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The *Neijing* (Classic of Internal Medicine) discusses stroke (*Zhongfeng*, Wind Strike), referring all to external wind invasion. This merely implies a hidden injury from the abnormal qi of heaven and earth, as previously stated: those with yin deficiency contract disease upon sensing the warming and ascending qi; those with yang deficiency contract disease upon sensing the condensing and肃 (descending/clearing) qi. When Ying blood is consumed and dried, it cannot maintain mutual support with Wei qi. As Wei qi declines and scatters, losing its ability to govern itself, it becomes held by the "dark wind" within the air. Zhang Jingyue firmly proposed the theory of "Non-Wind," directly identifying it as the ancient "Jian Jue" (Frying Syncope). While his reasoning is sound, the clinical presentation differs. The great atmosphere circulating in the air between heaven and earth is wind. Its force is extremely sharp; does it necessarily need to uproot trees and raise sand? Zhuangzi said, "Humans exist within the wind." Zhongjing said, "Humans grow due to the qi of wind." Both imply that air is wind. When stroke occurs, does air gallop through all meridians and collaterals of the body? It is not like Jue syndrome, which is specifically caused by internal chaos of the original qi. The *Neijing* also states, "The qi of Yang is named after the swift wind of heaven and earth." This character "wind" has no relation to external wind, perfectly fitting the mechanism of Jue syndrome. The "wind" of stroke, although involving this hyperactive yang qi, ultimately arises from contracting atmospheric air that invades the sinews and vessels. Therefore, previous treatments always incorporated the intent of dispersing wind, which was not without merit. The difference between stroke and spasm (*Jing*), syncope (*Jue*), and epilepsy (*Dianxian*) lies in the site of injury: wind pathogenicity injures the sinews, resulting in facial deviation and flaccidity/slowness of limbs and joints. Jue pathogenicity injures the qi; with blood deficiency and rebellious qi, compounded by external cold binding the skin, the rebellious qi forces upward internally, causing disease. Thus, upon the restoration of qi, consciousness returns, and the patient returns to normal, without lingering complications, because the pathology resides in the qi level. However, during qi rebellion, blood inevitably rebels with it, leading to unconsciousness. Cases where the form is quiet indicate severe obstruction of qi mechanisms. Those cured by bloodletting do so because the pathogen is not in the blood, and the blood is not yet coagulated/decayed; if the blood is decayed and black, or if blood stasis prevents bleeding, death ensues. Epilepsy injures the blood; pathogens of cold, heat, dryness, and dampness congeal and stagnate in the blood vessels. Since blood vessels connect to the heart, attacks involve dizziness and confusion, accompanied by convulsions and shouting. These are signs of heart and liver qi being trapped by blood, representing the "swift wind of heaven and earth." Some cases of Jue do not recur after recovery, whereas epilepsy recurs frequently and is hard to cure, precisely because the pathology is in the blood. The *Neijing* states that Jue can transform into epilepsy. Long-standing qi pathology will eventually stagnate into the blood vessels. Spasm (*Jing*) also injures the sinews, but suddenly due to external pathogens of wind, cold, and dampness arriving swiftly. The original qi within the sinews remains intact, presenting signs of struggle between pathogen and healthy qi, and healing leaves no sequelae like stroke. One case involves blood deficiency in sinews with dark wind wandering; the other involves qi stagnation in sinews held by external pathogens. In heat diseases, spasms caused by blood failing to nourish sinews represent a deteriorated state of muscle cramping, with exhausted blood and declining qi, showing only slight jaw clenching, teeth grinding, and twitching, without spinal opisthotonos, head shaking, red eyes, or pathogen-healthy qi struggle. Sudden death from *Zhong'e* (Poisonous Qi Invasion) or *Keyu* (Guest Intolerance) is essentially Jue. However, the contracted pathogen may include foul air, so treatment involves bloodletting, sweating, or purging to drain excess pathogens from qi and blood. In summary, although these four diseases differ in mechanism and constitution, I summarize them with one principle: regulating the Liver. The Classics state that the eleven zang-fu organs depend on the Gallbladder; Liver and Gallbladder share one qi. If Liver-Gallbladder qi is sufficient and smooth, breathing is even, the root is not empty, and the branches do not break, preventing chaotic rebellion. Thus, while treatments vary by organ and qi, they must invariably incorporate Liver regulation. The Liver penetrates yin and yang, commands blood and qi, resides in the foundation of truth and origin, and holds the pivot of ascent and descent. Wood is characterized by bending and straightening. If Kidney yin is not dry, the Liver can bend and store, allowing the Heart to descend; if Spleen yang does not sink, the Liver can straighten and extend, allowing the Heart to shine externally. The world says the Spleen is the root of ascent and descent; this is incorrect. The Spleen is the pathway of ascent and descent; the Liver is the root from which ascent and descent originate.
There is also what is called the "Five Corpses": Flying Corpse, Hidden Corpse, Escaping Corpse, Wind Corpse, and Tethered Corpse. Their onset may involve sudden dizziness followed by fainting and collapse, or acute pain in the chest or body, feeling like stabbing or tearing, attacking the heart instantly, leading to fainting. They may be triggered by anger, sorrow, fatigue, fright, eating bad-tasting food, smelling foul odors, entering temples or tombs, seeing corpses or mourning clothes, hearing crying, weeping oneself, seeing blood, or encountering sudden strong winds and cold. These are mixed pathogens of wind, cold, dryness, and dampness piercing the blood vessels and injuring the spirit of the five zang organs. Ancient medical texts have never accurately identified the root cause. Examining this through Western medicine, it appears to be rebellious qi agitating and evil blood attacking the brain. Cases with pain preceding fainting involve gradual sensation from the cerebral nerves to the brain. The so-called cerebral nerves resemble fat or membrane, originating from marrow and nourished by blood. Thus, pathogens hide in the Ying-blood level without dispersing, causing changes in blood collaterals. Once touched externally, the pathogen is stirred, exciting the blood, with a mechanism as swift as lightning, causing disease. The *Neijing* says, "Blood and qi are the spirit of humans." It also says, "Blood is the spirit qi." Therefore, when blood is chaotic, the spirit loses its order. These are chronic diseases, similar to epilepsy. Treatment generally follows methods of soothing the Liver, venting the Heart, moistening the blood, and searching out sinew pathogens. When Liver qi is relaxed, Heart qi is free, blood flows smoothly, and sinews are supple, healthy qi does not knot, and pathogens have no place to reside. Medications mostly focus on generating fluids and resolving stasis. Abundant fluids moisturize the five zang organs; resolved stasis unblocks the hundred vessels. Ancient texts only discussed dispelling phlegm and regulating qi, which explains why they were largely ineffective!