According to

zang

-

fu

（脏腑） wind-damp theory， it is believed that wind， cold， and dampness are internal pathogenic factors that， when stagnated， transform into heat and invade the

zang

-

fu

organs， leading to chronic conditions. Heat is seen as a manifestation， while cold is considered the root cause. When external factors trigger these latent pathogens， the disease of the

zang

-

fu

organs exacerbates or relapses， often presenting with a complex syndrome of cold and heat. Based on this theory， the viewpoint of "for complex syndrome of cold and heat， cold is the root" is proposed. It suggests that for diseases with a complex cold-heat syndrome， external invasion of wind， cold， and dampness are the initiating factors. During the acute phase， treatment should focus on dispelling and eliminating the pathogens to promote the expulsion of the latent wind， cold， and dampness. During the remission phase， the focus shifts to reinforcing the healthy

qi

and tonifying the root， allowing the cold and dampness to be cleared. Internal dampness originates from the spleen； therefore， regulating the spleen and stomach， and dispersing cold and removing dampness is the key to treating wind-damp disorders of

zang

-

fu

organs. Cold and dampness are both

yin

pathogens， which damage

yang qi

， and repeated invasions of wind， cold， and dampness obstruct the

qi

flow of the

zang

-

fu

organs， progressively weakening

yang qi

. Hence， it is necessary to protect

yang qi

， and thereafter dispelling cold and dampness by warming

yang

. The theory that "for complex syndrome of cold and heat， cold is the root" provides guidance for the clinical application and the treatment of complex and difficult diseases in traditional Chinese medicine.