In clinical practice

the curative effect and the risk due to treatment coexist; that is

the key issue is to ensure the curative effect and minimize the risk. The method of qiaphoresis is a strategy to treat exogenous diseases

but its associated risk is impairment of fluid due to excessive sweating. ZHANG Zhongjing used

Mahuang Tang

instead of

Guizhi Tang

to ensure efficacy and prevention of excessive sweating. Mild treatment should be used on chronic diseases because excessive medication may lead to deficiency and lack of medication. Therefore

ZHANG Zhongjing reduced the dosage and changed the dosage form to slowly treat the disease instead of attempting to achieve quick efficacy. Miscellaneous disease is caused by deficiency and excess patterns. ZHANG Zhongjing suggested

through the formula structure of

Zhuling Tang

that the general strategy to treat miscellaneous disease is to attack the tangible evil through strengthening vital qi. When a patient’s local state was opposite to his systemic state

a state of clinical contradiction occurred. According to the prescriptional structure of

Zhuling Tang

and

Guizhi Shaoyao Zhimu Tang

ZHANG Zhongjing suggested that the treatment should be based on treatment of the systemic state with additional local symptoms.