典藏书目

A young boy surnamed Zhao from a neighboring village, aged eight, suffered from spleen and stomach injury and was on the verge of developing Slow Spleen Wind (Man Pi Feng).

Etiology He originally came from a farming family, tending and guarding a melon field. When autumn arrived and the melons ripened, he often ate melons as his staple food when hungry, thereby injuring his spleen and stomach and revealing the prodromal signs of Slow Spleen Wind.

Symptoms After eating, undigested food was frequently vomited; bowel movements occurred three to four times daily, mostly containing un-digested whole grains (Wan Gu); his legs sometimes failed to support walking, causing him to sit dejectedly on the ground while attempting to walk; there were occasional sensations of burning heat over the entire body; the pulse was wiry and fine on the left side, and deficient and soggy on the right side, with a slow rate.

Diagnosis The vomiting accompanied by diarrhea and occasional flaccid paralysis preventing walking are all prodromal signs of Slow Spleen Wind. Moreover, although there is occasional burning heat in the body, the pulse turns wiry, fine, deficient, and soggy with a slow rate, which clearly indicates true cold inside and false heat outside. It is appropriate to treat this with a large dose of herbs that warm and tonify the spleen and stomach. Once the spleen and stomach become robust, they will naturally digest food, stopping vomiting and diarrhea. Over time, the qi transformation in the middle jiao will become smooth, and the blood vessels throughout the body will be unobstructed, allowing the remaining symptoms to heal spontaneously.

Prescription Raw Huai Dioscorea Rhizome (Sheng Huai Shanyao) (1 liang), Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome (Baizhu) (4 qian, stir-fried), Prepared Rehmannia Root (Shu Huai Dihuang) (4 qian), Longan Aril (Longyan Rou), Dried Ginger (Ganjiang) (3 qian), Raw Chicken Gizzard Lining (Sheng Jineijin) (2 qian, yellow ones crushed), Raw Hang Paeony Root (Sheng Hangshao) (2 qian), Licorice Root (Gancao) (2 qian).
Decoct together in a large cup of water, divide into two doses, and take warm.

Second Visit After taking two doses of the prescription, the vomiting, diarrhea, and burning heat had all resolved. However, he still occasionally felt stiffness in his legs when walking. Therefore, slight modifications were made to the original formula, anticipating that continued administration would lead to complete recovery.

Prescription Raw Huai Dioscorea Rhizome (Sheng Huai Shanyao) (1 liang), Prepared Rehmannia Root (Shu Huai Dihuang) (4 qian), Longan Aril (Longyan Rou) (4 qian), Walnut Kernel (Hutaoren) (4 qian), Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome (Baizhu) (3 qian, stir-fried), Teasel Root (Chuan Xuduan) (3 qian), Dried Ginger (Ganjiang) (2 qian), Raw Chicken Gizzard Lining (Sheng Jineijin) (2 qian, yellow ones crushed), Raw Hang Paeony Root (Sheng Hangshao) (1.5 qian), Licorice Root (Gancao) (1.5 qian).
Decoct together in a large cup of water, divide into two doses, and take warm.

Outcome After taking two doses of the prescription, the illness was completely cured. He was strictly advised to avoid consuming raw and cold foods to prevent recurrence.