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For this condition, mild cases require taking two doses per day, while severe cases may require three to four doses. One must be extremely cautious not to indiscriminately administer miscellaneous medicines after just one or two doses if the disease does not recede. In the spring of the Gui Si year, I and my two daughters and one son were successively infected within a few days. Each person took three to four doses of medicine; medicine bowls were placed all over the house, and those responsible for decocting the herbs rotated in pairs daily. It took twenty days before recovery was achieved. The only child who died prematurely—thinking of him now—it seems it was due to improper treatment at the onset. However, at that time, without the repeated care and nursing by friends in the same courtyard, the outcome might have been even more dire.

When the primary syndrome of the Hand-Taiyin Lung meridian in Diphtheria (Baihou) has not resolved, bitter-drying medicines should never be used throughout the course. If there are concurrent branch syndromes involving Wind-Fire, bitter-draining methods must be employed alongside. This principle has been discussed in detail in the previous section, so no further elaboration is needed here. Naixiu Zi claimed that Scutellariae Radix (Huangqin, 黄芩) alone has a cooling nature that penetrates fine orifices; this is a fallacy. If Scutellariae Radix were like that, then what about Coptidis Rhizoma (Huanglian, 黄连), Phellodendri Cortex (Huangbai, 黄柏), Gentianae Radix (Longdancao, 龙胆草), Rhinocerotis Cornu (Xijiao, 犀角), and Gypsum Fibrosum (Shigao, 石膏)? They do not know that Scutellariae Radix, Coptidis Rhizoma, Gentianae Radix, and Phellodendri Cortex are cold in nature and bitter in taste. Bitterness inherits the transformation of Fire, which is precisely sufficient to assist dryness. When used in damp-heat syndromes, it is because bitterness can dry dampness and coldness can clear heat. However, for the primary syndrome of Diphtheria characterized by dryness-fire, the main treatment should rely on softening, moistening, and nourishing medicines, assisted by fire-draining and heat-clearing agents. Among bitter-tasting substances, except for Phellodendri Cortex (which, although bitter, contains fluid when chewed, feeling moist and sticky in the mouth), all others are contraindicated. Only when the branch syndrome involves excessive solid fire is the bitter-draining method not prohibited. Those with insight should observe this carefully.

Diphtheria itself does not inherently involve "ruined diseases" (complex, critical conditions resulting from mismanagement). Ignorance of the root cause only hinders treatment. If mismanaged, symptoms will inevitably become dangerous, requiring careful study and remedial measures. One must not rigidly adhere to Zhang's assertions that the condition is incurable. The following details the analysis of eleven listed symptom patterns.

This presentation is very common and nothing surprising. I have seen white patches hanging loosely beside the uvula, resembling chicken fat in color, which would fall off spontaneously upon severe coughing. The subsequent condition remained uneventful. My two young daughters exhibited the same phenomenon.

This presentation is also ordinary. I had several white spots in my throat that persisted from early January until the end of the month before they subsided.

This is truly the primary syndrome of dryness-fire in the Hand-Taiyin Lung meridian. It is appropriate to heavily use American Ginseng (Yangshen), Gypsum Fibrosum (Shigao), and Ophiopogonis Tuber (Dongdi, i.e., Maidong). In severe cases, official-grade Swallow's Nest (Guanyan), Donkey-hide Gelatin (Ejiao), Mother-of-Pearl (Zhenzhumu), and Ostrea Shell (Muli) may be used. Water musk throat powder (a topical insufflation preparation containing Civet Musk) must absolutely not be used. There is no doubt that this approach will be effective.