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I suffered from abdominal pain for many years, caused by forcibly eating cold rice at lunch. The pain was located above the umbilicus; during attacks, the abdomen felt cold, and symptoms improved slightly with palm pressure or hot compresses. Even in midsummer, I had to protect my abdomen with cloth, my diet gradually decreased, I preferred warmth and feared cold, other foods were generally tolerated, but only when rice was thoroughly steamed or food was not slightly cold could I eat without inevitable pain. I used to enjoy melons and fruits, but dared not try them after falling ill. Previously, I suffered from hemorrhoidal bleeding, which would flare up upon consuming ginger, garlic, or distilled liquor, so I avoided these. When this ailment flared, food intake felt obstructed; drinking one or two cups of distilled liquor反而 (instead) made me feel unblocked. Not only did I no longer avoid ginger and garlic, but even consuming pepper powder or spicy sauce had no adverse effect on the hemorrhoids. The *Classic* states: "Pain is mostly due to cold qi." The syndrome undoubtedly belongs to cold coagulation and qi stagnation. I have always feared medication. When pain first started, I took herbs such as *Amomi Fructus Rotundus* (Xiangsha), *Zingiberis Rhizoma* (Jiang), *Evodiae Fructus* (Ruyu), *Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium* (Chenpi), *Pinelliae Tuber* (Banxia), *Oryzae Fructus Germinatus* (Guya), and *Meditae Fructus* (Shenqu) for one or two doses and then stopped. In previous years, attacks were sparse and mild, merely affecting normal eating habits; in recent years, they became frequent and severe, causing pain after every meal regardless of what was eaten. Pain ceased only after food moved downward. Thus, I dared not sit or lie down after meals. I learned from ancients' health preservation methods: walking a hundred steps after meals, frequently massaging the abdomen, and following the Buddhist precept of abstaining from food after noon. However, this brought no benefit to the illness. Consequently, I viewed eating as a fearful path. Helpless against the chronic accumulation of disease, I feared that resolving drugs would deplete Yuan Qi (Primordial Qi), while tonics might aid stagnation. Pondering without a solution, a friend said, "You are near seventy, your Mingmen Fire (Gate of Life Fire) is weak, cold generates internally, hence you prefer warmth and fear cold. Just as a pot lacks fire underneath and food cannot cook, grains are hard to digest. You should use *Bawei Wan* (Eight-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia) to tonify fire and generate earth." Although his argument was sound, my mind remained unsettled. I thought if the pain were in the diaphragm, it might hinder eating and lead to dysphagia (Yige); fortunately, it is now in the abdomen and likely not life-threatening. Random medication might cause harm; strictly adhering to the admonition of "not using medicine lightly" aligns with true medical wisdom. In the summer of Jichou year, I was invited to diagnose patients at the Wang residence in Sun Village, Jingde County. Living in a low schoolhouse, at the second watch (9–11 PM), I suddenly needed to defecate. The lamp went out; groping in the dark, I fell and could not struggle. Fluid like diarrhea flowed from the anus. I called a servant for a torch, got up, and saw the ground stained black as lacquer. Sweating profusely with sinking Qi, I hurriedly lay back on the pillow. Mr. Nan and Mr. Zhi Ren from the Wang residence rushed over upon hearing this, greatly alarmed. I said, "No matter. This is because long-standing pain has accumulated blood stasis; now the stasis is discharging downwards, inevitably injuring Qi." I drank a decoction of *Codonopsis Radix* (Dangshen) and *Longan Arillus* (Guiyuan). Shortly after, my Qi recovered slightly, and sweating stopped. The next morning, upon using the toilet, residual stasis remained. Fearing further discharge, I hurried home to change clothes; the stasis had disappeared. From then on, abdominal pain never returned, and eating normalized. Investigating the cause, it turned out that stasis coagulated in the intestines and stomach, obstructing the mechanism of conduction and transmission, thus causing pain upon food intake. Blood is like water; when blood condenses into stasis, it is like water freezing into ice. Hence, the painful area is often cold. Pressure, heat application, and drinking warm alcohol bring heat, providing relief. As for stasis accumulating for years, becoming deeply entrenched, its sudden discharge is puzzling. Could it be that the intense heat of midsummer, combined with travel and fatigue, activated Yang transformation, like snow melting bringing spring water? From this realization, I understood: texts state that long-standing pain resides in the collaterals (Luo Mai), and collaterals govern blood. It is not only limb pain that resides in the collaterals; chest and abdominal pain, as well as pain from masses and accumulations, also reside in the collaterals and should be treated by addressing blood, not merely regulating Qi. Similarly, regarding dysphagia (Yige), although texts mention dryness of the stomach opening, Yang qi knotting above, and Yin fluid deficiency below, cases caused by blood stasis blocking the stomach opening are common. Further thinking, my illness lasted nearly ten years; although I could not know beforehand of the accumulated stasis, refraining from medication and maintaining stability was still a competent strategy. Otherwise, mixing tonics and purgatives would not kill me via disease, but via medicine. I see that among deteriorated syndromes, 20–30% resolve naturally, while 70–80% are harmed by drugs. Drugs are meant to save lives but can kill; how can one not fear this? From now on, I hope physicians will not prescribe lightly before clearly diagnosing, and patients whose conditions can wait should not rush to seek doctors. This may serve as an aid to health preservation.

An Bo said: The phrases "initial pain is in the meridians, long-standing pain enters the collaterals" were truly expounded by Ye Tianshi, uncovering theories unexplored by predecessors for millennia and enlightening later learners who had been clueless for ages. However, this principle applies not only to stomach diseases and dysphagia but universally: for any chronic, deeply rooted disease, treatment must primarily focus on blood. This is the meaning behind the ancient saying that "orifices must involve the Kidney."