活人书。言治痞当知是痞。宜先用（桔梗枳壳汤）非用此以治心下痞也。审知错下必成痞
证。
是气将陷而过于胸中。故先用此。使不致于痞也。若已成痞。而用此。则失之晚矣。不惟不
能消痞。胸中之气反病矣。先之一字。预早之意也。先用（枳壳汤）若不应。后以仲景痞药治
之则可。若执（枳壳汤）以治痞。其害亦深矣。先之一字。不可不知也。
寻衣撮空许学士说
作肝热风淫末疾。故手为之寻衣撮空此论虽然莫若断之为肺热。似为愈矣。其人必谵语妄言
。经曰肺入火为谵言兼上焦有疾肺必主之手经者上焦也。二者皆当其理果何如哉。天地互为
体
用。此肺之体肝之用肝主诸血。血者阴物也。此静体何以自动。盖肺主诸气为气所鼓舞。故
静得动。一者说肝之用。一者说肺之体。此天地互为体用。二者俱为当矣。是知肝脏血自寅
至申。行阳二十五度。诸阳用事。气为肝所使。肺主气自申至寅。行阴二十五度。诸阴用事
血
为肺所用。
若五治不分邪僻内作。工不能禁。夫治病之道有三法焉国中末也
初治之道法当猛峻者。谓所用药势。疾利猛峻也。缘病得之新暴感之轻得之重。皆当以疾利猛峻之药。急去之。
中治之道。法当宽猛相济。为病得之。非新非久。当以缓疾得中
之养正去邪。相兼济而治之。养正去邪者。假令如见邪气多正气少。宜以去邪药多。正气药
少。凡加减药法。如此之类。更以临时对证消息。增减用药。仍根据时令行之无忌也。更加针
灸。其效甚速。末治之道。法当宽缓。宽者谓药性平善。广服无毒。惟能养血气安中。盖
为病证已久。邪气潜伏至深。而正气微治。故以善药广服。养正多而邪气自去。更加以针灸
。其效必速。夫疗病之道。有五治法焉。和取从折属也。
《活人书》指出，治疗痞证应当明确这是痞证。适宜先使用桔梗枳壳汤，而不是用此方来治疗心下痞。审慎地知道误用下法必然导致痞证。这是因为气机将要下陷而郁滞于胸中。所以先用此方，使气机不至于形成痞结。如果痞证已经形成，再用此方，那就为时已晚了。不仅不能消除痞块，胸中的气机反而会更加病变。“先”这个字，意思是预先、提早。先使用枳壳汤，如果无效，然后再用张仲景治疗痞证的药物来处理是可以的。如果固执地用枳壳汤来治疗已经形成的痞证，其危害也很深重。“先”这个字，不可不明了。
寻衣撮空（手指在空中摸索衣物或抓取虚空动作）许学士的说法
许学士将其解释为肝风热邪淫溢导致的末梢疾病，所以手部出现寻衣撮空的动作。这种说法虽然有一定道理，但不如断定为肺热更为恰当。患者必定伴有谵语妄言。医经说：“肺受热邪则出现谵语”，加上上焦有疾，肺必然主病。手经对应上焦。这两种解释都符合医理，究竟哪种正确呢？天地互为体用。这是肺之体、肝之用。肝主藏血，血属于阴物。这静止的阴体为何会自动运行？因为肺主气，被气所鼓舞，所以静能生动。一种说法讲肝的作用，一种说法讲肺的本体。这就是天地互为体用，两种观点都有道理。由此可知，肝脏的血从寅时到申时，在阳分运行二十五度，此时诸阳经当令，气由肝所驱使；肺主气，从申时到寅时，在阴分运行二十五度，此时诸阴经当令，血由肺所统摄。
如果五治不分，邪气就会在内作乱，医生无法控制。治病的方法有三种：初治、中治和末治。
初治之道，方法应当猛烈峻急。所谓用药势，是指疾病利于用猛烈峻急的药物。因为疾病是新近暴发的，或者轻症重症皆当用猛烈峻急的药物迅速去除病邪。
中治之道，方法应当宽猛相济。因为患病既非新发也非久病，应当以缓急适中、扶正祛邪、相互兼顾的方法来治疗。扶正祛邪，例如见到邪气多正气少，宜多用祛邪药，少用扶正药。凡是加减药物的法则，都是如此，再根据临时的病情斟酌，增减用药，并遵循时令进行，没有禁忌。再加上针灸，疗效非常迅速。
末治之道，方法应当宽缓平和。宽是指药性平和善良，广泛服用无毒，只能养血气、安中焦。因为病症已久，邪气潜伏极深，而正气微弱，所以用善药广泛服用，扶正为主，邪气自然去除。再加上针灸，疗效必然迅速。
治疗疾病的方法，有五治法：和、取、从、折、属。
The *Huoren Shu* (Book of Vitality) states that when treating Pi syndrome (a condition characterized by fullness and obstruction in the chest/epigastrium), one must first identify it as Pi. It is appropriate to initially use Jiegeng Zhike Tang (Platycodon and Aurantium Decoction), not to treat Xin Xia Pi (epigastric fullness). One must carefully ascertain that improper use of purgatives inevitably leads to Pi syndrome. This occurs because Qi is about to sink and stagnate excessively in the chest. Therefore, this formula is used first to prevent the formation of Pi. If Pi has already formed and this formula is still used, it will be too late. Not only will it fail to dissipate the Pi, but the Qi in the chest will also become pathological. The character "Xian" (First/Initially) implies acting in advance or early. Initially using Zhike Tang; if there is no response, subsequently treating with Zhang Zhongjing’s formulas for Pi is acceptable. However, rigidly applying Zhike Tang to treat established Pi causes deep harm. The concept of "Xian" (acting in advance) must be understood.
Xu Yixue on Xun Yi Cuo Kong (Groping at clothes and grabbing at empty air)
Scholar Xu interpreted this as a peripheral disease caused by Liver Wind-Heat pathogen invading, hence the hands exhibit Xun Yi Cuo Kong movements. Although this argument has merit, it is more accurate to diagnose it as Lung Heat. The patient must necessarily present with Delirious Speech (confused talking due to heat disturbing the mind). The Classics state: "When the Lung receives Fire, Delirious Speech occurs." Combined with pathology in the Upper Jiao, the Lung must be the primary organ involved. The Hand meridians correspond to the Upper Jiao. Both explanations are logically sound; which is correct? Heaven and Earth function as mutual substance and activity. Here, the Lung represents Substance (Ti) and the Liver represents Activity (Yong). The Liver governs Blood, which is a Yin entity. How does this static Yin entity move spontaneously? Because the Lung governs Qi, being urged by Qi, the static achieves movement. One theory discusses the Liver's activity; the other discusses the Lung's substance. This reflects Heaven and Earth's mutual substance and activity; both are valid. Thus, we know that Liver Blood circulates in the Yang aspects from Yin hour to Shen hour, completing twenty-five cycles while all Yang meridians are active, with Qi driven by the Liver. Lung Qi circulates in the Yin aspects from Shen hour to Yin hour, completing twenty-five cycles while all Yin meridians are active, with Blood utilized by the Lung.
If the Five Treatments are not distinguished, evil pathogens will arise internally, and the physician cannot control them. There are three methods for treating diseases: Initial Treatment, Middle Treatment, and Terminal Treatment.
The method of Initial Treatment should be fierce and峻急 (urgent/severe). Regarding the potency of medicines, it means the disease benefits from fierce and severe drugs. Since the disease is newly acquired and sudden, or regardless of whether it is light or heavy, one must urgently remove it with fierce and severe drugs.
The method of Middle Treatment should balance leniency and severity. Since the illness is neither new nor chronic, one should employ a moderate pace, nourishing the righteous Qi and eliminating evil pathogens simultaneously. For example, if evil pathogens are abundant and righteous Qi is deficient, use more anti-pathogenic herbs and fewer tonic herbs. All modifications to prescriptions follow this principle, adjusted according to the specific condition at hand, adding or subtracting herbs as needed, and adhering to seasonal regulations without taboo. Adding acupuncture can yield very rapid effects.
The method of Terminal Treatment should be broad and mild. "Broad" refers to herbs that are gentle and safe, suitable for long-term use without toxicity, capable of nourishing Blood and Qi and stabilizing the Middle Jiao. Because the disease has persisted for a long time, the evil pathogens are deeply latent, and the righteous Qi is weak, one should use gentle herbs extensively to nourish the righteous Qi, causing the evil pathogens to naturally depart. Adding acupuncture will surely produce rapid results.
There are five treatment methods for curing diseases: Harmonizing (He), Extracting (Qu), Following (Cong), Reducing/Subduing (Zhe), and Belonging/Categorizing (Shu).