典藏书目

Wei syndrome (flaccidity syndrome) with lung deficiency often presents with a superficial and slow pulse, or a choppy, tight, fine, or soggy pulse. This explains the meaning of the pulse and symptoms of wei syndrome. "Wei" means to collapse; foot flaccidity with inability to use implies a state of listlessness and lack of vigor. As stated by Qibo in *Suwen: Pi Lun* (Plain Questions: Treatise on Flaccidity): When the lungs are hot and scorched, causing the skin and hair to become weak, thin, and adherent, wei syndrome arises. Thus, wei syndrome mostly originates from lung deficiency. The pulse is often superficial and slow, or choppy, tight, fine, or soggy. The superficial quality corresponds to the skin and hair; the slow quality to the muscles; the choppy quality to the blood vessels; the tight quality to the sinews; and the fine and soggy qualities to the bone marrow. Therefore, when treating wei syndrome, one must simultaneously observe the Ying-Shu points of each zang organ, examine the excess or deficiency of the pulse, determine whether tonification or unblocking is appropriate, so that the adverse and favorable states can be harmonized, excess and deficiency can be regulated, and the disease will be cured.

Wind-cold-dampness combining to form Bi syndrome, with floating, choppy, and tight pulses all present, explains the meaning of the pulse and symptoms of bi syndrome. Qibo said: The three qi of wind, cold, and dampness mix together to form bi syndrome. If wind qi prevails, it is called Xing-bi (Wandering Bi); if cold qi prevails, it is called Tong-bi (Painful Bi); if dampness qi prevails, it is called Zhuo-bi (Fixed Bi). A floating, choppy, and tight pulse indicates that floating corresponds to wind, choppy to dampness, and tight to cold. Only when these three qualities appear within a single pulse does it signify the mixed combination of the three pathogens. If among the mixed pathogens one pathogen is predominant, one must further examine whether the floating, choppy, or tight quality is more pronounced to distinguish them.

The five types of Dan jaundice with excess-heat must have a surging and rapid pulse; choppy and fine pulses belong to deficiency. One must strictly avoid inducing thirst. This explains the meaning of the pulse and symptoms of the five types of Dan jaundice. "Dan" refers to yellow jaundice. There are five types of yellow jaundice: Shi-dan (Damp Jaundice), Gu-dan (Grain Jaundice), Nu-lao-dan (Female Labor Jaundice), Jiu-dan (Alcoholic Jaundice), and Huang-han (Yellow Sweat). In essence, the Spleen and Stomach are the overall managers, while damp-heat is the root cause. The Spleen and Stomach belong to Earth, connect with muscles, and govern the four limbs. They transform dampness, their color is yellow, their nature is stagnant and fixed, and their pulse is slow and moderate. They fear Wood (wind), yet they appreciate the drying nature of wind; they are controlled by Water (cold), yet they dislike the wetness of water. If there is no internal stagnation of the Spleen and Stomach, and no external confrontation with wind-dampness, even if there are external pathogens, the Qi mechanism flows freely. Without steaming heat, how could jaundice arise? All five types of Dan jaundice belong to damp-heat because jaundice results from the depression of dampness and heat, which cannot circulate outward nor excrete inward, leading to steaming and turning yellow. If the body is loose and deficient with open pathways for excretion, jaundice cannot form. Thus, it is said that if it is excess-heat, the pulse should naturally be surging and rapid; if choppy and fine, it should naturally be deficiency-type yellow jaundice. Thirst indicates interior heat; yellow indicates exterior steaming. With extreme heat in both the interior and exterior, how can Yin endure? Furthermore, since jaundice involves dampness depression with blocked sweating and urination, can one add drinking fluids? Thirst leads to excessive drinking, which is therefore strictly contraindicated.