国信副使覃公中四十九岁。至元丙寅春。病脐腹冷疼。完谷不化。足 寒而逆。皮肤不仁。精
神困弱。诊其脉沉细而微。遂投以大热甘辛之剂。及灸气海百壮。三里三穴各三七壮。阳辅各二七
壮。三日后以葱熨。灸疮皆不发。复灸前穴根据前壮数。亦不发。十日后。疮亦更不作脓。疮口皆干
。癸丑岁初。予随朝承应。冬屯于瓜忽都地面。学针于窦子声先生。因询穴 。曰。凡用针者气不
至而不效。灸之亦不发。大抵本气空虚。不能作脓。失其所养故也。更加不慎。邪气加之。病必不
退。异日因语针灸科忽教授。亦以为然。至元戊辰春。副使除益都府判。到任未几时。风疾。半身
麻木。自汗恶风。妄喜笑。又多健忘。语言微涩。医以续命汤复发其汗。津液重竭。其证愈甚。因
求医还家。日久神气昏愦。形容羸瘦。饮食无味。便溺遗失。扶而后起。屡易医药。皆不能效。因
思内经云。阳气者若天与日。失其所则折寿而不彰。今因此病。而知子声先生之言矣。或云。副使
肥甘足于口。轻暖足于体。使令足于前。所为无不如意。君言失其所养。何也。予曰。汝言所养。养
口体者也。予论所养。养性命者也。且覃氏壮年得志。不知所养之正。务快于心。精神耗散。血气
空虚。因致此疾。灵枢经云。人年十岁。五脏始定。血气已通。其气在下。故好走。二十岁血气始
盛。肌肉方长。故好趋。三十岁五脏大定。肌肉坚。血气盛满。故好步。四十岁五脏六腑十二经脉
。皆大盛以平定。腠理始疏。华荣颓落。发颇斑白。平盛不摇。故好坐。五十岁肝气始衰。肝叶始薄。胆汁始减。目始
不明。六十岁心气始衰。善忧悲。血气懈惰。故好卧。七十岁脾气始衰。皮肤已枯。八十岁肺气衰。魄魂散离。故
言善误。九十岁肾气焦脏枯。经脉空虚。百岁五脏皆虚。神气皆去。形骸独居而终矣。盖精神有限
。嗜欲无穷。轻丧性命。一失难复。其覃氏之谓欤。
国信副使覃公中，四十九岁。至元丙寅年春天，他患脐腹部冷痛，大便中有未消化的食物，双脚寒冷且逆冷，皮肤麻木不仁，精神困倦虚弱。诊察他的脉搏沉细而微弱。于是投以大热、甘辛性质的药剂，并艾灸气海穴一百壮，足三里三穴各三七壮（21壮），阳辅穴各二七壮（14壮）。三天后，用葱白熨烫患处，但灸疮都没有发泡。再次艾灸上述穴位，按照之前的壮数，依然没有发泡。十天后，疮口也不化脓，疮口全部干燥。
癸丑年年初，我随朝廷出巡承应，冬天驻扎在瓜忽都地面。向窦子声先生学习针灸。因此询问关于穴位的问题，他说：“凡是使用针刺的，如果经气不到达就不见效；艾灸如果不发泡，也是同理。大抵是因为本气空虚，不能化生脓液，失去了所养的缘故。如果再加上不慎，邪气侵袭，病必定不会消退。”后来我又与针灸科的忽教授谈论此事，他也认为是对的。
至元戊辰年春天，副使被任命为益都府判官。到任不久，患上风疾，半身麻木，自汗恶风，妄喜笑，又多健忘，语言轻微涩滞。医生用续命汤再次发汗，导致津液严重枯竭，症状更加严重。于是请求回家就医。日久神气昏愦，形体消瘦，饮食无味，大小便失禁，需要搀扶才能起身。多次更换医药，都不能见效。
于是想到《内经》说：“阳气就像天空中的太阳，如果失去其正常位置，就会折损寿命而不显赫。”如今因为这场病，才明白了子声先生的话。有人说：“副使口中肥甘充足，身上轻暖充足，手下仆役充足，所做之事无不如意，您说他‘失其所养’，这是为什么？”我说：“你所说的‘所养’，是供养口腹和身体的；我所论述的‘所养’，是养护性命精神的。况且覃氏在壮年得志，不知道正确的养生之道，一味追求内心的快感，导致精神耗散，血气空虚，因而导致此疾。”
《灵枢经》说：“人十岁时，五脏始定，血气已通，其气在下，所以喜欢跑。二十岁时，血气始盛，肌肉方长，所以喜欢快走。三十岁时，五脏大定，肌肉坚实，血气盛满，所以喜欢步行。四十岁时，五脏六腑十二经脉，都盛大而平稳，腠理开始疏阔，荣华颓落，头发开始斑白，平盛不摇，所以喜欢坐。五十岁时，肝气始衰，肝叶始薄，胆汁始减，眼睛开始不明。六十岁时，心气始衰，容易忧悲，血气懈惰，所以喜欢躺卧。七十岁时，脾气始衰，皮肤枯槁。八十岁时，肺气衰，魄魂散离，所以说话容易出错。九十岁时，肾气焦枯，脏腑干枯，经脉空虚。百岁岁时，五脏皆虚，神气皆去，形骸独居而终了。”大概精神是有限的，嗜欲是无穷的。轻视丧送性命，一旦失去难以恢复。这说的就是覃氏这样的人吧。
Qin Gongzhong, Vice Commissioner of State Trust, was forty-nine years old. In the spring of Bingyin year of Zhiyuan era, he suffered from cold pain in the umbilical and abdominal regions, undigested food in stool (Wan Gu Bu Hua), coldness and reversal coldness in the feet, numbness of the skin, and mental fatigue and weakness. His pulse was deep, fine, and faint. Therefore, a decoction of great heat, sweet, and acrid nature was administered, along with moxibustion on Qihai (CV 6) for one hundred moxa cones (Zhuang), Sanyanjiao (ST 36) at three acupoints for twenty-one Zhuang each, and Yangfu (GB 38) for fourteen Zhuang each. Three days later, after applying scallion ironing (Cong Yi), the moxa sores did not suppurate. Re-moxibusting the aforementioned acupoints according to the previous number of Zhuang also failed to produce sores. Ten days later, the sores still did not form pus, and all wound openings were dry.
At the beginning of Guichou year, I attended the imperial court's tour and wintered in the Guhudu area. I studied acupuncture and moxibustion from Master Dou Zisheng. I therefore inquired about acupoints. He said: "For those using needles, if Qi does not arrive, there is no effect; similarly, if moxibustion does not cause suppuration, it is ineffective. Generally, this is due to emptiness of the root Qi, which cannot generate pus, having lost its nourishment. If carelessness adds pathogenic factors, the disease will certainly not recede." Later, I discussed this with Professor Hu of the Acupuncture and Moxibustion Department, who also agreed.
In the spring of Wuchen year of Zhiyuan era, the Vice Commissioner was appointed as Judge of Yidu Prefecture. Shortly after taking office, he contracted Wind Disease (Feng Ji), characterized by hemiparesthesia, spontaneous sweating and aversion to wind, irrational laughter, frequent forgetfulness, and slightly slurred speech. The physician used Xuming Tang (Continuing Life Decoction) to induce sweating again, causing severe depletion of body fluids, and the symptoms worsened. He then requested to return home for medical treatment. Over time, his spirit became confused, his appearance emaciated, he had no taste for food, and he suffered from urinary and fecal incontinence, requiring support to stand up. Multiple changes in medicine yielded no effect.
I then recalled the statement in *Neijing* (Inner Canon): "Yang Qi is like the sky and the sun; if it loses its proper place, lifespan is shortened and brilliance is obscured." Because of this illness, I now understand the words of Mr. Zisheng. Some said: "The Vice Commissioner has ample rich and sweet foods, light and warm clothing, and sufficient servants; everything he does goes as he wishes. You say he 'lost his nourishment,' why?" I replied: "What you call 'nourishment' is that which feeds the mouth and body. What I discuss as 'nourishment' is that which sustains life and spirit. Moreover, Qin attained success in his prime but did not know the correct way of nourishment, striving only for mental gratification. This led to the dissipation of spirit and emptiness of blood and Qi, resulting in this disease."
*Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot) states: "When a person is ten years old, the five Zang organs begin to stabilize, blood and Qi are already circulating, and Qi resides below; thus, they like to run. At twenty, blood and Qi begin to flourish, muscles are growing; thus, they like to walk briskly. At thirty, the five Zang organs are fully stabilized, muscles are firm, and blood and Qi are abundant; thus, they like to walk steadily. At forty, the five Zang organs, six Fu organs, and twelve meridians are all flourishing and stable, pores begin to loosen, luster declines, hair begins to turn gray, and movement becomes less vigorous; thus, they like to sit. At fifty, Liver Qi begins to decline, liver leaves become thin, bile secretion decreases, and vision begins to dim. At sixty, Heart Qi begins to decline, prone to sorrow and grief, blood and Qi become sluggish; thus, they like to lie down. At seventy, Spleen Qi begins to decline, skin becomes dry. At eighty, Lung Qi declines, Po and Hun scatter; thus, speech is prone to error. At ninety, Kidney Qi is scorched, organs are dry, meridians are empty. At one hundred, the five Zang organs are all deficient, spirit and Qi have departed, and only the physical shell remains until death." Spirit is limited, while desires are infinite. To lightly sacrifice life is difficult to recover once lost. This refers to someone like Qin.