凡伤寒饮水，因内水消竭，欲得外水自救，若大渴欲饮一升，止可与一碗，常令不足，不可太
过。若恣饮过量，使水停心下，则为水结胸，留于胃则为噎、为哕，溢于皮肤则为肿，蓄于下焦则
为癃，渗于肠间则为痢下，皆饮水太多之过也。又不可不与，又不可强与，故曰∶若还不与非其治
，强饮须教别病生也。
凡阳明病口燥，但欲 水而不欲咽者，以热在经，而里无热也，必将为衄，不可与凉药。
按∶饮水一证，本以内热极而阳毒甚者最其相宜，若似乎止宜实邪，不宜于虚邪也，而不知虚
证亦有不同。如阳虚无火者，其不宜水无待言也，其有阴虚火盛者，元气既弱，精血又枯，多见舌
裂唇焦，大渴喜冷，三焦如焚，二便闭结等证，使非藉天一之精，何以济然眉之急？故先宜以冰水
解其标，而继以甘温培其本，水药兼进，无不可也。其有内真寒，外假热，阴盛格阳等证，察其元
气，则非用甘温必不足以挽回，察其喉舌，则些微辛热又不可以近口。有如是者，则但将甘温大补
之剂，或单用人参煎成汤液，用水浸极冷而饮之，此以假冷之味，解上焦之假热，而真温之性，复
下焦之真阳，是非用水而实亦用水之意，余用此活人多矣，诚妙之甚者也。惟是假热之证，则证虽
热而脉则微，口虽渴而便则不闭者，此而欲水，必不可与，若误犯之，则其败泄元阳，为害不小，
有不可不慎也。
凡是伤寒病患者饮水，是因为体内津液耗竭，想要通过外部水分来自救。如果患者极度口渴想喝一升水，只能给一碗，要让他常感不足，不可过量。如果放纵饮用过量，导致水饮停滞在心下，就会形成水结胸；停留在胃中，就会导致噎膈、呃逆；溢于皮肤，就会引起浮肿；蓄积在下焦，就会导致小便不通；渗入肠间，就会导致痢疾腹泻，这些都是因为饮水过多造成的过错。
但是又不能完全不给水，也不能强行灌水，所以说：“如果不给予正确的治疗（指控制水量），强行饮水必须会导致产生其他疾病。”
凡是阳明病患者口燥，只想喝水却不想咽下，这是因为热邪在经络，而脏腑内部没有实热，这种情况必将发生鼻衄，不可使用凉药。
按语：关于饮水这一病症，原本是因为内热极盛、阳毒严重的人最适宜饮水，看起来似乎只适合实证邪气，不适合虚证邪气，但不知道虚证也有不同情况。比如阳气虚弱而无火者，不适宜用水是不言而喻的；而有阴虚火旺者，元气已经虚弱，精血又干枯，常见舌裂唇焦、极度口渴喜冷饮、三焦如火烧、大小便闭结等症状，如果不是借助天一之精（指水/肾精）来解救燃眉之急，该怎么办？所以先用冰水解除表面症状，继用甘温药物培补根本，水与药同时进服，没有不可以的。
那些内有真寒、外有假热、阴盛格阳等证候的患者，观察其元气，则非用甘温大补之剂不足以挽回生机；观察其喉舌，则少许辛热药物又不可以入口。有这样的情况，就只用甘温大补的药剂，或者单用人参煎成汤液，用水浸泡至极冷后饮用，这是用假冷的味道来解除上焦的假热，而用真正的温热性质来恢复下焦的真阳，这虽然不是直接用水治病，实则也是用水的意思，我使用这种方法治愈了很多人，确实非常巧妙。
只是对于假热证候，虽然症状表现为热，但脉象微弱，口虽渴但大小便并不闭结，这种情况下想要喝水，绝对不能给予，如果误犯此禁忌，则会败泄元阳，危害不小，必须谨慎对待。
In cases of Shanghan (Cold Damage) where the patient desires to drink water, it is because the internal fluids are exhausted, and they seek external water for self-rescue. If the patient is extremely thirsty and wishes to drink one sheng (a unit of volume), only provide one bowl; always keep them slightly unsatisfied, do not allow excessive intake. If drinking is indulged in excessively, causing water retention under the heart, it results in Water Jie Xiong (Water Binding Chest); if retained in the stomach, it leads to dysphagia (Yi) or hiccups (Yue); if overflowing into the skin, it causes edema; if accumulating in the Lower Jiao (Lower Burner), it causes urinary difficulty (Long); if seeping into the intestines, it causes dysentery. All these are faults caused by excessive water intake.
However, water cannot be withheld entirely, nor can it be forced upon the patient. Thus it is said: "If proper treatment (regarding water intake) is not applied, forcing water consumption will inevitably generate other diseases."
In Yangming disease, where there is dryness in the mouth, a desire to drink water but no desire to swallow, it is because the heat is in the meridians, while there is no heat in the interior. This condition will likely result in epistaxis (nosebleed), and cooling medicines should not be administered.
Commentary: The issue of water intake is originally most suitable for those with extreme internal heat and severe Yang toxicity. It appears that this applies only to excess pathogens and not deficiency pathogens; however, deficiency patterns vary. For instance, in cases of Yang deficiency without fire, avoiding water is obvious. But in cases of Yin deficiency with flourishing fire, where Yuan Qi (Original Qi) is weak and essence and blood are depleted, symptoms such as cracked tongue, scorched lips, extreme thirst preferring cold drinks, burning sensation in the Three Jiao (Triple Burner), and constipation of both urine and feces are common. If one does not rely on Tian Yi Zhi Jing (Essence of Heaven One, referring to water/kidney essence) to relieve the urgent situation, what else can be done? Therefore, initially use ice water to resolve the superficial symptoms, followed by sweet-warm herbs to cultivate the root. Administering both water and medicine simultaneously is acceptable.
In cases presenting with true cold inside and false heat outside, or Yin exuberance repelling Yang, observing the Yuan Qi indicates that only sweet-warm tonic agents can restore vitality; observing the throat and tongue shows that even slight pungent-warm substances cannot be tolerated. In such cases, use only sweet-warm grand tonifying formulas, or simply decoct Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix) alone into a liquid, soak it in water until extremely cold, and then drink it. This uses the taste of false cold to resolve the false heat of the Upper Jiao, while the true warm nature restores the true Yang of the Lower Jiao. Although this is not using water as a direct cure, it essentially utilizes the principle of water. I have saved many lives using this method; it is truly ingenious.
However, in cases of false heat, although the symptoms appear hot, the pulse is faint, and although the mouth is dry/thirsty, urination and defecation are not obstructed. In such instances, if the patient desires water, it must absolutely not be given. If this contraindication is mistakenly violated, it will damage and drain the Yuan Yang (Original Yang), causing significant harm. Caution is essential.