钱仲阳云。泻利黄赤黑。皆热也。泻利清白。米谷不化。皆冷也。东垣云。白者湿热伤于气
分。赤者湿热伤于血分。赤白相杂。气血相乱也。罗谦甫云。小儿下利色白。大都受寒。下利脓
血。大都受热与食积。薛云。手足指热。饮冷者为实热。香连丸。手足指冷。饮热者为虚寒。理
苓汤。若兼体重肢痛。湿热伤脾也。升阳益胃汤。小便不利。阴阳不分也。五苓散。若湿热退而
久痢不愈者。脾气下陷也。补中益气汤倍升、柴。泻利兼呕。或腹中作痛者。脾胃虚寒也。异功
散加炮姜、木香。或变而为疟者。六君子加升、柴。若积滞已去。利仍不止者。脾气虚也。四君
子加肉果。有寒。加吴茱萸、炮姜。有热。
加炒黑宣连。丸服尤妙。
实热则大便秘结。虚寒则肛门脱出。因吐泻脾虚。肺无所养。故大肠气虚下脱也。补中益气
为主。若脱出绯赤。或作痛者。血虚有热也。本方加丹皮、芍药。甚则加川连。外用槐角煎汤熏
洗。若色淡不肿不痛。无血。此属气虚。只用补中益气以升举之。或加乌梅以收敛之。大凡手足
指热。属胃热。手足指寒。属胃寒。若小儿肛痒或嗜甘肥。大肠湿热壅滞。或湿毒生虫而啮蚀肛
门者。内服肥儿丸。外以雄黄、铜绿为散纳肛门。若因病不食。虫无养而蚀肛者为狐惑。黄连犀
角散。若蚀肛透内者不治。
钱仲阳说：泻痢大便颜色黄、赤、黑，都属于热证；泻痢大便颜色清白，且夹杂未消化的食物残渣，都属于寒证。
李东垣说：白痢是湿热损伤了气分；赤痢是湿热损伤了血分；赤白相杂的痢疾，则是气血相互紊乱所致。
罗谦甫说：小儿下利（腹泻）颜色发白的，大多是因为受寒；下利脓血的，大多是因为受热以及食积。
薛己说：如果手足指头发热，且喜欢喝冷饮的，属于实热证，可用香连丸治疗；如果手足指头发冷，且喜欢喝热水的，属于虚寒证，可用理苓汤治疗。如果兼有身体沉重、肢体疼痛的症状，这是湿热损伤了脾脏，可用升阳益胃汤治疗。如果小便不通畅，这是阴阳之气不能分清，可用五苓散治疗。如果湿热消退但久痢不愈，这是脾气下陷，可用补中益气汤并增加升麻、柴胡的用量。如果泻痢同时伴有呕吐，或者腹部作痛，这是脾胃虚寒，可用异功散加炮姜、木香治疗。如果病情变化转为疟疾，可用六君子汤加升麻、柴胡治疗。如果积滞已经去除，但腹泻仍然不止，这是脾气虚弱，可用四君子汤加肉豆蔻治疗；如果有寒象，加吴茱萸、炮姜；如果有热象，加炒黑后的宣黄连，制成丸药服用尤其好。
实热证会导致大便秘结；虚寒证会导致肛门脱出。这是因为吐泻导致脾虚，肺脏得不到滋养，所以大肠气虚而下脱。治疗以补中益气汤为主。如果脱出的肛门呈现绯红色，或者感到疼痛，这是血虚且有热，可在原方中加入牡丹皮、芍药；严重时加入川黄连。外用槐角煎汤熏洗患处。如果脱出的肛门颜色淡白，不肿也不痛，没有出血，这属于气虚，只用补中益气汤来升举阳气，或者加入乌梅来收敛固涩。大凡手足指头发热的，属于胃热；手足指头发冷的，属于胃寒。如果小儿肛门瘙痒，或者嗜好甜食和肥腻食物，导致大肠湿热壅滞，或者湿毒生虫侵蚀肛门，内服肥儿丸，外用雄黄、铜绿研末纳入肛门。如果因病不能进食，虫子因缺乏营养而侵蚀肛门，这种情况称为“狐惑”，可用黄连犀角散治疗。如果侵蚀穿透到体内深处的，则无法治愈。
Qian Zhongyang stated: Diarrhea and dysentery with yellow, red, or black stool all indicate Heat syndromes. Diarrhea and dysentery with clear and white stool, containing undigested food residues, all indicate Cold syndromes.
Li Dongyuan stated: White dysentery indicates Damp-Heat injuring the Qi level (Qi Fen). Red dysentery indicates Damp-Heat injuring the Blood level (Xue Fen). Dysentery with mixed red and white stool indicates chaos between Qi and Blood.
Luo Qianfu stated: In children, diarrhea with white color is mostly due to Cold invasion. Diarrhea with pus and blood is mostly due to Heat and Food Stagnation.
Xue Ji stated: If the fingers of the hands and feet are hot and the patient prefers cold drinks, it is a Excess Heat syndrome, treatable with Xianglian Wan (Coptis and Cinnamon Pill). If the fingers of the hands and feet are cold and the patient prefers hot drinks, it is a Deficiency Cold syndrome, treatable with Liling Tang (Poria and Bupleurum Decoction). If accompanied by heavy body and limb pain, this indicates Damp-Heat injuring the Spleen, treatable with Shengyang Yizhe Tang (Raise Yang and Benefit Stomach Decoction). If urination is difficult, this indicates Yin and Yang failing to distinguish clearly, treatable with Wuling San (Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria). If Damp-Heat subsides but chronic dysentery persists, this indicates Spleen Qi sinking, treatable with Buzhong Yiqi Tang (Tonify the Middle and Benefit Qi Decoction) with increased doses of Shengma (Cimicifugae Rhizoma) and Chaihu (Bupleuri Radix). If diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting or abdominal pain, this indicates Spleen and Stomach Deficiency Cold, treatable with Yigong San (Yi Gong Powder) plus Paoyang (Prepared Ginger) and Muxiang (Aucklandiae Radix). If the condition transforms into malaria, use Liujunzi Tang (Six-Gentleman Decoction) plus Shengma and Chaihu. If stagnation has cleared but diarrhea continues, this indicates Spleen Qi deficiency, treatable with Sijunzi Tang (Four-Gentleman Decoction) plus Roudoukou (Myristicae Semen). If Cold signs are present, add Wuzhuyu (Evodiae Fructus) and Paoyang; if Heat signs are present, add Chaohuang Xuanlian (Stir-fried Black Coptidis Rhizoma); taking it as pills is particularly effective.
Excess Heat leads to constipation. Deficiency Cold leads to rectal prolapse. This occurs because vomiting and diarrhea cause Spleen deficiency, leaving the Lung without nourishment, resulting in Deficiency of Large Intestine Qi and subsequent prolapse. Treatment primarily focuses on Buzhong Yiqi Tang. If the prolapsed tissue is crimson or painful, this indicates Blood deficiency with Heat, adding Mudanpi (Moutan Cortex) and Shaoyao (Paeoniae Radix) to the formula; in severe cases, add Chuanlian (Coptidis Rhizoma). Externally, wash and fumigate with Huaijiao (Sophorae Tonkinensis Fruit) decoction. If the prolapsed tissue is pale, non-swollen, non-painful, and without bleeding, this belongs to Qi deficiency. Use only Buzhong Yiqi Tang to raise and lift the Qi, or add Wumei (Mume Fructus) to astringe. Generally, hot fingers of hands and feet belong to Stomach Heat; cold fingers of hands and feet belong to Stomach Cold. If children have anal itching or a preference for sweets and fatty foods, leading to Damp-Heat congestion in the Large Intestine, or wet toxins generating parasites that erode the anus, internally administer Fei'er Wan (Fatten Child Pill) and externally apply powder of Xionghuang (Realgar) and Tonglv (Chalcanthite) into the anus. If the child cannot eat due to illness, and parasites erode the anus due to lack of nourishment, this condition is called "Huhe" (Fox-Hu Syndrome), treatable with Huanglian Xijiao San (Coptis and Rhinoceros Horn Powder). If the erosion penetrates inward deeply, it is incurable.