To prescribe medicine based on the illness
To take the correct steps to resolve a problem or situation
Positive
面对疲软的市场经济，政府对症下药，试图挽回局势 | Miànduì píruǎn de shìchǎng jīngjì, zhèngfǔ duìzhèngxiàyào, shìtú wǎnhuí júshì
Faced with a slumped economy, the government took calculated measures in efforts to recover
[Source]
这药我吃了完全无效，医生到底是否对症下药呢？ | Zhè yào wǒ chī le wánquán wúxiào, yīshēng dàodǐ shìfǒu duìzhèngxiàyào ne?
The medicine I took did absolutely nothing. Did the doctor prescribe the right one?
[Source]
None
对症发药 (duì zhèng fā yào)
华佗 (Huá Tuó) was an extremely skilled doctor. He invented a general anaesthetic, could perform various surgeries, acupuncture, and more. He was eventually executed by the warlord 曹操 (Cáo Cāo) in the year 208, and some of his works were deliberately destroyed. The loss of these works is considered to be devastating to traditional Chinese medicine
《三国志》(Sān Guó Zhì) by 陈寿 (Chén Shòu). The historical text covers the events of the end of the Eastern Hàn Dynasty (东汉, Dōng Hàn, 25 - 220) and the Three Kingdoms period (220 - 280)
Towards the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty (东汉 | dōng hàn | 25 - 220) and in the early stages of the Three Kingdoms Period (三国时期 | sān guó shí qī | 220 - 280 , there was a famous doctor named 华佗 (Huá Tuó). One evening, two patients came to visit him. They were the officials 倪寻 (Ní Xún) and 李延 (Lǐ Yán), and they both suffered from a headache and a fever that had persisted for several days.
华佗 welcomed them both and started asking them about their symptoms. He listened to their answers attentively, and then he took their pulses. Finally, he prescribed them medicine and entreated them to take the medicine as prescribed.
倪寻 and 李延 noticed something usual, however. Despite the fact that they suffered identical symptoms, 华佗 had given them different medicines. 倪寻 was intended to take a laxative, while 李延 was intended to take a sudorific. They quickly asked the doctor why identical symptoms warranted different treatments.
华佗 explained that their symptoms were the same, but that based on their answers to his questions, he had determined that the origin of their illnesses was in fact different. The medicines he prescribed were intended to treat the cause of their illnesses, not the symptoms that they were facing.
Satisfied by this answer, the two men took their leave and took their medicine as prescribed. Sure enough, both of them made a full recovery.