筠枝先生。创业维艰。大率得之节啬者多。然七旬御女不辍。此先天元阳固密。非人力之所为也。若能良
贾深藏。可以百年用之不竭。奈何以御女之故。而数扰其阳耶。夫阳者亲上而卫外。易出而难收者也。在
根基浅露之躯。毫不敢肆情纵欲。幸而根深蒂固。不易动摇。乃以房中之术。自伐其根。而重加栽
接。致大命危于顷刻。岂误以节啬之方。而倒施之御女乎。夏月阳气在外。阴气在内。此时调摄之药。全
以扶阳抑阴为主。翁偶不快。于饮食起居如常。医者以壮年伤暑之药。香薷黄柏石膏
知母滑石车前木通投之。即刻不支。卧于床褥。次早余见时。则
身僵颈硬。舌强喉哑。无生理矣。余诊毕云。此证虽危。然因误药所致。甫隔一晚。尚可以药速追。急以大
附子干姜人参白术各五钱。甘草三钱。大剂煎服。可解此厄。万不宜迟。渠诸子不能决。余忙取药自煎。众
议姑以前方煎四分之一。服之安贴。再煎未迟。只得从之。药成送进。适前医再至。遂入诊良久。阻药
不用。余面辱其医。进房亲督灌药。寸香之久。翁大呕一声。醒而能言。但声雌而颤。呼诸子乳名云。适才
见州官回。询其所繇。开目视之不语。转问医者何人。曰江西喻。遂抬手一拱。又云。被缝有风来。塞塞。
余甚快。忙出煎所存三分之药以再进。维时姻族杂至。商以肩舆送余归寓。余断欲进药。众劝云。且暂
回寓。或者明日再请。其意中必惧吾之面折医辈耳。及他医进药。哑 如前。越二日而逝。余为之叹惜不
已焉。七旬御女不辍。斧斤于内。而假庸医以权。长子次子继夭。斧斤于外。而开
姻族以舋。气机久动。尚自谓百年无患也。于人乎何尤。
胡卣臣先生曰。献玉而遭刖。认为顽石也。投珠而按剑。诧为不祥也。
至剖石得玉。转灾为祥。尚然不识。则何见耶。医事固裂。亦所遇适穷耳。
筠枝先生，创业艰难，大多是因为懂得节俭克制而获得的。然而他七十岁仍房事不辍，这是因为他的先天元阳（人体生命活动的原动力）固密坚固，并非人力所能强求的。如果能像优秀的商人那样深藏若虚、爱惜精力，本可以百年使用而不枯竭。为何却因为房事过度，多次扰动体内的阳气呢？
阳气具有趋向体表、护卫肌表的作用，容易外泄而难以收敛。对于根基浅薄的人，绝不敢放纵情欲；幸好您根基深厚稳固，不易动摇，却用房中术自我摧残根本，又进行错误的“栽接”（比喻错误的调理或补益），导致性命危在旦夕。这难道不是误将节制保养的方法，颠倒用在纵欲之上吗？
夏季阳气浮越于外，阴气潜伏于内。此时调养的药物，应以扶助阳气、抑制阴寒为主。老先生偶尔感到不适，但饮食起居如常。医生却用治疗壮年人伤暑的药物，投以香薷、黄柏、石膏、知母、滑石、车前子、木通等寒凉之品。结果立刻病情加重，卧床不起。
第二天早上我见到他时，他已经身体僵硬、颈部强硬、舌体僵硬、喉咙嘶哑，看起来没有生机了。我把完脉后说：这个证候虽然危险，但是由误用药物导致的。仅仅过了一晚，还可以用药物迅速挽回。急需大剂量的附子、干姜、人参、白术各五钱，甘草三钱，煎服，可以解除这个厄运。千万不要延误。
他的几个儿子不能决定，我急忙自己取药煎煮。众人商议姑且先煎四分之一的药量，如果服用后安稳，再煎剩下的也不迟。只得听从他们的意见。药煎好后送进去，恰好之前的那位医生又来了，于是进去诊察了很久，阻止用药。我当面羞辱了那位医生，进入房间亲自督促灌药。大约一炷香的时间，老先生大声呕吐一声，醒来并能说话，只是声音雌柔而颤抖，呼唤儿子的乳名说：“刚才看见州官回来了。”询问他缘由，他睁开眼睛看着却不说话，转而问医生是谁，说是江西喻昌。于是抬手作揖，又说：“被缝里有风来，瑟瑟发抖。”我觉得很痛快，急忙出去把剩下的三分之二的药拿来再次进服。
当时亲戚族人杂乱地来到，商量用轿子送我回住所。我坚持要进药，众人劝我说：“暂且回住所吧，或许明天再请。”他们心里一定是害怕我当面驳斥那些医生。等到其他医生进药后，症状依然像之前一样。过了两天就去世了。我为此叹息不已。
七十岁还房事不辍，如同从内部砍伐树木；却假借庸医之手掌握权柄；长子次子相继夭折，如同从外部砍伐树木；又开启姻亲族人的争端。气机长久动荡，还自认为百年无忧。对人有什么可抱怨的呢？
胡卣臣先生说：“献玉却遭到刖足（砍去脚），是因为被认为那是顽石；投珠却被人按剑相向，是因为诧怪为不祥。直到剖开石头得到玉，转灾为祥，竟然还不认识，那是什么见识呢？医道固然分裂，也是所遇时机困窘罢了。”
Mr. Yunzhi, having established his career with great difficulty, mostly acquired his wealth through frugality and restraint. However, he engaged in sexual intercourse without cessation even at the age of seventy; this was because his *Yuan Yang* (Primordial Yang Qi, the root of life activities) was naturally solid and secure, a condition not achieved by human effort alone. If he had practiced deep concealment and conservation like a skilled merchant, he could have preserved his vitality for a hundred years without depletion. Why did he disturb his *Yang Qi* repeatedly due to excessive sexual activity?
*Yang Qi* tends to move upward and outward to protect the exterior; it is easily lost but difficult to recover. For those with shallow roots, one must absolutely refrain from indulging desires. Fortunately, your foundation was deep and solid, making it hard to shake. Yet, through improper sexual practices, you undermined your own root and attempted erroneous "grafting" (metaphorically referring to incorrect medical interventions or tonification), thereby placing your life in imminent danger. Was this not a mistake of applying methods of restraint and conservation inversely to the act of indulgence?
In summer, *Yang Qi* floats on the exterior while *Yin Qi* resides within. Medications for regulation during this period should primarily focus on supporting *Yang* and suppressing *Yin*. The elder gentleman occasionally felt unwell, yet his diet and daily routine remained normal. The physician prescribed medications for heatstroke in young adults, administering herbs such as *Elsholtziae Herba* (Xiangru), *Phellodendri Cortex* (Huangbai), *Gypsum Fibrosum* (Shigao), *Anemarrhenae Rhizoma* (Zhimu), *Talcum* (Huashi), *Plantaginis Semen* (Cheqianzi), and *Akebiae Caulis* (Mutong). Consequently, his condition deteriorated immediately, confining him to bed.
The following morning when I examined him, his body was stiff, his neck rigid, his tongue stiff, and his voice hoarse, appearing devoid of vital signs. After palpating his pulse, I stated: Although this syndrome is critical, it was caused by erroneous medication. Having passed only one night, it is still possible to rapidly reverse the situation with proper medicine. Urgently administer a large dose of *Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata* (Fuzi), *Zingiberis Rhizoma* (Ganjiang), *Panax Ginseng* (Renshen), and *Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma* (Baizhu), each 5 qian, along with *Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma* (Gancao) 3 qian, decocted and taken orally. This can resolve the crisis. Do not delay.
His sons were unable to make a decision. I hurriedly took the herbs and decocted them myself. The crowd suggested brewing only one-quarter of the prescription first; if he stabilized after taking it, the rest could be brewed later. Reluctantly, we agreed. When the medicine was ready and presented, the previous physician happened to arrive again. He examined the patient for a long time and obstructed the administration of the medicine. I publicly rebuked that physician, entered the room, and personally supervised the administration of the drug. After approximately the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the elder gentleman vomited loudly once, woke up, and could speak, though his voice was soft and trembling. He called out his sons' childhood names, saying, "I just saw the Prefect return." When asked about the cause, he opened his eyes, looked around, but said nothing. He then asked who the physician was. Upon hearing "Yu Chang from Jiangxi," he raised his hand in a salute and added, "There is wind coming from the seams, shivering." I felt greatly relieved and hurriedly went out to retrieve the remaining three-quarters of the decoction to administer again.
At that time, relatives and clansmen crowded in, discussing sending me back to my residence via sedan chair. I insisted on continuing the treatment. They advised, "Please return to your residence for now; perhaps we can invite you again tomorrow." Their intention was likely fear of my confronting the other physicians. When other physicians administered their prescriptions, the symptoms remained unchanged. Two days later, he passed away. I sighed with endless regret.
Engaging in intercourse at seventy without cessation is like chopping wood from within; yet relying on mediocre physicians to manage one's health. The death of the eldest and second sons is like chopping wood from without; yet provoking disputes among kin and clans. With the mechanism of Qi disturbed for a long time, he still believed himself safe for a century. What blame can be placed upon others?
Mr. Hu Youchen said: "Offering jade and suffering the punishment of foot amputation is because it is mistaken for common stone; throwing pearls and being met with drawn swords is because it is regarded as an ill omen. Even after cutting open the stone to find jade, turning disaster into auspiciousness, if one still fails to recognize it, what kind of insight is that? The division in medical practice is indeed severe, but it is also due to encountering unfortunate circumstances."