问曰。或谓伤寒为横病何也。孙真人云。俗人谓之横病。多不解
治。皆云日满自瘥。以此致夭枉者。天下大半。凡始觉不佳。即须救疗。迄至于病愈。汤饮竞进。折其毒热。自然而瘥
。必不可令病气自在。恣意攻人。拱手待毙也。
问曰。凡有疾不时治何如。仲景曰。凡人有疾。不时即治。隐忍冀瘥。以成痼疾。小儿女子。益以滋甚。时气
不和。盒饭早言。寻其邪由。及在腠理。以时治之。罕有不愈者。患人忍之。数日乃说。邪气入脏。则难可制止。
此为家有患。备虑之要。（外台作千金论云。难可制止。虽和缓亦无能为也。痈疽疔肿。尤其为急。此自养之要也。）
问曰。治汤药何如。仲景曰。凡作汤药。不可避晨夜。觉病须臾。即宜便治。不等早晚。则易愈矣。如或瘥迟。
病即传变。虽欲除治。必难为力。服药不如方法。纵意违师。不须治之。
问曰。服汤节度何如。仲景曰。凡发汗用温暖汤药。其方虽言日三服。若病剧不解。当促其间。可半日尽三服。
若与病相阻。即便有所觉。病重者。一日一夜当 时观之。如服一剂。病证犹在。当复作本汤治之。至有不肯汗出。
服三剂乃解。若汗不出者。死病也。（后有陈廪邱蒸汗法）
问曰。服药四方异宜何如。叔和云。地土温凉。高下不同。物性刚柔。餐居亦异。是故黄帝兴四方之问。岐伯
举四治之能。以训后贤。开其未悟。临病之工。宜两审之。
问：有人说伤寒是“横病”，这是为什么呢？孙思邈说，世俗之人称其为横病，大多不懂得治疗。大家都认为日子到了自然就会痊愈，因此导致夭折的人，天下占大多数。凡是刚开始感觉身体不适，就必须立即救治。直到病愈，汤药连续服用，以折损其毒热之气，这样自然会痊愈。绝不能让病气自在横行，肆意侵害人体，而束手待毙。
问：如果有疾病不及时治疗会怎样？张仲景说：人一旦生病，如果不及时医治，隐忍拖延，期望自愈，就会形成顽固难治的疾病。小儿和女子，病情会更加严重。如果时气不和，应当尽早诊治。寻找邪气的根源，趁其还在腠理（皮肤肌肉之间的间隙）时及时治疗，很少有不痊愈的。患者忍耐痛苦，过了几天才诉说，此时邪气已经深入脏腑，就很难控制了。这是家中有人患病，必须预先防备的关键。（《外台秘要》引《千金方》说：很难控制，即使是扁鹊、仓公那样的神医也无能为力。痈疽疔肿等疾病，尤其紧急，这是自我调养的关键。）
问：治疗时服用汤药应该注意什么？张仲景说：凡是配制汤药，不要避开早晨或夜晚。刚感觉到生病，就应该立即治疗，不等早晚时机，这样容易痊愈。如果拖延不治，病情就会传变，即使想要去除病邪，也一定难以奏效。服药如果不按照方法，随意违背医嘱，就不必再治疗了。
问：服用汤药的节度（剂量与频率）应该如何掌握？张仲景说：凡是使用发汗法，应用温热的汤药。虽然方剂说明中说每天服三次，但如果病情严重未解，应当缩短服药间隔，可以在半天内服完三剂。如果药力与病邪相搏，身体会有所感觉。病情重的，一天一夜应当时时观察。如果服完一剂药，病证仍在，应当继续用原方治疗。有的病人不肯出汗，服完三剂后才解除。如果始终不出汗，则是死症。（后面有陈廪邱的蒸汗法）
问：服用汤药是否各地适宜不同？王叔和说：土地有温凉之分，地势有高下之别，药物性质有刚柔之异，饮食起居也有差异。因此黄帝提出四方之问，岐伯列举四治之能，以此教导后辈，开启那些尚未领悟的人。面对疾病的大夫，应当仔细审察这两方面。
Question: Some say that Shanghan (Cold Damage) is a "Hengbing" (sudden/catastrophic disease). Why is this so? Sun Simiao said that laypeople call it Hengbing, mostly failing to understand how to treat it. They all claim it will heal itself after a certain number of days, which leads to premature death in the majority of cases worldwide. Whenever one first feels unwell, immediate treatment is required. Until recovery, decoctions should be administered continuously to reduce toxic heat, leading to natural healing. One must never allow pathogenic qi to remain unchecked and attack the body indiscriminately, waiting passively for death.
Question: What happens if diseases are not treated in time? Zhang Zhongjing said: When a person falls ill, if it is not treated promptly, enduring the pain and hoping for spontaneous recovery will result in chronic, stubborn diseases. This is especially severe in children and women. If the seasonal qi is discordant, early diagnosis and treatment are necessary. By tracing the origin of the pathogen while it is still in the Couli (interstitial spaces between skin and muscles), timely treatment rarely fails to achieve a cure. If patients endure their suffering and only speak up after several days, the pathogen has already entered the Zang organs (internal organs), making it difficult to control. This is the key precaution for families when illness strikes. (The *Waitai Miyao* cites the *Qianjin Fang*, stating: It is difficult to control; even masters like Bian Que or Cang Gong would be powerless. Conditions such as carbuncles, ulcers, and furuncles are particularly urgent; this is essential for self-care.)
Question: How should decoction therapy be conducted? Zhang Zhongjing said: When preparing decoctions, one should not avoid morning or night hours. As soon as illness is perceived, treatment should begin immediately, without waiting for specific times, facilitating easier recovery. If treatment is delayed, the disease may progress and transform. Even if one wishes to eliminate the pathogen, it will be difficult to exert force effectively. If medication is taken contrary to proper methods or arbitrarily disobeying medical advice, further treatment is futile.
Question: What is the appropriate regimen for taking decoctions? Zhang Zhongjing said: For inducing sweating, warm decoctions should be used. Although the prescription states three doses per day, if the condition is severe and unresolved, the interval between doses should be shortened, allowing all three doses to be consumed within half a day. If the medicinal action encounters resistance from the pathogen, the patient will feel changes. For severe conditions, observation should be continuous throughout day and night. If one dose is completed and symptoms persist, the original decoction should be prepared again. In some cases where sweating does not occur initially, three doses may be required for resolution. If no sweat occurs at all, it indicates a fatal condition. (Later, Chen Linqiu's steaming method for inducing sweat is described.)
Question: Are there regional variations in the suitability of taking decoctions? Wang Shuhe said: The land varies in warmth and coolness, and terrain differs in height and depth. Medicinal properties vary in rigidity and softness, and dietary habits and living arrangements also differ. Therefore, the Yellow Emperor raised questions regarding the four directions, and Qibo demonstrated the abilities of four distinct treatments, instructing later generations and enlightening those who had not yet understood. Physicians facing illness should carefully examine both aspects.