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The "Second Qi" (the second of the six climatic phases), Yang Qi distributes itself; the people feel comfortable, and flora flourish. Epidemic pathogens arrive in great numbers, and the people are prone to sudden death. This refers to the period from late February to early April, when the climate is relatively hot. People transition from a previous period of continuous rain and excessive dampness into a warm climate and feel comfortable. Plants also grow vigorously due to the warming climate. Because the heat is severe and abnormal, epidemic pathogens (sources of highly infectious diseases) easily arise. The latent epidemic causes plague outbreaks, leading to sudden death.

The "Third Qi," Heaven's administration spreads, coolness prevails, dryness and heat intermingle, extreme dryness leads to moisture, and the people suffer from alternating chills and fever. This refers to the period from Xiaoman (Grain Buds) to Dashu (Great Heat), approximately late April to early June in the lunar calendar. The climate is particularly cool, which is severely abnormal. When the Third Qi ends and transitions into the Fourth Qi, there is abundant rainfall, and diseases characterized by alternating chills and fever easily occur between summer and autumn.

The "Fourth Qi," cold rain descends; illnesses include sudden collapse, trembling, delirium, shortness of breath, dry throat with desire to drink, heart pain, carbuncles, sores, ulcers, malaria, bone atrophy, and bloody stools. This refers to the period belonging to the Fourth Qi, from late June to early August in the lunar calendar. The climate is relatively cold, dampness is dominant, and there is abundant rain. People may experience sudden fainting, chills, delirious madness, shortness of breath, dry throat and thirst, heart and abdominal pain, skin sores, malaria, joint pain, and bloody stools.

The "Fifth Qi," the spring command acts in reverse; grasses flourish, and the people's qi is harmonious. This refers to the period of the Fifth Qi in 1987, from Autumn Equinox to Minor Snow, approximately late August to early October in the lunar calendar. The climate is relatively warm, wind qi is dominant, resembling spring. Autumn behaving like spring means plants that should wither continue to grow luxuriantly, and people feel relatively comfortable. Here, "the people's qi is harmonious" refers to human sensation. In fact, during the transition from autumn to winter, if it should be cool but is not, and should gather but does not, this is abnormal and is incubating the occurrence of plagues.

The "Final Qi," Yang Qi spreads; the climate reversely becomes warm; hibernating insects appear; flowing water does not freeze; the people are healthy and peaceful, yet their disease is warmth. This refers to the period of the Final Qi in 1987, from Minor Snow to Major Snow, approximately late October to early December in the lunar calendar. The climate is relatively hot; winter should be cold but is not, so hibernating insects do not hide, and water does not freeze. Winter climate is warm, and the human body feels comfortable. However, such abnormal climate ("having the qi of one season at the time of another") makes it impossible for the human body to remain healthy, leading to "the people suffering from warmth diseases."

Therefore, eat the grains of the year to stabilize its qi, and eat the intercalary grains to dispel its evil. This refers to health preservation: people should consume high-quality white grains and red grains to nourish Stomach Qi. While nourishing Stomach Qi, one should selectively choose grains of different properties according to the nature of the pathogen acquired, to support the Zang-Fu organs that are prone to external pathogenic invasion.

For the year, it is suitable to use salty, bitter, and pungent flavors. Sweat them, clear them, disperse them. This indicates that in treatment for this year, one can select salty or bitter medicines to clear heat, and pungent medicines to induce sweating and disperse cold, thereby achieving therapeutic goals.

Stabilize its moving qi, do not allow it to receive evil; break its stagnant qi, nourish its source of transformation. The intent is that since we know the climate of 1987 was first cool and then hot, by adapting daily life and emotional regulation to the climate, one will not contract external evils and become ill. In treatment, use pungent-warm foods and medicines to correct the harmful effects of the cool climate on the body, and salty-bitter foods and medicines to correct the harmful effects of the hot climate. While expelling evil, fully protect the body's righteous Qi. For example, in the three months of autumn, the climate is cool; excessive coolness stagnates wind qi. Therefore, when autumn arrives, first tonify Liver Wood through food, medicine, and spirit, so that Liver Wood is not overacted upon by Dryness Metal, achieving prevention before illness and early treatment if ill.

In summary, "stabilize its moving qi, do not allow it to receive evil" discusses prevention; "break its stagnant qi" discusses treatment; "nourish its source of transformation" discusses prevention within treatment. This is the specific application in clinical practice of the guiding ideology of *Neijing*: "Superior physicians treat disease before it arises." "Superior physicians treat disease before it arises" means treating illness early and preventing disease early, combining prevention and treatment.

Regarding the regulation of the severity and quantity of cold and heat: those similar to heat follow Heavenly transformation; those similar to clarity follow Earthly transformation. Based on the treatment principle of "warm what is cold, cool what is hot," clinically, if symptoms and climate both belong to heat, use cold-cool natured medicines; if symptoms and climate both belong to cold, use warm-hot natured medicines.

What is the prediction of the Theory of Five Movements and Six Qi regarding 1988? *Liu Yuan Zheng Ji Da Lun* states: "Wu Chen Year... Upper Taiyang Water, Middle Taiying Fire Movement. Lower Taiyin Earth, Cold Transformation Six..." Translation: In 1988, Taiyang Cold Water governs the Heavens (Si Tian), and it is a year of excessive Water Movement. Taiyin Damp Earth governs the Earths (Zai Quan). Taiyang governs cold, so the first half of the year has a cold climate.

*Liu Yuan Zheng Ji Da Lun* states: "In all these policies where Taiyang governs the Heavens, the qi transformation operates ahead of schedule. Heaven's qi is solemn, Earth's qi is quiet. Cold approaches the Great Void, Yang Qi does not command. Water and Earth combine in virtue, corresponding above to Mercury and Saturn. The grains are black and yellow. Its administration is solemn, its command is slow. Cold policy launches greatly, marshes lack solar flames... First Qi, Earth's qi shifts, the air becomes very warm, grasses bloom early, the people suffer from epidemics, warm diseases arise, with body heat, headache, vomiting, and sores in muscle and pores. Second Qi, great coolness reversely arrives, the people become miserable, grasses encounter cold, Fire Qi is suppressed, the people suffer from qi stagnation and abdominal fullness, cold begins. Third Qi, Heaven's administration spreads, cold qi moves, rain descends... Therefore, for the year, it is suitable to use bitter to dry and warm, must break its stagnant qi, first nourish its source of transformation..., avoid empty evils to stabilize its righteous qi..." Translation: In 1988, Taiyang Cold Water governs the Heavens, and the climate arrives earlier than the season. The natural climate characteristics of that year are solemn and cold, with growth phenomena on earth being relatively quiet and inactive. Climate change is believed to be closely related to the movement of celestial bodies Mercury and Saturn, and crop growth conditions are good.

The first half of that year's climate is relatively cold, and the second half is relatively damp. Nature is solemn, and crop growth is generally slow. Because the climate is cold, it seems as if there is water but no fire...

First Qi, i.e., from Dayan (Major Cold) of 1987 to Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects) of 1988, approximately late December to early February in the lunar calendar, the climate is still very hot. "Grasses bloom early": plant sprouting and growth are earlier than usual. Epidemics are still prevalent, and pestilential diseases easily occur. People will present with heat disease symptoms such as body heat, headache, vomiting, and sores.

Second Qi, because Yangming governs coolness and dryness, from Chunfen (Spring Equinox) to Xiaoman (Grain Buds), i.e., late February to early April in the lunar calendar, the climate is relatively cool, and grass and trees grow slowly. Due to climatic influence, Liver Qi fails to diffuse adequately, resulting in symptoms of depression and abdominal fullness.

Third Qi, in the year Taiyang Cold Water governs the Heavens, the Third Qi of the six steps of guest qi is exactly the position of the governing qi of Si Tian. Since Taiyang governs cold, from Xiaoman to Dashu in that year, approximately late April to early June in the lunar calendar, the climate is particularly cold, and rainfall is relatively abundant. People's diseases are mainly cold diseases.

For the suitability of medicines and foods in 1988, based on different climates of cold and heat, and the characteristics of the body's pathological nature being biased towards cold/cool or damp/hot, bitter, drying, and warm-natured medicines can be used for differentiated treatment. One must also break stagnant qi, drain excess, and tonify deficiency, avoid the harm of abnormal climates to the human body, pay attention to daily life regulation, and only then can human health be maintained.

The application of the Theory of Five Movements and Six Qi in medicine mainly has two aspects: First, predict the general situation of annual climate changes and disease prevalence based on the mutual generation and restriction, regulation, and decline/excess of the Five Elements combined with movements and qi. Second, provide reference for disease prevention and clinical diagnosis and treatment.

The Theory of Movements and Qi predicts step-by-step from large to small based on Great Movement, Main Movement, Guest Movement, Main Qi and Guest Qi, Si Tian and Zai Quan, four intermediate qi, adjacency of guest qi, and combination of movement and qi, including Five Element mutual generation/restriction, regulation, and decline/excess. The natural climate change and disease prevalence situation in 1987 was: 1987 had a cool first half and a hot second half. People were prone to Liver diseases. The geographical location of disasters was the East Zhen Palace, around Shanghai in Eastern China. The climate changes in cold and heat were abrupt and contrasting: Spring should have been warm but was not, so the climate was cooler; Summer was hot; in Autumn, Winter, and Spring commands, although Autumn and Winter should be cold, there was an abnormal climate having the qi of one season at the time of another, making the climate warm like spring. Shellfish (such as hairy clams, shrimp, crabs, and other aquatic products) would suffer, and plagues would spread.

The climate characteristics of 1988 were a cool first half and a warm second half. Before early February in the lunar calendar, the climate was still relatively hot, and plagues were still spreading. After March (Spring Equinox) in the lunar calendar, the climate turned cool.

We verify whether the predictions of the Theory of Movements and Qi match the meteorological data provided by provincial and municipal meteorological bureaus?

Theory of Movements and Qi predicted that the latter half of 1987 would be hot. From the data: The average temperature in August 1987 was 31.8°C, while the 30-year average for August was 27.9°C, the former being 3.9°C higher than the latter; the average temperature in September 1987 was 24.9°C, while the 30-year average for September was 23.4°C, the former being 1.5°C higher; the average temperature in October 1987 was 21.3°C, while the 30-year average for October was 18.3°C, the former being 3.0°C higher; the average temperature in November 1987 was 13.4°C, while the 30-year average for November was 12.4°C, the former being 1.0°C higher. The monthly average temperature from August to November 1987 was 22.85°C, while the 30-year monthly average for August to November was 21.0°C, the former being 1.85°C higher over the four months. People clearly remember that after National Day in 1987, everyone was still wearing shirts.

The first half of 1988's climate was relatively cool. From the data: The monthly average temperature for February-March 1988 was 6.85°C, while the 30-year average for February-March was 7.65°C, the former being 0.8°C lower than the latter.

Statistical Table of Average Monthly Temperatures for 1987, 1988, and 1971~2000:

Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Year

1987 5.3 7.6 10.2 16.2 21.9 24.9 29 31.8 24.9 21.3 13.4 5.5

1988 5.6 5.0 8.7 17.4 22.3 27.4 36.6 29 24.2 21.1 11.8 7.1

1971~2000 4.3 5.7 9.6 15.8 20.7 24.4 28.4 27.9 23.4 18.3 12.4 6.8

Reviewing the actual climate conditions and the occurrence and spread of plagues in the Shanghai area from 1987 to 1988, they coincide with the predictions of the Theory of Movements and Qi.

Based on the predictions of the Theory of Movements and Qi and the actual incidence at the time, the author analyzed the etiology and pathogenesis of the Hepatitis A plague outbreak in Shanghai: Because the first half of the year was relatively cool and summer was hot, with sudden changes between cold and heat, people found it difficult to adapt to the rapid climate changes. Summer itself damages Qi due to summer heat, and people's immune resistance had already declined. At the time of autumn harvest and winter storage, when one should seal and consolidate one's own Yuan Qi, the climate reversed from cold to hot, acting like spring in winter, dissipating the Yuan Qi in the human body, and further reducing the immunity to resist evil pathogens.

"Wherever evil gathers, its qi must be deficient." When heat evil invaded the human body accompanied by hairy clams carrying the Hepatitis A virus, the Hepatitis A plague broke out, and people suffered. Due to deficiency of body and abundance of evil, it spread to surrounding areas (Hangzhou, Ningbo).

Until after the Spring Equinox of 1988, because the climate began to become cool and cold, cold can overcome heat; and people had learned lessons from the plague, stopped eating harmful aquatic products, "must nourish and harmonize, wait for recovery," paid attention to diet, nutrition, and daily life, allowing the body's righteous Qi to gradually recover. Therefore, after the Spring Equinox, the plague began to converge and gradually subside.

After entering autumn in 1987, the author discovered the plague beginning to spread. Based on the treatment principle of "cold can overcome heat" provided by the Theory of Movements and Qi, and the specific symptoms of the disease, the formula "Fang Gan No. 1" (Hepatitis Prevention No. 1) was prescribed. It used bitter-cold herbs such as Dahqingye (Isatis Leaf), Shanzhi (Gardenia Fruit), Huangqin (Scutellaria Root), and Jiaogulan (Gynostemma Pentaphyllum). At that time, the author served as the Director of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and directed the preparation room to produce "Fang Gan No. 1." Because "Fang Gan" had good efficacy in treating liver diseases, people competed to buy it. Despite working day and night, supply could not meet demand, achieving both social and economic benefits. On the day of the Spring Equinox, I ordered the cessation of production of "Fang Gan No. 1." Facts proved that the plague had begun to subside. However, many units continued blind production, causing drug accumulation and waste.

Fourteen years have passed since the Shanghai Hepatitis A plague. Calmly reflecting, what should we ponder? Spring warms, summer heats, autumn dries, winter chills; the four seasons' climate comes with heat and goes with cold. This is an objective law. Through long-term life and production practices, the ancients knew from the periodic changes in celestial body movements that climate changes, phenology, and the occurrence of human diseases all follow certain regular patterns. For example, the sixty-year cycle of Jiazi is calculated based on the least common multiple of the orbits of the five major planets. "All these regular cycles," "regular cycle" means a fixed time, such as the sixty-year Jiazi cycle. Meteorologists have also confirmed that the meteorological changes in a Jiazi cycle have periodic laws. The ancients noticed the close relationship between various epidemic diseases and seasonal changes, noted the commonalities in climate among different years, and also noted the differences in climate among different years, thereby summarizing a set of regular predictive methods. The prediction of the Theory of Movements and Qi regarding the Shanghai Hepatitis A outbreak is a corroboration. If meteorological, medical, environmental protection, and epidemic prevention departments had warned people in 1987 to "be cautious in daily life and moderate in diet" to preserve their own righteous Qi, avoiding the harm of abnormal climates (excessive or insufficient, having the qi of one season at the time of another) to the human body, and warned people not to eat aquatic products like hairy clams contaminated with the Hepatitis A virus due to water pollution, then the losses caused by the plague could have been minimized, people's health effectively protected, and the technology of Chinese medicine become a driving force for productivity development.

The sixty-year Jiazi cycle implies that climate changes and disease occurrences every year and every season are periodic, but certainly not simple repetitions; rather, they are dynamic changes. For example, some diseases spread widely in certain years with severe clinical manifestations, while in other years they spread less with milder manifestations. Therefore, one cannot mechanically understand the Theory of Movements and Qi but must apply it objectively, dialectically, and dynamically. *Wu Chang Zheng Da Lun* says: "Earth has high and low places, qi has warm and cool temperatures. High places have cold qi, low places have hot qi." *Zhi Zhen Yao Da Lun* more explicitly states: "Times have constant positions, but qi does not necessarily follow." We cannot view and apply the Theory of Movements and Qi rigidly. Admittedly, natural disasters and man-made calamities may be unavoidable, but we can achieve prevention before illness and early treatment if ill. Because climate changes and disease prevalence can be influenced by humans. Under certain conditions and to a certain extent, humans can control natural changes and disease prevalence. The motherland is currently emphasizing environmental protection, afforestation, returning farmland to forests, preventing desertification, treating sewage, purifying air, strengthening food hygiene supervision, etc. These are measures to improve the ecological environment, a great cause benefiting future generations.

Studying the Theory of Movements and Qi is to fully utilize it to serve humanity. *Tian Yuan Ji Da Lun* says: "I wish to hear and store it, to govern the people above, and to govern the self below, making the common people clear, superiors and inferiors harmonious, virtue and grace flow downward, descendants worry-free, passed down to later generations without end... The mechanism of numbers is urgent and subtle. Its coming can be seen, its going can be pursued. Those who respect it prosper, those who despise it perish. Those who act selfishly without principle will surely suffer premature disaster." To better safeguard people's health, there is an urgent need for us to seriously and meticulously study and explore the laws of natural climate changes. We can predict upcoming climate changes; we can explore and explain past phenomena, master their changing laws, and seriously act according to natural laws. If subjectively violated, serious consequences and disasters (such as the 1987 Hepatitis A plague) will inevitably result. Therefore, the Theory of Movements and Qi must not only be mastered but also popularized, so that everyone understands it, ensuring it forever benefits humanity and is passed down through generations.

Let the ancient Chinese medicine continue to shine more brilliantly, safeguarding people's healthier and happier lives. This is the responsibility entrusted to us by history.

Part Four

Chinese Materia Medica

I. Ginseng