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A person suddenly suffers from stroke, with twitching and pulling of the limbs, and deviation of the mouth and eyes, yet their spirit is clear and speech remains normal. People consider this to be wind-stroke due to Yang deficiency (Yang Xu Zhong Feng), but they do not realize it is not so. Sudden collapse due to Yang deficiency invariably involves loss of consciousness. Now, although there is sudden collapse, the mind remains clear; the appearance resembles Yang deficiency, but it is not. This is wind-stroke due to Yin deficiency (Yin Xu Zhong). "Yin deficiency" here does not mean blood deficiency, but rather a deficiency of True Yin (Zhen Yin). The Kidney Water (Shen Shui) is dried up and cannot nourish the Heart (Xin) from below, allowing Phlegm (Tan) to invade the Heart, causing momentary confusion and sudden stroke. Once the Phlegm-Qi dissipates, the clarity of the Heart returns to its original state. Treating this as wind-stroke is incorrect; treating it as Qi obstruction (Zhong Qi) is also inappropriate. Only by directly tonifying the Yin in the Kidneys can Essence (Jing) become sufficient, allowing Kidney Qi to naturally ascend to the Heart, and Heart fluids to circulate freely among the Zang-Fu organs, leading to spontaneous recovery of all symptoms. Use Tianyin Tang: Prepared Rehmannia Root (Shu Di Huang) 4 liang, Cornus Fruit (Shan Zhu Yu) 2 liang, Schisandra Berry (Bei Wu Wei Zi) 3 qian, Ophiopogon Tuber (Mai Dong) 1 liang, Chinese Yam (Shan Yao) 1 liang, White Mustard Seed (Bai Jie Zi) 5 qian, Cistanche Stem (Po Gu Zhi) 1 qian, Achyranthes Root (Niu Xi) 3 qian, Aconite Root (Fu Zi) 1 fen. Decoct in water and take orally. After one dose, the twitching ceases; after two doses, the mouth and eyes straighten; after ten consecutive doses, full recovery is achieved.

Prepared Rehmannia Root, Cornus Fruit, and Chinese Yam are sacred herbs for filling Essence. Ophiopogon Tuber and Schisandra Berry are immortal elixirs for benefiting the Lung (Fei). Merely tonifying Kidney Water may fail to generate water quickly; therefore, the Lung is also tonified, allowing Lung Metal to generate Kidney Water. The mother and son mutually support each other, facilitating easier nourishment. Furthermore, fearing that Yin will not descend, Cistanche Stem and Achyranthes Root are used to guide Qi downward to settle in the Kidney Palace, preventing turbid Yin from harassing upwards, thus allowing True Yin to achieve mutual interaction (Ji Ji). The addition of 1 fen of Aconite Root is because excessive Yin-nourishing herbs tend to be cloying and stagnant; a small amount of Aconite Root moves the Qi of True Yin, not to assist Fire, but to facilitate circulation. When Water receives the Qi of Fire, it generates more easily, explaining the miraculous efficacy.

This condition can also be treated with Qingning Tang: Prepared Rehmannia Root and Ophiopogon Tuber (each 2 liang), Schisandra Berry 3 qian, Euryale Seed (Qian Shi), Morinda Root (Ba Ji Tian), and Dodder Seed (Tu Si Zi) (each 1 liang). Decoct in water and take orally.

Someone who is usually healthy feels only numbness in the hands and feet, without symptoms like deviation of the mouth and eyes. People believe internal Wind (Feng) has invaded and predict fainting within three years. They advise taking pre-emptive formulas like Soushun Fengqi Tang to prevent sudden stroke. While the theory is correct, the formula is wrong. Numbness in the limbs is due to Qi deficiency (Qi Xu), not Qi stagnation. Even if it were Qi stagnation, it would not be caused by Wind. If one suffers from wind-stroke, the onset is abrupt; why wait three years? Why does Qi deficiency cause limb numbness? Because when Qi is deficient, it cannot transform Phlegm. Phlegm accumulates in the chest, blocking the flow of Qi to the limbs. The treatment should involve tonifying Qi while assisting with phlegm-resolving herbs. Use Shimai Tang: Ginseng Root (Ren Shen) 1 qian, Angelica Sinensis Root (Dang Gui) 3 qian, Astragalus Root (Huang Qi) 3 qian, Poria (Fu Ling) 3 qian, Pinellia Tuber (Ban Xia) 1 qian, White Mustard Seed (Bai Jie Zi) 1 qian, Tangerine Peel (Chen Pi) 1 qian, Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome (Bai Zhu) 3 qian, Licorice Root (Gan Cao) 5 fen, Aconite Root (Fu Zi) 1 fen, Bupleurum Root (Chai Hu) 8 fen. Decoct in water and take orally. After four consecutive doses, the numbness naturally subsides.

If numbness persists, double the dosage of the previous formula and take for another four doses; recovery is guaranteed.

Numbness in the limbs is a mild disease of the extremities and does not require heavy treatment. Modern practitioners, unaware of the syndrome, suspect severe illness due to slow results and indiscriminately use Wind-dispelling drugs, turning mild cases into severe ones. If one understands this is deficiency rather than Wind, treating the deficiency extinguishes the Wind-like manifestations. What difficulty is there? This condition can also be effectively treated with Jiafu Tang: Ginseng Root and Spirit of Poria (Fu Shen) (each 3 qian), Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome and Astragalus Root (each 5 qian), Aconite Root 2 fen. Decoct in water and take orally.

Someone experiences whole-body numbness without falling, resembling wind-stroke, yet it is Wind present but not true stroke. Such diseases must treat Wind, but not directly. Not treating Wind prevents its expulsion from the body; treating Wind directly damages Qi and Blood, allowing Wind to exploit the deficiency and dominate. One must combine Qi and Blood tonification with Wind-dispelling and Phlegm-resolving herbs. This protects Qi and Blood while facilitating Wind dispersion. Use Jiefu Tang: Astragalus Root 1 liang, Angelica Sinensis Root 5 qian, Ginseng Root 5 qian, Aconite Root 1 qian, White Peony Root (Bai Shao) 5 qian, Polygonatum Rhizome (Wei Rui) 1 liang, Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome 5 qian, Prepared Rehmannia Root 5 qian, Trichosanthes Root (Tian Hua Fen) 3 qian, Gentian Root (Qin Jiao) 3 qian, Notopterygium Rhizome (Qiang Huo) 1 qian. Decoct in water and take orally. After four consecutive doses, sensation returns; after ten doses, full recovery occurs.

Why is the medication lighter in the previous case but heavier here, despite both being numbness? In the previous case, numbness was limited to the limbs, with no Wind entering the body. Here, numbness covers the whole body, indicating Wind has entered the Fu organs due to deficiency. These are not comparable. Thus, the former requires light treatment, while the latter demands heavy treatment for efficacy. This condition is also excellently treated with Shunqi Heblood Tang: Angelica Sinensis Root 3 qian, Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome 5 qian, Astragalus Root 5 qian, Ginseng Root 2 qian, Aconite Root 1 slice, Gastrodia Rhizome (Tian Ma), Arisaema Rhizome (Nan Xing), Notopterygium Rhizome, and Saposhnikovia Root (Du Huo) (each 5 fen), Pinellia Tuber 1 qian. Decoct in water and take orally.

Someone with strong constitution and a habit of drinking strong liquor experiences anger-induced deviation of the mouth and eyes, resembling stroke but without falling. Appetite is good, and the pulse is large and forceful. This is not Wind invasion, but excessive Fire injuring the Liver (Gan). This syndrome is common in Northwest China but rare in the South. Treatment must not merely drain Fire without nourishing Liver Blood. Use: Wine-processed Rhubarb (Jiu Zheng Da Huang) 2 qian, Bupleurum Root 1 qian, White Peony Root 1 liang, Angelica Sinensis Root 1 liang, White Mustard Seed 2 qian, Stir-fried Gardenia Seed (Chao Zhi Zi) 2 qian. Decoct in water and take orally. The formula is named Jiafen Tang. Rhubarb drains the Fire-toxin of alcohol; Gardenia drains Liver Wood Fire. Using these two alone is too rapid. Therefore, White Peony Root and Angelica Sinensis Root are added to greatly tonify Liver Blood, as sufficient Blood extinguishes Fire. Bupleurum Root and White Mustard Seed soothe Liver Qi and resolve Phlegm in the diaphragm. Resolved Phlegm allows smoother Liver Qi, which dispels Wind-like manifestations. Mistaking this for stroke and adding Ephedra Herb (Ma Huang) or Notopterygium Rhizome would agitate Fire further. Failing to nourish Liver Blood and instead tonifying Qi would strengthen Yang and Qi, aiding Fire, drying Liver Blood, increasing anger, and potentially leading to sudden stroke via self-immolation by Fire. This condition can also be treated with Kuanqi Tang: Bupleurum Root, Lindera Root (Wu Yao), Gentian Root, Licorice Root, and Wine-processed Rhubarb (each 1 qian), White Peony Root 1 liang, Poria 3 qian, Angelica Sinensis Root 3 qian, Gastrodia Rhizome and Saposhnikovia Root (each 3 fen), Trichosanthes Root 2 qian. Decoct in water and take orally.

After a stroke, someone experiences flowing pain in the limbs, eventually leading to paralysis and inability to flex or extend. People attribute this to Wind-Dampness (Feng Shi) clashing at the joints due to stroke injury, but this is incorrect. This condition actually stems from pre-existing Dampness-Water. Ignoring the decline of Yuan Qi (Primal Qi) and instead using Wind-dispelling and Diuretic methods creates a stroke-like syndrome. Since deficiency created Dampness, and Dampness led to the stroke-like presentation, treating Yuan Qi deficiency is primary; treating excess Dampness-Wind is secondary. However, since Wind-Dampness is bound throughout the body, merely tonifying Qi without dispelling Wind and draining Dampness is not a corrective approach. Use Liangli Tang: Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome 5 qian, Poria 5 qian, Coix Seed (Yi Yi Ren) 1 liang, Ginseng Root 1 qian, Licorice Root 5 fen, White Peony Root 1 liang, Angelica Sinensis Root 1 qian, Cinnamon Bark (Rou Gui) 3 fen, Saposhnikovia Root 5 fen, Pinellia Tuber 1 qian. Decoct in water and take orally. After four doses, pain stops; after ten doses, paralysis heals; after another ten doses, flexibility is fully restored.

The formula emphasizes tonification over attack. Saposhnikovia Root disperses Wind, but Plantago Seed (Ze Xie) and Polyporus (Zhu Ling) are omitted for diuresis. Since Wind-Dampness arose from deficiency, once Wind is dispersed, further draining Water is inadvisable. Moreover, Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome and Coix Seed possess diuretic properties. Promoting diuresis within the context of tonifying Water allows fluid flow without obstruction. Once Dampness-Water is removed, Wind cannot remain alone. Thus, a small amount of Saposhnikovia Root releases exterior pathogens. Isolated Wind, lacking Water to create waves, is easily eliminated without excessive Wind-dispelling herbs. This condition can also be successfully treated with Zhiren Tang: Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome, Astragalus Root, White Peony Root, and Trichosanthes Root (each 3 qian), Poria 5 qian, Plantago Seed 1 qian, Saposhnikovia Root 5 fen, Licorice Root 5 fen, Cinnamon Bark 3 fen, Alpinia Oxyphylla Fruit (Yi Zhi Ren) 5 fen. Decoct in water and take orally.