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Dampness differs in its origin as either external or internal. External dampness invades the meridians and flows into the joints; internal dampness originates from the Zang-Fu organs and ultimately affects the Spleen and Kidney. Dampness belongs to the Qi of Earth, which resides between Water and Fire. Water is Yin and Fire is Yang; when Yin and Yang interact and steam each other, dampness is generated. If Fire is excessive, dampness transforms into Heat; if Water is excessive, dampness transforms into Fluid retention (Yin). For Damp-Heat patterns, treatment employs Acrid-Cool methods; for Damp-Cold patterns, treatment employs Acrid-Warm methods. (For dampness entering the Fu organs, promote water passage; for dampness entering the meridians, open the pores to induce sweating.)

In the southern regions, the climate is irregular. Yin Qi is often abundant, making Spring and Summer seasons frequently cold. Yang Qi is constantly depleted, making Autumn and Winter seasons frequently hot. Yang floats outward while Yin closes inward; Yang floats upward while Yin obstructs. Consequently, people often suffer from diseases characterized by internal Cold and external Heat, or lower Cold and upper Heat. Physicians who fail to examine these conditions carefully may indiscriminately use herbs that raise Yang and release the exterior. This can cause phlegm stagnation, clouding of the spirit, coma, and loss of consciousness. Overuse leads to rebellious Qi, hiccups (Yue), profuse sweating, and sudden death. Generally, miasma diseases occur more frequently in Autumn and Winter. Human Yang Qi ascends in Spring, floats in Summer, descends in Autumn, and stores in Winter. The presence of heat in Autumn and Winter indicates the execution of Summer’s floating command, while the proper descending and storing commands of Autumn and Winter fail to operate. It is clear that Yang Qi fails to descend. When Yang Qi does not descend, the Middle and Lower Jiao become empty and cold. The general principle is to follow the trends of ascending/descending and floating/sinking, but oppose the nature of Cold/Heat/Warm/Cool. Those who understand this will urgently seek to make Yang Qi descend and warm the Middle Jiao without delay, let alone daring to use ascending-floating Cool herbs that violate the taboo against opposing seasonal norms. All herbs that raise Yang are Acrid in flavor and Cool in nature. Acrid flavors disperse True Qi; Cool nature is unsuitable for deficiency-cold of the Spleen and Stomach. Due to their ascending property, Heart and Lung Yang cannot descend, causing further clouding of the spirit and unconsciousness. Due to their dispersing property, Middle Qi becomes more deficient, unable to transform phlegm, leading to phlegm stagnation. Due to their Cool nature, the Spleen and Stomach become colder, inducing hiccups. Due to their diaphoretic property, sweating causes sudden chills. The vital Qi in the Upper Jiao, already extremely weak, escapes with the sweat, leading to immediate death. Having discussed this, how can practitioners of miasma disease recklessly use Yang-raising wind herbs? These so-called Yang-raising wind herbs include Shengma (Cimicifugae Rhizoma), Fangfeng (Saposhnikoviae Radix), Jingjie (Perillae Folium processed with ash), Qianghuo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix), Duhuo (Angelicae Pubescentis Radix), Qianhu (Peucedani Radix), Bohe (Menthae Haplocalycis Herba), Tianma (Gastrodiae Rhizoma), Manjingzi (Viticis Semen), Gegen (Puerariae Lobatae Radix), Xixin (Asari Radix et Rhizoma), Baizhi (Angelicae Dahuricae Radix), Chuanxiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma), and Zisu (Perillae Fructus). I observe that contemporary physicians treating miasma fail to recognize the root cause. They recklessly diagnose headache, fever, body pain, and thirst as epidemic cold, administering Baidu San (Decoction to Overcome Toxins) and Shengyang Sanhuo Tang (Decoction to Raise Yang and Disperse Fire) two or three doses. This results in phlegm stagnation, muteness, fixed gaze, and locked jaw. In patients with originally robust Yuan Qi, symptoms subside and the patient recovers when the fever breaks, but recurs when the fever returns. At this stage, urgent treatment should focus on warming the Middle and promoting phlegm resolution using standard miasma therapies, with many surviving. However, in patients with deficient Yuan Qi, two or three doses lead to transformation into a complicated pattern; after seven days, they fall into a coma resembling a deep dream. Another group of patients with extremely robust Yuan Qi may not experience phlegm stagnation or pattern transformation upon taking these herbs, but the fever persists until it subsides slightly within fourteen days, at which point hiccups occur followed by death. Such complications arise not only from Baidu San and Shengyang Sanhuo Tang, but also from Shen Su Yin (Ginseng and Perilla Decoction).