（凡七则）
男八岁至六十四，女七岁至四十九，即大衍自然之数。有病者主精血，过此以往，有消
无息，是为老人，宜专调气，不可以病例治矣。然自浇漓以来，男尤先涸，故四十、五十，
即中寿之年，雅宜补剂。壮年色劳者，惟退热不必补。孀尼不能无情，怨旷多情，先散其郁
。而凡病久者，必循行经络，反从其邪，然后对症，此皆病情之肯綮，处方之心印也。
论病必分兼经、专经、错经、伏经，始有宾主，而后分标本以处方。兼经并发，如两感
；专经独发，如太阳表证；错经乱发，如狐惑；伏经反发，如热极似冰。
诸病处方遵古法，仲景外感，东垣内伤，河间攻击，丹溪之大成，以为典要。以运气、
风土、禀赋为之权衡。且如朔漠之人，有《惠民局方》，多辛热脑、麝之剂，北人本气自寒
，食专腥膻，与之宜也。丹溪僻处东南，辨论不置。予尝比病为《易》卦，方为爻词，占者
有吉凶悔吝之殊，夫然后医不执方之义明矣。
阅古方，必如亲见其人禀赋与当时运气风土，始可以得作者之意。有可为典要者，处方
之律令也；有一时权衡者，处方之参考也。全在真知药性，灼见病情。予每以夜央跏坐，为
人处方，有经旬不能下笔者。
病如橐，方如龠，万龠一橐，反为橐害矣。世有经验一方，而递相偶中者，遂不自审度
而轻用之，何也？
君臣佐使之外，有一标使。如剂中合从辛以达金，则取引经一味，辛者倍加之，故其效
速。
处方正不必多品，但看仲景方，何等简净！丹溪谓东垣多多益善，岂医固有材耶？
（共有七条）
男子从八岁到六十四岁，女子从七岁到四十九岁，这是符合大衍之数（古代筮数，象征天地生成之理）的自然规律。患病时以精血为主宰，过了这个年龄段，身体只有消耗而没有增长，这就称为老人，应当专门调理气机，不能按照常规病例的方法来治疗了。然而自从世风浇薄以来，男性尤其容易先出现精气枯竭，所以四十岁、五十岁，就已经算是中寿之年，非常适宜使用补益药剂。壮年时期因色欲过度而劳损的人，只需要退热即可，不必进补。寡妇和尼姑并非没有情感，她们因孤独怨恨而多愁善感，治疗时应先疏解其郁结之气。而凡是病程长久的疾病，必须沿着经络循行路线探查，反向追踪邪气的来源，然后针对症状进行治疗，这些都是把握病情关键所在、确立处方核心思路的要诀。
论述疾病时必须区分是兼经（涉及多条经脉）、专经（仅涉及一条经脉）、错经（病位错杂）还是伏经（邪气潜伏），这样才能分清主次，进而分辨标本以制定处方。兼经并发，如两感伤寒（同时感受表里两经之邪）；专经独发，如太阳表证（太阳经受邪所致的病证）；错经乱发，如狐惑病（一种以咽喉及前后二阴腐蚀溃疡为特征的疾病）；伏经反发，如热极似冰（真热假寒证）。
各种疾病的处方遵循古法：张仲景治疗外感病，李东垣治疗内伤病，刘河间攻逐邪气，朱丹溪集大成者，以此作为经典纲要。以五运六气（中医根据自然界气候变化规律推断人体生理病理的理论）、地理风土、先天禀赋作为权衡标准。例如北方沙漠地区的人，有《太平惠民和剂局方》（宋代官方颁布的成药配方手册），其中多用辛热、麝香等药物，因为北方人本身体质偏寒，饮食多为腥膻之物，使用这类药物是适宜的。朱丹溪僻居东南，对此辩论不休。我曾经把病人比作《易经》中的卦象，把处方比作爻辞，占卜会有吉凶悔吝的不同，这样之后“医生不固执于固定方剂”的道理就明白了。
阅读古方，必须如同亲眼见到病人的禀赋以及当时的运气风土情况，才能理解作者的意图。其中有可以作为经典纲要的，是处方的准则；有一时权衡变通的，是处方的参考。这完全在于真正了解药性，透彻看清病情。我每次在深夜盘腿静坐，为他人开处方，有时十天都不能下笔。
病就像风箱（橐），方就像管口（龠），如果用一万根管子去对应一个风箱，反而会对风箱造成损害。世上有人拥有经验一方，并且偶尔碰巧治好了病，于是就不加审察衡量而轻易使用它，这是为什么呢？
在君臣佐使（中药方剂配伍原则）之外，还有一味“标使”药。如果药剂中配合辛味药以通达肺金（辛入肺），就选取引经药一味，将辛味药的用量加倍，因此疗效迅速。
(There are seven rules in total)
For men, from eight to sixty-four years old, and for women, from seven to forty-nine years old, this corresponds to the natural numbers of Dayan (Dayan numbers refer to an ancient divination system symbolizing the generation of heaven and earth). When ill, the essence and blood (Jing-Xue, the fundamental substances of life) are primary. Beyond these ages, the body experiences only decline without growth; such individuals are considered elderly. Treatment should focus exclusively on regulating Qi (Vital Energy), and one cannot treat them according to standard case protocols. However, since the deterioration of social customs, men tend to deplete their essence earlier. Thus, at forty or fifty years old, they have already reached middle age, and it is highly appropriate to use tonifying formulas (Bu Ji). For those in their prime who suffer from sexual exhaustion, only clearing heat (Tui Re) is necessary, without the need for tonification. Widows and nuns are not devoid of emotions; due to loneliness and resentment, they are prone to emotional stagnation. Treatment should first aim to dissipate their depression (San Yu). As for chronic diseases, one must trace the pathogenesis along the meridians (Jing Luo), reverse-engineer the source of the pathogenic factors (Xie Qi), and then address the specific symptoms. These are the crux of understanding disease progression and the core principles of prescribing.
When discussing diseases, one must distinguish between concurrent meridian involvement (Jian Jing), exclusive meridian involvement (Zhuan Jing), chaotic meridian involvement (Cuo Jing), and latent meridian involvement (Fu Jing). Only then can the principal and secondary aspects be identified, allowing for the differentiation of root and branch (Biao Ben) to formulate a prescription. Concurrent meridian involvement, such as Liang Gan (simultaneous contraction of exterior and interior meridians); exclusive meridian involvement, such as Tai Yang Exterior Syndrome (Tai Yang Biao Zheng, a syndrome caused by pathogenic invasion of the Tai Yang meridian); chaotic meridian involvement, such as Hu Huo Disease (a condition characterized by erosion and ulceration of the throat and genital/anal regions); and latent meridian involvement manifesting reversely, such as extreme heat mimicking cold (Zhen Re Jia Han).
Prescriptions for various diseases follow ancient methods: Zhang Zhongjing’s approach to exogenous diseases (Wai Gan), Li Dongyuan’s approach to endogenous injuries (Nei Shang), Liu Wansu’s aggressive elimination of pathogens, and Zhu Danxi’s comprehensive synthesis serve as canonical guidelines. These are weighed against Five Movements and Six Qi (Yun Qi, a theory relating climatic cycles to health), local geography and climate, and innate constitution (Bing Fu). For instance, people in northern desert regions use prescriptions from the *Huimin Ju Fang* (Official Formulary of the People's Welfare Bureau), which often contain pungent, hot herbs like musk. This is suitable because northerners naturally have cold constitutions and consume fishy, mutton-rich diets. Zhu Danxi, residing in the southeast, debated this incessantly. I once compared patients to hexagrams in the *I Ching* (Book of Changes) and prescriptions to line statements; just as divination yields different outcomes of auspiciousness, inauspiciousness, regret, or hesitation, the medical principle that "physicians should not adhere rigidly to fixed formulas" becomes clear.
When studying ancient prescriptions, one must imagine seeing the patient’s constitution and the contemporary Yun Qi and local climate firsthand to understand the author’s intent. Those that can serve as canonical guidelines are the laws of prescribing; those representing temporary adjustments are references. This entirely depends on truly knowing the properties of herbs and clearly perceiving the nature of the disease. I often sit cross-legged in deep meditation late at night when prescribing for others, sometimes taking ten days before I can put pen to paper.
Disease is like a bellows (Tuo), and the prescription is like the nozzle (Yue). Using ten thousand nozzles for one bellows would harm the bellows. In the world, some possess an empirical formula that occasionally hits the mark by chance, yet they use it lightly without careful assessment. Why?
Beyond the Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi (Monarch-Minister-Assistant-Courier) hierarchy of herbal compatibility, there is a "biao shi" (marker guide) herb. If the formula uses pungent herbs to reach the Metal element (Lung/Metal association), one selects a single meridian-guiding herb and doubles the dosage of the pungent component, thereby achieving rapid efficacy.
Prescriptions need not contain many ingredients. Just look at Zhang Zhongjing’s formulas; how concise and pure they are! Zhu Danxi claimed that Li Dongyuan believed "the more, the better." Does this imply that physicians inherently lack talent?