短气者，似喘非喘，呼吸短促，不相接续者是也。然有为之实者，有为之虚者，有在表者，有在里者之
不同。经曰、跌阳脉微而紧，紧为寒，微为虚，微紧相搏，则为短气。金匮要略云、短气不足以息者为实。
大抵心腹胀满而短气，邪在里而为之实。心腹濡满而短气，邪在表而为之虚。又有水停心下，亦令
短气。
渴者，里热也。津液为热所耗，故令渴也。伤寒传至厥阴，则为消渴，谓饮水多而小便少也。轻曰、脉浮
而渴属太阳，小青龙汤去半夏加花粉。有汗而渴属阳明，白虎汤加人参，便实者宜下之。自利而渴
属少阴，承气汤主之。至于厥阴，则热之极矣，俱宜下之。大抵胃实热甚而渴，当损其有余。胃虚阴火
上浮而渴，当补其不足。太阳症无汗而渴者，不可与白虎。阳明症汗多而渴者，不可与五苓。至若六
七日渴欲得水，此为欲愈，宜少与之。若汗下过多，耗夺津液，亦令口渴。又有所谓舌干口燥者，盖因
邪热聚胃，消耗津液，胃汁干也，宜调胃承气汤。少阴舌干口燥，此内外枯极，热消肾汁，宜急下之。若
汗下过多，津液衰少，或病方瘥，血气尚虚，以致心火不降，肾水不升，而口燥咽干者，宜滋阴养气之
剂。
经曰、湿热相交，民多病瘅。瘅者，单阳而无阴也。盖因当汗不汗，当下不下，当利小便不利小便所致
也。太阴脾土，湿热相蒸，色见于外，必发身黄。若湿气胜，则如熏黄而晦，一身尽痛，乃湿病也。热气胜，
则如橘黄而明，一身不痛，乃黄病也。伤寒至此，热势已极，且与蓄血症大抵相类。若小便不利，大便
实，为发黄，小便自利，大便黑，为蓄血也。发黄，宜通利小便，分导其气，流行其湿可也。故曰治湿不利
小便，非其治也。兹若形体烟熏，环口黧黑，柔汗发黄，又为脾绝而不可治也。
短气，表现为类似喘息但并非真正的喘息，呼吸短促且气息不能连续接续。然而，短气有因实证引起的，也有因虚证引起的；有邪气在表的，也有邪气在里的，情况各不相同。《内经》说：趺阳脉微而紧，紧脉主寒，微脉主虚，微脉与紧脉相搏结，就会导致短气。《金匮要略》说：呼吸短促、感觉气息不足的是实证。大抵心腹胀满且伴有短气的，是邪气在里导致的实证。心腹柔软胀满且伴有短气的，是邪气在表导致的虚证。又有水饮停聚在心下（胃脘部），也会引起短气。
口渴，属于里热证。津液被热邪所耗伤，所以导致口渴。伤寒病传变至厥阴经时，会出现消渴症状，即饮水多而小便少。轻症而言：脉浮且口渴的属于太阳病，用小青龙汤去掉半夏加入天花粉。有汗且口渴的属于阳明病，用白虎汤加入人参，若大便干结实者应当使用攻下法。自发性腹泻且口渴的属于少阴病，用承气汤主治。至于厥阴病，则是热邪极盛的表现，都适宜使用攻下法。大抵胃中实热严重而导致口渴的，应当削减其有余的热邪；胃虚导致阴火上浮而引起口渴的，应当补益其不足的阴液。太阳病无汗且口渴的，不可给予白虎汤。阳明病汗多且口渴的，不可给予五苓散。至于发病六七天出现口渴想喝水的情况，这是病情将要痊愈的迹象，应当少量给予饮水。如果发汗或攻下过多，耗损劫夺了津液，也会导致口渴。还有所谓舌干口燥的，这是因为邪热聚集在胃，消耗津液，导致胃汁干枯，适宜使用调胃承气汤。少阴病出现舌干口燥，这是体内体外极度枯槁，热邪消烁肾中津液，应当紧急使用攻下法。如果发汗或攻下过多，导致津液衰少，或者疾病刚刚痊愈，气血仍然虚弱，以致心火不能下降，肾水不能上升，而出现口燥咽干的，适宜使用滋阴养气的方剂。
《内经》说：湿热相互交结，百姓多患黄疸病（瘅）。瘅，是指只有阳热而没有阴液制约的状态。这通常是因为该发汗而未发汗，该攻下而未攻下，该利小便而未利小便所导致的。太阴脾土受湿热熏蒸，黄色显现于体表，必然发生身黄。如果湿气偏胜，则黄色像烟熏一样晦暗，全身疼痛，这是湿病。如果热气偏胜，则黄色像橘子皮一样鲜明光亮，全身不痛，这是黄病（疸）。伤寒病发展到此阶段，热势已经极盛，且大多与蓄血证相似。如果小便不利，大便干结，是发黄；如果小便自利，大便色黑，是蓄血证。对于发黄，适宜通利小便，分消导引其气机，流通化解其湿邪即可。所以说治疗湿病如果不通利小便，就不是正确的治疗方法。如果身体像烟熏一样黯淡，口周发黑，出冷汗且肤色发黄，这是脾气绝灭的表现，属于不可治疗的死证。
Shortness of breath (Duan Qi) presents as resembling panting but not true panting, characterized by short, rapid breathing that cannot be sustained continuously. However, shortness of breath may arise from excess conditions or deficiency conditions; it may involve pathogens in the exterior or in the interior, presenting various differences. The *Classic of Internal Medicine* states: "The pulse at the foot yang (Duyang) is faint and tight. Tight indicates cold, faint indicates deficiency. When faint and tight interact, shortness of breath results." The *Jin Gui Yao Lue* (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet) states: "Shortness of breath with a sensation of insufficient respiration indicates an excess condition." Generally, abdominal distension and fullness accompanied by shortness of breath indicates an excess condition caused by pathogens in the interior. Soft abdominal distension accompanied by shortness of breath indicates a deficiency condition caused by pathogens in the exterior. Additionally, fluid retention in the epigastrium (heart below) can also cause shortness of breath.
Thirst (Ke) belongs to interior heat syndromes. Body fluids are consumed by heat pathogens, thus causing thirst. When Shaoyang disease transmits to the Jueyin meridian, it manifests as Xiao Ke (wasting-thirst syndrome), characterized by drinking large amounts of water while urinating little. In mild cases: Thirst with a floating pulse belongs to Taiyang disease; treat with Xia Qing Long Tang (Minor Blue Dragon Decoction), removing Banxia (Pinelliae Rhizoma) and adding Huafen (Trichosanthis Radix). Thirst with sweating belongs to Yangming disease; treat with Bai Hu Tang (White Tiger Decoction) plus Renshen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma); if stool is dry and hard, purgation should be used. Spontaneous diarrhea with thirst belongs to Shaoyin disease; treat with Cheng Qi Tang (Order the Qi Decoction). Regarding Jueyin disease, this represents extreme heat; purgation is suitable for all such cases. Generally, thirst caused by severe stomach excess heat should be treated by reducing the surplus heat. Thirst caused by stomach deficiency leading to floating yin fire should be treated by tonifying the insufficiency. For Taiyang disease with no sweat and thirst, Bai Hu Tang (White Tiger Decoction) is contraindicated. For Yangming disease with profuse sweating and thirst, Wu Ling San (Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria) is contraindicated. If thirst and desire for water occur on the sixth or seventh day, this indicates the disease is about to resolve; provide water in small amounts. If sweating or purgation has been excessive, depleting body fluids, thirst will also result. There is also the condition described as dry tongue and parched mouth, caused by pathogenic heat gathering in the stomach and consuming fluids, drying up stomach juices; Tiao Wei Cheng Qi Tang (Regulate the Stomach Order the Qi Decoction) is appropriate. For Shaoyin disease with dry tongue and parched mouth, this indicates extreme internal and external dehydration where heat consumes kidney fluids; urgent purgation is required. If excessive sweating or purgation has led to depleted fluids, or if the disease has just resolved and qi and blood remain deficient, causing heart fire to fail to descend and kidney water to fail to ascend, resulting in dry mouth and throat, decoctions for nourishing yin and tonifying qi are suitable.
The *Classic of Internal Medicine* states: "When dampness and heat interact, people often suffer from Dan (jaundice/wasting-heat)." Dan refers to a state of pure yang heat without yin fluid restraint. This is usually caused by failing to induce sweating when indicated, failing to purge when indicated, or failing to promote diuresis when indicated. When damp-heat steams the spleen earth of the Taiyin meridian, yellow color appears externally, inevitably causing jaundice. If dampness predominates, the yellow color is dull like smoke-stained, accompanied by whole-body pain; this is a dampness disease. If heat predominates, the yellow color is bright like orange peel, without whole-body pain; this is a jaundice disease. At this stage of Shang Han (Cold Damage), heat intensity is extreme, and it largely resembles blood stasis syndrome. If urination is difficult and stool is hard, it is jaundice; if urination is free and stool is black, it is blood stasis. For jaundice, promoting diuresis to separate and guide qi mechanism and circulate/dissolve dampness is appropriate. Thus it is said: "Treating dampness without promoting diuresis is not the correct treatment." If the body looks dull like smoke-stained, the area around the mouth is dark/black, cold sweat occurs, and skin turns yellow, this indicates the extinction of spleen qi and is incurable.