Zhang, male, visited in April 1975. He had been suffering from a common cold for more than a week, still showing aversion to cold with fever, generalized body aches, nasal congestion, a heavy voice, a pale tongue with thin white and moist coating, and a deep and thin pulse, especially weak at both chi positions. He was also prone to common colds. The treatment was based on qi deficiency and external contraction of wind-cold. He took Jade Screen Powder, Ginseng and Perilla Decoction, and other modified prescriptions without effect. Upon re-evaluation, he showed frequent yawning, listlessness, a dull and pale complexion, and cold hands and feet, clearly indicating shaoyin yang deficiency. This was consistent with the "shaoyin disease... with fever and a deep pulse" mechanism of disease. Although the illness had lasted for some time, there were no symptoms of diarrhea with undigested food or reversal cold of limbs indicating interior yang deficiency. This was more in line with "shaoyin disease, occurring for two or three days, treated with Ephedra, Aconite, and Liquorice Decoction to mildly induce sweating, as there were no interior pattern after two or three days." Therefore, the prescription was:
Ephedra 4.5g, cooked Aconite Lateral Root 6g (to be decocted first), Prepared Liquorice Root 9g
. On the next visit, he reported that all symptoms had disappeared. He was then prescribed Jade Screen Powder with prepared common monkshood daughter root and Prepared Liquorice Root to tonify qi and support yang for recovery.