（初治者，首先宜以此治之也。初病伤风，即以伤风治之；初病伤寒，即以伤寒治之；初病伤食，即以伤食治之
也。）凡病初起之时，用药原易奏功。无如世人看不清症，用药错乱，往往变症蜂起。苟看病清，用药当，何变症之有？
人病外感发热，必先散其邪气，邪退而后补正，则正气、不为邪所伤，方用外感发热方∶
柴胡（一钱） 荆芥（一钱） 半夏（一钱） 黄芩（一钱） 甘草（一钱）
水煎服，则邪散而身凉。盖四时不正之气，来犯人身，必然由皮毛而入营卫，故用柴胡、荆芥先散皮毛之
邪，邪既先散，安得入内？又有半夏以祛痰，使邪不得挟痰以作祟；又有黄苓以清火，使邪不得挟火以作殃；又
有甘草调和诸药，是以邪散而无伤于正气也。若内伤之发热，则不可用此方。
伤风之症，必然头痛身疼，咳嗽痰多，鼻流清水，切其脉必浮，方用∶
柴胡（一钱） 荆芥（一钱） 防风（一钱） 黄芩（一钱） 半夏（一钱） 甘草（一钱）
水煎服，一剂即止，不必再剂也。
伤寒初起，鼻塞目痛，项强头痛，切其脉必浮紧。此伤寒也，方用:
桂枝（一钱） 甘草（一钱） 陈皮（一钱） 干葛（一钱）
水煎服，一剂而愈。
邪居腠理之间，必须用汗药以泄之，方用∶
荆芥（一钱） 防风（一钱） 甘草（一钱） 桔梗（一钱） 苏叶（一钱） 白术（五钱） 茯苓（三钱） 陈
皮（五钱）
水煎服。此方妙在以白术为君。盖人之脾胃健，而后
皮毛、腠理，始得开阖自如。白术健脾去湿，而邪已难存，况有荆、防、苏、桔以表散之乎？
（对于初次患病者，首先应当使用这种方法来治疗。初病为伤风，就按伤风来治疗；初病为伤寒，就按伤寒来治疗；初病为伤食，就按伤食来治疗。）凡是疾病初起之时，用药原本容易见效。无奈世人看不清病症，用药错乱，往往导致变证蜂拥而起。如果看病清楚，用药得当，哪里会有变证呢？
人患外感发热，必须先发散其邪气，邪气退去后再补益正气，这样正气就不会被邪气所伤。方用外感发热方：柴胡（一钱）、荆芥（一钱）、半夏（一钱）、黄芩（一钱）、甘草（一钱）。水煎服，则邪气散而身体凉。因为四季不正之气侵犯人身，必然从皮毛进入营卫（运行于体表及脏腑之间的精微物质），所以用柴胡、荆芥先发散皮毛之邪，邪气既然先被发散，怎能进入体内？又有半夏以祛除痰湿，使邪气不能挟带痰湿作祟；又有黄芩以清泻火邪，使邪气不能挟带火热为殃；又有甘草调和诸药，因此邪气散去而不损伤正气。如果是内伤引起的发热，则不可使用此方。
伤风的病症，必然出现头痛身疼、咳嗽痰多、鼻流清水，切脉必定见浮脉（轻取即得，重按稍减而不空的脉象，主表证）。方用：柴胡（一钱）、荆芥（一钱）、防风（一钱）、黄芩（一钱）、半夏（一钱）、甘草（一钱）。水煎服，一剂即可停止，不必再服第二剂。
伤寒初起，鼻塞目痛、项强头痛，切脉必定见浮紧脉（轻取即得，如牵绳转索的脉象，主表寒证）。这是伤寒，方用：桂枝（一钱）、甘草（一钱）、陈皮（一钱）、干葛（一钱）。水煎服，一剂即可痊愈。
邪气居于腠理（皮肤与肌肉之间的间隙）之间，必须用发汗药来宣泄它，方用：荆芥（一钱）、防风（一钱）、甘草（一钱）、桔梗（一钱）、苏叶（一钱）、白术（五钱）、茯苓（三钱）、陈皮（五钱）。水煎服。此方的妙处在于以白术为君药。因为人的脾胃健运之后，皮毛和腠理才能开阖自如。白术健脾祛湿，邪气已难以存留，何况还有荆芥、防风、紫苏叶、桔梗来解表发散呢？
(For those being treated for the first time, this method should be applied initially. If the initial illness is Wind-Cold (Shangfeng), treat it as Wind-Cold; if it is Cold Damage (Shanghan), treat it as Cold Damage; if it is Food Stagnation (Shangshi), treat it as Food Stagnation.) When a disease is in its early stage, medication can originally achieve efficacy easily. However, people often fail to clearly discern the symptoms and prescribe medications chaotically, frequently resulting in a swarm of complicated changes. If the condition is diagnosed clearly and medications are prescribed appropriately, how could there be any complicated changes?
When a person suffers from fever due to external contraction (Wai Gan), one must first disperse the pathogenic factor. Only after the pathogen recedes should one tonify the healthy Qi (Zheng Qi). In this way, the healthy Qi will not be injured by the pathogen. Use the Formula for External Contraction Fever: Chai Hu (1 qian), Jing Jie (1 qian), Ban Xia (1 qian), Huang Qin (1 qian), Gan Cao (1 qian). Decoct in water and take orally. The pathogen will disperse and the body temperature will cool. This is because the abnormal Qi of the four seasons invading the human body necessarily enters through the skin and hair into the Ying and Wei (Nutritive and Defensive levels/substances). Therefore, Chai Hu and Jing Jie are used to first disperse the pathogen at the skin and hair level. Once the pathogen is dispersed first, how can it enter the interior? Additionally, Ban Xia removes phlegm, preventing the pathogen from causing trouble by carrying phlegm; Huang Qin clears fire, preventing the pathogen from causing harm by carrying fire; and Gan Cao harmonizes the various herbs. Thus, the pathogen disperses without injuring the healthy Qi. If the fever is caused by internal injury (Nei Shang), this formula must not be used.
Symptoms of Wind-Cold (Shang Feng) inevitably include headache and body pain, cough with excessive phlegm, and clear fluid running from the nose. Palpation of the pulse will definitely reveal a Floating Pulse (Fu Mai, indicating exterior syndrome). Use the following formula: Chai Hu (1 qian), Jing Jie (1 qian), Fang Feng (1 qian), Huang Qin (1 qian), Ban Xia (1 qian), Gan Cao (1 qian). Decoct in water and take orally. One dose is sufficient to stop the symptoms; a second dose is unnecessary.
In the early stage of Cold Damage (Shang Han), there are nasal congestion, eye pain, stiffness of the neck, and headache. Palpation of the pulse will definitely reveal a Floating-Tight Pulse (Fu Jin Mai, indicating exterior cold syndrome). This is Cold Damage. Use the following formula: Gui Zhi (1 qian), Gan Cao (1 qian), Chen Pi (1 qian), Gan Ge (1 qian). Decoct in water and take orally. One dose leads to recovery.
When the pathogen resides between the Cou Li (interstices between the skin and muscles), one must use diaphoretic (sweating-inducing) herbs to vent it. Use the following formula: Jing Jie (1 qian), Fang Feng (1 qian), Gan Cao (1 qian), Jie Geng (1 qian), Su Ye (1 qian), Bai Zhu (5 qian), Fu Ling (3 qian), Chen Pi (5 qian). Decoct in water and take orally. The brilliance of this formula lies in using Bai Zhu as the Sovereign herb. Because once the Spleen and Stomach are robust, the skin/hair and Cou Li can open and close freely. Bai Zhu strengthens the Spleen and eliminates dampness, making it difficult for the pathogen to remain. Moreover, with Jing Jie, Fang Feng, Su Ye, and Jie Geng to release the exterior and disperse, how could the pathogen persist?