寒邪客于经络之中则血涩。血涩则不通。不通则卫气归之。不得复反故痈肿。(言其留
聚不
散也。)寒气化为热。热胜则腐肉。肉腐则为脓脓不泻则烂筋。筋烂则伤骨。骨伤则髓消。
不当骨空。不得泄泻。血枯空虚。则筋骨肌肉不相荣经脉败漏熏于五脏。脏伤故死矣。(痈
毒由浅至深。伤脏则死如下文所云。)痈发于嗌中。名曰猛疽猛疽不治。化为脓脓不泻。塞
咽半日死。其化为脓者。泻则合豕膏冷食三日已(猛疽言为害之急也。若脓已泻当服豕膏可
以愈之即猪脂之练净者也。)发于颈。(前颈也。)名曰天疽。其痈大以赤黑(毒甚也。)不急
治。则热气下入渊腋前伤任脉。内熏肝肺。熏肝肺。十余日而死矣。阳气大发(邪热之甚也
。)消脑留项。名曰脑烁。其色不乐。(伤乎神也)项痛而如刺以针。(毒之锐也。)烦心者。
死不可治。(邪犯其脏。故不可治。)发于肩及 。名曰疵痈。其状赤黑。急治之。此令人汗
出至足。不害五脏。痈发四五日。逞 之。(逞。疾也。 。艾炷也。)发于胁下赤坚者。名
曰米疽。治之以砭石。欲细而长。疏砭之涂以豕膏六日已。勿裹之。其痈坚而不溃者为马刀
挟缨。急治之。(此即瘰 也。挟缨经脉篇作侠瘿。)发于胸。名曰井疽。其状如大豆三四日
起不早治下入腹不治。七日死矣。(发于胸者。能熏心肺。若不早治。而使之入腹。毒尤甚
矣。故死期之速如此。)发于膺名曰甘疽。色青。其状如谷实栝蒌。(即栝蒌也。言痈所结聚
。形如谷实之累累栝蒌之软而不溃。中有所蓄如子也。此症延绵难愈。盖即乳痈之属)发于
胁。名曰败疵。败疵者。女子之病也。灸之。其病大痈脓。治之其中乃有生肉。大如赤小豆
。锉 草根各一升。以水一斗六升煮之竭。为取三升。则强饮浓衣。坐于釜上。令汗出至
足已。(葭芰也。 。连 也。二草之根。俱能解毒。故各用一升。大约古之一升得今之三
合有零。以水一斗六升。煮取三升。手折数类此。)发于股胫。(大股也。)名曰股胫疽其状
不甚变。(亦形不显也。)而痈脓搏骨。(言脓着于骨。今人所谓贴骨痈也。)不急治三十日死
矣
日死。在两股之内。不治十日而当死。(股阴。大股内侧也。当足太阴箕门血海。及足厥阴
五里阴包之间。皆阴气所聚之处故不治则死。若两股俱病。则伤阴之极。其死尤速。)发于
膝。名曰疵痈。其状大痈色不变。寒热如坚石。勿石石之者死。须其柔乃石之者生。(膝痈
未成而石之者。伤其筋之府。故致于死。若柔则脓成矣。砭之无害也。)诸痈疽之发于节而
相应者。不可治也。发于阳者百日死。发于阴者三十日死。(诸节者。神气之所游行出入也
。皆不宜有痈毒之患。若其相应则发于上而应于下。发于左而应于右。其害尤甚。为不可治
。然发于三阳之分者。毒浅在脏。其死稍缓。发于三阴之分者。毒深在脏。不能出一月也。
)发于胫。名曰兔啮。其状赤至骨。急治之。不治害人也。(兔啮如有所啮伤也。)发于内踝
。名曰走缓。其状痈也。色不变。数石其输 (砭其所肿。之处也而止)其寒热不死 发于足
上
也。当急治。否则真阴日败。故逾三月而死。)发于足旁。名曰厉痈。其状不大。初如小指
发急治之。去其黑者。不消辄益。(谓初如小指而不治。则日以益大也。)不治。百日死。发
于足指。名曰脱痈。其状赤黑。死不治。不赤黑不死。不衰。急斩之。不则死矣。(痈发于
足者。多为凶候。至于足指。皆六井所出。而痈色赤黑。其毒尤甚。若无衰退之状。则急当
斩去其。指庶得保生。否则毒瓦斯连脏。必至死矣。)荥卫稽留于经脉之中。则血涩而不行。
不行则卫气从之而不通。壅遏而不得行。故热大热不止。热胜则肉腐。腐则为脓。然不能陷
骨。髓不为焦枯。五脏不为伤。故命曰痈。(此辨痈之浮浅在表也)热气淳盛。下陷肌肤。筋
髓枯。内连五脏。血气竭当其痈下筋骨良肉皆无余。故命曰疽(此言疽之毒深。故内连五脏
。外败筋骨良肉也。)疽者。上之皮夭以坚上如牛领之皮。(言皮色黑黯不泽也。)痈者其皮
上薄以泽此其候也。
寒邪侵入经络之中，会导致血液运行涩滞。血液涩滞则流通不畅。气血不通，卫气就会聚集于此，无法再返回原处，因此形成痈肿。（意指病邪留聚不散。）寒气郁久化为热邪，热邪亢盛则腐蚀肌肉。肌肉腐烂则化为脓液，脓液若不能排出，则会烂伤筋脉。筋脉腐烂则会损伤骨骼。骨骼受损则骨髓消减。如果病灶不在骨空之处，脓毒不得泄泻，导致血液枯竭、经脉空虚，使得筋骨肌肉失去濡养而相互败坏，经脉破损漏泄，毒气熏蒸五脏。五脏受伤，所以死亡。（痈毒由浅入深，伤及内脏则致死，如下文所述。）
痈发于咽喉中间，名叫猛疽。猛疽若不治疗，会化为脓液，脓液若不排出，堵塞咽喉，半天即可致死。对于已经化脓的猛疽，通过排脓并配合服用豕膏（即炼净的猪脂），冷服三日即可痊愈。（猛疽指危害急迫之症。若脓已排出，服用豕膏可以治愈。）
痈发于颈部前方，名叫天疽。这种痈肿块大且颜色赤黑（表示毒势严重）。如果不紧急治疗，热气会向下进入渊腋穴附近，向前损伤任脉，向内熏蒸肝肺。熏蒸肝肺，十余日后便会死亡。
阳气大发（指邪热极盛），耗损脑髓，滞留于项部，名叫脑烁。患者面色不乐（神气受损）。项部疼痛如针刺（毒势锐利）。心烦意乱者，为死证，不可治疗（邪气侵犯内脏，故不可治）。
痈发于肩部及腋下之间，名叫疵痈。其症状表现为红肿黑色。需紧急治疗。此症使人出汗直至足部，但不伤害五脏。痈发四至五日，当迅速用艾炷灸治。（逞意为疾速； 为艾炷。）
痈发于胁下，颜色红硬，名叫米疽。用砭石治疗，砭石要细而长，稀疏地刺破患处，涂上豕膏，六日可愈。不要包扎。如果痈坚硬而不溃破的，称为马刀挟缨（即瘰疬，在《经脉篇》中写作侠瘿）。需紧急治疗。
痈发于胸部，名叫井疽。其形状像大豆，三至四天后若不早治，毒气下行入腹，不治则七日死亡。（痈发于胸，能熏蒸心肺，若不早治使其入腹，毒势更甚，所以死亡如此迅速。）
痈发于胸前，名叫甘疽。颜色青，形状像谷实栝蒌（即栝蒌，形容痈结聚之形如累累谷实，栝蒌软而不溃，中有蓄积如子。此症延绵难愈，大概属于乳痈一类）。
痈发于胁部，名叫败疵。败疵是女子的疾病。用灸法治疗，会产生大痈化脓，治疗过程中会有类似赤小豆大小的生肉长出。取葭芰草根各一升，用水一斗六升煮至水尽，取汁三升，让患者强饮，穿厚衣，坐在釜上熏蒸，使汗出至足部即可痊愈。（葭芰即芦苇和菱角的根，连理草也。这两种草根都能解毒，所以各用一升。大约古制的一升相当于现在的三合多。用水一斗六升，煮取三升，手法与此类似。）
痈发于大腿和小腿，名叫股胫疽。其症状变化不明显（形体也不显著），但脓液附着于骨（言脓着于骨，即今人所谓的贴骨痈）。若不紧急治疗，三十日死亡。若在两股内侧，不治疗十日当死。（股阴指大腿内侧，位于足太阴经的箕门、血海穴及足厥阴经的五里、阴包穴之间，都是阴气聚集之处，故不治疗则死。若两股都患病，则阴气受损至极，死亡更快。）
痈发于膝部，名叫疵痈。其症状为大痈，颜色不变，感觉寒冷坚硬如石头。不可用砭石刺破，刺破者死。必须等到患处变软（脓成）后再用砭石刺破，这样才会生还。（膝痈未成脓时刺破，会损伤筋之府，故致死。若变软说明脓已成，砭刺无害。）
各种痈疽发于关节且上下左右相应的，不可治疗。发于阳经的百日死，发于阴经的三十日死。（诸关节是神气游行出入之处，都不应有痈毒之患。若上下相应、左右相应，危害尤其严重，故不可治。然而发于三阳之分，毒浅在表，死亡稍缓；发于三阴之分，毒深在脏，不出一个月即死。）
痈发于小腿，名叫兔啮。其症状红色直达骨头。需紧急治疗，否则伤人致死。（兔啮如同被兔子咬伤。）
痈发于内踝，名叫走缓。其症状为痈，颜色不变。多次砭刺其输穴（砭刺其肿胀之处而止）。若有寒热症状不会死，但若发于足上，应当紧急治疗，否则真阴日渐败坏，逾三月而死。
痈发于足旁，名叫厉痈。其症状不大，初起如小指。需紧急治疗，去除黑色的部分。若不消退反而增大。（谓初起如小指而不治，则日益增大。）不治疗，百日死。
痈发于足趾，名叫脱痈。其症状赤黑，死证不可治。若不赤黑则不死。若不衰退，需紧急截除，否则死亡。（痈发于足部多为凶兆，至于足趾，皆为六井穴所出，若痈色赤黑，毒势尤甚。若无衰退之状，则应紧急截去其指以保性命，否则毒瓦斯连及内脏，必致死亡。）
营气和卫气稽留在经脉之中，导致血液涩滞不行。血液不行，卫气随之而壅塞不通，遏阻而不能运行，因此产生大热。热胜则肌肉腐烂，腐则为脓。然而不能陷骨，骨髓不为焦枯，五脏不为受伤，所以名叫痈。（这是辨别痈浮浅在表的情况。）
热气淳盛，下陷肌肤，致使筋膜骨髓枯槁，内连五脏，血气竭尽。在其痈下，筋骨良肉皆无余，所以名叫疽（这是说疽毒深重，故内连五脏，外败筋骨良肉）。
When cold pathogenic factors invade the meridians, blood flow becomes sluggish. Sluggish blood leads to obstruction. Obstruction causes Wei Qi (Defensive Qi) to gather there and prevents it from returning, thus forming an abscess (indicating that pathogens accumulate and do not disperse). Cold qi transforms into heat; excessive heat rots the flesh. Rotten flesh turns into pus. If pus is not discharged, tendons are eroded. Eroded tendons damage bones. Damaged bones lead to marrow depletion. If the lesion is not at a bone aperture, allowing pus to drain, blood becomes depleted and vessels empty, causing tendons, bones, muscles, and flesh to lose nourishment and deteriorate mutually. Vessels break and leak, and toxic fumes熏 (smoke/irritate) the Zang organs. Damage to the Zang organs results in death. (Abscess toxins progress from superficial to deep; damage to internal organs leads to death, as described below.)
An abscess occurring in the throat is called Meng Ju (Fierce Abscess). If untreated, it turns into pus. If the pus is not discharged, blocking the throat, death occurs within half a day. For those who have formed pus, discharge the pus and consume Shi Gao (Pig Fat Decoction), taken cold for three days, and the condition will resolve. (Meng Ju refers to acute and harmful conditions. If pus is discharged, consuming Shi Gao can cure it, which refers to refined pig fat.)
An abscess occurring on the front of the neck is called Tian Ju (Heavenly Abscess). The abscess is large with red-black coloration (indicating severe toxicity). If not treated urgently, heat energy descends into the Yuanye area, damaging the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel) anteriorly, and internally steaming the Liver and Lungs. Steaming the Liver and Lungs leads to death after more than ten days.
Excessive expansion of Yang Qi (indicating extreme evil heat) consumes brain marrow and remains in the nape, called Nao Shuo (Brain Melting). The complexion is unhappy (spirit is injured). Neck pain feels like needle pricking (sharp toxicity). Those with vexed hearts have a fatal condition that cannot be treated (evil invades the Zang organs, hence untreatable).
An abscess occurring on the shoulder and axilla is called Ci Yong (Flawed Abscess). Its appearance is red and black. It requires urgent treatment. This condition causes sweating down to the feet but does not harm the Zang organs. After four or five days of onset, apply moxibustion rapidly. (Cheng means rapid; Ai Zhu refers to moxa cones.)
An abscess occurring under the hypochondrium, red and hard, is called Mi Ju (Rice Abscess). Treat with Bian Shi (Bian stones), which should be thin and long. Prick sparsely and apply Shi Gao (Pig Fat). Resolve in six days. Do not bandage. If the abscess is hard and does not ulcerate, it is called Ma Dao Jia Ying (Horse Knife Clasp Collar), which is equivalent to Luo Li (Scrofula), written as Xia Ying in the Meridian Chapter. Urgent treatment is required.
An abscess occurring in the chest is called Jing Ju (Well Abscess). Its shape resembles soybeans. If not treated early within three to four days, the toxin descends into the abdomen; if untreated, death occurs in seven days. (Abscesses in the chest can steam the Heart and Lungs. If not treated early to prevent descent into the abdomen, the toxicity is even greater, hence the rapid death.)
An abscess occurring in the anterior chest is called Gan Ju (Sweet Abscess). The color is green, and the shape resembles gourds (Gua Lou). (Refers to Gua Lou, describing the clustered shape of the abscess like grains, soft without ulceration, containing accumulation like seeds. This condition is lingering and difficult to heal, likely belonging to breast abscesses.)
An abscess occurring in the hypochondrium is called Bai Ci (Decayed Flaw). Bai Ci is a disease affecting women. Apply moxibustion. It produces a large abscess with pus. During treatment, fleshy growths resembling red adzuki beans may appear. Take one sheng each of Jia Ji root and Lian root, boil in one dou six sheng of water until reduced to three sheng. Drink strongly, wear thick clothes, sit over a cauldron to induce sweating down to the feet, and the condition will resolve. (Jia Ji refers to reed and water caltrop roots. These two roots detoxify, hence one sheng each. Ancient one sheng is approximately three modern he. Boiling one dou six sheng to yield three sheng follows similar methods.)
An abscess occurring on the thigh and calf is called Gu Ting Ju (Thigh-Calf Abscess). The appearance changes little (shape is not prominent), but pus adheres to the bone (pus sticking to bone, known today as osteomyelitis or贴着bone abscess). If not treated urgently, death occurs in thirty days. If located in the inner thighs, untreated death occurs in ten days. (The inner thigh is where Yin Qi gathers, between acupoints Jimen, Xuehai of Foot Taiyin, and Wuli, Yinbao of Foot Jueyin. Untreated, death ensues. If both thighs are affected, Yin is extremely damaged, leading to faster death.)
An abscess occurring on the knee is called Ci Yong. The abscess is large, color unchanged, feeling cold and hard like stone. Do not pierce with Bian stones; piercing leads to death. Wait until it softens before piercing; then survival is possible. (Piercing a knee abscess before suppuration damages the house of tendons, causing death. If soft, pus has formed, and piercing is harmless.)
Abscesses and ulcers occurring at joints with corresponding symptoms above/below or left/right are untreatable. Those occurring in Yang channels result in death in one hundred days; those in Yin channels result in death in thirty days. (Joints are pathways for Shen Qi (Spirit Qi) circulation. They should not harbor toxins. Corresponding symptoms indicate severe harm, making them untreatable. However, those in Three Yang channels have shallow toxicity, delaying death slightly; those in Three Yin channels have deep toxicity reaching Zang organs, causing death within a month.)
An abscess occurring on the lower leg is called Tu Nie (Rabbit Bite). The redness extends to the bone. Urgent treatment is required; otherwise, it harms life. (Tu Nie resembles a rabbit bite injury.)
An abscess occurring at the medial malleolus is called Zou Huan. The symptom is an abscess with unchanged color. Repeatedly pierce its Shu points (pierce the swollen area and stop). If accompanied by chills and fever, death does not occur. However, if occurring on the foot, urgent treatment is required; otherwise, True Yin declines daily, leading to death beyond three months.
An abscess occurring on the side of the foot is called Li Yong (Malignant Abscess). The size is small, initially like a finger. Urgent treatment is required to remove blackened tissue. If it does not subside, it grows. (If untreated when initially finger-sized, it grows daily.) Untreated, death occurs in one hundred days.
An abscess occurring on the toes is called Tuo Tong (Sloughing Gangrene). The color is red-black; this is fatal and untreatable. If not red-black, it is not fatal. If it does not recede, amputation is urgently required; otherwise, death ensues. (Abscesses on the foot are often ominous. Toes are exits of the Six Jing Well points. Red-black color indicates severe toxicity. Without recession, amputation is necessary to preserve life; otherwise, toxic vapors connect to Zang organs, leading to death.)
Ying Qi (Nutrient Qi) and Wei Qi (Defensive Qi) stagnating in the meridians cause blood to become sluggish and cease flowing. Lack of flow causes Wei Qi to follow and become obstructed, blocked and unable to move, resulting in intense heat. Excessive heat rots flesh, turning it into pus. However, it does not penetrate the bone, nor does it scorch the marrow or injure the Zang organs. Thus, it is named Yong (Abscess). (This distinguishes superficial, surface-level abscesses.)
Intense heat sinking into the skin causes tendons and marrow to dry up, connecting internally to the Zang organs and exhausting Qi and Blood. Beneath the abscess, tendons, bones, and healthy flesh are destroyed. Thus, it is named Ju (Deep Ulcer/Gangrene). (This describes deep-seated Ju toxicity, connecting internally to Zang organs and externally destroying tendons, bones, and flesh.)
Characteristics of Ju: The skin on top is pale, stiff, and hard, resembling the skin of an ox's neck (indicating dark, dull, lusterless skin). Characteristics of Yong: The skin on top is thin and glossy. These are the distinguishing signs.