典藏书目

Treats cold in the Zang-Fu organs, with stiffness and rigidity of the four limbs.
Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix), Gan Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma, processed), Gan Cao (Licorice Root, honey-fried), Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) in equal parts. Decoct in water and take orally.

Another prescription:
Gan Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma), Ju Hong (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium), Ban Xia (Pinelliae Tuber), Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, bran-fried), Hou Po (Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex, ginger-juice fried), Fu Ling (Poria), Gui Xin (Cinnamomi Ramulus), Gan Cao (Licorice Root). Decoct in water and take orally.

Another method:
Use salt, stir-fry together with Wu Zhu Yu (Evodiae Fructus), wrap in silk, and apply hot compress to the infant's umbilicus and abdomen.

When Heaven's Qi descends, clarity prevails; when Earth's Qi ascends, obscurity ensues. Therefore, when Yin pathogenic factors cause harm, if they do not manifest, so be it; but once they manifest, their onset is necessarily violent. Thus, the syndrome of Middle Cold (Zhong Han) results from a sudden exposure to the severe, chilling, and desolate Qi of Heaven and Earth. The disease manifests immediately, unlike Yang-cold pathogenic factors which enter from the exterior and follow the meridians, deepening gradually. There are cases of sudden attack by Heaven and Earth's cold, and cases caused by ingesting cold substances. However, where pathogenic factors gather, Zheng Qi (Upright Qi) must be deficient. The treatment principle focuses on warming and dispersing. Often, one starts with Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang (Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction), using Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix) to support and anchor the Zheng Qi, adding warming and dispersing herbs to treat the condition. In cases of severe Qi deficiency, add a small amount of Fu Zi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata) to facilitate the action of Ren Shen. This syndrome is mostly due to a great deficiency of Middle Qi, with loose skin and pores, allowing external cold and internal cold to invade without distinction among meridians. One should only employ warming and tonification. The pulse is deep and fine, the hands and feet are cold, respiration is faint, the body is fatigued, and there is a reluctance to speak or move. Although the body may feel feverish, there is no thirst; this is the presentation. Urgent warming is required; delay renders it incurable. One must rely on the potent effects of Gan Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma), Rou Gui (Cinnamomi Cortex), and Fu Zi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata) to overcome the disease. Even Yuan Lao Zhi Ji (veteran formulas like Si Jun Zi Tang) are insufficient for such acute and severe conditions. It resembles heat syndromes but is fundamentally different, likely because Yang Qi is forced outward, leading to confusion. Whenever Yin pathogenic factors rush upward and solitary Yang causes chaos, one must urgently administer pure Yang formulations to drive out Yin Qi, clearing the Qian and Kun like revealing the sun and moon, making the function of light evident! If the pulse is rapid and forceful, or if there is high fever with desire to drink water, restlessness and agitation, these indicate heat diseases. Cold and heat are like water and fire; misdiagnosis leads to death. How can one fail to distinguish them carefully!

Cold syndromes, whether externally contracted or internally injured, should be named according to the pathology at the time of onset. If prolonged, stagnation transforms into heat; thus, diseases in the Shang Han Jing (Treatise on Cold Damage) are ultimately named as heat diseases. However, some never transform into heat because the person's Yang Qi has always been deficient, characterized by Yin excess and Yang decline. Upon contracting external cold, the slight Yang is further damaged, leaving no strength to transform into heat. Yet, popular discussion of Yin syndromes attributes them solely to sexual exhaustion and cold damage, neglecting miscellaneous diseases, and focusing only on men while ignoring women and children, which is truly strange. Yin syndromes are essentially deficiency-cold syndromes, also known as Wang Yang (Loss of Yang) syndromes. They occur in men, women, the elderly, and children, in both miscellaneous diseases and cold damage. For example, postpartum blood loss or excessive metrorrhagia; sudden massive hematemesis uncontrolled; cholera-like vomiting and diarrhea without limit; excessive sweating, emesis, or purgation; injury from cold-cooling medicines; intentional cooling in summer; enduring hunger and fatigue in winter leading to cold invasion. All these can cause sudden collapse of Yuan Qi (Primordial Qi), suddenly presenting with cold hands and feet, physical exhaustion, lack of energy, and a faint pulse nearly imperceptible. This is identical to symptoms of Yang collapse from sexual excess, yet the treatment invariably relies on Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix), Fu Zi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata), Rou Gui (Cinnamomi Cortex), and Gan Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma) for rescue. Urgency brings life; slowness brings death. They return to the same path; how can they be divided into two categories? Understanding this reveals that Yin syndromes are not exclusively committed to those with desires nor limited to cold damage. In summary, when Yin and Yang are harmonious, hundred diseases do not arise; once diseased, Yin-Yang disharmony is evident. Mild deviation results in mild disease, treated with balanced herbs. Severe deviation results in critical illness; unless峻猛 (potent) cold or heat herbs are used to correct the deviation, how can there be benefit? Today, seeing critical illness, people use lighter, milder medicines, fearing blame and valuing reputation over saving lives. Sincere healers must not act thus. When cold is indicated, use cold; when heat is indicated, use heat; when attack is indicated, attack; when tonification is indicated, tonify. Hesitation, neither cold nor heat, neither attacking nor tonifying, follows the proverb: "Neither cures the disease nor harms the life." Alas! Neither curing nor harming—can such logic exist?

Diseases can be deficiency with heat, or deficiency with cold. There is never cold without deficiency. Deficiency with heat is not true heat; deficiency with cold is true deficiency. Moreover, when pure, profound cold presents, it indicates the trend of Wang Yang (Loss of Yang) and Qi collapse, going beyond mere deficiency. Therefore, all cold syndromes are discussed under deficiency. Even direct invasion by external cold stems from internal deficiency of Yuan Yang (Primordial Yang). Consider that ancients treating Middle Cold always used Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix), Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), Gan Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma), and Fu Zi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata), stating "urgent warming is required; delay renders it incurable." Furthermore, medical texts state: "As long as one part of Yang Qi remains, death does not occur." Those with Middle Cold have extremely scarce Yang Qi; thus, treatment must be warming and tonifying, which goes without saying. However, one must further examine the Zang-Fu organs. Zang organs belong to Yin and require pure Yang herbs to be effective. Fu organs belong to Yang and require one or two Yin herbs to restrain their hyperactive heat tendencies for stability. Since cold belongs to Yin, and Zang organs also belong to Yin, things of the same category gather; thus, cold often invades the Zang organs. Cold inevitably injures Ying Qi (Nutritive Qi).