Four stages

The Four Stages or Four Levels are from the book ''Discussion of Warm Diseases'' by Ye Tian Shi, written in the years 1667-1746.

The stages are in order from surface to deep internal and from "light" sickness to death:

*Wei level treated by releasing the exterior

wind-heat

summer-heat

damp-heat

dry-heat

*Qi level treated by dispelling heat and promoting body fluids

Lung heat

Stomach heat

Intestines dry-heat

Gall-bladder heat

Stomach and Spleen damp heat


*Ying level treated by cooling fire and tonifing the yin

Heat in Nutritive qi portion

Heat in Pericardium


*Blood level treated by tonifing the yin and qi and stopping bleeding.
Heat Victorious moves blood

Heat victorious stirs wind

Empty wind agitates in the interior

Collapse of yin

Collapse of yang

Separation of yin and yang