典藏书目

In the past, the wife of Liu Zizheng suffered from Qi Jue (Qi Reversal), manifesting as abnormal laughing and crying. People believed she was possessed by ghosts. Later, the Confucian physician Ni Weide examined her pulse on both hands and said: "The pulses on both hands are deep; there must be accumulation in the epigastrium. Accumulation inevitably causes pain." He then administered Er Chen Tang (Two-Cured Decoction) to guide the treatment. The patient vomited more than a sheng (a unit of volume) of phlegm, and the illness was indeed cured.

When Qiu Shanshan was young, he suffered from chronic cough, which did not respond to various medicines. An official titled Xuelu (Director of Studies) in Yuezhou taught him: Take tender branches of mulberry trees growing towards the south, cut them into segments approximately one cun long, take twenty-one segments, place them in a clay or stone pot, add five bowls of water, and decoct until only one bowl remains. Drink this when thirsty. After taking it for one month, he was cured (from *Qiu Yuan Baishi*).

Zhou Shunqing, a Xundao (Instructor) from Panxi, at the age of fifty, suffered from Phlegm-Fire syndrome. Although his exterior appeared robust and he disliked drinking alcohol, Physician Zhu examined his pulse and rashly diagnosed it as Deficient Fire. He prescribed Buzhong Yiqi Tang (Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction) with added Ren Shen (Ginseng Root) and Bai Zhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome), each five qian. The patient took the medicine for an extended period, which instead caused rebellious Qi leading to asthma and panting, nearly resulting in death. Subsequently, Qian Zhongli was consulted. Qian Zhongli said: "This is Excess Fire; it should be purged, not tonified. If Phlegm-Dampness is tonified, the Fire pathogen will become even more intense, which would be perilous." First, he used Er Chen Tang (Two-Cured Decoction) to induce vomiting, expelling about one bowl of phlegm. That night, the patient slept peacefully. At dawn, he again used Er Chen Tang (Two-Cured Decoction), removing Ban Xia (Pinellia Tuber), and adding Po Xiao (Natrii Sulfas) and Da Huang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma) to purge numerous hardened feces. Only then did the heat subside. Afterwards, using conditioning herbs, the patient stabilized after ten days. Alas! Those who do not understand the pathology and recklessly apply tonification or purgation rarely avoid failure. (e) Sesame Oil Resolving Phlegm

Suhe Xiang Wan (Styrax Pill) is an ancient formula, usually taken with wine, so it often fails to produce effects. If taken with Ginseng Decoction, its efficacy doubles that of usual administration. For patients suffering from Stroke-Wind (Zhong Feng) with loss of consciousness and locked jaw, use this pill, immediately adding 1-2 fen of She Xiang (Moschus), and mix with genuine Sesame Oil for administration. Such cases invariably recover by vomiting phlegm. This is because Sesame Oil is best at resolving phlegm; if dropped onto phlegm, it turns into water within moments. However, if the mouth is open and the pulse is absent, the condition is incurable.

Whenever a patient drinks herbal decoctions and feels the liquid reaching below the navel, triggering an immediate urge to urinate, it indicates that Essence-Qi fails to transport to the Spleen and return to the Lung, causing Heart Fire to attack upward, resulting in dry mouth and throat. This signifies excessive Yin Qi. Having a bowel movement immediately after meals is a disorder of the Spleen and Kidney. The coordination between Spleen and Kidney distinguishes water and grain processing. Although Spleen Qi may be strong, insufficient Kidney Qi leads to undigested stool diarrhea (Sun Xie) upon swallowing food. The treatment method should regulate the Spleen and secure the Kidney. When Spleen and Kidney Qi communicate, water and grain are naturally transformed. This is referred to as "wonderful integration and coagulation" (from *Ren Zhai Zhi Zhi Fang*).