildly and curse, disregarding kinship and distance, and to lose appetite, thus running aimlessly. (This explains that the ability to climb high and sing, discard clothes and run, and speak wildly and curse due to stomach disease stems from the excess of pathogenic qi. Excess pathogenic qi leads to heat excess; heat excess leads to Yang excess; Yang excess gives rise to these three symptoms.)

The *Ping Rebing Lun* (Treatise on Evaluating Heat Diseases) states: There is a condition where a patient with a warm disease sweats, but fever returns immediately; the pulse is rapid and restless and does not diminish after sweating; the patient speaks deliriously and cannot eat. What is this disease called? Qibo replied: This disease is named "Yin-Yang Jiao" (Yin-Yang Intermingling). "Jiao" implies intermingling, where Yin and Yang qi do not remain distinct. (Intermingling refers to the confusion of Yin and Yang qi, which no longer separate.) Human sweat originates from grain (food), and grain generates essence. (This means grain qi transforms into essence; only when essence is abundant can it transform into sweat.) Now, if pathogenic qi and healthy qi contend in the muscles and bones, and sweating occurs, it indicates that the pathogen is retreating and essence is prevailing. (This refers to the initial sweating.) If essence prevails, the patient should be able to eat and not have recurrent fever. Recurrent fever indicates the presence of pathogenic qi; sweat represents the loss of essence. Now, if sweating is followed immediately by recurrent fever, it signifies that the pathogen has prevailed over the essence. The inability to eat means there is no assistance for the essence. ("Wu bi" means there is nothing to assist in generating sweat. If grain is not digested, essence is not produced; if essence does not transform and flow, there is nothing available to generate sweat.) If the disease lingers, the patient's lifespan will come to an abrupt end. (In such cases, the person's life is immediately imperiled.) If the pulse remains rapid and vigorous after sweating, death ensues. (After sweating, the pulse should be slow and quiet; if it is instead rapid and full, it indicates exhaustion of true qi and excess of pathogenic qi, thus predicting certain death.) The current pulse does not correspond with the sweating, indicating that the healthy qi cannot overcome the disease; death is evident. (A pulse that is not quiet but rapid and vigorous is non-corresponding.) Delirious speech indicates the loss of Zhi (Will/Shen). Loss of Zhi leads to death. (Zhi resides in essence; now that essence cannot be generated, Zhi has no residence. If Zhi does not reside, it is lost.) Currently, three signs of death are observed, with no sign of life. Even if recovery seems possible, death is inevitable. (Sweating with a rapid and vigorous pulse is the first sign of death; failing to overcome the disease is the second; delirious speech leading to loss of Zhi is the third.)