典藏书目

In the winter of the Guiwei year, the wife of Chen Changyuan, during her first pregnancy, relied on her robust constitution. She exposed herself to wind while her body was hot and dry, immediately falling ill with fever as if burning, lockjaw, facial paralysis, panting and vomiting froth, blue-black complexion, abdominal distension, flailing arms and legs, and a wiry, rapid pulse that did not throb strongly. I said this was liver deficiency attracting wind pathogen, not an exterior syndrome. Urgently, I administered Jiangfu Wan (Ginger and Aconite Pill) mixed with water, followed by Danggui Sini Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction modified with Angelica), supplemented with Renshen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) and Wuzhuyu (Evodiae Fructus). After two doses, all symptoms vanished.

In the winter of the Jiashen year, the wife of Gu You from Tujie suffered from the aforementioned syndrome. She presented with spontaneous sweating, fever, irritability, thirst, insomnia, abdominal distension and pain, inability to eat, and retention of lochia. The previous treatment had failed, and her pulse was deficient, rapid, and weak. I prescribed Shiquan Dabu Tang (Decoction for Tenfold Tonification) without Baishao (White Peony Root), adding Paojiang (Prepared Ginger) and Wuweizi (Schisandrae Fructus). After three doses, she recovered.

In early summer of the Jiashen year, the wife of Tang Ying initially suffered from a heat syndrome and had taken cold-natured medicines repeatedly. At six months of pregnancy, due to deficiency, she miscarried. While in labor, she was exposed to wind and cold, immediately developing a blue-black complexion, eyes rolling back, lockjaw, vomiting of saliva and froth, chest and abdominal fullness, occasional wandering away from the bed in madness, continuous delirious speech, and a pulse alternating between rapid and sparse. Her condition was critical, bordering on death. The previous physician only administered 3 fen of Renshen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) assisted by blood-nourishing herbs. I said, "For an acute illness, using slow-acting remedies, how can life be restored?" Pregnancy at six months should be treated as a postpartum case. Thus, I used Renshen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) 3 qian as the sovereign herb, Xiongguang (Ligusticum Chuanxiong Rhizome), Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma), Fuling (Poria), Guizhi (Cinnamon Twig), Fuzi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata), Shudihuang (Rehmanniae Radix Preparata), and Muxiang (Aucklandiae Radix) as ministers, and Wuzhuyu (Evodiae Fructus) as a guide. After one dose, the vomiting of saliva and froth stopped immediately, and she slept quietly for two hours. By dusk, the madness and delirium recurred, and she summoned me again. Her six pulses remained unchanged. I said, "The disease has deepened, and the medicinal force has not yet reached its peak." I continued with the previous prescription, adding 2 qian of Renshen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) and 8 fen each of Guizhi (Cinnamon Twig) and Fuzi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata). After taking it, she improved suddenly, woke up asking for porridge, and lochia was discharged. Only then did she cease groaning in pain. After two weeks of regulation, she fully recovered. The previous syndrome occurred in midsummer, and the patient again exhibited madness and delirium. The physicians were unaware, treating symptoms blindly, mistakenly assuming heat and administering cold-natured medicines, which would certainly lead to death. After administering Renshen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) and Fuzi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata), the madness and delirium persisted; this indicated that the medicinal force had not yet reached its peak and further medication was required. If the pulse and symptoms are not clearly understood, and one's insight is unstable, panicking in the face of the situation, one would inevitably assume the hot medicines were wrongly administered and switch to cooling agents, both of which could hasten death.