尝观《内经》、《金柜》及后贤诸书，所论六
淫之病，因于四时。故冬有伤寒，春有温症，夏有
暑湿。惟秋令燥气，则并未论及。迨喻嘉言先生，
着有秋燥一症，诚为另开手眼。然仲景先师，非无
卓识而遗漏也，其散见诸条之内者，如《金柜》但
热无寒之瘅疟;寒少热多之温疟。及（内经）分脾瘅
消渴而为风发，伤寒烧针发狂而为风温，皆用甘凉
满润，清肃肺胃等法，非燥火而何。予三十余年阅
历以来，留心斯症，都因秋令太温，雨泽愆期，风
阳化燥，鼓荡寰宇，以致消烁之势，乘虚袭肺。肺
失清肃，则洒 洒恶寒，翕翕发热，鼻鸣干燥，咳逆
衄血，舌赤齿枯，诸症丛生。盖犯是症者，必由禀
赋阴亏，亢阳偏盛，或形瘦身长，或色苍少泽，禀
乎木火之质者，比比皆然。是则水流湿、火就燥，
以类相招，其感甚易。况阳有余便是火，火必从燥，
先伤肺金，故每现之症，多是肺热为幻(1)。喻嘉言所
着清燥汤，但取甘寒养阴、辛凉清肺，真对症之良
方，济世之慈航焉。
秋燥初起，头胀无汗，洒洒恶寒，翕翕发热，
鼻呜干燥，舌白少津，此燥热伤气，邪尚在表。宜
用蒌皮、沙参、甜杏、桔梗、桑叶、连翅、郁金，
薄荷、鲜荷叶、枇杷叶、西瓜翠衣等味，辛凉透解
也。
此条乃燥症之提纲。凡秋燥之来，必由秋阳太暴，致阳
气化风，风又化燥，燥必化火，先伤肺金。茍其人真阴不
足，木火偏燃，不觉类从就燥。其初起也，先袭皮毛，后乃
入肺，故必洒洒恶寒，翕翕发热，鼻干息鸣，所见无非燥热
之状。然此症不与伤寒同例，亦与温熟迥异。切不可辛温升
阳，而助其燥气，又不可过于寒凉，而遏其肺气。故宜沙
参、甜杏、连翘、桔梗清肺热，合郁金、薄荷，荷叶、枇杷
叶疏腠理。俾肺得清肃，而燥化自清，不致蔓延为幻。
(1)幻：或为"患"宇误，又，"幻"。有变化之义，亦通，下同。
我曾经研读《内经》、《金匮要略》以及后世医家的各种著作，其中论述六淫致病，多与四季相关。因此冬天有伤寒，春天有温病，夏天有暑湿。唯独秋季的燥气致病，并未被详细论述。直到喻嘉言先生撰写了《秋燥论》，才真正为此开辟了新的视野。然而，张仲景先师并非没有卓识而遗漏此症，其内容散见于各条文中，如《金匮要略》中提到的但热无寒的瘅疟（一种以高热为主、不恶寒的疟疾）；寒少热多的温疟。以及《内经》中将脾瘅消渴归因为风发，将伤寒误用烧针导致发狂归因为风温，这些病症都使用甘凉滋润、清肃肺胃等方法治疗，这难道不是燥火之证吗？
在我三十多年的临床阅历中，留心研究这类病症，发现大多是因为秋季气候过于温暖，雨水延误，风阳化为燥气，弥漫天地之间，导致消烁之势，趁虚侵袭肺部。肺失去清肃功能，就会出现洒洒恶寒（形容怕冷如冷水浇身）、翕翕发热（形容发热如羽毛覆盖般温和持续）、鼻鸣干燥、咳嗽气逆、衄血（鼻出血）、舌红齿枯等症状丛生。大概感染此症的人，必然由于禀赋阴液亏虚，亢盛的阳气偏盛，或者形体瘦长，或者面色青苍缺乏光泽，禀受木火体质的人比比皆是。这就是所谓“水流湿、火就燥”，同类相召，感受邪气很容易。况且阳气有余便是火，火必然从燥，首先损伤肺金，所以经常出现的症状，多是肺热产生的变化。喻嘉言所著的清燥汤，只取甘寒养阴、辛凉清肺之法，真是对症的良方，是济世救人的慈航啊。
秋燥初起时，头胀无汗，洒洒恶寒，翕翕发热，鼻鸣干燥，舌苔白且少津液，这是燥热伤及气分，邪气尚在体表。适宜使用瓜蒌皮、沙参、甜杏仁、桔梗、桑叶、连翘、郁金、薄荷、鲜荷叶、枇杷叶、西瓜翠衣等药物，采用辛凉透解的方法治疗。
这一条乃是燥症的提纲。凡是秋燥来临，必定是因为秋阳太暴，导致阳气化为风，风又化为燥，燥必然化为火，首先损伤肺金。如果其人真阴不足，木火偏旺燃烧，不知不觉就会同类相吸趋向于燥。在初起阶段，邪气先侵袭皮毛，随后进入肺部，所以必然出现洒洒恶寒，翕翕发热，鼻干息鸣，所见无非是燥热的征象。然而此症不与伤寒同类，也与温病截然不同。切不可使用辛温升阳的药物，从而助长燥气；也不可过于使用寒凉药物，从而遏制肺气。因此适宜用沙参、甜杏仁、连翘、桔梗清肺热，配合郁金、薄荷、荷叶、枇杷叶疏解腠理。使得肺恢复清肃功能，燥气自然化解清除，不至于蔓延产生变证。
I have studied the *Neijing* (Classic of Internal Medicine), the *Jingui Yaolue* (Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet), and various works by later experts. The discussions on diseases caused by the six excesses (Six Evils) generally relate to the four seasons. Thus, there is Cold Damage (Shanghan) in winter, Warm Diseases (Wenbing) in spring, and Summerheat-Dampness in summer. However, the pathogenic factor of Dryness in autumn was not discussed. It was not until Mr. Yu Jiayan wrote his treatise on Autumn Dryness that a new perspective was truly opened. Nevertheless, it was not because our master Zhang Zhongjing lacked insight that he omitted this condition; its manifestations are scattered throughout various clauses. For instance, in the *Jingui Yaolue*, there is Dan Nue (a type of malaria characterized by high fever without chills); and Wen Nue (malaria with less cold and more heat). Furthermore, the *Neijing* attributes Pi Dan Xiao Ke (spleen heat leading to diabetes-like symptoms) to Wind Fa (wind generation), and attributes madness following heat-needle treatment for Cold Damage to Feng Wen (Wind-Warmth). All these conditions are treated with methods such as sweet-cool moistening and clearing/purifying the Lung and Stomach. Are these not signs of Dryness-Fire?
In my thirty-plus years of clinical experience, paying close attention to this condition, I have found that it mostly arises because the autumn climate is too warm, rainfall is delayed, wind and yang transform into dryness, swirling throughout the universe. This leads to a desiccating force that attacks the Lungs when they are deficient. When the Lungs lose their clear and descending function, symptoms such as Sa Sa E Han (feeling chilly as if splashed with cold water), Xi Xi Fa Re (feverish feeling like being covered by feathers), nasal congestion and dryness, cough with reverse flow of qi, epistaxis (nosebleed), red tongue, and dry teeth arise. Generally, those who contract this condition must have an innate deficiency of Yin, with hyperactive Yang prevailing. They may be thin and tall, or have a dark complexion lacking luster, possessing a Wood-Fire constitution. Such cases are common. This is akin to "water flows to wetness, fire moves toward dryness"; similar things attract each other, making infection easy. Moreover, when Yang is excessive, it becomes Fire; Fire necessarily follows Dryness and first injures Metal (Lung). Therefore, the symptoms often manifest as changes due to Lung Heat. The Qing Zao Tang (Clear Dryness Decoction) authored by Yu Jiayan, which employs sweet-cold to nourish Yin and pungent-cool to clear the Lungs, is indeed an excellent prescription for this condition, a boat of compassion saving the world.
At the initial stage of Autumn Dryness, there is head distension, absence of sweat, Sa Sa E Han (chilliness), Xi Xi Fa Re (feverish sensation), nasal congestion and dryness, white tongue coating with scanty fluids. This indicates Dryness-Heat injuring Qi, with the pathogen still at the exterior level. It is appropriate to use Lou Pi (Trichosanthis Pericarpium), Sha Shen (Glehniae Radix), Tian Xing (Semen Armeniacae Amarum), Jie Geng (Platycodonis Radix), Sang Ye (Mori Folium), Lian Qiao (Forsythiae Fructus), Yu Jin (Curcumae Radix), Bo He (Menthae Haplocalycis Herba), Xian He Ye (Nelumbinis Folium), Pi Pa Ye (Eriobotryae Folium), and Xi Gua Cui Yi (Citrullae Velamen) to employ Pungent-Cool dispersing and resolving methods.
This clause serves as the outline for Dryness syndromes. Whenever Autumn Dryness arrives, it is invariably due to excessive autumn sun causing Yang Qi to transform into Wind, Wind transforming into Dryness, and Dryness transforming into Fire, thereby first injuring Lung Metal. If a person has insufficient True Yin and Hyperactive Wood-Fire, they unconsciously attract Dryness according to similarity. In the early stage, the pathogen first invades the skin and hair, then enters the Lungs. Thus, Sa Sa E Han (chilliness), Xi Xi Fa Re (feverish sensation), nasal dryness, and noisy breathing occur, presenting nothing but signs of Dryness-Heat. However, this condition is not analogous to Cold Damage, nor is it identical to Warm Diseases. One must absolutely avoid using Pungent-Warm ascending agents, which would exacerbate the Dryness; nor should one use excessively Cold agents, which would suppress Lung Qi. Therefore, it is suitable to use Sha Shen (Glehniae Radix), Tian Xing (Semen Armeniacae Amarum), Lian Qiao (Forsythiae Fructus), and Jie Geng (Platycodonis Radix) to clear Lung Heat, combined with Yu Jin (Curcumae Radix), Bo He (Menthae Haplocalycis Herba), He Ye (Nelumbinis Folium), and Pi Pa Ye (Eriobotryae Folium) to ventilate the interstices. This allows the Lungs to regain their clear and descending function, so that Dryness transforms and clears naturally, preventing the spread of pathological changes.