古今治痢，皆曰热则清之，寒则温之，初起热盛则下之，有表症则汗之，小便赤涩则分利之，此五者
举世信用如规矩准绳，不可易。予谓五者惟清热一法无忌，余则犯四大忌，不可用也，今详于后。
一曰忌温补
痢之为病由于湿热蕴积，胶滞于肠胃中而发也。宜清邪热，导滞气，行瘀血，其病即去。若用参术
等温补之药，则热愈热，气愈滞，而血亦凝，久之正气虚，邪气盛，不可疗矣。此投温补之祸为最烈也。
一曰忌大下
痢因邪热胶滞肠胃而成，与沟渠壅塞相似，惟用磨利疏通则愈。若用承气汤大下之，譬如欲
清壅塞之渠，而注狂澜之水，壅塞必不可去，无不岸崩堤塌矣。治痢而大下之，胶滞必不可去，徒伤胃气，损元气而已。
正气伤损，邪气不可除，壮者犹可，弱者危矣。
一曰忌发汗
痢者头痛目眩，身发寒热者，此非外感，乃因毒熏蒸自内达外，虽有表症，实非表邪也。若发汗则正气
既耗，邪气益肆。且风剂燥热愈助热邪，表虚于外，邪炽于内、鲜不毙矣。
一曰忌分利
利小便者，治水泻之良法也。以之治痢则大千矣。痢因邪热交滞，津液枯涩而成。若用五苓等剂分利
其水，则津液愈枯，而涩愈甚，遂至缠绵不己，则分利之为害也。若清热导滞，则痢自愈，
而小便自清，又安用分利为哉。
古今治疗痢疾，都说热证用清热法，寒证用温里法，初起热盛时用攻下法，有表证时用发汗法，小便赤涩时用分利（通利小便）法，这五种方法举世信任，如同规矩准绳一样，不可改变。我认为这五种方法中只有清热一法没有禁忌，其余四种都犯了四大忌讳，不能使用，现在详细列在后面。
第一种是忌用温补
痢疾这种病是由于湿热蕴结积聚，胶滞于肠胃中而发作的。应当清解邪热，疏导滞气，行散瘀血，病就能去除。如果使用人参、白术等温补的药物，就会使热更热，气更滞，血也凝滞，时间久了正气虚弱，邪气强盛，就无法治愈了。这是投用温补药的祸害最为猛烈。
第二种是忌用峻下
痢疾是因为邪热胶滞于肠胃而成，与沟渠堵塞相似，只有用磨利疏通的方法才能痊愈。如果使用承气汤进行峻下，譬如想要清理堵塞的沟渠，却注入狂暴的水流，堵塞必然不能去除，只会导致河岸崩塌、堤坝倒塌。治疗痢疾而用峻下法，胶滞之物必然不能去除，只是徒然损伤胃气，损害元气罢了。正气受损，邪气无法清除，身体强壮的人还可以承受，身体虚弱的人就危险了。
第三种是忌用发汗
痢疾患者出现头痛目眩，身体发冷发热，这并不是外感风寒，而是因为毒邪熏蒸，从内达外，虽然表面有表证，实际上并非表邪所致。如果发汗，正气已经耗损，邪气更加放肆。而且风药性燥热，更加助长热邪，导致外表虚损，邪气炽盛于内部，很少有不死亡的。
第四种是忌用分利
利小便，是治疗水泻的好方法。用它来治疗痢疾就大错特错了。痢疾是因为邪热交结阻滞，津液枯涩而形成的。如果使用五苓散等剂型分利其水，那么津液会更加枯竭，涩滞更加严重，以至于缠绵不愈，这就是分利法的危害。如果清热导滞，痢疾自然痊愈，而小便自然清澈，又何必用分利法呢？
Throughout history, the treatment of dysentery has always stated that heat is cleared with cooling methods, cold is warmed with warming methods, initial excess heat is purged with downward-draining methods, exterior syndromes are resolved with sweating methods, and red, scanty, or difficult urination is treated with diaphoretic/diuretic methods (promoting urination). These five approaches are universally trusted like compasses and squares, unchangeable. I assert that among these five, only the method of clearing heat has no taboos; the others all violate four major contraindications and should not be used. These are detailed below.
The first is the taboo against warming and tonifying.
Dysentery arises from damp-heat accumulating and stagnating within the intestines and stomach. It should be treated by clearing pathogenic heat, guiding out stagnation, and moving blood stasis, after which the disease will resolve. If warming and tonifying herbs such as Renshen (Ginseng Radix) and Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) are used, heat increases, qi stagnates further, and blood coagulates. Over time, righteous qi becomes deficient while pathogenic qi becomes excessive, making it incurable. The disaster caused by administering warming and tonifying agents is the most severe.
The second is the taboo against drastic purgation.
Dysentery results from pathogenic heat adhering and stagnating in the intestines and stomach, resembling a blocked canal. Only by grinding away and unblocking can it heal. If Chengqi Tang (Major Order the Qi Decoction) is used for drastic purgation, it is like attempting to clear a blocked canal by pouring in raging floodwaters; the blockage cannot be removed, resulting inevitably in the collapse of banks and dikes. Treating dysentery with drastic purgation fails to remove the adherent stagnation, merely injuring Stomach qi and depleting Yuan qi (Original qi). With righteous qi damaged, pathogenic qi cannot be eliminated. Those who are robust may survive, but those who are weak face danger.
The third is the taboo against inducing sweating.
When dysentery patients present with headache, vertigo, and alternating chills and fever, this is not an external contraction but rather toxicity steaming outward from within. Although there appear to be exterior signs, they are not truly exterior pathogens. Inducing sweating consumes righteous qi and allows pathogenic qi to spread unchecked. Furthermore, wind-dispelling agents are dry and hot, further assisting pathogenic heat, leaving the exterior deficient and internal pathogenic fire blazing; few escape death.
The fourth is the taboo against promoting urination.
Promoting urination is an excellent method for treating watery diarrhea. Using it for dysentery is a grave error. Dysentery forms due to the intermingling and stagnation of pathogenic heat, leading to the withering and drying of body fluids. If formulas such as Wuling San (Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria) are used to promote urination, body fluids become even more depleted, and dryness/stagnation worsens, leading to lingering, intractable illness. This is the harm caused by promoting urination. If pathogenic heat is cleared and stagnation guided out, dysentery heals spontaneously, and urination clears naturally; why resort to promoting urination?