典藏书目

Initially, there was pain in the feet, followed by headache. Suddenly, the patient fell into a coma and lost consciousness, with trembling of the hands and twitching of muscles, which is due to the movement of Yuan Qi (Original Qi). The jaw was clenched, eyes rolled upward, complexion yellow with red malar flush, lips cyanotic, and the area below the chin similarly affected, with phlegm-rattling sounds during respiration. The pulse at the left Guan position was imperceptible, the Cun position was very faint, and the right Chi position was absent; only the area anterior to the Guan was surging and slippery. The patient did not vomit, the nostrils were not flaring, and no sweat was excreted; the four limbs were cold. All physicians were at a loss, resorting to Zhenzhu Mu Wan (Pearl Mother Pill) methods perfunctorily, which aggravated the condition. This was phlegm-demon attaching to the Liver Meridian, disturbing the mind and causing restlessness, leading to the Four Elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind) all ascending to attack the Head (Heaven). There has been no established prescription for this in ancient times. I inferred the treatment based on the pathogenesis: after one dose, limb movement resumed; after two doses, the tongue could extend; after three doses, speech was restored. I later recounted this experience to my disciples.

Prescription: Fushen (Poria with Hostwood, 5 qian, processed with Cinnabar), Chenxiang (Aquilaria Wood, 3 fen), Jinqi (Gold Artifact, 4 qian), Cishi (Magnetite, 4 qian), Tagan (Rabbit Liver, 1 qian), Renshen (Ginseng Root, 1 qian), Zhuli (Bamboo Sap, 1.5 qian, mixed with one spoonful of Ginger Juice), Ganju (Chrysanthemum Flower, 1.5 qian, stir-fried).
First, use sour plum flesh to wipe open the clenched jaw.

To implement charitable acts such as distributing medicine, providing medical care, or preparing coffins within the commandery and counties, one must first open the purse and then advocate for goodness, expending heart and labor, and managing affairs daily, so that achievements can be made. However, such large-scale efforts to save lives are not easy to come by. Preparing medicines, engaging doctors to treat patients, and thereby saving the cost of coffins—what was difficult in the past is now seen here; Yuanhe is indeed praised as a hometown of virtue. During the famine relief, there were still surplus funds, which were still thoughtfully used to benefit the poor. Some gentry worried about the epidemics sent by Heaven, and some wealthy people feared the premature death of the populace. It was early summer, when heat, dampness, and turbid qi were about to steam up. Furthermore, it was the year of Yi Hai, where the Metal transport was insufficient, and the wind of the Hai year was excessive. Not only was Wood lacking restraint, but it also insulted Metal; moreover, the foul and chaotic qi of the disastrous year was stirred up within. Humans exist in the intersection of Qi, with no gap to avoid it. Thus, if one person contracts this qi, it becomes Damp-Warmth disease; if a region contracts it, it becomes a Seasonal Epidemic. After handling the disaster relief, Prefect Zhou observed the epidemic qi and found it abnormal. He gathered physicians to ask about the disease. The answer was: Yi corresponds to the transformation of metal, with rampant fire; Hai belongs to Jueyin, with excessive wind. Wind and fire fanning each other aligns with the manifestations described in Wu Youke’s *Treatise on Pestilence*. It is not merely a single pathogen lodged in the Membrane Source (Mo Yuan); inevitably, it will transmit out through the nine orifices. Even if the cause is external and the symptoms involve internal complications, treating the branches cannot escape this scope. Moreover, Wu Youke’s discussion on pestilence, Zhang Shiweng’s discussion on seasonal epidemic qi, and Zhou Yuza’s discussion on damp-heat and summer-heat epidemics all coincide with the 73rd Jiazi cycle since Da Nao created the Jiazi system, where Jueyin governs the Heaven (Si Tian) and Shaoyang governs the Earth (Zai Quan), a time when wind and fire are active. They elucidated the profound principles with divine insight. If the Si Tian of Huiyuan is like this, the Si Tian of the current year may well be similar. Thus, the county temple was converted into an epidemic bureau. Patients arrived in succession, the courtyard was as busy as a market, with internal and external departments separated, and different positions for severity. At that time, I palpated the pulse and found it floating, not sinking, and rapid. I observed the tongue and saw white coating covering the entire surface. Asking about their suffering, they reported aversion to cold, fever, and mental confusion. I said: This is Da Yuan Yin (Reach the Origin Decoction) syndrome. A young man nearby said: If treated with this method, the coating will surely turn yellow, and the pathogen will be reached. Indeed, it happened as predicted. Later, asking who the young man was, he was identified as Xu Tiefeng, a senior disciple of Mr. Xu Dan’an. His father, Xuefeng, was an old physician with deep family learning, following in the bureau, truly tireless in study! Truly benevolent! At that time, like Mr. Guan Focong and Mr. Wu Yunmen, we hoped for over a hundred doctors to treat patients separately. There were those discussing the boundary between exterior and interior, those using large doses of cooling herbs, and those using purgatives repeatedly. For cases with more dampness, treatments imitating the confusion of damp-heat were used; for cases with different qi, aromatic substances to drive away filth were adopted; some defeated toxicity, some disinfectated, some detoxified. Brilliant and subtle, each found their place. Who does not look up to the superior’s heart embracing the ring of compassion, jointly driving away the epidemic, and displaying skills in the halls and corridors? Visiting externally, the disciples followed the same treatment discussions as in the bureau. Life and death were judged clearly, and those who recovered suddenly were too numerous to count. Then, banquets were held to invite doctors, followed by opera performances. Achievements were praised and congratulated: Seeing your work, we know your ambition. Loving the people as children, do you not wish to save them from hardship? The accumulated good fortune of the gentry, do you not wish to relieve urgency and support the precarious? The wealth of the rich, do you not wish to bestow broadly and assist the masses? The doctor’s compassionate heart, do you not wish to raise the dead and return the heart? However, establishing this bureau, is it merely to gain the name of being fond of doing good and generous? It is to make those who succeed you see the actual benefits and know your true heart.