典藏书目

In the mid-summer of the Guiwei year (1643), the youngest son of Chen Jianwu from Kuaiji, after excessive sexual activity leading to seminal emission on the first night, contracted wind-cold pathogens the next day. He presented with headache, fever, dry mouth, and aversion to cold. There was no pain in the heart or abdomen, and urination and defecation were normal. The pulse was floating, rapid, and forceful. I prescribed Qianghuo Tang (Notopterygium Decoction) for him to take. He suspected that the illness was due to his sexual activity. I said, "You are in your prime, with abundant Qi and Blood, and your Kidney essence is solid. Although you temporarily lost semen, it cannot cause harm. The preceding symptoms are purely exterior pathogenic factors without interior cold. Treatment should employ acrid-cool methods. The pulse and symptoms correspond; what is there to worry about?" He then accepted the treatment. After two doses, he recovered instantly. Later, upon going to the toilet early in the morning, he was re-exposed to wind, causing a recurrence of symptoms. The same prescription was administered again. Several days later, he recovered through chills and sweating (Zhan Han). If one had been hindered by concerns over sexual activity, failed to clarify the pulse and symptoms, and recklessly administered warming agents, it would inevitably have led to macules, jaundice, mania, and delirium, resulting in premature death.

In the mid-winter of the Guiwei year (1643), the servant's son of Scholar Jiang Zishe went to the countryside and contracted cold. He suffered from headache, fever, and pain in the nape, back, waist, and knees, accompanied by dry mouth and panting. The pulse was floating, tight, and forceful. I administered a small dose of Mahuang Tang (Ephedra Decoction). He recovered without sweating. Subsequently, due to food stagnation, the previous symptoms recurred. He was treated with Erchen Tang (Two-Cured Decoction) added with Shenqu (Medicated Leaven) and Zisu (Perilla Leaf) for two doses before healing. This reminded me of the late winter of the Jisi year (1629), when my father was serving in Yijun. At the second watch of the night, I heard loud cries. Investigating at the yamen, I found a guard suffering unbearably from headache. At that time, I had already memorized Binhu Maizhi (Pulse Principles from Binhu), though I had not yet tried it clinically. Upon examination, the left-side pulses were all floating, tight, and forceful. All external symptoms matched the classic theories. I immediately administered the aforementioned decoction. By dawn, profuse sweating occurred, and the disease resolved.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival of the Jiashen year (1644), Hu Sanfu, courtesy name Zhen, from Jianchang, suffered from the aforementioned symptoms. He experienced head and eye pain, burning fever, panting, thirst, vomiting, and diarrhea with red-yellow discharge. The pulse was surging, rapid, and forceful. I administered herbs including Qianghuo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix), Gegen (Puerariae Lobatae Radix), Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), Banxia (Pinelliae Rhizoma), Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), Chaihu (Bupleuri Radix), and Baishao (Paeoniae Radix Alba). One dose resulted in recovery. If one had been hindered by concerns over vomiting and diarrhea and mistakenly used warming agents, it would inevitably have prolonged the illness and caused complications.

In the summer of the Jiashen year (1644), a woman surnamed Wu outside the West Gate suffered from headache and eye pain, alternating chills and fever, dry retching, refusal to eat, and a floating, wiry pulse that did not throb strongly. I said, "The preceding symptoms indicate Liver Wood overacting on Spleen Earth, which is traditionally considered difficult to treat. Now, the pulse is deficient and lacks Stomach Qi, which is particularly worrying." I prescribed a combination of Xiaojianzhong Tang (Minor Construct the Middle Decoction) and Xiaochaihu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Decoction) added with Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma). Her thirst ceased, she could eat, and the fever reduced by half. Due to poverty, she could not purchase Renshen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) and stopped taking medicine. Twenty days later, she died from massive hemorrhage. Alas! Poor laborers toil all year long. Once caught in the net of disease, hunger and cold follow. How can they distinguish medicines? Light diseases inevitably become heavy, and heavy diseases lead to death. As for the wealthy and arrogant, who enjoy warmth, fullness, and licentiousness, indulging in alcohol or sexual excess, toxins soak the intestines and stomach, draining essence and marrow. If even slight pathogenic invasion occurs, True Yuan (Original Qi) will collapse. Even Bian Que could not apply treatments to the Gohuang (shoulder-blade region, representing deep-seated disease) stage. Could mere ginseng and grass roots possibly repair such damage? I once wrote several lines to lament the world: "I only regret that Ginseng cannot cure poverty; poor illnesses increase daily. It is sigh-worthy that the rich easily buy Ginseng, yet its efficacy remains obscure."