In 1939, during the Anti-Japanese War, I resided in Chongqing. A soldier, having fought on the battlefield, endured wind, rain, cold, and heat, fell ill and spat pus and blood. Western medicine mistakenly used cooling drugs, leading to severe diarrhea, refusal to drink even a drop of water, and was on the verge of death. I diagnosed him, finding reversal cold of hands and feet with a burning sensation in the chest, deep and slow pulse at the cun position not appearing, the lower part's foot yang and shaoyin pulse not reaching, and a red tongue. I recalled Zhang Zhongjing's saying: "In cold-damage disease, after six or seven days, with severe diarrhea, the cun pulse is deep and slow, reversal cold of limbs, the lower part's pulse not stopping, throat discomfort, spitting pus and blood, and continuous diarrhea, it is difficult to treat, Ephedra Cimicifuga Rhizome Decoction is the main treatment," which exactly matched this condition. It was due to external contraction of wind-cold, internal accumulation of heat, the doctor mistakenly used purgation, leading to inward invasion of exterior pathogen, severe damage to middle qi, the chest's accumulated heat remained, fluid deficiency forcing blood heat upwards. Thus, I prescribed Zhang Zhongjing's original formula:
Ephedra four qian, Cimicifuga Rhizome four qian, Chinese Angelica three qian, Poria, White Atractylodes Rhizome, Peony Root, Asparagus Root, Gypsum, Dried Ginger, Cinnamon Twig, Liquorice Root each one qian, Skullcap Root, Anemarrhena, Polygonatum each three qian
. These fourteen ingredients, with pressing manipulation to be decocted first, remove the foam from Ephedra, then add the other ingredients to decoct together, divide into three warm doses. One dose cured the disease, and he returned to the front line. Upon triumphant return to Guilai (ST29), he specially visited my medical hut in Chongqing, talking about the severe seasonal disease, being saved by me, a narrow escape from death, and expressed immense gratitude.