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Dong Qianyun made a living selling flowers and was over forty years old. His exterior appearance was robust. In winter, he contracted Cold Damage (Shanghan). His pulse was deep, fine, and powerless. The symptoms included alternating chills and fever, irritability, headache, body pain, facial redness, bloodshot eyes, and the tongue protruding several inches beyond the lips; the onset of the disease was sudden and violent. Inquiry revealed that the cause was contracting cold pathogens after sexual intercourse, which forced the deficient Yang Qi to float outward; this is known as Ge Yang Syndrome (Gridlock Yang Syndrome). A prescription of Liuwei Huiyang Yin (Six-Ingredient Decoction to Return Yang) was formulated, and he was instructed to take it cold after decoction. However, upon drinking the medicine, he immediately vomited, expelling roundworms, and remained irritable, causing great hesitation. His mother knelt and begged for treatment. Reluctantly, half a cup of the previous medicine was taken, mixed with several spoons of Pig Bile (Zhu Dan), and tested; there was no vomiting. After a long while, another half cup was given, and the entire dose was consumed during the night. Upon morning examination, the agitation had slightly subsided, and the tongue had retracted. The original formula was continued, followed by a change to Bawei Dihuang Tang (Eight-Ingredient Rehmannia Root Decoction). By the ninth day, he suddenly developed lockjaw and inability to speak. On the eleventh or twelfth day, he experienced chills and fever resembling malaria. Some suggested treating it from the perspective of external contraction. I stated: "Warming the middle can disperse pathogens; strengthening the upright Zheng Qi is precisely how to drive out the寇 (invading evil)." I firmly opposed other opinions and persisted in this approach for several days. There was slight improvement, but many complications arose thereafter. We focused on strongly supporting the Zheng Qi. Adhering to this for twenty days, although sleep and appetite stabilized, his spiritual luster remained lacking. Recalling that during the severe phase of the illness, we only sought to consolidate the upright Qi without attending to expelling pathogens, the abundance of warming and tonifying herbs likely retained pathogens and closed the orifices. I recalled medical texts stating that after recovery from Cold Damage or seasonal epidemics, unclear consciousness may be attributed to pathogenic stagnation in the Pericardium. Therefore, Man Jian (Barbarian Decoction) was administered for two doses, resulting in immediate clarity of spirit. Subsequent regulation led to full recovery.

An elderly woman surnamed Xu contracted Cold Damage in winter, presenting with chills, fever, and headache. Physicians administered formulas to release the exterior and harmonize, but to no avail. Her condition gradually worsened to delirium, confusion, and thirst. Further administration of Scutellariae Radix (Huangqin) and Coptidis Rhizoma (Huanglian) to clear heat also failed. She suffered constipation for ten days; even the use of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma (Dahuang) did not induce bowel movement. Initially, seeing her facial redness and irritability, I suspected a Yang syndrome. However, palpating her pulse as fine and choppy, I doubted whether it was a Yang syndrome with a Yin pulse. While deliberating, I asked if she had sweated since the onset; she replied that she had not sweated at all. Touching her skin, it felt dry and withered. I said, "Now I understand." I did not prescribe a formula immediately but gave one dose first, promising to discuss further if there was efficacy. Fortunately, being a farmer's wife unfamiliar with medicinal properties, she took the medicine immediately. Visiting the next day, her facial redness had slightly receded, irritability had somewhat calmed, and her skin pores were slightly moist. I said, "There is life." I then prescribed a formula, which was Da Qinglong Tang (Major Green Dragon Decoction). After taking another dose, her condition improved further, and she recovered through subsequent regulation. Her clansman, Brother Pei, who was friendly with me and knowledgeable in medical principles, asked: "Your treatment of this case must have divine assistance; otherwise, how could such a severe condition respond so miraculously and quickly?" I replied: "Zhongjing stated: 'In Taiyang disease that does not resolve, if the face is persistently bright red, this indicates Yang Qi is constrained and stagnant in the exterior. The patient is irritable and unaware of specific pain sites, solely because sweating has been incomplete. Re-inducing sweating will lead to cure.' How do I know this? Because the pulse is choppy. If you can comprehend this passage, you will naturally know the treatment method for this disease."