王节斋谓虚劳咳嗽症，戒服参、 ，服之者必死。继又曰∶肺热还伤肺。斯言出，而世之治肺经劳嗽
者，辄以人参为鸠毒矣。手太阴肺主一身之气，气有虚有实，实者邪气实，实则脉来洪数，按之有力，此而服参，势必
气高而喘，胸热而烦，药助病邪，证必增剧，劳嗽之热，为虚乎？实乎？脉或数而必细，按之必虚而无力，症或见为烦
热口渴，面赤气喘，而少气不足以息。此阴虚而相火刑金之虚证也。阴虚者，其热必炽，误认为实，而投以白虎、泻白、
知柏补阴之剂，则立毙。此之虚热，非甘温不能除之也。人参味甘，气温，虽补五脏之元气，独入手太阴一经
者为最，故劳瘵而成肺经嗽咳者，非人参不能疗。正丹溪所谓虚火可补，参、 之属是也。则是人参为补
肺药也，而乃云伤肺者，以其有热故也。然热则有虚热、实热之分，实热者宜戒，虚热者宜补。非补其火
也，补肺中之气，以生肾水耳！火之刑金也，非火之有余，乃水之不足，故欲制相火，必壮肾水，欲壮肾
水，必滋水之母，以清金保肺，肺气旺则水溢高源，而阴虚之火有制，则肺热可宁，舍人参不能以有济也。如
不论肺之虚实，而执肺热伤肺之论，以人参为戒，虚劳病之不死也，几希矣！
经云∶人之伤于寒也，则为病热。是热病为汗病也，而何尝有所谓阴证哉？遍考《素问》《灵枢》诸经，并无阴证之
名，故刘守贞论伤寒，无问三阴三阳，皆一于为热，而无有寒者。故曰伤寒无阴证，阴证乃杂病也。然而仲景则云无热
恶寒者，发于阴也。夫无热恶寒，则知无阳经之郁热，而发于阴，则知不从阳经之传入，故有四逆、理中之用。而谓伤
寒之无阴证乎？不知伤寒之有阴证也。有真寒直中少阴经，而名为阴证者；有房欲伤肾，虚寒上下阴虚，而名为
阴证者。此之阴证，不可以伤寒中混名之也。若三阳经热邪传入三阴经，而名之为阴证者，此阳经热证之
阴证，而非直中、伤肾之阴证也。或谓伤寒传变三阴之阴证，仲景以四逆、理中温热药治之，以其本热
邪传经，由于寒凉误治，热变为寒，则其说尤为谬戾。夫三阳传经之邪热，入于三阴，其来本热，虽有
寒药误治，岂有顿变阴寒为阴证，而用四逆、理中以温经散寒为治者乎？
王节斋认为，对于虚劳咳嗽的病症，应当禁止服用人参、黄芪，如果服用了必定致死。接着他又说：“肺热还伤肺”。这句话一出，导致世间治疗肺经劳嗽的人，都把人参当作毒药了。手太阴肺经主管一身之气，气有虚和实两种情况。实证是邪气盛实，脉象表现为洪大且数，重按有力；这种情况下服用参类药，必然会导致气逆而喘，胸部发热且烦躁，药物会助长病邪，症状必定加剧。那么，劳嗽产生的热，是虚证还是实证呢？如果是虚证，脉象或许数但必然细弱，重按必然虚弱无力；症状或许表现为烦热口渴、面红气喘，但气息短少不足以接续。这是阴虚导致相火刑克肺金的虚证。阴虚的人，其内热必然炽盛，如果误认为是实证，而投用白虎汤、泻白散、知柏地黄丸等滋阴降火的方剂，病人就会立即死亡。这种虚热，非甘温性质的药物不能消除。人参味甘，气温，虽然能补益五脏的元气，但尤其擅长入手太阴肺经，所以因劳瘵而成肺经咳嗽的，非人参不能治愈。这正是丹溪所说的“虚火可补”，指的就是人参、黄芪这类药物。既然人参是补肺的药，却说它伤肺，是因为肺中有热吗？然而热分虚热和实热，实热应当禁忌（使用人参），虚热则应当补益。这里补的不是火，而是补肺中的气，以滋生肾水罢了！相火刑克肺金，并非火有余，而是水不足，所以要制约相火，必须壮补肾水；要壮补肾水，必须滋补水之母（即肺金），通过清金保肺，肺气旺盛则水源充足，从而制约阴虚之火，使肺热得以平息，除了人参之外没有其他药物能起到这种作用。如果不分辨肺气的虚实，固执于“肺热伤肺”的理论，将人参列为禁忌，那么虚劳病患者不死的情况就太少了！
《内经》说：“人受寒邪侵袭，就会发生热病。”既然是热病，属于汗解之病，哪里有所谓的阴证呢？遍查《素问》《灵枢》等经典，并没有“阴证”这一名称。所以刘守贞论述伤寒，不论三阴三阳，都统一认为是热，而没有寒证。因此说伤寒没有阴证，阴证其实是杂病。然而张仲景却说：“无热恶寒者，发于阴也。”没有发热而怕冷，说明没有阳经的郁热，而称为发于阴，说明不是从阳经传入的，所以有四逆汤、理中汤的应用。这难道能说伤寒没有阴证吗？其实是有阴证的。有真寒直中少阴经，被称为阴证的；有因房事过度损伤肾脏，导致上下虚寒、阴虚，被称为阴证的。这些阴证，不可以与伤寒混为一谈。如果是三阳经的热邪传入三阴经，称之为阴证，这是阳经热证转化为阴证，而非直中或伤肾的阴证。有人会说，伤寒传变至三阴的阴证，张仲景用四逆汤、理中汤等温热药治疗，是因为原本的热邪传经，由于寒凉药误治，热转变为寒，这种说法更是荒谬错误。三阳经传经而来的邪热，进入三阴经，其本源是热，即使有寒凉药误治，岂有一下子变成阴寒为阴证，而用四逆汤、理中汤来温经散寒治疗的道理呢？
Wang Jiezhai stated that for symptoms of consumptive disease (Xulao) with cough, the use of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) and Astragali Radix (Huangqi) should be prohibited; those who take them will surely die. He subsequently added, "Lung heat further injures the Lung." With this statement, practitioners treating pulmonary consumptive coughs in the world began to regard Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) as a deadly poison. The Hand-Taiyin Lung channel governs the Qi of the whole body. Qi can be deficient or excess. Excess refers to pathogenic excess, characterized by a surging and rapid pulse that is forceful upon deep pressure. In such cases, taking Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) will inevitably lead to qi rebellion with panting, chest heat, and irritability; the medicine aids the pathogen, and symptoms will certainly worsen. Is the heat in consumptive cough due to deficiency or excess? If it is deficiency, the pulse may be rapid but must be fine and thready, feeling weak and powerless upon deep pressure. Symptoms might include irritability, heat, thirst, red face, and panting, yet with shortness of breath and inability to inhale deeply. This is a deficiency syndrome where Yin deficiency leads to Ministerial Fire insulting the Metal (Lung). In cases of Yin deficiency, the internal heat is likely to be blazing. If mistakenly diagnosed as excess and treated with formulas like Baihu Tang (White Tiger Decoction), Xiebai San (Drain White Powder), or Zhibai Dihuang Wan (Anemarrhena, Phellodendron, and Rehmannia Pill) to nourish Yin and clear heat, death will ensue immediately. This type of deficiency heat cannot be cleared except by sweet-warm herbs. Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) is sweet in taste and warm in nature. Although it tonifies the Yuan Qi of the five Zang organs, its action on the Hand-Taiyin Lung channel is particularly potent. Therefore, for pulmonary consumption resulting in cough, only Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) can cure it. This aligns with Danxi's saying that "deficient fire can be tonified," referring to herbs like Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) and Astragali Radix (Huangqi). Since Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) is a lung-tonifying herb, why is it said to injure the Lung? Is it because there is heat? However, heat is divided into deficiency heat and excess heat. Excess heat requires caution against using Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen), whereas deficiency heat requires tonification. Here, we are not tonifying fire, but tonifying the Qi in the Lung to generate Kidney Water. When Ministerial Fire insults Metal, it is not because Fire is excessive, but because Water is insufficient. Thus, to control Ministerial Fire, one must strengthen Kidney Water; to strengthen Kidney Water, one must nourish the mother of Water (i.e., Lung Metal). By clearing Metal and protecting the Lung, if Lung Qi becomes robust, the source of water overflows, thereby controlling the fire of Yin deficiency and calming lung heat. No herb other than Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen) can achieve this. If one does not distinguish between Lung excess and deficiency, but rigidly adheres to the theory that "lung heat injures the lung" and prohibits Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen), then few patients with consumptive disease would survive.
The Classic states: "When humans are injured by Cold, they develop febrile diseases." Since febrile diseases are treated by sweating, where does the so-called "Yin Syndrome" come from? A thorough examination of the *Suwen* and *Lingshu* reveals no mention of "Yin Syndrome." Therefore, Liu Shouzhen discussed Cold Damage (Shanghan), stating that regardless of the three Yin or three Yang channels, all are Heat, with no Cold. Hence, it is said that Cold Damage has no Yin Syndrome; Yin Syndrome belongs to miscellaneous diseases. However, Zhang Zhongjing stated: "Those without fever but aversion to cold originate from Yin." The absence of fever and presence of aversion to cold indicate no yang-channel constraint-heat, and originating from Yin indicates transmission not from yang channels, thus necessitating the use of Sini Tang (Frigid Extremities Decoction) and Lizhong Tang (Regulate the Middle Decoction). Does this mean Cold Damage has no Yin Syndrome? In fact, it does. There are cases of True Cold directly invading the Shaoyin channel, termed Yin Syndrome; there are cases of Kidney injury due to sexual indulgence, leading to upper and lower deficiency-cold and Yin deficiency, also termed Yin Syndrome. These Yin Syndromes cannot be conflated with Cold Damage. If heat pathogens from the three Yang channels transmit to the three Yin channels and are called Yin Syndrome, this is a Yin transformation of a Yang-channel heat syndrome, not a direct invasion or Kidney-injury Yin Syndrome. Some argue that for Yin Syndromes transmitted to the three Yin channels in Cold Damage, Zhang Zhongjing used warm-hot medicines like Sini Tang and Lizhong Tang because the original heat pathogen transmitted via channels, and due to erroneous treatment with cold-cooling medicines, the heat transformed into cold. This argument is even more absurd. The heat pathogens transmitted from the three Yang channels enter the three Yin channels; their origin is Heat. Even if erroneously treated with cold medicines, how could they instantly transform into Yin-Cold as an Yin Syndrome, requiring treatment with Sini Tang and Lizhong Tang to warm the channels and dissipate cold?