人之所借以生者，气也。气者何？阴阳是也。夫阴与阳可以和而平，可以乖而否，善摄与否，
吉凶于是乎歧之。夫惟摄之不能以皆善也，故偏寒偏热之病，始莫逃于乖否之余矣。虽然，寒也，
热也，苟未至于甚，粗工为之而不难。设热积而寒沉，良工犹弗能以为计，况其下乎？奈之何俗
尚颛蒙，恪恃方药，愈投愈盛，迷不知反。岂知端本澄源，中含至理，执其枢要，众妙俱呈。
且以积热言之，始而凉和，次而寒取；寒取不愈，则因热而从之；从之不愈，则技穷矣，由
是苦寒烦岁而弗停。又以沉寒言之，始而温和，次而热取；热聚不愈，则因寒而从之；从之不愈，
则技穷矣，由是辛热比年而弗止。嗟夫！寒凉益深，而积热弥炽；辛热太过，而沉寒愈滋。苟非
大圣慈仁，明垂枢要，生也孰从而全之？经曰∶寒之而热者取之阴，热之而寒者取之阳，所谓求
其属也。属也者，其枢要之所存乎？斯旨也，王太仆知之，故曰∶益火之源，以消阴翳；壮水之
主，以制阳光。又曰∶取心者不必齐以热，取肾者不必齐以寒。但益心之阳，寒亦通行；强肾之
阴，热之犹可。吁！混乎万言千语之间，殆犹和璧之在璞也。其宝久湮，岂过焉
者石之而弗凿乎？余僭得而推衍之。
夫偏寒偏热之病，其免者固千百之一二，而积热沉寒，亦恐未至于数见也。然而数见者，得
非粗工不知求属之道，不能防微杜渐，遂至滋蔓难图以成之欤？夫寒之而热者，徒知以寒治热，
而不知热之不衰者，由乎真水之不足也；热之而寒者，徒知以热治寒，而不知寒之不衰者，由乎
真火之不足也。不知真水火不足，泛以寒热药治之，非惟脏腑习熟，药反见化于其病，而有者弗
去，无者反至矣。故取之阴，所以益肾水之不足，而使其制夫心火之有余；取之阳，所以益心火
之不足，而使其胜夫肾水之有余也。其，指水火也。属，犹主也，谓心肾也。求其属者，言水火
不足，而求之于心肾也。火之源者，阳气之根，即心是也；水之主者，阴气之根，即肾是也。非
谓火为心而原为肝，水为肾而主为肺也。寒亦益心，热亦强肾。此王太仆达至理于规矩准绳之外，
而非迂士曲生之可以 及矣。彼迂士曲生不明真水火于寒热之病，有必制必胜之道，但谓药未胜
病，久远期之。是以恪守方药，愈投愈盛，卒至殒灭而莫之悟。呜呼，甚矣！余见积热沉寒之治，
每蹈于覆辙也，因表而出之以劝。
人赖以生存的根本，是气。气是什么？就是阴阳。阴与阳既可以和谐平衡，也可以乖违阻滞；善于调养还是不善调养，吉凶祸福便由此分道扬镳。正因为人们不能做到处处善于调养，所以偏寒或偏热的疾病，最终都无法逃脱因阴阳乖违而产生的后果。
虽然如此，一般的寒证或热证，如果尚未发展到严重程度，普通的医生治疗起来并不困难。但如果遇到“热邪积聚而寒邪深伏”的复杂情况，即使是高明的医生也难以应对，何况是医术低劣的人呢？无奈世俗风气愚昧无知，固执地依赖固定的方药，结果病情越来越重，迷惑不知回头。哪里知道追根溯源、澄本清源之中蕴含着至深的道理，掌握了关键枢纽，各种奥妙自然显现。
就拿积热来说，起初用凉性药物调和，接着用寒性药物攻取；如果用寒性药物治疗无效，就顺着热证的表象去处理（指误治）；如果这样还不好，医生的手段就用尽了，从此苦寒药物常年滥用而不停止。再拿沉寒（深伏之寒）来说，起初用温和药物调理，接着用热性药物攻取；如果热性药物聚集使用无效，就顺着寒证的表象去处理；如果这样还不好，医生的手段也用尽了，从此辛热药物连年使用而不停止。唉！寒凉药物用得越深，积聚的热邪反而更加炽盛；辛热药物用得太过，深伏的寒邪反而更加滋生。如果不是大圣大慈之人，明确揭示出关键的法则，生命又怎能得以保全呢？
《内经》说：“用寒凉药治疗热证，热仍不退，应当从滋阴入手；用温热药治疗寒证，寒仍不除，应当从温阳入手。”这就是所说的“求其属”。所谓“属”，大概就是关键所在吧？这一宗旨，王冰（王太仆）是明白的，所以他说道：“补益火的源头，以消除阴寒的遮蔽；壮大水的根本，以制约阳热的亢盛。”他又说：“治疗心病不必一律用热药，治疗肾病不必一律用寒药。”只要补益心的阳气，即使用药偏寒也能通行无阻；只要强壮肾的阴气，即使用药偏热也是可以的。唉！这些道理混杂在成千上万的话语中，大概就像和氏璧藏在璞玉中一样。它的珍宝价值长久被埋没，难道不是因为没有经过琢磨开凿的人吗？我冒昧地对此进行推演发挥。
偏寒偏热的疾病，能免于这种误治的固然只有千分之一二，而像积热沉寒这样复杂的病例，恐怕也不至于频繁见到。然而那些频繁见到的案例，难道不是因为庸医不知道“求其属”的道理，不能防微杜渐，从而导致病情蔓延难以收拾才形成的吗？所谓“用寒药治热证而热不退”，只是知道用寒药来治热病，却不知道热势不衰的原因，是由于真阴（真水）不足；所谓“用热药治寒证而寒不除”，只是知道用热药来治寒病，却不知道寒势不除的原因，是由于真阳（真火）不足。如果不了解真阴真阳不足的本质，泛泛地使用寒热药物去治疗，不仅脏腑已经习以为常，药物反而会被病邪所同化，导致原本有的正气更虚，原本没有的病邪反而产生。
因此，“取之阴”，是为了补益肾水的不足，从而制约心火的有余；“取之阳”，是为了补益心火的不足，从而制约肾水的有余。“其”，指的是水火。“属”，通“主”，指的是心肾。“求其属”，意思是说水火不足，就要从心肾这两脏去寻求根源。“火之源”，是阳气的根本，就是指心；“水之主”，是阴气的根本，就是指肾。这并不是说火的本源在肝，水的本源在肺。寒药也能益心（通过制火），热药也能强肾（通过助阳）。这是王太仆在规矩准绳之外通达了至理，而那些迂腐僵化的士大夫是无法企及的。那些迂腐之士不明白在寒热疾病中真阴真阳必然有制约和战胜的道理，只认为药力不足以战胜病邪，打算长期拖延时日。因此死守固定方药，越用药病情越重，最终导致死亡却不觉悟。唉，真是严重啊！我见到治疗积热沉寒的案例，往往重蹈覆辙，因此将其列出以作劝诫。
The basis of human life is Qi. What is Qi? It is Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang can be harmonious and balanced, or they can be discordant and obstructed; whether one manages them well or poorly determines the divergence between auspiciousness and misfortune. Since people cannot always manage them perfectly, diseases characterized by excess cold or excess heat inevitably arise from this discordance.
Although general cold or heat syndromes that have not reached a severe stage are not difficult for ordinary practitioners to treat, complex conditions involving "accumulated heat and sunken cold" are challenging even for skilled physicians, let alone inferior ones. Regrettably, common practice is often ignorant and rigidly relies on fixed prescriptions, causing the condition to worsen with each administration, leaving patients confused and unable to reverse course. One must realize that seeking the root and clearing the source contains profound principles; grasping the key pivot reveals all subtleties.
Consider accumulated heat: initially, cooling and harmonizing methods are used, followed by cold-draining methods. If cold-draining fails, practitioners may mistakenly follow the apparent heat pattern (or fail to address the root); if this also fails, their skills are exhausted, leading to the prolonged and indiscriminate use of bitter-cold herbs. Similarly, regarding sunken cold: initially, mild-warming methods are used, followed by hot-draining methods. If hot-draining fails, they may mistakenly follow the apparent cold pattern; if this also fails, their skills are exhausted, leading to the continuous annual use of acrid-hot herbs. Alas! The deeper the use of cold-cooling agents, the more intense the accumulated heat becomes; the excessive use of acrid-hot agents causes the sunken cold to proliferate. Unless a Great Sage shows benevolence and clearly elucidates these pivotal principles, how can life be preserved? The *Classic* states: "When cold treatment fails to resolve heat, treat the Yin; when heat treatment fails to resolve cold, treat the Yang." This is called "seeking its affiliation" (Qiu Qi Shu). Is this affiliation not the very pivot? Wang Bing (Wang Taipu) understood this principle, stating: "Tonify the source of Fire to dissipate the shadows of Yin; strengthen the master of Water to control the brilliance of Yang." He further said: "Treating Heart disorders does not require uniform use of hot herbs; treating Kidney disorders does not require uniform use of cold herbs." By tonifying Heart Yang, even cold herbs can circulate freely; by strengthening Kidney Yin, even hot herbs can be utilized. These truths are hidden among thousands of words, like the He Bi jade concealed in uncut stone. Its value has been long obscured, not because there were no craftsmen to carve it open? I presume to deduce and expand upon this.
Diseases of excess cold or heat rarely escape such mismanagement, yet cases of accumulated heat and sunken cold are not necessarily frequent. However, when they do appear frequently, is it not because inferior practitioners do not know the way of "seeking affiliation," failing to prevent minor issues from growing into uncontrollable crises? When "cold treatment fails to resolve heat," practitioners merely know to use cold to treat heat, unaware that the persistence of heat stems from insufficient True Water (True Yin). When "heat treatment fails to resolve cold," they merely know to use heat to treat cold, unaware that the persistence of cold stems from insufficient True Fire (True Yang). Ignoring the insufficiency of True Water and Fire, and broadly applying cold or hot drugs, not only accustoms the Zang-Fu organs but also causes the medicine to be transformed by the disease, depleting what exists and generating what did not. Therefore, "treating the Yin" aims to tonify the insufficiency of Kidney Water to restrain the excess of Heart Fire; "treating the Yang" aims to tonify the insufficiency of Heart Fire to overcome the excess of Kidney Water. "Qi" here refers to Water and Fire. "Shu" (Affiliation) means "Master," referring to the Heart and Kidney. "Seeking its affiliation" means that when Water and Fire are insufficient, one seeks the root in the Heart and Kidney. The "Source of Fire" is the root of Yang Qi, which is the Heart; the "Master of Water" is the root of Yin Qi, which is the Kidney. This does not mean the origin of Fire is the Liver or the master of Water is the Lung. Cold can benefit the Heart (by restraining fire), and heat can strengthen the Kidney (by aiding yang). Wang Taipu attained these ultimate truths beyond conventional rules, which pedantic scholars could never reach. Those pedants, misunderstanding the necessity of controlling True Water and Fire in cold-heat diseases, simply claim the medicine is insufficient and delay treatment. Thus, they rigidly stick to prescriptions, worsening the condition until death occurs without realization. Alas, how serious this is! Having seen many treatments for accumulated heat and sunken cold repeat past mistakes, I present this analysis as a warning.