典藏书目

The use of medicinal substances is like the deployment of troops; the balance between tonification and purgation, cooling and warming, determines safety and danger, life and death. Can one be too cautious? Although it is said that eye diseases do not flare up without heat nor subside without cold, this statement refers only to the general nature of fire pathogens. Conditions such as yin deficiency, cold tears, blurred vision, and yang collapse exist internally; how can one solely attribute them to fire and employ cooling agents?

Contemporary mediocre physicians, upon seeing any eye disease, fail to distinguish the deficiency or excess, cold or heat of the syndrome, nor do they differentiate qi and blood. They indiscriminately apply cooling treatments. Little do they know that cold medicines damage the Stomach (Wei) and deplete blood. The branch symptoms remain unresolved while the root is injured first, leading to stomach failure with nausea, and blood deterioration with spasms. If they do not reflect and cease, continuing to administer these drugs will severely injure Yuan Qi (Primordial Qi), causing complications to increase daily. Only when a deficiency-cold syndrome is definitively diagnosed should mild and warm medicines be administered; otherwise, there is the risk of "adding fuel to the fire." Conversely, if a fire syndrome exists but hot medicines are administered, the harm is even more rapid. One must be extremely cautious. Generally, dryness and redness require cooling; inflammation and constipation require cold clearing; yin deficiency requires warm tonification; and yang collapse requires warm heating. However, hot medicines are methods to restore Yang, and cold medicines are prescriptions to save from fire; neither should be used routinely. For exterior obstructions (Wai Zhang), nourish blood and remove obstructions; for interior obstructions (Nei Zhang), nourish the Gallbladder (Dan) and resolve stagnation. Thus, although treating fire syndromes involves herbs like Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma), Zhimu (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma), and Huangbai (Phellodendri Cortex), they must be processed with wine stir-frying to avoid side effects of cold-induced diarrhea. In the application of cold/heat and tonification/purgation, one must assess the patient's constitutional strength, age and vitality, severity of illness, and duration of disease. Avoid excess or insufficiency; adjust flexibly in mind, like a pearl rolling on a plate or a weight moving on a scale. Do not be rigid; this constitutes a good physician.

The raw or cooked state of medicines embodies the principles of tonification and purgation; the dosage determines benefit or harm. Raw medicines have fierce properties and heavy flavors; their attack is urgent, their nature is rigid, primarily serving purgation. Cooked medicines have mellow properties and light flavors; their attack is slow, their nature is soft, primarily serving tonification. A slight error in tonification versus purgation leads to a discrepancy of a thousand miles; thus, whether a medicine benefits or harms is clearly distinguished. For tonifying medicines, using processed (cooked) forms seeks their mellow richness to achieve the function of supporting assistance. For purging medicines, using processed forms seeks to remove their fierceness to achieve the power of attacking and eliminating. The choice between raw and cooked has its appropriateness. The goal is to achieve balanced tonification and purgation without damaging righteous Qi. Is it merely for aesthetic appeal? Why do contemporary mediocre physicians exclusively feed patients raw medicines? Medicines should be cooked; using raw ones implies fierce properties. Will the pure and harmonious Qi of the Zang-Fu organs not be damaged by ingestion? Therefore, raw medicines have a purging nature. A purging nature consumes righteous Qi; thus, cooked is appropriate, not raw. Conversely, some fear raw medicines and exclusively advocate processing. Medicines should be raw; using cooked ones implies slow properties. Will the stagnant and abnormal pathogens within the Zang-Fu organs be difficult to expel after ingestion? Therefore, cooked medicines have a slow nature. A slow nature makes it hard to attack pathogens; thus, raw is appropriate, not cooked. It is unknown that tonifying decoctions should use cooked medicines, while purging medicines need not shy away from raw ones. Using medicines in their raw state is like bandits in chaotic times; without strong soldiers and fierce generals, how can one achieve the merit of breaking fortifications and defeating enemies? Using medicines in their cooked state is like the common people in peaceful times; without rites and music education, how can one achieve an atmosphere of harmony and courtesy? Therefore, when the world is in chaos, martial arts are practiced; when the world is governed, culture is cultivated. Physicians who emulate this principle in medication will treat diseases appropriately and avoid harming patients. Alas! Reflect upon this carefully.