典藏书目

A patient suffered from soreness and heaviness in both feet, unable to support movement; upon onset, swelling and pain occurred. During a remission period, the pulse at both wrists was large and forceful, while the pulse felt weak when pressing through scallion tubes (a traditional diagnostic technique); the upper body was obese and robust. I attributed this to his consumption of rich and sweet foods, excessive indulgence in sexual activity, leading to deficiency of essence and blood, and excessive damp-heat. Therefore, I prescribed one formula to tonify essence and blood below, and another to clear damp-heat above. He refused to take them, citing advice that Hongjiao (foot disease caused by damp-evil) has no place for tonification. Three months later, the pain recurred. One physician attempted Southern methods without success; another used Northern purgative methods, resulting in his death on the toilet. Alas! How many have been misled by rigid adherence to formulas without discerning the excess or deficiency of the disease.

The Classics state: The Kidney belongs to Water, receiving and storing the essence of the five zang and six fu organs. It is also said: The Kidney governs hibernation, serving as the root of sealing and storing, and the residence of essence. Furthermore: The key to yin and yang lies in the density of yang; if yang is strong but not dense, yin qi will be exhausted. If yin is peaceful and yang is secure, spirit and vitality are regulated; if yin and yang separate and rupture, essence and qi perish. Additionally: Yin and yang converge at the Zongjin (tendons of the genitalia), meeting at the Qichao (groin area). The *Lingshu* states: When Jueqi (rebellious qi) lodges in the yinqi (genitals), dreams of intercourse occur. The yinqi is the gathering point of Zongjin; the tendons of the Foot Taiyin, Yangming, Shaoyin, and Jueyin meridians all converge here, intersecting with the Chong, Ren, and Du vessels. Since the Jueyin meridian governs tendons, all tendons connect to it. The Kidney is yin, governing the storage of essence; the Liver is yang, governing dispersion and drainage. The yinqi is the orifice for expelling essence; thus, Kidney yin deficiency leads to insecure storage of essence, while Liver yang hyperactivity leads to insecure qi retention. If yin evil lodges in the orifice and interacts with hyperactive yang, essence escapes, causing nocturnal emission. This "yang hyperactivity" is not an excess of true organ yang, but rather an excess of Ministerial Fire (Xianghuo) residing in the Liver. Unchecked ministerial fire consumes the true yang of the organs. The Liver stores the Hun (ethereal soul); deficiency of true organ yang causes the Hun to wander and transform, creating dreams, similar to cases of liver deficiency with frequent dreams and hallucinations. However, initial pathology may originate from deficiency in the Heart, Lung, Spleen, or Stomach, but inevitably transmits to the Liver and Kidney, causing essence loss, following natural transmission principles. Zongjin connects upward to the chest and abdomen, runs alongside the umbilicus, and joins the Henggu bone. Thus, the *Neijing* calls it the convergence of Zongjin at the Qichao, functioning to bind bones and facilitate joint movement. All five zang possess fire; ministerial fire resides in the Liver. Normal ministerial fire promotes function, while abnormal ministerial fire causes severe harm. Normally, Liver qi is vigorous, nourishing the tendons as the root of endurance. Since the yinqi gathers Zongjin, its strength in function derives from ministerial fire. Upon sexual intercourse, receiving yin qi causes fire in the Sanjiao (Triple Burner) to descend. As fire moves with qi, all Xuanfu (micro-pores/channels) open, and vital essence rushes to the yinqi to exit, beyond just Kidney storage. The "Jueqi lodging in yinqi" refers to rebellious qi from the yin aspect, similar to the qi of intercourse, hence the dream resembles actual seminal emission. Dreams deplete true yang, leading to physical exhaustion and difficult qi recovery, unlike normal post-coital recovery. Question: What is the treatment? Answer: If disease originates from other zang, treat the initial symptoms as the root and the Liver/Kidney accumulation as the branch; if originating from Liver/Kidney, treat them alone; if due to yin-yang separation and lack of water-fire communication, harmonize the unembracing yin and yang. Tonify qi for yang deficiency, tonify blood for yin deficiency, purge fire for yang hyperactivity. Fire patterns have direct and reverse treatments, adjusted according to severity. Regrettably, modern physicians fail to distinguish yin/yang and excess/deficiency, relying only on internal warming/heating and external moxibustion, leading to depletion of yin water, independent blazing of strong fire, emaciation, bone prominence, tendon flaccidity, and incurable conditions. I follow the Classics' principles, achieving many cures.

A man in his twenties stayed up reading until the fourth watch (1–3 AM), triggering this illness. In bed, if the penis touched the blanket or legs, he dreamed of seminal emission; if suspended, it did not. His diet decreased daily, accompanied by fatigue and shortness of breath. I diagnosed excessive mental effort causing simultaneous Heart and Ministerial Fire rise, preventing sleep, leading to blood failing to return to the Liver, resulting in Kidney water deficiency. Fire exploited the yin deficiency, invading the Lower Jiao, agitating the Jingfang (essence chamber), causing essence to leak rather than gather in the organs. Contact of the Yujing (penis) with objects mimicked Jueqi lodging, inducing dreams of intercourse. Treatment: Upper body – tonify Heart and calm Spirit; Middle body – regulate Spleen/Stomach, raise yin; Lower body – benefit essence, generate yin, secure yang. He recovered within three months.

An elderly man, sixty years old, suffered from malaria and cough. Overuse of Six-Bite Decoction (Sishou Yin) accumulated damp-heat in the Lower Jiao, nearing critical condition. His Chi (cun) pulse was rapid and forceful. I prescribed Buzhong Yiqi Tang with cooling herbs for three days, followed by Huangbai Wan. The next morning, the rapid Chi pulse subsided significantly. I asked about nocturnal dreams; he confirmed having them but no emission. I explained that due to age and essence depletion, there was little to emit. The intense heat had lodged in the essence chamber; the heat-clearing and yin-nourishing herbs dispersed the fire toward the genital orifice, reducing the disease. After two more doses, he dreamed again, and both malaria and cough resolved completely.

Another patient experienced nightly dreams. I palpated his pulse for two days; he remained head-down, looking askance, suggesting yin evil attachment. He refused to describe his condition. Inquiry among servants revealed he had visited a temple, seen a maid, and engaged in prolonged manual stimulation, falling ill within three days. A Daoist priest destroyed the idol in the temple; the mud in the lower abdomen became wet, and the illness resolved. This was caused by spiritual interaction with a ghostly entity.

I have observed Zhang Zhongjing treating Lower Jiao true yang and essence-blood deficiency, presenting with tightness in the lower abdomen, Kou (hollow), Dong (fluttering), and Wei Jin (slight tightness) pulses, seminal loss in men, and dream intercourse in women, using Guizhi (Cinnamon Twig) and Longgu (Dragon Bone) to warm and secure. If yang floats upward without descending, causing palpitations, epistaxis,手足烦热 (restlessness in hands and feet), dry throat and mouth, with yin isolated internally causing abdominal urgency and pain, and dream seminal loss, Xiaojianzhong Tang is used to harmonize. These serve as valid models.