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Dongxu Zi said: Phlegm (Tan, 痰), as a pathogenic factor, can manifest as Biante Feng (Pian Tou Feng, 偏头风 - hemifacial headache), Leitou Feng (Lei Tou Feng, 雷头风 - thunder-head wind/headache with swelling), Taiyang Tou Tong (Tai Yang Tou Tong, 太阳头痛 - headache of the Taiyang channel), dizziness and vertigo as if riding in a boat or carriage, and mental confusion. It may cause deviation and twitching of the mouth and eyes, itching of the eyebrow ridge and ear lobes, or wandering wind-like swelling and hardness in the jaw, cheeks, and limbs, feeling painful yet not quite painful. It may cause whole-body dry itching, where scratching leads to the emergence of yin rashes, skin burning heat, and colors resembling brocade patterns. It may cause itching and pain in the teeth and cheeks without a fixed location, loose teeth throughout the mouth, and varying degrees of pain and itching. It may cause belching and acid regurgitation, smelling burnt odors from the nose, a bean-fishy smell in the throat, mental restlessness, nasal congestion, and difficulty in the throat, where phlegm cannot be coughed out nor swallowed down. It may be expelled through sneezing, or vomited due to movement; the phlegm may resemble ink, broken cotton wadding, peach gum, or clam meat. It may cause a sensation of ice and iron blocking below the heart, stagnation and stuffiness, continuous belching and sneezing, resembling sticky gas obstruction. Dreams may involve torture, swords, and halberds. One may dream of entering someone else's house, surrounded by walls, finding a small hole, trying every way to escape but ending up lost. One may dream of being on burning ground, with fire and smoke all around, the smell of scorched bones pungent, with no way out. Or, triggered by anger, one may wake up crying with tears. Sometimes while walking in the suburbs, one might suddenly see two moons shining together in the sky, or several beams of golden light, but turning back reveals nothing. There may be soreness and weakness in the feet and knees, or pain in the joints, feet, waist, and kidneys, making breathing difficult. Pain in the muscles and bones of the four limbs may feel like being beaten or slaughtered, starting and stopping suddenly without a fixed location. There may be intermittent numbness and pain in the arms, resembling wind-dampness, or like thorns piercing the skin on the back, or like insect stings. The four limbs may be unable to move, or the hands and feet may feel heavy and sluggish. The eyes may feel like they are being pricked by ginger, sticky, itchy, and dry, making opening and closing very difficult. During changes between cloudy and sunny weather, there may be chest fullness and qi stagnation that does not erupt immediately, leading to toothache, sore throat, oral ulcers, and tongue sores. When it finally erupts, there is continuous sneezing; initially, the saliva is thick and sticky, followed by clear water pouring out. There may be darkness before the eyes, a feeling of wind behind the head, cicada-like buzzing in the ears, and twitching of tendons and muscles.

Practitioners treating this condition have said that the couli (pores/skin texture) are not dense, and the Fengfu point (DU16, 风府) has been invaded by pathogens. Others say it is excess above and deficiency below, or simply deficiency, cold, or emerging pathogenic factors. Only Dongxu Zi, having suffered from these bitter diseases himself, was able to treat them. When the disease strikes, there feels like a knot of two qi energies in the chest and abdomen, causing choking, vexation, and depression, as if smoke and fire are rushing upward. The head and face feel hot, vision blurs, and tinnitus occurs. Saliva, phlegm, mucus, and tears surge up from the lungs and stomach. Hair stands on end, and there are hundreds of sneezes. Then, the whole body becomes restless, leading to removing clothes and freezing the body for a moment until relief. In early autumn or spring when temperatures drop suddenly, adding more blankets can provide temporary relief. Drinking ice water or getting drunk may also bring calm, but the root cause cannot be eliminated. He obtained the Shenmi Chenxiang Wan (Mysterious Incorporeal Agarwood Pill, 神秘沉香丸), which achieved great efficacy, curing thousands. However, he did not wish to pass it lightly to unworthy people, so he summarized it in a poem: "Watching shells flip in a steamer with gold belts, now wearing a deep thatched hat. Meeting at sixteen seeking balance, calcined malachite and niter double the agarwood weight. Half an ounce of agarwood in seventeen taels, water pills sized like elm seeds require careful consideration. Dispelling strange diseases calms the mind, but watery diarrhea makes the body unable to bear." The prescription includes: Da Huang (Rhubarb Root and Rhizome, 大黄) steamed eight taels, Huang Qin (Scutellaria Root, 黄芩) eight taels, Qing Meng Shi (Malachite, 青礞石) one tael calcined with niter until golden, and Chen Xiang (Agarwood, 沉香) half an ounce.

Sun Zhao treated Liu Yuanwai of Caibai Pu, who had contracted Shanghan (Cold Damage, 伤寒) for six or seven days, unable to sleep day or night. As soon as he slept, he would rise; as soon as he rose, he would fall, without any rest. His body was often cold, and he sweated. Sun Zhao palpated his pulse: the Cun, Guan, and Chi positions were all deep (Chen Mai, 沉脉). Pressing heavily, there was a drumming sensation under the fingers. This indicated Cold Tan (Han Tan, 寒痰) accumulated in the chest. He prescribed a decoction of Chen Pi (Tangerine Peel, 陈皮), Ban Xia (Pinellia Tuber, 半夏), and Gan Jiang (Dried Ginger, 干姜), each one tael. Sheng Jiang (Fresh Ginger, 生姜) half an ounce was crushed, boiled in two bowls of water to reduce to seventy percent, strained, and divided into two doses. After some time, the patient slept and remained unconscious for a day and night. Upon waking, he expectorated a mass of phlegm the size of a chicken egg, and the illness was cured. All phlegm syndromes present with cold sweat, confirming the diagnosis.

Zi Hehe treated a woman with a hard lump from the heart to the umbilicus, as large as a dou, hard as stone upon pressure. Others treated it as Pi Syndrome (Pi Zheng, 痞证 - epigastric fullness/stagnation), using acupuncture, drugs, and prayers countless times, like trying to catch the wind, all to no avail. One day, Zi Hehe saw her and said, "This is Cold Tan." Palpating both hands, the Cun and Guan pulses were deep. "If not Cold Tan, then what?" He used Gua Di San (Melon Pedicle Powder, 瓜蒂散) to induce vomiting. She vomited continuously for six or seven sheng, and the lump disappeared by more than half. After a few days, he induced vomiting again; the saliva and foam resembled chicken yolk, with a peculiar fishy odor, about two or three sheng. Repeating this three times, he then used Renshen Tiao Zhong Tang (Ginseng Regulating Middle Decoction, 人参调中汤) and Wu Ling San (Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria, 五苓散) to regulate and resolve the condition.

Zhu Danxi treated Mr. Xu from Baiyun. Initially, dietary indiscretion led to phlegm formation and Spleen Pain (Pi Teng, 脾疼). Later, exposure to wind and snow caused leg bone pain. Everyone considered the Spleen and bone pain to be Cold, administering various "Yellow Tooth" medicines and other treatments for over ten years, including tens of thousands of moxibustion sessions. Sometimes there seemed to be effect, but upon recurrence, the condition worsened. At age fifty-one, after traveling by boat in the snow, the illness intensified. He could not rise from sitting, nor walk even when supported. The hip joints could not open or close. When Spleen Pain occurred, the hip pain seemed slightly relieved. When diet was pleasant and Spleen Pain did not occur, hip pain increased. Elder physicians stood by helpless. Zhu Danxi stated that initially, there was retained food and accumulated phlegm in the Zhongwan area (CV12, 中脘), mixed with invading cold and dampness, suppressing the meridians. Blood, qi, and body fluids ceased to flow, and phlegm-fluids injected into the joints, moving like tides. Surging upward, it caused Spleen Pain; descending downward, it caused hip pain. Without purgative or emetic methods, it could not be treated. On July 24th, he administered Qian Sui (Kansui Root, 甘遂) powder, one qian, placed inside a pig kidney, roasted and eaten. This resulted in seven bowel movements. By the next day, the patient could walk with both legs. On August 3rd, severe vomiting occurred, preventing him from getting out of bed. He ate nothing, only felt restless, weak, and unable to speak. The elders blamed the July purgation, realizing their previous heat-tonifying treatments were wrong, and dared not medicate. Zhu Danxi recalled the *Jin Gui Yao Lue*: "Patients without chills or fever, but with shortness of breath and inability to take deep breaths, this is Excess." The disease had been stagnant for years; once released by a small dose of medicine, the rampant heat moved wildly without controlling agents, hence this reaction. He used emetics to reach the Upper Jiao, then sequentially treated the Middle and Lower Jiao. On the 3rd, Gualti failed to induce sufficient vomiting; on the 6th, Zhi Zi (Gardenia Fruit, 栀子) also failed. On the 9th, he gave three Fuzi (Aconite Lateral Root, 附子) pieces mixed with grain mash, inducing massive vomiting and retching throughout the day. The total vomitus amounted to a large bucket of paste-like phlegm and fluid. On the 10th, he prescribed cooling herbs: Xiao Ming Fen (Mirabilite, 朴硝), Hua Shi (Talcum, 滑石), Huang Qin, Shi Gao (Gypsum Fibrosum, 石膏), and Lian Qiao (Forsythia Fruit, 连翘), totaling one jin, steeped in strong decoction, cooled in well water, and given ice-cold. From the 11th to 14th, he took one cup of this daily. On the 15th, mild abdominal fullness occurred, with constipation of both stool and urine. Zhu Danxi wanted to use Da Cheng Qi Tang (Major Order the Qi Decoction, 大承气汤) to purge, but the elders disagreed. On the 16th, all six pulse positions showed intermission (Xie Zhi Mai, 歇止脉). Zhu Danxi diagnosed that the intermission occurred only during Mao (5-7 AM) and You (5-7 PM) hours; otherwise, the pulse was normal. He explained: Mao and You correspond to Hand and Foot Yin-Yang channels. Mao corresponds to Large Intestine, You to Stomach. This indicates stagnation in the Large Intestine and Stomach requiring rapid purgation. Arguments continued. On the 18th, he prepared half a jin of Zi Xue (Purple Snow, 紫雪). On the 19th, it was ready. Each time, a spoonful was dissolved in fresh well water. By the 20th, before dawn, he had taken five liang of Zi Xue. Mental clarity improved slightly, and abdominal fullness decreased. *(Note: Observing this case, Danxi's great wisdom, courage, insight, and determination reached perfection. Had he hesitated even slightly, the matter would have been lost. Jingyue and others often criticized Danxi's learning, unaware if they could handle such major illnesses.)* Zhu Danxi then stopped giving Zi Xue. On the 21st, severe urinary retention and pain troubled him. He drank half a teacup of radish juice; pain stopped immediately, and urination resumed. On the 22nd, lower abdominal fullness and pain were unbearable, and mental state was poor. He used Da Huang (Rhubarb Root and Rhizome, 大黄) and Qian Niu (Pharbitis Seed, 牵牛) made into pills, taking up to 300 pills. On the 23rd at Si hour (9-11 AM), both stool and urine passed, resembling rotten fish intestines, about three bowls, foul-smelling and terrifying. That day, mental state stabilized, and the pulse intermission ceased. On the 24th, severe abdominal colic nearly overwhelmed him. For about an hour, the waist and hips felt heavy and dragging, he was mute for two hours, unable to speak, and passed about one chi of dark, tar-like feces. The belly felt burning, settling after a moment. By the 25th, mental state gradually stabilized, and he slept at night. On the 26th, he began speaking. From the 2nd to this point, he had consumed no solid food and spoke little. On the 27th, he drank thin porridge four times, showing signs of life. By the 4th of the next month, he was safe. Throughout the vomiting to recovery, the pulse was normally wiry and large, except for the intermission in the middle days. In April of the following year, he underwent Dao Cang Fa (Stomach Purging Method, 倒仓法), and his gait returned to normal.

Xu Donggao treated the wife of Kuang Zhangke, aged thirty-something. She suffered from pain in the epigastrium radiating to the chest and hypochondrium, lighter by day and heavier by night. Both Cun and Guan pulses were wiry, slippery, and forceful. Physicians attributed it to stagnation and congealed cold, using dispersing and purgative formulas, followed by Tie Shua San (Iron Brush Powder, 铁刷散) and Si Mo Yin (Four-Mouth Drink, 四磨饮), all ineffective. Eventually, she vomited everything, including liquids, for a month without eating, and pain increased. Xu concluded it was clearly Phlegm Depression (Tan Yu, 痰郁). However, due to long-standing pain and extreme weakness, he feared using emesis. An偶然 physician suggested Wu Ling Zhi (Trogopterus Dung, 五灵脂) and Mo Yao (Myrrh, 没药), which were usually effective. Others mocked him. Xu said, "Why mock? Let us try." The physician administered them with wine. The patient vomited upon ingestion, expelling about two bowls of green phlegm. Pain ceased immediately, and she could eat. This demonstrates that when phlegm is in the upper jiao, purgatives cannot remove it; only emesis works. As the Classic says, "Having the pathogen causes no harm," referring to this situation. (*Quan Shu*).

Meng Wanghu, from Huai'an, heard voices in his ears, all ancestors discussing his family matters, causing endless disturbance. He invited Liu Chunzhai to treat him. Liu diagnosed: "Acute illness is called Stomach Fire; strange illness is called Phlegm." He used Gun Tan Wan (Rolling Phlegm Pill, 滚痰丸) to purge, resulting in recovery. (*Xu Jinling Suoshi*).

A man expectorated phlegm, with chest oppression and poor appetite. Medications like Hai Shi (Sea Sponge/Floating Lithostrotion, 海浮石) and Gua Lou (Trichosanthes Fruit, 栝楼) were ineffective. The doctor said, "This is Spleen Qi deficiency failing to transform and transport, leading to phlegm. Tonify the Spleen primarily." The patient disbelieved, taking draining agents instead. Phlegm surged, limbs swelled, lower abdomen distended, and urination became difficult. The doctor said, "This further damaged Spleen and Kidney." He first used Jia Jian Shen Qi Wan (Modified Kidney Qi Pill, 加减肾气丸) from *Jin Gui* and Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang (Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction, 补中益气汤). Symptoms gradually subsided. Then, Ba Wei Wan (Eight-Ingredient Pill, 八味丸) combined with the previous decoction cured him.

A man who habitually expectorated phlegm found it worsened with anger, accompanied by chest fullness. This is Liver Wood overacting on Spleen Earth. He was cured using Liu Jun Zi Tang (Six-Gentlemen Decoction, 六君子汤) plus Mu Xiang (Aucklandia Root, 木香).

A woman with expectoration, dizziness, and yellow-green leukorrhea was treated with Si Qi Tang (Four-Seven Decoction, 四七汤) delivering Bai Wan Zi (White Pills, 白丸子), and Xiao Chai Hu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Decoction, 小柴胡汤) plus Bai Zhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome, 白术) and Fu Ling (Poria, 茯苓), resulting in peace.

Former colleague Qian Kejiu loved drinking, had a red face and abundant phlegm, and loose stools. Xue Ji attributed this to Stomach Phlegm stagnation. He prescribed Er Chen Tang (Two-Aged Decoction, 二陈汤) plus Fu Ling, Huang Qin, Huang Lian (Coptis Rhizome, 黄连), Shan Zhi (Gardenia Fruit, 山栀), Zhi Shi (Immature Bitter Orange, 枳实), Gan Jiang, Ze Xie (Alisma Rhizome, 泽泻), and Sheng Ma (Cimicifuga Rhizome, 升麻). One dose induced much phlegm expectoration, and stools solidified. Afterwards, he drank tea made with three qian of Huang Lian daily and recovered.

A woman with cough had phlegm obstructing upwards, losing five to six bowls daily. This was attributed to Qi deficiency causing water overflow into phlegm. Liu Wei Wan (Six-Ingredient Pill, 六味丸) material and Si Jun Zi Tang (Four-Gentlemen Decoction, 四君子汤) were each given for one dose, curing her.

Chen Sansan treated a man whose phlegm filled basins continuously, with a vast, empty, and powerless pulse. This was an Internal Injury Deficiency syndrome. He used Ren Shen (Ginseng Root, 人参) and Fu Zi, each five qian, Gan Jiang, Bi Bo (Long Pepper Fruit, 荜茇), Bing Lang (Areca Seed, 槟榔), and Zhi Qiao (Bitter Orange Peel, 枳壳). One dose cured him.

A man had mouths full of phlegm pearls, forming large bubbles at the tip of the tongue, continuous and unending. This indicated Heat-Fire in the Stomach and Great Cold in the Lung. *(The Lung and Stomach are intimately connected; it is impossible for Stomach Heat to coexist with Lung Cold. Observing the medication, the Stomach Heat was likely mild while Lung Cold was severe.)* He used Shen Fu Tang (Ginseng and Aconite Decoction, 参附汤) to secure Lung Qi, followed by Sha Ren Yi Yuan San (Amomum and Primordial Powder, 砂仁益元散) to drain Stomach Fire, resulting in peace.

A man with excessive saliva and phlegm and continuous sweating. This is Spleen deficiency failing to control phlegm, and Lung losing nourishment. Do not treat as phlegm directly; tonify Spleen and Stomach primarily. Ren Shen, Bai Zhu, and Wei Jiang (Roasted Ginger, 煨姜) each two qian, Ban Xia one qian, decocted and taken, cured him.

Lu Yangyu treated Madam Dong Xunyang, constitutionally weak and melancholic. At thirty, she developed evening fever resolving at dawn, decreasing appetite, and restlessness. Initial treatment with blood-nourishing and yin-tonifying herbs led to emaciation over a year. Subsequent use of Ren Shen and Huang Qi (Astragalus Root, 黄芪) for qi tonification was ineffective. A physician noted the pulse had intermissions and predicted death. Lu palpated: Right hand pulse indeed had intermissions; Left hand was weak and rapid. Menstruation was early and scant. Early menstruation indicates Blood Heat (matching rapid left pulse); scantiness indicates Blood Deficiency (matching weak left pulse). Pulse and symptoms correspond. The right-hand intermission must be due to Depressed Phlegm hidden in the Qi level, causing pulse knots, not a dying pulse. Fever must originate somewhere. Inquiry revealed a patch of heat rising from the right hypochondrium, spreading over the body. Further inquiry confirmed a soft, bowl-shaped lump upon pressure. Lu said, "Do not worry. Attack and remove the lump, and all symptoms will heal." He prescribed Xiang Fu (Cyperus Rhizome, 香附) one jin vinegar-processed, stir-fried with Ba Dou (Croton Seed, 巴豆) one tael until Ba Dou turned black, then removed. Vinegar and wheat starch formed pills the size of elm seeds, taken with rice drink, 50 pills three times daily. Also, Si Wu Tang (Four-Substance Decoction, 四物汤) plus Shan Zhi, Bei Mu (Fritillaria Bulb, 贝母), Bai Kou Ren (Cardamom Seed, 白蔻仁), Mu Xiang, Ginger, and Jujube, decocted daily. In half a month, the lump disappeared, muscles grew, and within a month, spirit and health were restored.

Lu Xiaoyu treated the principal wife of Li Anwu, who was infertile. A concubine from the maternal side conceived and gave birth, but the child died of smallpox while the concubine's child survived. Grieving for a month, she developed chest and hypochondriac distension and pain. She needed someone to beat her back for a long time before sleeping briefly. She could not lie supine; doing so caused qi surging and asthma. Appetite decreased, muscles wasted, and menstruation stopped for months. Pulse: Cun deep and rapid, Guan deep and slippery, Chi deep and weak. Pulse matches disease: Depressed Fire generating Phlegm. He used Tiao Qi Yang Rong Tang (Regulate Qi and Nourish Blood Decoction, 调气养荣汤) plus Bai Jie Zi (White Mustard Seed, 白芥子), doubling Xia Tian Qu (Fermented Wheat Dough, 霞天曲). After several doses, chest and hypochondrium relaxed, allowing supine lying. However, constipation for five days and lower abdominal urgency persisted. He gave Gun Tan Wan two qian. Concerning insufficient Yuan Qi, he switched to Bu Qi Yang Rong Tang (Tonify Qi and Nourish Blood Decoction, 补气养荣汤) for two doses. Dry feces passed, followed by phlegm accumulation, reducing pain. Intermittent tonic administration for over a month brought peace.

Wu Xunzhai was obese, with chronic alcohol accumulation causing epigastric pain. Recently, limb joint pain worsened in the lower body. Some thought it was Wind, treating with Shi Guo Gong Jiu (Shi Guo Gong Wine, 史国公酒), with intermittent results. Switching to Hu Qian Wan (Tiger Crouching Pill, 虎潜丸) and He Che Da Zao (Placenta, 河车) pills caused swelling at painful sites. Pulse: Six positions slow and slippery, Guan slightly wiry. This is Damp-Phlegm flowing into joints causing pain, neither Wind nor Deficiency. Treatment should first use pills to clear Middle Jiao accumulated phlegm, then decoctions to dredge meridian stagnation. Limb pain would cease, and epigastric pain would heal. Following this method worked. Pill formula: Xia Tian Qu, Shan Zha (Hawthorn Fruit, 山楂), Ju Hong (Tangerine Peel, 橘红), Bai Zhu, Fu Ling, Zhi Shi, Shen Qu (Medicated Leaven, 神曲), Zhu Li (Bamboo Sap, 竹沥), formed into pills with starch paste, taken with warm water away from meals. Decoction formula: Cang Zhu (Atractodis Rhizoma, 苍术), Yi Yi Ren (Coix Seed, 薏苡仁), Ban Xia, Nan Xing (Arisaema Cum Bile, 南星), Bai Jie Zi, Wei Ling Xian (Salvia Root, 威灵仙), Qin Jiao (Gentiana Macrophylla Root, 秦艽), Zhi Gan Cao (Prepared Licorice Root, 炙甘草), Qing Mu Xiang (Vladimiria Root, 青木香). Decoct, add one small cup of wine, take when half-full.

Pan Yuanshi indulged in drinking after anger, developing vomiting and regurgitation, food staying half and leaving half, sometimes vomiting brownish matter, with chest/hypochondriac pain radiating to the back. Treated as Fan Wei (Ejection Vomiting, 翻胃), he developed tidal fever and restlessness. Treated as Fei Yong (Lung Abscess, 肺痈), vomiting worsened with food intake. Some saw the vomit and claimed the lung was rotted. Diagnosis: Muscles not wasted, voice unchanged. Two Cun pulses slippery and rapid, Left Guan wiry, Right Guan slippery, Chi positions normal. "This is not a deteriorated condition, but caused by depressed anger. Anger causes blood to pool upward, binding with phlegm, turbid yin fails to descend, causing distension." The method is to induce vomiting. Chang Shan (Dichroa Root, 常山) five qian, Hong Hua (Safflower Flower, 红花) five qian, decocted in two bowls of wine to one bowl, taken orally. One vomit expelled brown phlegm clumps, mostly purple-black, over a basin. Chest instantly widened, back pain ceased, vomiting stopped. Regulated with Qing Qi Yang Rong Tang (Clear Qi and Nourish Blood Decoction, 清气养荣汤) to cure.

Lu ZuYu treated the maternal relative of Shen Zhenyu, suffering from Depressed Phlegm and Depressed Fire. Physicians deemed it incurable. Diagnosis: Emaciated appearance, coughing frothy saliva, six pulses deep and stagnant, faintly present or absent, varying strength/rootedness/rate upon deep pressure. No food intake, seeming like Stomach Qi perishing. Yet, he could sit up, voice loud. Lu knew this was Phlegm-Saliva obstruction and Blood-Qi stagnation blocking pulse flow. He prescribed Er Chen Tang plus Dou Kou (Black Cardamom, 蔻仁), Su Zi (Perilla Fruit, 苏子), Huang Lian, Bai Jie Zi, Bei Mu, Shi Chang Pu (Acorus Rhizome, 石菖蒲). One dose ineffective. Re-diagnosis: Patient liked the smell of firecrackers, Niter, and Rhubarb. Added Jiang Zhi (Ginger Juice, 姜汁) and Zhu Li to the previous formula, plus Niu Huang (Calculus Bovis, 牛黄) half fen per dose. Symptoms and pulse gradually improved. Adjustments continued. On the sixth day, Su He Wan (Suhexiang Pill, 苏合丸) one pill allowed porridge intake. Regulated with modified Liu Jun Zi Tang for over a month to recover.

Li Jiangzhou returned home after failing the imperial exam, lacking appetite and energy. Physicians attributed it to long travel and neglect, prescribing tonics. This caused chest oppression, difficult defecation, and insomnia. Blood-nourishing and Spirit-calming herbs caused restlessness and lower abdominal fullness. Diagnosis: Dull complexion, six pulses deep and slippery. Prescribed Zhi Shi, Huang Lian, Gua Lou, Chen Pi, Bei Mu, Bing Lang, Yuan Ming Fen (Natrii Sulfas, 元明粉), plus Run Zi Wan (Moistening Pill, 润字丸) three qian. No response in half a day. Another two qian of the pill催动 (catalyzed) it. After a long while, borborygmus occurred, flatulence passed, and thick, sticky, foul-smelling, multicolored feces (about half a bucket) were expelled. Instant relief. Continued with small amounts of the decoction and pill. Stool turned slightly yellow in two to three days. Switched to Ren Shen, Bai Zhu, Dang Gui (Angelica Sinensis Root, 当归), Bai Shao (White Peony Root, 白芍) to tonify Spleen and nourish Blood, regulating to peace.

Fei Biaosao suffered from dull pain below the chest and above the umbilicus, tolerable to rubbing and pressing. Warming Middle, promoting digestion, and clearing fire methods all failed. Diagnosis: Six pulses deep, wiry, and slippery. Treated as Phlegm. Several doses stopped the pain. Spirit not yet recovered, she labored at needlework and suffered metrorrhagia. Food entered but did not digest. Days later, chest/abdomen swelled, heat like fire, difficult to administer medicine, groaning incessantly, unconscious. Pulse: Cun and Guan deep and hidden, Chi still deep, slippery, and spirited. "This is caused by Deep Phlegm. Although Yuan Qi is weak, Phlegm knot must be cleared." Xu Lingtai said, "When the person is deficient but the syndrome is excess, do not hesitate; urgently remove the excess, and spirit will recover." This is such a case. Gun Tan Wan was slowly administered. By midnight, faint sounds were heard in the chest. At fifth watch, a basin of thick phlegm was passed. Spirit instantly revived, chest slightly relieved. Regulated with Yang Rong Tang combined with Er Chen Tang for half a month to cure.

Zhang Yuqing was frail and sickly in youth, specializing in warming and tonifying. Illnesses healed, but Fire syndromes flared intermittently. He then used Zishui Zhihuo (Nourishing Water to Control Fire, 滋水制火 - likely referring to Liu Wei Di Huang Wan), and the illness vanished. In prime adulthood, obesity led to Damp-Phlegm brewing internally, but Yin-nourishment was incomplete. In his sixties, Phlegm syndromes erupted suddenly. He used Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill, 六味地黄丸) plus Er Mu (Motherwort and Fritillaria, 二母), Dang Gui, Bai Shao, and Mai Dong (Ophiopogon Tuber, 麦冬). After taking this, phlegm-saliva obstructed, and four limbs became cold.