赵姓妇。年十八。生一女。产下即晕绝。汗大出。而目上窜昏厥。不知人事。急召余诊。余曰。此败血冲于胃经也。
猝不及药。急令先用醋三斤。置甑内。以铁称锤一个。用炭火炉内 通红。置产妇前淬之。令口鼻皆受之。烟气熏入。
少顷。汗收、目开、神定。复以童便灌之。方用当归四钱、川芎二钱。桃仁、延胡索、蒲黄、五灵脂各一钱。姜炭八分。
炒黑荆芥三钱。百草霜一钱。煎服即愈。不知者以为有起死回生之术。其实古人原有此法。余亦不过效颦而已。病似虽
危。治之极易。人人得而为之也。
姚姓妇。年四十余。生两男两女。最后生者九岁矣。丙戌秋。月信愆期。至冬病不起床半载。以后腹大如抱瓮。肌
肉尽消。面色暗惨。床内转侧。须人搀扶。有时腹如绞痛。痛过即饥。饥即欲食。而胃口倍强于平昔。延医诊之。或云
胎气。或云水气。或云蛊胀。或云血积。纷纷不一。治亦无效。丁亥春。病更剧。延余诊之。其脉右手浮部滑数。沉部
参伍不调。左三部俱弦强。诊时适当痛后。余曰。痛后之脉。不可凭信。明日再诊。或可定方。然大端总非胎脉。此等
奇症。须认明的实。或可一击而去。彼以为然。次早复诊。左脉虽弦而不强。右脉如羹如沸。寻按之细软如丝。无气以
动。竟犹欲绝之状。余曰。昨今脉候。大相悬殊。凡治病多先得其要领。可以下手。脉象如此无定。何敢轻治。其夫再
三求方。余曰。如是下午再商可也。午后复往诊。而脉象又更。两手频现歇止。时数时缓。因知此脉本无定象。问其痛
时腹中动否。痛处有无一定。曰动处与痛俱无一定。或在脐上。或在脐旁。或左右胁下。动则必痛。不动则不痛。余
曰。脉象屡更。且必动而始痛。胃反倍强。肌肉日削。其为怪胎无疑。但怪胎须下。药必有毒。下后生死。余亦难决。
然不下必死。下之或可望生。妇云。如能下之。虽死不怨。现今身如巨石。扶持需人。家贫如洗。日食维艰。生不如死。
夫妇皆坚请用药。于是邻里共闻。余始疏方用大黄一两。附子五钱。干姜、桂心、川乌、雷丸、鹤虱、桃仁、牛膝、枳
实各二钱。巴豆霜四分。麝香一分。共研细末。炼蜜为丸。开水送服五钱。一服腹中大动。痛更剧。而胎未下。令再服
三钱。约二时许先下浆水斗余。后出两怪物。形圆且长如鱼。兼有两角。口眼俱备。不知何物。产下尚能跳跃。人尽骇
绝。下后用银花六钱。生甘草四钱。生绿豆一钟。煎汤以解其毒。腹痛乃止。后以补养气血。调理脾胃。月余始能起床。
佥谓此妇庆再生云。
姑苏诚信洋药店。一妇甫二十岁。亦患怪胎。伉俪方年余。汛愆肌削。困惫已极。亦下之而安。方知患此者。断不
可以其形虚危而不下也。须知因病致虚。病去而正自复。语云。药不瞑眩。厥疾弗瘳。正此谓也。
此二症或误于保胎不下。必至殒命。（淞樵评）
Zhao, a woman aged eighteen, gave birth to a daughter. Immediately after delivery, she fainted and lost consciousness, sweating profusely, with her eyes rolling upward into syncope, unaware of her surroundings. I was urgently summoned for consultation. I stated, "This is caused by retained blood rushing to the Stomach Meridian."
Medication was not immediately available. Urgently, I ordered three jin (approx. 1.5 kg) of vinegar to be placed in a steamer. An iron scale weight was heated red-hot in a charcoal stove and then quenched in front of the parturient woman, allowing the smoke and vapor to be inhaled through her mouth and nose.
After a short while, the sweating ceased, her eyes opened, and her spirit settled. She was then administered child's urine (Tongbian). The prescription consisted of Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) 4 qian, Chuan Xiong (Ligusticum Chuanxiong Rhizoma) 2 qian, Tao Ren (Persicae Semen), Yan Hu Suo (Corydalis Rhizoma), Pu Huang (Typhae Pollen), and Wu Ling Zhi (Trogopteri Dung) each 1 qian, Jiang Tan (Charred Ginger Rhizome) 8 fen, Chao Hei Jing Jie (Charred Schizonepetae Spica) 3 qian, and Bai Cao Shuang (Soot from Burning Straw) 1 qian. Decocted and taken orally, she recovered immediately. Those unfamiliar with the case thought it was a miracle of bringing the dead back to life; in fact, this method existed since ancient times, and I merely imitated it. Although the condition appeared critical, the treatment was easy, accessible to everyone.
Yao, a woman in her forties, had given birth to two sons and two daughters; the youngest was nine years old. In the autumn of the Bingxu year, her menstruation was delayed. By winter, she fell ill and remained bedridden for half a year. Later, her abdomen enlarged like a large jar, her muscles wasted away completely, and her complexion was dark and gloomy. Turning over in bed required assistance. Sometimes she experienced colicky abdominal pain; after the pain subsided, she felt hungry and desired food, with an appetite significantly stronger than usual. Physicians were consulted, offering various diagnoses such as pregnancy qi, fluid retention, gu distension, or blood accumulation, but treatments were ineffective. In the spring of the Dinghai year, the condition worsened, and I was called to consult. Her pulse on the right hand was slippery and rapid at the superficial level, and irregular (Can Wu Bu Tiao) at the deep level; the three positions on the left hand were wiry and strong. At the time of examination, she had just experienced pain. I said, "The pulse following pain cannot be relied upon. Let us examine again tomorrow to determine the prescription. However, generally speaking, this is not a pregnancy pulse. Such unusual symptoms require precise identification to potentially eliminate them with one strike." He agreed. The next morning, upon re-examination, the left pulse was wiry but not strong; the right pulse was turbulent like boiling soup, yet fine and soft as silk upon pressing, lacking qi movement, appearing nearly extinct. I said, "The pulse conditions yesterday and today differ vastly. Generally, treating disease requires grasping the key principles before acting. With such unstable pulses, how can I dare to treat lightly?" Her husband repeatedly requested a prescription. I said, "Let us discuss further this afternoon." Upon visiting again in the afternoon, the pulse had changed again. Both hands frequently showed intermittent pauses, varying between fast and slow. Thus, I realized the pulse lacked a fixed pattern. I asked if there was movement in the abdomen during pain and if the painful area was fixed. She replied that neither the moving area nor the painful area was fixed; it could be above the navel, beside the navel, or under the ribs on either side. Movement always caused pain, and no movement meant no pain. I said, "The pulse changes frequently, pain only occurs with movement, the appetite is doubled, and muscles waste daily. This is undoubtedly a strange fetus. However, the strange fetus must be expelled, requiring toxic medication. Whether she lives or dies after expulsion is uncertain to me. Yet, without expulsion, death is certain; with expulsion, there is hope for survival." The woman said, "If it can be expelled, I do not resent even death. Currently, my body feels like a heavy stone, requiring support to move. My family is destitute, struggling for daily food; living is worse than dying." The couple firmly insisted on medication. News spread among neighbors. I prescribed Da Huang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma) 1 liang, Fu Zi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata) 5 qian, Gan Jiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma), Gui Xin (Cinnamomi Ramulus inner bark), Chuan Wu (Aconiti Radix), Lei Wan (Vermifugum), He Shi (Hedychii Spicatum), Tao Ren (Persicae Semen), Niu Xi (Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix), and Zhi Shi (Aurantii Fructus Immaturus) each 2 qian, Ba Dou Shuang (Crotonis Semen Frost) 4 fen, and She Xiang (Moschus) 1 fen. These were ground into fine powder, formed into pills with refined honey, and taken orally with warm water, 5 qian per dose. After the first dose, severe abdominal movement and intensified pain occurred, but the fetus was not expelled. I ordered another 3 qian. After about two shi (4 hours), more than one dou (approx. 10 liters) of watery discharge came out first, followed by two monsters. They were round and long like fish, possessing two horns and complete mouths and eyes, unknown species. Even after birth, they could jump, horrifying everyone. After expulsion, Yin Hua (Lonicerae Japonicae Flos) 6 qian, Sheng Gan Cao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma) 4 qian, and Sheng Lu Dou (Phaseoli Radiati Semen) 1 zhong were decocted in water to detoxify. Abdominal pain ceased. Subsequently, tonifying qi and blood and regulating the Spleen and Stomach allowed her to get out of bed after more than a month. Everyone remarked that she was fortunate to have a second life.
A woman from Chengxin Western Pharmacy in Gusu, aged twenty, also suffered from a strange fetus. Married for only over a year, her menstruation was delayed, muscles wasted, and she was extremely exhausted. She too was treated by expulsion and became stable. This confirms that patients with this condition should not be denied expulsion due to their weak and critical appearance. One must understand that illness causes deficiency; once the illness is removed, healthy qi recovers naturally. As the saying goes, 'If the medicine does not cause dizziness and nausea, the serious disease will not be cured.' This applies here.
These two cases, if mistakenly managed by attempting to preserve the fetus without expulsion, would inevitably lead to death. (Comment by Song Qiao)