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Treats stroke fei syndrome (stroke with flaccidity and aphasia), manifesting as the body being unable to control itself, inability to speak, mental confusion without awareness of pain locations, or limb stiffness and rigidity preventing turning over; it also treats cough with rebellious qi rushing upward, where the patient can only lie prone and cannot sleep flat, accompanied by edema of the face and eyes.

Ephedrae Herba (Mahuang, 麻黄), Cinnamon Twig (Guizhi, 桂枝), Gypsum Fibrosum (Shigao, 石膏), Licorice Root (Gancao, 甘草), Dried Ginger (Ganjiang, 干姜), Ginseng Radix (Renshen, 人参), Angelica Sinensis Radix (Danggui, 当归) (each 3 liang), Ligusticum Chuanxiong Rhizome (Chuanxiong, 川芎) (1.5 liang), Apricot Seed (Xingren, 杏仁) (40 pieces). Use one dou of water, decoct to obtain four sheng, take one sheng warm after each meal. The patient should experience slight sweating. Cover the back lightly for warmth, sit leaning against a table (sitting helps to ascend yang qi, which is sufficient to resist the dispersion of pathogenic factors outward). Recovery occurs when sweat appears. If no sweat appears, another dose may be taken without prohibition; do not expose oneself to wind. (This is an attached formula from the Tang dynasty revision of *Jin Gui Yao Lue*, not originally from Zhang Zhongjing. However, its principles align well with Zhang Zhongjing's intent, so it was selected.)

Song of *Lu Yan* Xu Ming Tang: Mahuang, Guizhi, Ganjiang, Chuanxiong, Danggui, Xingren, Gancao, Shigao, Renshen. Stroke causing limb stiffness and rigidity (due to wind pathogen entering the collaterals) develops into Feng Fei ("Fei" refers to uselessness/flaccidity); this method has been passed down through ancient and modern times as highly effective. (The name "Xu Ming" implies the merit of driving away disease and prolonging life.) When wind enters the collaterals and phlegm-fire obstructs, dispelling wind must necessarily be assisted by cooling methods; simultaneously regulating qi and blood to support righteous qi allows the collateral obstruction to clear and stiffness to recover. (When wind pathogen enters the collaterals, internal wind and external wind fan each other, causing sudden obstruction of phlegm-fire. One should first drive out the wind, then clear phlegm-fire, and subsequently regulate qi and blood, so that meridians can gradually unblock. This formula derives from Da Qing Ye [Isatis Leaf] and Danggui for blood activation, and Gancao to harmonize all herbs. Generally, wind pathogen striking the human body causing stroke fei must stem from exterior deficiency, and collateral laxity must stem from interior heat; thus, qi should be secured, blood should be activated, wind-cold should be dispersed, and collaterals should be cooled. Internal and external treatments are naturally required to repel wind pathogen; this is not due to the prescription being cluttered.) Since the syndrome belongs to wind, wind-dispelling drugs are primary; modifications based on individual constitution should be carefully considered. Misuse of warming and tonifying agents will trap the pathogen inside; mild cases result in hemiplegia, severe cases lead to death. (Whenever ancients named diseases, they referred to their reality. Since it is called "Zhong Feng" [Stroke], the disease belongs to wind. Since it is a wind disease, the governing formula must focus on treating wind; if there are differences such as yin deficiency, yang deficiency, heat sensation, or cold sensation, modifications are made within the wind-treating formula according to the manifested symptoms. Even if righteous qi is internally deficient, a small amount of supportive substances should be added to wind-dispelling drugs to assist in expelling pathogens. There has never been a case of purely using warming and tonifying methods. Today, people encountering this syndrome immediately use warming tonics like Renshen, Di Huang, Gui Zhi, Fu Zi, etc., trapping wind, fire, phlegm, and saliva entirely. Mild cases become severe, severe cases lead to death. Even those with undamaged yuan qi but shallow pathogen invasion will inevitably drag out the illness, becoming permanently hemiplegic. Is this not caused by erroneous warming tonification!) Xu Ming Tang is the ancestral formula for stroke; if there are no terminal signs, its use is always beneficial. Opening of the mouth, closing of the eyes, spreading of the hands, fixed gaze, shaking of the head, and ruddy complexion like makeup, along with urinary incontinence and profuse sweating, are all terminal signs indicating separation of yin and yang, making life difficult to sustain. (Xu Ming Tang is the ancestral formula for stroke; unless it is a terminal syndrome of the zang organs, it can be treated. Only when appearing mouth opening, eye closing, hand spreading, snoring, urinary incontinence, foaming at the mouth, fixed gaze, head shaking, ruddy face like makeup, sweating...)