夫白喉一症，乃感天地不正之疠气，实时行瘟疫之变症也。南方最盛，近来北方亦往往
有之。此症医家多不曾经见，最易误治，治不得法，无不毙命。其症初起，作寒作热，或头
痛背胀，或遍身骨节疼痛，心胸梗塞。喉内或痛极，或微痛，或不痛，或喉内微硬似卡非卡
。或渐肿而渐渐即现小白点者，或先红紫而后现小白点者，有随发而白随现者，有至二三日
而白始现者。或由白点白条而长成白块，渐渐满喉皆白者，此极恶之险症也。毒甚者，白点
最易长大，是以五六日即毙命者，皆由喉中白块长满闭塞故也。发虽不一，治法皆同。凡遇
恶寒发热，有似感冒之症，当问其咽喉疼痛否，必先看其喉中红肿否，切不即用表散之剂。
倘遇白喉险症误用表药，则轻者必重，重者不可救矣。务将患者坐向明亮处，使人扶靠，医
者用压舌片或用竹筷，将舌压平，详细看视。果系白膜，如轻者，即以元珠丹用小竹管向患
处不歇时刻连连吹之，使其吐出痰涎；即将除瘟化毒散、神功辟邪散酌量加减，煎服一二剂
，无不应手而愈矣。倘遇白喉重症，一时半刻，白块愈长愈大，若不急急医治，及至喉中白
块长满，加以痰涎壅结，肿胀闭塞，滴水难下，虽有仙丹无能为也。是以白喉初起，切不可
疏忽，必得急急医治，吹药服药，刻不可缓。吹药之时，尤必将舌根压平，看明患处，务将
吹药对准患处吹之，如不曾吹中，再又补吹，方能见效，切不可敷衍了事，以人性命为儿戏
耳。若在黑暗处，病者口不甚张开，舌又不曾压平，随便吹之，药并不曾进喉，或在口中，
或在舌上，吐痰涎时早已连药一并吐出矣，何能见效？白喉重症，每日服药总非三四剂不可
，倘或服药之际半吞半吐，或每日只服一剂半剂，何能见效？咽喉之难治，往往如此，只谓
医药无灵，殊不知实皆疏忽之咎也。即或服药吹药虽能按照此方，而缓缓试之，仍是无济，
病势重而药力轻，毒瓦斯内攻，以致白块愈发愈多，日甚一日，肺管闭塞，痰涎壅结，喉中时
作锯声，不可救也。此乃迟延日久之误。果能急急医治，将元朱丹对准患处刻刻吹之，并宜
留心看视，左边白有几点，右边白有几点，或白点渐渐收小，或白块缺去，或白中稀疏，或
白渐微薄，或白转黄色，可无虞矣，久之必然退净。
白喉这一病症，是由于感受天地间不正的疠气（致病邪气），属于时行瘟疫的一种变症。这种病在南方最为盛行，近来北方也常常出现。此症医生大多未曾见过，最容易误治，如果治疗不得法，没有不导致死亡的。
该病初起时，表现为怕冷发热，或者头痛背部胀满，或者全身骨节疼痛，心胸部位痞闷堵塞。喉咙内部有的剧痛，有的微痛，有的不痛，有的喉咙内部微硬，感觉像有异物卡住但又不是真正的卡住。有的逐渐肿胀并随即出现小白点，有的先呈红紫色随后出现小白点，有的刚发作就显现白色，有的到二三天后白色才显现。有的由白点、白条长成白块，渐渐布满整个喉咙，这是极其凶险的重症。毒邪严重的，白点最容易长大，因此五六天就会死亡，都是因为喉咙中的白块长满闭塞所致。虽然发病表现不一，但治疗方法相同。
凡是遇到恶寒发热，症状类似感冒的情况，应当询问其咽喉是否疼痛，必须先查看喉咙中是否有红肿，切忌立即使用发散解表的药剂。如果遇到白喉重症却误用解表药，轻的病一定会加重，重的病就无法救治了。务必让患者坐在光线明亮的地方，让人搀扶靠稳，医生用压舌板或用竹筷将舌头压平，仔细查看。如果是白膜，病情较轻的，就用元珠丹（一种吹喉散剂）用小竹管对着患处不停地连续吹入，使其吐出痰涎；然后酌情加减服用除瘟化毒散、神功辟邪散，煎服一两剂，没有不立刻痊愈的。
如果遇到白喉重症，短时间内白块越长越大，如果不紧急医治，等到喉咙中白块长满，加上痰涎壅结，肿胀闭塞，连水都喝不下去，即使有仙丹也无能为力了。所以白喉初起，切不可疏忽，必须紧急医治，吹药服药，一刻也不能拖延。吹药的时候，尤其必须将舌根压平，看清患处，务必将吹药对准患处吹入，如果没有吹中，再补吹，才能见效，切不可敷衍了事，把人的性命当儿戏。如果在黑暗处，病人嘴巴张得不大，舌头又没有压平，随便吹药，药物并没有进入喉咙，而是在口中或舌上，吐痰涎时早就连同药物一起吐出来了，怎么能见效？
白喉重症，每天服药总共非三四剂不可，如果服药时半吞半吐，或者每天只服一剂或半剂，怎么能见效？咽喉之病难治，往往就是这样，人们只说医药没有灵验，殊不知这完全是疏忽造成的过错。即使服药吹药都能按照这个方子做，但如果缓缓试探着进行，仍然无济于事，因为病势重而药力轻，毒瓦斯内攻，导致白块越来越多，一天比一天严重，肺管闭塞，痰涎壅结，喉咙里时常发出像拉锯一样的声音，这就不可救治了。这是由于延误时日造成的错误。如果能紧急医治，将元朱丹（即元珠丹）对准患处时刻吹入，并应留心观察，看左边白点有几处，右边白点有几处，或者白点渐渐缩小，或者白块缺损，或者白色变得稀疏，或者白色渐渐变薄，或者白色转为黄色，就可以没有忧虑了，久而久之必然退净。
The disease of *Baihou* (Diphtheria) is caused by contracting the malignant qi (pathogenic evil qi) of heaven and earth, representing a variant syndrome of epidemic febrile diseases prevalent in the season. It is most common in the southern regions, and recently has also frequently occurred in the north. Physicians often have not encountered this syndrome before, making it highly prone to misdiagnosis and mistreatment; if treated improperly, it invariably leads to death.
Initially, the syndrome presents with aversion to cold and fever, or headache and back distension, or pain throughout the body's joints, along with stifling and obstruction in the chest and heart region. Inside the throat, there may be extreme pain, slight pain, no pain, or a slight hardness where it feels like something is stuck but is not truly obstructed. Some cases show gradual swelling followed immediately by small white spots; others appear red-purple first, then develop small white spots. In some instances, whiteness appears as soon as the disease starts; in others, it does not appear until the second or third day. The white spots or streaks may grow into white patches, gradually covering the entire throat, which constitutes an extremely dangerous and severe syndrome. When the toxin is severe, the white spots enlarge most easily, leading to death within five or six days due to the complete blockage of the throat by these white patches. Although the onset manifestations vary, the treatment methods are identical.
Whenever encountering symptoms resembling a common cold, such as aversion to cold and fever, one must ask if there is throat pain and must first inspect whether the throat is red and swollen. One must absolutely avoid using dispersing and releasing exterior agents (surface-releasing formulas) immediately. If mistaken for a simple exterior syndrome and surface-releasing medicines are used for severe *Baihou*, mild cases will become severe, and severe cases will become incurable. It is essential to have the patient sit in a well-lit area, supported by someone, while the physician uses a tongue depressor or a bamboo chopstick to flatten the tongue for detailed inspection. If a white membrane is confirmed, for mild cases, use *Yuanzhu Dan* (Pearl Pill/Preparation) blown continuously into the affected area using a small bamboo tube to induce the expulsion of phlegm and saliva. Subsequently, administer decoctions of *Chuwen Huadu San* (Plague-Dispelling and Toxin-Transforming Powder) or *Shengong Pixie San* (Divine Efficacy Evil-Expelling Powder), adjusted according to the specific condition, for one or two doses, resulting in immediate recovery.
In cases of severe *Baihou*, if the white patches continue to grow larger within a short time, and emergency treatment is not initiated, once the throat is completely filled with white patches compounded by congested phlegm and saliva, causing swelling and blockage that prevents even water intake, even immortal pills would be ineffective. Therefore, during the initial stage of *Baihou*, negligence must be avoided at all costs; emergency treatment involving medicated powder insufflation and oral medication is imperative without delay. During insufflation, the root of the tongue must be flattened, and the affected area clearly identified. The medicated powder must be aimed precisely at the lesion; if missed, it should be reapplied until effective. One must never treat this casually or treat human life as a game. If performed in darkness, with the patient's mouth not fully open and the tongue not flattened, random insufflation will result in the medicine remaining in the mouth or on the tongue rather than entering the throat. Upon expectoration of phlegm, the medicine will be expelled along with it, rendering it ineffective.
For severe *Baihou*, administering three to four doses of medicine per day is indispensable. If the patient spits out half and swallows half, or takes only one or half a dose daily, efficacy cannot be expected. The difficulty in treating throat diseases often stems from this; people merely claim that the medicine lacks efficacy, unaware that the fault lies entirely in negligence. Even if the administration of medicine and insufflation follows the prescription, if done hesitantly or slowly, it remains futile because the severity of the disease outweighs the strength of the medicine. The toxic vapors attack internally, causing the white patches to multiply and worsen day by day. Eventually, the trachea becomes blocked, phlegm and saliva congest, and a sawing sound is heard from the throat, indicating an incurable state. This error results from delaying treatment for too long. If emergency treatment is implemented promptly, applying *Yuanzhu Dan* (also referred to as *Yuanzhu Dan*) to the affected area continuously, and carefully observing—checking the number of white spots on the left and right sides—one may see the white spots gradually shrink, the white patches diminish, the whiteness become sparse, the layer thin out, or the color turn yellow. In such cases, there is no cause for alarm, and the condition will inevitably resolve completely over time.