典藏书目

The second wife of Zhang Baohua, a former Grand Coordinator (Taipu Qing) from Huoshan, was young and robust. She invariably delivered at the eighth month of pregnancy, with labor lasting several days, enduring myriad hardships before birth. Daughters born this way typically died upon reaching one year of age. This pattern repeated for subsequent pregnancies: pregnancy, delivery, and death were identical each time. I remarked to him, "This time you will likely have a successful delivery; please let me know." The following year, again in her eighth month, she went into labor but did not deliver after three days. Suddenly remembering my words, she hastily summoned me by carriage. On the way, the driver told me, "Go fetch her parents; prepare for a final farewell." Upon my arrival, it was already midnight. I examined her pulse, which had not deviated from the normal meridian patterns (indicating no immediate critical danger), though she was left with only faint breaths. The midwife stood by. When I asked her the situation, she replied, "The baby's head has reached the birth canal but cannot emerge!" I urgently ordered her to lie still and warned against any disturbance. I administered a Fetus-Securing Decoction (Antai Yao). The next morning, the master came out, smiling silently. When I asked, he said, "It is resolved." I said, "Yesterday you mentioned the baby's head had reached..."

While residing at the Zhang residence, Cheng Yixue, a county-level scholar (Xiyang), invited me to his home. A favored concubine there had been in labor for two days without delivering. I also prescribed a Fetus-Securing Decoction. Sixteen days later, she gave birth to a daughter.

Dai Shiji, a student at the Imperial College (Tai Xue), was my neighbor and close friend. Previously, his younger brother's wife had delivered triplets, resulting in the death of both mother and children, with one fetus remaining in the womb. Now, another maid was pregnant, her abdomen distended, causing him great concern. At the time of delivery, I first instructed her to rest quietly and administer Modified Chuanxiong and Danggui Decoction (Jiawei Xionggui Tang). One infant was delivered every half day. After a day and a half, all three children were born safely. In the 48th year of the Kangxi reign, Prefect Ye memorialized this case to the court.

The wife of Mr. Chen had been in labor for nine nights without delivering, with only a single breath remaining. Hearing that I possessed Rabbit Brain Pills (Tunao Wan), she visited my door seeking medicine. When I inquired about her condition, she also stated, "The baby's head is pressed against the birth canal and cannot come out." I advised her to lie still and return for the medicine. After reluctantly agreeing, she left. Subsequently, I administered Modified Chuanxiong and Danggui Decoction (Jiawei Xionggui Tang). The next day, she delivered, and both mother and child survived intact.

Note: These cases all resulted from the parturient exerting excessive force, causing the fetus to become transverse in the abdomen. How could an infant survive suspended upside down for ten days?

Previously, a woman delivered with her hand protruding and unable to retract. The midwife sharpened a blade, waiting for an opportunity [to intervene forcibly]. Seeing this, I felt compassion. I urgently ordered her to lie still and administered a large dose of Chuanxiong and Danggui Decoction (Xionggui Tang). Slowly, I supported the limb back inside. By the next morning, the child was delivered, and both mother and child were safe. Her right arm remained purple and black for several months before fading.

Addendum: Transverse presentation (Hengsheng) must strictly avoid cutting with blades; such actions often result in the death of both mother and child. Whenever parturients fear pain and curl their waists, it hinders the fetus from turning, frequently leading to dystocia. Take heed!