外疡非无寒病也。天寒则水泽腹坚，人血凝涩留着不行，壅而为疡，理有固然，无足怪
者。然而疡病之寒，只是阳凝之气，袭于络脉，非脏腑之真寒可比。故治寒之剂，温经宣络
，疏而通之，一举手间无余蕴矣，固无所用其大温大热，九牛二虎之力者也。以颐所见外疡
之宜于温养者言之，大约只有二种证候。一则脑疽、背疽，寒之在于经络者也。其外形且多
红肿发热，惟病发脑后，部位属阴，且太阳寒水之经，外证必恶寒畏风，舌必淡白无华。其
湿痰盛者，则多白腻浓腻，尖边亦必不红绛。脉必细涩无力，即间有混浊而大者，则毒盛肿
盛之故也。然必不能洪数滑实。亦有按之有力者，则毒势凝聚不化之征，尤为重证。治之如
法，其毒得化，证势少松，而脉即无力矣。其项背必牵强不利，皆寒邪之确证。于法必温经
宣化，且必升举大气，通行经络（此所谓升举大气者，如川芎、羌活，可以透达皮毛，使毒
得
解
者足短不伸，动则大痛，而皮肤肌肉尚未肿也。此时亦以温经散寒，通经宣络，数付必效。
迨迟至数日，内分坚肿，而病状始着，病根渐深，然脉尚细涩，舌尚白腻，仍用温化，犹可
及也。更逾数日，则寒邪化热，其肿越坚，其势越大，脉渐转数，舌渐转红，而内欲酿脓，
则用药颇费斟酌。而浅者只知是证利于温通，至此犹用一派刚燥，则催其成溃，鲜不久延难
敛，渐为疮劳，则医者之手续费事，而病者之性命可危矣。
此外则鹤膝、踝疽有寒湿证，有虚寒证，腰疽、肾俞疽多虚寒证，皆可温养，甚者亦可
温补。流痰、流注有寒湿证，亦有虚寒证；骨槽有寒痰证，皆可相度机宜参用温化。然热药
必不可过度，过则寒必化热，助其成脓，皆药之咎，非病之变也。
若夫痰核、 串、乳疽、乳岩、失荣、石疽诸顽证，其始坚硬异常，未始非阴寒凝结之
象。然此等病源，皆挟郁火，且多在阴虚之体，和血养阴，犹虞不济。而论者每谓此是寒凝
实证，吾以温药和之，则离光普照，冰雪皆消。王洪绪阳和一汤，在彼固说得几于无病不治
，而近人用之，每见其弊，未见其利。慎不可辨证不清，一味盲从。寿颐同研友潘辅臣室人
，丙辰冬月，如觉左乳结核，丁巳正月，自服阳和汤十六帖，日渐长大，至三月中延颐延医
，情势高突，周遭七八寸延至腋下，手不能挟，已不可为矣。其人性情安和，处境尚顺，无
郁结证，而乳岩顽病竟迅速异常，至于此极，若非阳和汤必不致此。延至七月以渐胀裂，竟
尔惨死，大可怜也。
外疡并非没有寒证。天气寒冷时，水泽腹部坚硬，人体血液凝滞涩阻，停留不行，壅塞而形成疮疡，道理本来如此，不足为怪。然而疮疡病的寒证，只是阳气凝滞之气，侵袭于络脉，不能与脏腑的真寒相提并论。所以治疗寒证的药剂，只需温通经络，宣散络脉，疏利而通畅之，举手之间即可解决，根本不需要用大温大热、耗费巨大体力的药物。根据我所见到的适宜温养的外疡，大约只有两种证候。
一种是脑疽、背疽，这是寒邪在经络的表现。其外形大多红肿发热，但病发于脑后，部位属阴，且为太阳寒水之经，外证必定恶寒畏风，舌色必定淡白无光泽。如果湿痰盛者，舌苔多白腻浓腻，舌尖和边缘也必定不红绛。脉象必定细涩无力，即使偶尔有浑浊而大的脉象，那也是毒盛肿盛的缘故。但是脉象必定不会洪数滑实。也有按之有力的，那是毒势凝聚不化的征象，尤为重证。如果治疗得法，毒气得以化解，证势稍微松弛，脉象就会变得无力。其项背部必定牵强不利，这都是寒邪的确切证据。按照治法必须温经宣化，并且必须升举大气（所谓升举大气，如川芎、羌活，能够透达皮毛，使毒邪得以解除）。
还有足短不能伸直，动则剧烈疼痛，而皮肤肌肉尚未肿胀的时候。此时也以温经散寒，通经宣络为主，服用几剂必然见效。等到延迟到几天后，内部形成坚肿，病状才明显，病根逐渐加深，但脉象仍然细涩，舌苔仍然白腻，仍用温化之法，还可以赶上时机。再超过几天，寒邪化为热邪，肿胀越发坚硬，势头越大，脉象逐渐转数，舌苔逐渐转红，而内部将要酿脓，这时用药颇为费斟酌。如果浅见的人只知道此证利于温通，到了这个时候还使用一派刚燥的药物，则会催促其溃破，很少有不拖延难愈的，逐渐变成疮劳，那么医者的花费就费力，患者的性命也就危险了。
此外，鹤膝风、踝疽有寒湿证，有虚寒证；腰疽、肾俞疽多虚寒证，都可以温养，严重的也可以温补。流痰、流注有寒湿证，也有虚寒证；骨槽风有寒痰证，都可以相机宜参用温化之法。但是热药必不可过度，过度则寒必化为热，助长其成脓，都是药物的过错，不是病情的变化。
至于痰核、串痨、乳疽、乳岩、失荣、石疽等顽固病症，起初坚硬异常，未尝不是阴寒凝结的现象。但这些病的病源，都挟带郁火，且多在阴虚体质的人身上，调和血液、滋养阴液，还担心不够。而论者常说这是寒凝实证，我用温药调和它，就像离卦之光普照，冰雪皆消。王洪绪的阳和一汤，在他那里说得几乎无病不治，但近人使用，常常见到其弊端，未见其利益。切不可辨证不清，一味盲从。我寿颐的同研友潘辅臣的妻子，丙辰年冬月，觉得左乳有结核，丁巳年正月，自行服用阳和一汤十六帖，日渐长大，到三月中请我去诊治，情势高突，周围七八寸延至腋下，手不能夹住，已经不可救治了。她性情安和，处境尚顺，没有郁结证，但乳岩顽病竟然迅速异常，达到这种地步，如果不是因为阳和一汤，绝不会至此。延至七月逐渐胀裂，竟然惨死，非常可怜。
External sores are not without cold syndromes. When the weather is cold, the water and marshes become hard in the abdomen, human blood becomes stagnant and sluggish, remaining stationary and obstructed, forming sores; this is according to natural principles and nothing surprising. However, the coldness in sore diseases is merely Qi of Yang stagnation invading the collaterals, which cannot be compared to the true cold of the Zang-Fu organs. Therefore, for treating cold agents, one only needs to warm the meridians, promote circulation in the collaterals, and unblock them with a simple gesture, leaving no room for further effort; there is certainly no need to use great warming and heating methods that require the strength of nine oxen and two tigers. Based on my observations of external sores suitable for warming and nourishing, there are approximately only two types of syndromes.
One type is brain carbuncle (Nao Ju) and back carbuncle (Bei Ju), where cold affects the meridians. The external appearance often shows redness, swelling, and heat, but since the disease occurs at the back of the head, the location belongs to Yin, and it involves the Taiyang Cold Water meridian. External signs must include aversion to cold and wind, and the tongue must be pale white without luster. If damp-phlegm is abundant, the coating will likely be thick and greasy white, and the tip and edges will definitely not be red or crimson. The pulse must be fine, choppy, and powerless. Even if occasionally muddy and large, it is due to severe toxin and swelling. However, it definitely cannot be surging, rapid, slippery, and solid. There may also be cases where pressure feels forceful, which is a sign of condensed toxin that has not transformed, indicating a particularly severe condition. If treated correctly, the toxin can be resolved, the syndrome slightly relaxed, and the pulse becomes powerless. The neck and back will definitely feel stiff and difficult to move, which is definitive evidence of cold pathogen. According to treatment principles, one must warm the meridians and transform stagnation, and necessarily lift the Great Qi (lifting the Great Qi refers to herbs like Chuanxiong Rhizoma [Chuanxiong] and Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix [Qianghuo], which can penetrate the skin and hair, allowing the toxin to be resolved).
There are also cases of short legs unable to extend, with severe pain upon movement, while the skin and muscles have not yet swollen. At this time, warming the meridians to dissipate cold, unblocking the meridians and promoting collateral circulation is used, and several doses will surely be effective. If delayed for several days, internal firm swelling forms, and the disease symptoms become prominent, with the root deepening. However, if the pulse remains fine and choppy, and the tongue coating remains white and greasy, using warming transformation methods is still timely. If more days pass, the cold pathogen transforms into heat, the swelling becomes harder, the momentum larger, the pulse gradually turns rapid, and the tongue gradually turns red, while pus is about to form internally, medication requires careful consideration. Superficial observers might think this syndrome benefits from warming and unblocking, but if one continues to use a batch of rigid and dry drugs at this stage, it will hasten ulceration, rarely resulting in prolonged difficulty in healing, gradually becoming a chronic sore labor, making the medical process burdensome and the patient's life perilous.
Furthermore, crane knee (He Xi Feng), ankle abscess (Huai Ju) present with cold-damp syndromes or deficiency-cold syndromes; waist abscess (Yao Ju) and Shenshu abscess (Shenshu Ju) mostly present with deficiency-cold syndromes, all of which can be warmed and nourished, and severe cases can even be warmed and tonified. Flowing phlegm (Liu Tan) and flowing injection (Liu Zhu) have cold-damp syndromes and also deficiency-cold syndromes; bone trough wind (Gu Cao Feng) has cold-phlegm syndromes, all of which can be treated by considering the timing and incorporating warming transformation methods. However, hot medicines must not be excessive; excess leads to cold transforming into heat, assisting in pus formation, which is the fault of the medicine, not a change in the disease.
As for stubborn conditions such as phlegm nodules (Tan He), spreading tubercles (Chuan Lao), breast carbuncle (Ru Ju), breast cancer (Ru Yan), loss of prosperity (Shi Rong), and stone carbuncle (Shi Ju), their initial hardness is abnormal, possibly an image of Yin-cold condensation. However, the source of these diseases always carries depressed fire, and they mostly occur in individuals with Yin deficiency. Harmonizing blood and nourishing Yin is still feared to be insufficient. Yet, theorists often claim this is a cold-condensation excess syndrome, and I use warming medicines to harmonize it, as if the light of Li (Fire) illuminates everything, melting ice and snow. Wang Hongxu's Yanghe Decoction (Yanghe Tang) was said by him to treat almost every disease, but recent users often see its drawbacks rather than benefits. One must not blindly follow without clear differentiation. My research companion Pan Fuchen's wife, in the winter of Bingchen year, felt a nodule in her left breast. In the first month of Disi year, she self-administered sixteen doses of Yanghe Decoction. It grew day by day. By mid-March, she sought my medical attention. The condition was protruding high, extending seven or eight inches around to the armpit, unable to be held by the hand, and already incurable. Her temperament was peaceful, her circumstances smooth, with no signs of depression or constraint, yet the stubborn breast cancer progressed rapidly to this extreme. If not for Yanghe Decoction, it would not have reached this state. By July, it gradually swelled and ruptured, leading to a tragic death, which is truly pitiable.