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1. Question: What is meant by "superior physicians treat disease before it arises"? The Master said: Treating disease before it arises means that upon observing liver disease, one knows the liver may transmit to the spleen, and thus should first strengthen the spleen. If the spleen is prosperous in its season and not susceptible to pathogenic factors, supplementation is unnecessary. Average physicians do not understand this transmission; upon seeing liver disease, they fail to strengthen the spleen and only treat the liver. In treating liver disease, sour flavors are used for tonification, scorched bitter flavors for assistance, and sweet flavors for harmonization. (Sour enters the Liver, scorched bitter enters the Heart, sweet enters the Spleen. The Spleen can restrain the Kidney; if Kidney Qi is weak, water does not flood; if water does not flood, Heart Fire becomes excessive and injures the Lung; if the Lung is injured, Metal Qi fails to circulate; if Metal Qi fails to circulate, Liver Qi becomes excessive, thereby healing the Liver. This is the subtle essence of treating the Liver by supplementing the Spleen.) This method applies to Liver deficiency, not Liver excess. The Classics state: "Do not make deficient patients more deficient or excess patients more excess"; tonify insufficiency, reduce excess. This is the principle. The same applies to other Zang organs.

2. Humans inherit the Five Constants and grow through Wind and Qi. Although Wind and Qi can generate all things, they can also harm them. Like water that can float a boat but also capsize it. If the primal integrity of the Five Zang organs is smooth and unobstructed, the person remains peaceful and harmonious; if external pathogenic wind invades, death ensues. The myriad difficulties of disease do not exceed three categories: First, pathogens enter the meridians and then the Zang-Fu organs, constituting an internal cause; second, pathogens affect the four limbs and nine orifices, spreading through blood vessels causing obstruction, constituting an external skin invasion; third, injuries from sexual indiscretion, metal blades, or insects and beasts. Detailed analysis shows these cover all disease origins. If one cultivates caution, preventing pathogenic wind from invading the meridians, and treats promptly when pathogens just enter the meridians without reaching the Zang-Fu, recovery is possible. When limbs feel heavy and stagnant, employ Dao Yin (qigong exercises), Tu Na (breathing regulation), acupuncture, moxibustion, and topical massage to prevent orifice blockage. Furthermore, avoid legal troubles, animal disasters, and sexual exhaustion; regulate dietary intake of cold, hot, bitter, sour, pungent, and sweet flavors so as not to weaken the body. Thus, pathogens cannot enter the Cou Li (skin pores and interstices). Cou refers to the junction where San Jiao connects with primal integrity, where blood and Qi flow; Li refers to the texture of skin and Zang-Fu organs.

3. Question: Patients show facial complexion changes; I wish to hear the explanation. The Master said: A bluish nose indicates abdominal pain; if accompanied by aversion to cold, it is a fatal sign. Another version states: severe cold and pain in the abdomen is fatal. A slightly black nose indicates fluid retention; a yellow nose indicates cold in the chest; a white nose indicates blood loss. A slight redness appearing out of season is fatal. Fixed staring eyes indicate Jing (spasm) disease, which is difficult to treat. Additionally, blue complexion indicates pain, black indicates labor/overwork, red indicates wind, yellow indicates difficulty defecating, and bright/shiny complexion indicates retained fluid.

4. The Master said: A patient who is usually silent but suddenly cries out in fear has disease in the joints. A patient whose voice is hoarse and muffled has disease in the Heart and Diaphragm. A patient whose voice is quiet, thin, and long has disease in the head.

5. The Master said: Breathing with shoulder shrugging indicates firmness in the Heart region. Breathing with upward Qi movement in the chest indicates cough. Breathing with open mouth and shortness of breath indicates Fei Wei (lung atrophy) with salivation.

6. The Master said: Slight rapidity in inhalation indicates disease in the Middle Jiao, which is excess; purgation leads to cure. Deficiency cases are difficult. In the Upper Jiao, inhalation is hurried; in the Lower Jiao, inhalation is deep and distant. These are all difficult to treat. Trembling during respiration is untreatable.

7. The Master said: Cun Kou pulse movements vary with the prosperous season. For instance, when the Liver is prosperous, the complexion should be green, following the seasons. If the Liver is prosperous but the complexion is white, indicating mismatched season, color, and pulse, disease will occur.

8. Question: There are times when conditions arrive before their season, when they do not arrive despite the season, when they persist beyond the season, and when they are excessive. What does this mean? The Master said: After Winter Solstice, on the night of the Jia-Zi day, Shao Yang (Lesser Yang) begins. During Shao Yang time, Yang begins to generate, and the weather becomes warm. If the weather is warm before the Jia-Zi day, it is "arriving before its time." If the weather is not warm after the Jia-Zi day, it is "arriving late." If the weather remains severely cold after the Jia-Zi day, it is "persisting beyond its time." If the weather is as warm as mid-summer after the Jia-Zi day, it is "excessive arrival."

9. The Master said: A floating pulse at the front (Cun position) indicates exterior disease; a floating pulse at the back (Chi position) indicates interior disease. Lower back pain, stiffness, inability to walk, accompanied by shortness of breath and extreme fatigue, indicates severe condition.

10. The Master said: The Classics ask, "What is Jue Yang acting alone?" The Master answered: This refers to having Yang without Yin, hence called Jue Yang.

11. Question: The Cun pulse is deep, large, and slippery. Deep indicates excess, slippery indicates Qi. When excess and Qi contend, if Blood and Qi enter the Zang, death results; if they enter the Fu, recovery occurs. This is called sudden collapse (Cu Jue). What does this mean? The Master said: Blue lips and cold body indicate entry into Zang (fatal); a harmonious body with spontaneous sweating indicates entry into Fu (curable).

12. Question: Pulse disappearance leading to entry into Zang (death) or Fu (cure), what does this mean? The Master said: This applies to all diseases, not just one. For example, in impetigo-like sores, if flowing from the mouth to the limbs, it is curable; if flowing from limbs to the mouth, it is incurable. Disease remaining external is curable; entering internally is fatal.

13. Question: What are the Eighteen Yang Diseases? The Master said: Headache, neck, waist, spine, arm, and leg pulling pain. What are the Eighteen Yin Diseases? The Master said: Cough, rebellious Qi, wheezing, hiccups, throat obstruction, borborygmus, distension, and heart pain with spasm. Each of the Five Zang has eighteen diseases, totaling ninety. Humans also have Six Minor conditions, each with eighteen diseases, totaling one hundred eight. The Five Exhaustions, Seven Injuries, Six Extremes, and Thirty-Six Women's Diseases are excluded. Clear pathogens reside above, turbid pathogens below, major pathogens strike the exterior, minor pathogens strike the interior, and dietary pathogens enter via the mouth (retained food). The five pathogens affecting humans follow specific laws: Wind strikes in the morning, Cold in the evening, Dampness injures the lower body, Fog injures the upper body. Wind causes floating pulse, Cold causes rapid/tight pulse, Fog injures skin and interstices, Dampness flows into joints, Food injures Spleen and Stomach, extreme Cold injures meridians, extreme Heat injures collaterals.

14. Question: In urgent cases, when should one rescue the Interior vs. the Exterior? The Master said: If a patient suffers diarrhea with undigested food after incorrect purgation, and still has body pain, urgently rescue the Interior. Later, if body pain persists but bowel movements normalize, urgently rescue the Exterior.

15. When a chronic disease is complicated by an acute disease, treat the acute disease first, then the chronic disease.

16. The Master said: Diseases of the Five Zang heal when suited to their preferences; they worsen when contrary to their dislikes. If a patient suddenly craves food they normally reject, fever will likely ensue.

17. For diseases located in the Zang requiring attack, one must follow the pathogen's accumulation site. For example, provide Zhu Ling Tang for thirst. Apply this principle to others.