In a section of He Gongdu's "In Memory of Mr. Yun Tie-qiao," it is written: "...A year later, the second and third sons successively fell ill with cold-damage disease and passed away. Mr. Yun, in his grief, resolved to delve deeply into the study of the 'Treatise on Cold-Damage Diseases.'... After several years of such study, the fourth son also fell ill with cold-damage disease, presenting with fever, absence of sweating, and panting. Various physicians were consulted, and their prescriptions invariably included the usual ingredients: Fermented Soybean, Gardenia, Soybean Sprouts, Mulberry Leaf, Chrysanthemum Flower, Mint, Forsythia, Bitter Apricot Seed, and Fritillaria. However, after taking the medicine, the fever persisted and the panting worsened. Mr. Yun stayed up all night, pacing around the room in deep thought. As dawn approached, he resolutely declared, 'Is this not the condition described in the "Treatise on Cold-Damage Diseases" as "Taiyang disease, headache, fever, body aches, lumbago, joint pain, aversion to wind, and initial sweating followed by panting, for which Ephedra Decoction is prescribed"?' He then wrote down the prescription:
Ephedra seven parts, Cinnamon Twig seven parts, Bitter Apricot Seed three qian, roasted licorice five parts
. Holding the prescription, he said to his wife, 'Our three sons have all died from this disease, and now our fourth son is ill, and the doctors are at a loss. Rather than waiting for death, why not try this medicine and face whatever comes!' His wife remained silent. Seeing no other options, she prepared and administered the medicine. Mr. Yun then went to work at the Commercial Press. Upon returning home, he found that the sick child's panting had somewhat subsided, and his skin showed signs of moisture. He continued to administer the medicine, and eventually, the child sweated, the panting ceased, and he recovered. The fourth son's survival further strengthened Mr. Yun's belief in the prescriptions of the 'Treatise on Cold-Damage Diseases.'..." (Excerpted from the "Modern Chinese Medicine Monthly," Volume 9 of the intermediate stage [second stage]). The quoted text, though brief, contains profound implications. Contemporary physicians, when faced with mild wind-cold conditions, can cure them with Mulberry Leaf and Chrysanthemum or Gardenia and Forsythia. However, when confronted with severe cold-damage disease, they hesitate to use Ephedra as the main ingredient. The victims of this hesitation are not limited to the three sons of the Yun family. This is one point. Mr. Yun, after years of intense study of the 'Treatise on Cold-Damage Diseases,' still hesitated before using the light formula of Ephedra Decoction, highlighting the difficulty of medical practice. This is the second point.