天下卒死之人甚多，其故不一。内中可救者，十之七八；不可救者，仅十之二三。唯一
时不
得良医，故皆枉死耳。夫人内外无病，饮食行动如常，而忽然死者，其脏腑经络本无受病之
处，卒然感犯外邪，如恶风、秽气、鬼邪、毒厉等物，闭寒气道，一时不能转动，则大气阻
绝，昏闷，迷惑，久而不通，则气愈聚愈塞，如系绳于颈，气绝则死矣。若医者，能知其所
犯何故，以法治之，通其气，驱其邪，则立愈矣。又有痰涎壅 塞，阻遏气道而卒死者，通
气降痰则苏，所谓痰厥之类是也。以前诸项，良医皆能治之，惟脏绝之症，则不治。其人或
劳心思虑，或酒不节，或房欲过度，或恼怒不常，五脏之内，精竭神衰，唯一线真元未断，
行动如常，偶有感触，其元气一时断绝，气脱神离，顷刻而死，既不可救，又不及救。此则
卒死之最急，而不可治者也。至于暴遇神鬼，适逢冤谴，此又怪异之事，不在疾病之类矣。
人之受邪也，必有受之之处，有以召之，则应者斯至矣。夫人精神完固，则外邪不敢犯
；惟
其所以御之之具有亏，则侮之者斯集。凡疾病有为鬼神所凭者。其愚鲁者，以为鬼神实能祸
人；其明理者，以为病情如此，必无鬼神。二者皆非也。夫鬼神，犹风寒暑湿之邪耳。卫气
虚，则受寒；荣气虚，则受热；神气虚，则受鬼。盖人之神属阳，阳衰，则鬼凭之。《内经
》有五脏之病，则现五色之鬼。《难经》云∶脱阳者见鬼。故经穴中有鬼床、鬼室等穴。此
诸穴者，皆赖神气以充塞之。若神气有亏，则鬼神得而凭之，犹之风寒之能伤人也。故治寒
者，壮其阳；治热者，养其阴；治鬼者，充其神而已。其或有因痰、因思、因惊者，则当求
其本而治之。故明理之士，必事事穷其故，乃能无所惑而有据，否则执一端之见，而昧事理
之实，均属愦愦矣。其外更有触犯鬼神之病，则祈祷可愈。至于冤谴之鬼，则有数端。有自
作之孽，深仇不可解者，有祖宗贻累者，有过误害人者，其事皆凿凿可征，似儒者所不道，
然见于经史，如公子彭生伯有之类甚多，目睹者亦不少。此则非药石祈祷所能免矣。
天下突然死亡的人很多，原因各不相同。其中可以救治的，占十分之七八；无法救治的，仅占十分之二三。只是一时得不到好医生，所以都白白死去了。人如果内外都没有疾病，饮食和行动如常，却忽然死亡的，其脏腑经络本来没有受病的地方，是突然感受了外邪，如恶风、秽气、鬼邪、毒厉等物，闭塞了寒气的通道，一时不能运转，导致大气阻隔断绝，出现昏闷、迷惑的症状，时间久了不通畅，则气越聚越塞，就像绳子系在脖子上一样，气绝就会死亡。如果医生能知道他所犯的是什么缘故，用法治它，通其气，驱除其邪气，就能立即痊愈。又有痰涎壅盛堵塞，阻遏气道而突然死亡的，通畅气机、降下痰涎就能苏醒，这就是所谓的痰厥之类。以上各项，良医都能治疗，只有脏气绝脱的病证，则无法治疗。那人或许因为劳神思虑，或饮酒不节制，或房事过度，或经常恼怒，五脏之内，精气耗尽、神气衰败，只有一线真元未断，行动如常，偶然有所感触，其元气一时断绝，气脱神离，顷刻间死亡，既不可救，又来不及救。这则是卒死中最紧急、且无法治疗的病症。至于突然遇到神鬼，恰逢冤屈惩罚，这又是怪异的事情，不在疾病类别之内了。
人感受邪气，必定有受邪的部位，有招致它的因素，那么相应的邪气就会到来。人如果精神完固，那么外邪就不敢侵犯；只因为他抵御外邪的能力有所亏损，那么侮慢他的邪气就会聚集。凡是疾病有为鬼神所附着的。那些愚昧粗鲁的人，认为鬼神真的能祸害人；那些明理的人，认为病情如此，必定没有鬼神。这两种观点都不对。鬼神，就像风寒暑湿的邪气罢了。卫气虚，就受寒；营气虚，就受热；神气虚，就受鬼。大概人的神属于阳，阳气衰弱，那么鬼就依附它。《内经》说五脏有病，就会显现五色之鬼。《难经》说：脱阳的人看见鬼。所以经穴中有鬼床、鬼室等穴位。这些穴位，都依赖神气来充塞它们。如果神气有亏损，那么鬼神就能依附它，就像风寒能伤害人一样。所以治疗寒病的，要壮其阳；治疗热病的，要养其阴；治疗鬼病的，要充其神罢了。或者有的因为痰、因为思虑、因为惊恐的，就应当探求根本而治疗。所以明理的人，一定事事追究其原因，才能无所疑惑而有依据，否则执着于一端的见解，而蒙昧于事理的实际，都属于糊涂不明。此外更有触犯鬼神的病，祈祷就可以痊愈。至于冤谴之鬼，有几类情况。有自作孽障，深仇不可化解的，有祖宗遗留累及的，有过失误害人的，这些事都确实可考证，似乎儒家学者不谈，然而见于经史，像公子彭生、伯有之类很多，亲眼目睹的也不少。这则不是药物和祈祷所能避免的了。
There are many people who die suddenly in the world, and their causes are not uniform. Among them, those who can be saved account for seven or eight tenths; those who cannot be saved account for only two or three tenths. It is merely that good physicians are unavailable at the critical moment, so they all die in vain. If a person has no internal or external disease, and eats, drinks, moves, and acts as usual, yet dies suddenly, it means their Zang-Fu organs (Zang-Fu organs) and meridians (meridians) originally had no site of pathology. They suddenly contracted exogenous pathogens (exogenous pathogens), such as malignant wind (malignant wind), foul air (foul air), demonic influences (demonic influences), or toxic plagues (toxic plagues). These closed the pathways against cold qi (cold qi), causing an immediate inability to circulate. Consequently, the Great Qi (Great Qi) was obstructed and cut off, leading to dizziness, confusion, and stupor. Over time, if the obstruction did not resolve, the qi would accumulate and block further, similar to having a rope tied around the neck; once the qi ceases, death ensues. If a physician can identify the specific cause of this contraction and treat it according to the method—unblocking the qi and driving out the pathogen—immediate recovery will occur. There are also cases where sudden death occurs due to phlegm-saliva (phlegm-saliva) accumulation blocking and obstructing the airway; restoring the flow of qi and descending the phlegm will lead to revival, which is what is referred to as Phlegm Jue (Phlegm Jue - syncope due to phlegm). All the aforementioned conditions can be treated by competent physicians; however, syndromes of Zang organ exhaustion (Zang organ exhaustion) are untreatable. Such individuals may have exhausted their essence and spirit through mental labor and overthinking, immoderate alcohol consumption, excessive sexual desire, or frequent anger. Within the five Zang organs, essence is depleted and spirit is weakened. Only a thread of True Yuan (True Yuan) remains unbroken, allowing them to move and act normally. However, upon occasional contact with stimuli, their Original Qi (Original Qi) may suddenly sever, leading to the escape of qi and separation of spirit, resulting in death within moments. This is the most urgent form of sudden death and is untreatable. As for encountering spirits or ghosts suddenly, or meeting with retribution from grievances, these are bizarre matters and do not fall under the category of diseases.
When a person contracts pathogens, there must be a site of reception, and factors that invite them will cause corresponding pathogens to arrive. If a person's spirit and mind are solid and complete, exogenous pathogens dare not invade; only when the capacity to defend against them is deficient will invading pathogens gather. In cases where illness appears to be possessed by spirits or ghosts: the ignorant believe that spirits and ghosts truly harm people; the rational believe that since the clinical presentation is as described, there are no spirits or ghosts. Both views are incorrect. Spirits and ghosts are merely like the pathogens of wind, cold, summer-heat, and dampness (wind, cold, summer-heat, and dampness). When Wei Qi (Wei Qi - defensive qi) is deficient, one contracts cold; when Ying Qi (Ying Qi - nutritive qi) is deficient, one contracts heat; when Shen Qi (Shen Qi - spirit qi) is deficient, one is affected by ghosts. Generally, human spirit belongs to Yang (Yang); when Yang declines, ghosts attach themselves. The *Nei Jing* (Inner Canon) states that when the five Zang organs are diseased, ghosts of five colors manifest. The *Nan Jing* (Classic of Difficult Issues) says: "Those who lose Yang see ghosts." Therefore, among the acupoints (acupoints), there are points named Guichuang (Ghost Bed) and Guishi (Ghost Chamber). These acupoints rely on the fullness of Shen Qi to function properly. If Shen Qi is deficient, spirits and ghosts can attach themselves, just as wind and cold can harm the body. Thus, treating cold involves strengthening Yang; treating heat involves nourishing Yin; treating ghost-related issues involves replenishing Shen. If the cause is phlegm, overthinking, or fright, one should seek the root cause and treat accordingly. Therefore, rational individuals must investigate the cause of every matter to remain free of doubt and well-founded; otherwise, adhering to a one-sided view while being ignorant of the reality of principles constitutes ignorance. Additionally, illnesses caused by offending spirits and ghosts can be cured through prayer. Regarding ghosts of grievance, there are several categories: those arising from self-inflicted calamities and irreconcilable deep hatreds; those stemming from ancestral burdens; and those resulting from accidental harm to others. These events are verifiable, though Confucian scholars may not discuss them. Nevertheless, they appear in historical classics, such as Gongzi Pengsheng and Boyou, and there are many witnesses. Such cases cannot be avoided by medicine or prayer alone.