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When a disease reaches the stage where its root is shaken and its foundation is depleted, and the six pulses (Radial, Carotid, and Jugular arteries on both sides) lack "Stomach Qi" (the gentle and moderate quality of the pulse indicating healthy digestive function), with the pathogen penetrating deep into the Gaohuang (the area between the heart and diaphragm, representing a critical and deep-seated pathological state), even if Hua Tuo or Bian Que were to reappear, they would find it difficult to apply their skills. How much less could contemporary famous physicians manage?

If a patient's physical form and righteous Qi (Vital Energy) are both substantial and solid, and they merely suffer from an occasional ailment, even if left untreated for a short while, waiting for the disease course to complete and Qi to recover, it should heal itself. There is no case where treatment leads to non-healing in such scenarios. Even if incompetent hands treat it recklessly, it will not necessarily lead to death. However, there are diseases that present a possibility of either life or death: correct treatment leads to survival, neglect leads to death; appropriate counter-treatment leads to life, erroneous treatment leads to death; urgent treatment leads to life, delayed treatment leads to death. These situations are critical junctures relating to existence and demise, where compliance or deviation in handling them controls the mechanism of life and death. Only in such cases can one truly distinguish the virtue, wisdom, skill, and clumsiness of physicians.

It is said that "enlightened rulers and capable ministers," do they truly have the power to raise the dead back to life? They simply possess the ability to treat critical, near-fatal conditions that others cannot handle, thereby preserving people's lives and preventing unjust deaths. Furthermore, they can save people from dying before the disease even manifests, by understanding the origins of diseases. As for so-called "famous physicians" or "contemporary physicians," who treat cold with heat, heat with cold, deficiency with excess methods, and excess with deficiency methods, occasionally hitting the mark in treating superficial illnesses, they are regarded as miraculous by the vulgar crowd. Indeed, this seems to live up to their reputation. However, when faced with symptoms of false deficiency, false excess, false heat, or false cold, where the disease presents deceptive changes, these physicians become confused and bewildered. They fail to understand the principles of following the disease trend (Cong), opposing the disease trend (Ni), correcting deviations (Fan Zheng), and using general unblocking or astringent methods (Tong Yong / Sai Yong). Consequently, they tentatively prescribe mild agents, lacking courage and discernment, yet claiming that "Kingly Way" (gentle, balanced therapy) is steady and safe. Patients also willingly accept this misguidance. It is then revealed that the previously mentioned "famous physicians" are but empty names.

As for incompetent practitioners and crude workers, who do not examine medical classics nor understand pulse and symptom patterns, mistakenly administering hot and cold remedies and mixing slow and urgent treatments, cause excess to become more excessive and deficiency to become more deficient. This transforms mild conditions into severe ones, and severe ones into critical ones, leading to death. The disease was not inherently incurable, but the patient took medicines that guaranteed death. How could they not die? Thus, the distinction between the wise and the foolish lies in the patient's insightful judgment to recognize them in advance and carefully select a physician when illness strikes.

Suppose a patient has selected a skilled physician and trusts them completely. If the patient suffers from a disease that cannot be cured in a day or two, yet demands immediate recovery within a day or two, this is contrary to natural tendencies. Consequently, they change doctors daily, allowing both virtuous and foolish practitioners to compete for entry. This chaotic mixture harms life, with fortune and misfortune changing in the blink of an eye. Initially, this is not due to imprecise selection of physicians, but rather a lack of dedicated reliance on a single physician. Li Gang of the Song Dynasty stated: "Employing people is like employing physicians. One must first know that their professional skills can cure the disease before allowing them to administer medicine and demanding success." Now, if one does not thoroughly investigate their professional expertise and merely tries them out, then even if changing a doctor every day, it will benefit the disease not at all, but only add to the illness.