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The qi of wine is fierce, thus it reaches the Lower Jiao (Lower Burner) directly; the substance of wine is clear, thus it moves rapidly without stagnation. Therefore, the classics state: "Wine is the liquid of cooked grains." Its qi is both fierce and clear, so it enters after food but excretes as fluid before food.

The nature of wine is extremely capable of ascending and dispersing. If one drinks boiling wine continuously every day, it will inevitably turn the qi of the Xiawan (lower stomach) upward to the Zhongwan (middle stomach) and Shangwan (upper stomach). This may cause the Huiyuan (pylorus) to close and become obstructed. Moreover, scalding wine entering from the throat burns the Shangwan day after day, gradually creating a scene resembling putrefaction and digestion. The vital qi disappears, and the passage becomes narrower and more constricted, allowing only water but not grain to pass. Such cases exist; this is why drinking often leads to Ge Zheng (Dysphagia/Obstruction syndrome).

Wine is the liquid of water and grain, and blood is the essence of water and grain. When wine enters the Middle Jiao, it seeks its own kind, so it first enters the Blood aspect. The fact that those who drink wine have red bodies and faces is evidence of this. However, blood belongs to Yin and has a gentle nature, while wine belongs to Yang and has a fierce qi. Blood desires stillness, but wine agitates it; blood desires storage, but wine disrupts it. Since blood cannot move without Qi, when blood is disrupted, Qi is also disrupted; when Qi scatters, Blood also scatters. After such turmoil, there is no case where Blood and Qi are not depleted. In youth and strength, when Blood is strong and Qi is vigorous, one does not feel the harm. But when vitality declines in middle age, strength is insufficient to resist, and old accumulations become disasters, which cannot be controlled. The harm of wine regarding lifespan is significant; how can one fail to know moderation?

Most human diseases arise from excessive desires. Thus, those who practice desire restraint, although they may not necessarily achieve immortality, can certainly ward off disease. The superior physician treats disease before it arises; the inferior physician treats disease after it has arisen. Once diseased, tracing the cause reveals it stems from lack of caution. One should urgently distance oneself from sexual activity and cut off cravings and desires; perhaps then recovery is possible. People taking tonics to seek immortality are deluded! Worse still are those who take tonics daily to fuel licentiousness; they are deeply deluded.

If the Kidney contains excess Yin and deficient Yang, cold generates internally. Adding external cold strikes straight through or buries Yang inside or forces Yang outward. The person dies within moments. Therefore, Zhang Zhongjing considers Cold Strike (Zhong Han) an acute disease. The pulse in Cold Strike must be faint. Treating Cold Strike, one worries only about the loss of Yang, not the loss of Yin.

When Cold invades the Shaoyin channel, executing severe measures, it buries the slight Yang. Symptoms include face white as if scraped, skin with gooseflesh, shivering without sweat, curling up holding clothes, silence without thirst, cold limbs extending past elbows and knees, vomiting and diarrhea with clear/cold discharge, and clear/profuse urination. Urgently use Aconite Radix Preparata (Fuzi) and Dried Ginger (Ganjiang), each 3-5 qian, add Scallion White (Congbai) to disperse cold, and add Porcine Bile (Zhuyuran) to guide into the Yin aspect. Fearing the medicinal power may be insufficient, place Congbai on the navel, heat charcoal in an ironing pan, and moxa/warm compress two or three cakes repeatedly. For severe cases, further apply moxibustion to Guanyuan (CV4) and Qihai (CV6) for 20-30 moxa cones. Internal and external attacks together break the solidified cold. Any delay means failure; this is the first difficulty.

If the person's True Yang is inherently unstable and Couli (pores/skin texture) inherently weak, they present with cold body and profuse sweating, or apparent false heat and irritability. This is Yin excess internally forcing Yang to escape externally. Using Aconite Radix Preparata (Fuzi), Dried Ginger (Ganjiang), and Porcine Bile, one must NOT add Scallion White or apply warm compression/moxibustion, fearing it aids dispersion, causing Qi to escape with sweat, preventing Yang from returning internally. One should stop the sweating, abruptly administer the aforementioned medicine, modify according to symptoms, and protect the Couli. Otherwise, Yang may escape again; this is the second difficulty.

Using Aconite Radix Preparata (Fuzi) and Dried Ginger (Ganjiang) to overcome Yin and restore Yang is like cavalry charging into heavy encirclement, raising flags to signal scattered Yang to converge, reuniting shortly. Those unaware of this principle add more herbs, mixing them into decoctions, which restricts the vigorous penetrating momentum. This leads to ineffectiveness against sluggish conditions; this is the third difficulty.

For treating sudden Cold Strike, after using Aconite and Ginger Decoction, when Yin scatters and Yang returns, body warms, remove Scallion White and Porcine Bile from the previous formula. Add Angelica Sinensis Root (Danggui) and Cinnamon Bark (Rougui) to drive out Cold evil in the Ying (Nutritive) level. Add White Honey to moderate the fierce nature of Aconite and Ginger, because Cold evil attacking humans first injures Ying Blood. Otherwise, the medicine favors Wei (Defensive) level and neglects Ying level, mismatching the disease. Evil will not be fully eliminated; victory is unlikely; this is the fourth difficulty.

After using Aconite, Ginger, Angelica, and Cinnamon Decoction, when Yang is about to return and Yin-Cold slightly subsides, add Ginseng Root (Renshen), Licorice Root (Gancao), and Jujube Fruit (Dazao) to the base formula to regulate Yuan Qi and supply resources, securing victory from the rear. Otherwise, the fierce nature of Aconite and Ginger will attack upwards without restraint; this is the fifth difficulty.

After 2-3 doses of Aconite, Ginger, Angelica, Cinnamon, Ginseng, and Licorice Decoction, if Yang has returned, body is warm, complexion lively, hands/feet warm, vomiting/diarrhea alleviated, add large amounts of Astragalus Root (Huangqi), Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome (Baizhu), Schisandra Berry (Wuweizi), and White Peony Root (Baishao) for balanced Yin-Yang tonification. Do not stop. If one delays follow-up care, previous efforts will be lost; this is the sixth difficulty.

Using a large group of acrid-warm and neutral-tonifying agents to cultivate Yin and protect Yang: even if the patient usually has Phlegm-Heat, since Yang emerged from Yin, it has already transformed into cold. Here, although invisible Yin-Cold is scattered, visible Cold-Phlegm blocking orifices and collaterals exists. It cannot suddenly transform into Heat. Although Aconite and Ginger are no longer needed, all Cooling/Cold medicines must absolutely be avoided. If one wrongly administers Cold medicines due to pre-existing Phlegm-Heat, Yin regains dominance, Yang becomes agitated, and previous efforts are lost; this is the seventh difficulty.

After previous neutral-tonifying treatment, indicating a shift from martial to civil/restorative approach: if stubborn Phlegm remains accumulated in collaterals, only Sweet-Cold Qi-assisting opening agents should be used, such as Ophiopogon Tuber (Maidong), Pear Juice, Bamboo Sap (Zhuli), Ginseng, Astragalus, Licorice, and White Peony. Pungent/Spicy agents aiding Heat and obstruction are unsuitable. Pungent agents were initially used out of necessity for their toxicity; once Yang is settled, Yin should be nourished. Why seek merit and create trouble, leaving medicine behind after disease leaves, causing other ailments and unrest? This is the eighth difficulty.

Earth contains Water; Water contains Fire; Fire contains Wind. Thus, slight movement of Earth Qi causes disaster; major movement causes Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind wheels to rotate simultaneously, soon destroying space, mixing everything into one zone. All formed things in heaven and earth return to ruin. Yet, when Earth Qi moves greatly, the world does not perish quickly because Xuanzhen Zhenwu (True Warrior of Mystery) guards the North, subduing dragons and snakes so they do not rise. Thus, Earth moves but Water stays still; Water still, so Fire in Water and Wind in Fire remain still. Zhang Zhongjing uses Zhenwu Decoction for Yin-excess Yang-loss syndromes to save from reversal—is this not the reason? So, whenever disease shows Yin-Evil yellowing hair, invading upper clear pathways, presenting with fear of cold, abdominal pain, upper vomiting/lower diarrhea, profuse sweating, muscle twitching/tendon palpitation, one must immediately guard the gate, employing Zhenwu's garrison method, following Zhang Zhongjing's secret, ensuring safety. If missed and untreated, soon Turbid Yin enters from chest upward: throat swelling/bi, tongue swelling, eyes protruding; or from back upward: neck veins enlarged, head/neck icy, turning blue/purple whole body and dying. Is this not like Earth Qi adding heavenly calamity? Only by abruptly administering pure-Yang drugs like Aconite and Ginger, urgently driving Yin-Evil out via Yin orifices downward, is it equivalent to swiftly sweeping Turbid Yin back to Earth? However, one must completely drive out Yin from Yang gaps, leaving none, to achieve rebirth—equivalent to washing away residual Heavenly Qi to restore harmony?

In treating Yin diseases, if it transforms into a Yang disease, it heals spontaneously without medicine; even if not, one dose of Yin-level medicine to balance the deviation ensures cure.