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Tongpan Yang (courtesy name Xuan) of Suzhou Prefecture enjoyed studying medical texts. Whenever a family member fell ill, he would manage the treatment himself. His sister suffered from heatstroke due to fatigue and overwork in June. She self-administered formulas such as Liuhe Tang (Six Harmonies Decoction) and Xiangru Yin (Elsholtzia Drink), which instead aggravated her condition, causing deficiency fire to rise, resulting in facial redness and body heat. Later, Liu Zongxu was invited to examine her. Her six pulses were rapid and frequent; the pulses at the three positions (cun, guan, chi) were wide and empty yet forceless. Liu said, "This illness initially arose from insufficient middle qi and internal injury caused by raw fruits, vegetables, and uncooked food, leading to internal deficiency and fever. This cannot be treated with Liuhe Tang or Xiangru Yin. Moreover, during summer months, yin cold is latent within the interior. If heavy cold medicines are added, they combine with this latent yin, creating a syndrome of excessive yin repelling yang. It is urgent to use Buzhong Yiqi Tang (Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction) with 3 qian of Fuzi (Prepared Aconite Root) and 1 qian of Wei Jiangyan (Baked Dried Ginger Rhizome) decocted together. The liquid should then be immersed in ice to cool it before administration." That night, she slept soundly, and by dawn, she had a slight sweat and recovered. Yang bowed and thanked him, saying, "I have understood the concept of 'latent yin,' but I do not understand why the medicine should be cooled with ice." Liu replied, "This is precisely the principle of 'treating heat with cold' and 'treating cold with heat' found in the *Neijing* (Inner Canon). What is difficult about it?" Yang was greatly convinced and admired.

Cai Yuanzhang of the Song Dynasty suffered from severe constipation. Imperial physicians could not find remedies to promote bowel movement, largely because Cai refused to take Dahuang (Rhubarb Root and Rhizome). At that time, Shi Zaizhi was unknown and went to visit him. After being delayed and obstructed by the gatekeeper for a long time, he finally gained an audience. After examining the pulse, Shi wanted to demonstrate his unique skill and requested twenty coins. Cai asked what for, and Shi replied he wished to purchase Ziwan (Asteris Radix et Rhizoma). Shi then administered powdered Ziwan, and shortly after, his bowels moved freely. Cai was astonished and asked for the reason. Shi explained, "The large intestine is the transmission organ of the lung. The current constipation is due solely to turbid lung qi. Ziwan can clear and purify lung qi, thereby facilitating bowel movement." From this incident, Shi's medical reputation spread widely, and Cai deeply respected and submitted to him. (Shi Yanzhi, *Bichuang Jiu*)

Xu of Changshu suffered from insufficient middle qi and invited Wang Shimian for treatment. Wang examined the pulse and said, "This syndrome requires tonification; Ginseng should be used. Building a foundation is like constructing a house; its completion cannot be measured by days. One must take one hundred doses to expect recovery." After ten doses, there was little improvement. Another doctor was consulted, and the condition worsened. Xu sought Wang again. Wang examined the pulse and said, "Your faith in my method is lacking, and changing to other medicines has exacerbated your condition." Xu confessed that he had taken qi-regulating agents. Wang said, "If you follow my advice, you will recover; otherwise, I cannot save you." Xu complied, and indeed recovered at the expected time. I once read in *Gezhi Yulun* (Remains of Gezhi) that Mr. Zheng of Pujiang suffered from dysentery in midsummer. Danxi prepared Ren Shen Gao (Ginseng Paste) for him. After consuming five jin (approx. 2.5 kg), the dysentery stopped; after ten jin, the illness was fully resolved. Today's people value wealth over their bodies, disregarding physical strength and the depth of disease, seeking quick effects. Furthermore, those driven by profit often administer harsh, drastic purgatives, turning mild illnesses into severe ones and critical conditions into fatal ones. As the ancients said, "One does not die from the disease, but from the physician." Can one not be cautious?