病症最苦者莫如痨。《脉经》注∶“脉数不治。”而未注明所以脉数，所以不可治之故。天一生水，天一
奇数阳也，而生水则为阴矣。阴阳同宫，是一是二，解人当自分明。《难经》注“左肾以藏水，右肾以藏命门
”，固为传写之讹；即方书谓“两肾一般无二样，中间一点是元阳，亦是隔膜之谈。盖阴生于阳，阳藏于阴，
诚有分之而无可分者。人自HT 地一声以来，有此水即隐此火，而穷通寿夭，皆决之于此。《入药镜》云（崔公希
范着）∶“惟有水乡一味铅是也（乾坤交媾罢，破干为离，破坤为坎。铅为金丹之母，八石之祖，先天
一点干金，走入坎水中，化而为铅。由干阳来，是为真火）。水足而火之藏于水中者，韬光匿采，而六脉得以
平和；水虚而火之见于水中者。焕彩闪光，而六脉何能安静？水之包涵乎火，夫固有一滴之不可亏者。病而名
痨，痨者，牢也，牢固难解之辞也。或曰取其劳苦、劳役、劳顿之义。吾则曰∶劳字从火，相火一煽，君火随
之而炽，二火争焰而痨焉。盖一勺之水，煎熬殆尽，火无所附丽，飞越于上。犯营则逼血妄行；克金则咳嗽不
已；灼津液则饮食变为痰涎；蚀肌肉则形骸为之骨立。一身之内。纯是火为之猖獗，脉之所以数也；精竭神枯，
脉之所以细而数也。夫性命之理，至为微妙。性藏于心，命藏于肾，命即指此火也。有水，火可以引之归元
；无水火亦无所归宿（龙雷之火，潜于水中，得温暖则藏。水冷则火升，咽痛、唇裂、口渴、面赤，投以桂附，
温其窟宅而招之；火自归乎原位。《本草》所以有能此引火归原之语，世医不察，概施之无水并邪火之症。人
之死于非命者，无冤可诉。揆厥由来，祸肇于景岳、《医贯》、《薛氏医案》诸书，流毒二百余年。天心仁爱
斯民，亦有悔祸之机，自《慎疾刍言》、《医学汇参》书出，而吴越之风息。自如是，我闻唤醒世人书出，而
燕赵之风息，惟荆楚何辜，此风犹自盛行），直至焰消灰尽，命亦于此尽失。其可治乎？其不可治乎？惟愿同
学君子，遇症之自内出者，稍见脉过其
止，即以醇静甘寒之品养之（百合、熟地、枇杷叶、梨汁、童便、麦冬、桑皮、地骨皮之类。经验加味地黄汤
∶熟地、淮药、枣皮、泽泻、云苓、生地黄、麦冬、丹皮。百合固金汤∶生地、熟地、百合、麦冬、芍药、秦
归、贝母、元参、桔梗、甘草），无使至于数也，诚济世之慈航也。然则，问此火离乎本位，出没无端，隐显
莫测，可确指其侨寓于何处乎？余应之曰∶分明香在梅花上，寻到梅花香又无（拈花示众）。
（余着是稿，殊触当日隐憾也。年十三应童子试，见赏宗工，曾拔前茅。旅馆风霜，归患水肿，误服桂附，几濒于
危。忽江西来一老医，姓聂，名广达，以乳蒸黄连服之而愈。究中桂附伤，随即吐血、咳嗽、潮热等症作矣。一室之
中，调养五载，博采医书，折衷一是，惟日服甘寒之品，身体渐次复元，医亦稍得门径。本欲理吾旧业，以绍
箕裘，而且夜求治者，接踵搅心，因将手泽庋之高阁。迨寻五十年前梦，云散天空一道人。）
Among diseases, none is more distressing than Lao disease (consumptive disease). The *Mai Jing* (Pulse Classic) notes: "Rapid pulse indicates a difficult-to-treat condition," yet it fails to explain why a rapid pulse implies incurability. Heaven generates Water with One; One is an odd number and belongs to Yang, but the generated Water belongs to Yin. Yin and Yang reside in the same palace; whether they are one or two, those who understand will know clearly. The *Nan Jing* (Classic of Difficult Issues) notes that the "left kidney stores Water, and the right kidney stores Mingmen (Gate of Life)," which is undoubtedly a transcription error; even if medical texts state that "the two kidneys are identical, with a point of Yuan Yang (Primordial Yang) in the middle," this is also a superficial view. For Yin is born from Yang, and Yang is hidden within Yin; indeed, there are aspects that can be conceptually separated but cannot truly be divided. Since the emergence of humanity, where there is Water, there is hidden Fire; and a person's fortune or misfortune, longevity or early death, are all determined by this. The *Ru Yao Jing* (Mirror for Entering the Medicine) states (written by Cui Xifan): "There is only one lead from the Water region" (After the interaction of Qian and Kun, breaking Qian yields Li, breaking Kun yields Kan. Lead is the mother of the Golden Elixir and the ancestor of the Eight Minerals; a primordial drop of pure metal enters the Kan water and transforms into lead. Coming from pure Yang, this is True Fire). When Water is sufficient, the Fire hidden within it conceals its brilliance, allowing the six pulses to remain harmonious; when Water is deficient, the Fire hidden within it shines brightly, making it impossible for the six pulses to remain calm. Water encompasses Fire, and not even a single drop can be lacking. The disease is named Lao; Lao means firm or solid, implying something difficult to resolve. Some say it takes the meaning of toil, labor, or exhaustion. I, however, say: the character Lao contains the radical for Fire. Once Xiang Huo (Ministerial Fire) is fanned, Jun Huo (Monarch Fire) follows suit and blazes fiercely; the contention of these two fires leads to Lao disease. It is like a spoonful of water being completely boiled away; without attachment, Fire flies upward. Invading Ying (Nutritive Blood), it forces blood to flow recklessly; overcoming Metal (Lung), it causes persistent coughing; scorching body fluids, it turns food and drink into phlegm and saliva; eroding muscles, it reduces the body to a skeletal frame. Within the entire body, Fire runs rampant, which is why the pulse is rapid; essence is exhausted and spirit withered, which is why the pulse is thready and rapid. The principles of life and nature are extremely subtle. Nature resides in the Heart, and Life resides in the Kidney; Life refers to this Fire. With Water, Fire can be guided back to its origin; without Water, Fire has no place to return (Dragon and Thunder Fire hides in water; it stays hidden when warm. If water is cold, Fire rises, causing sore throat, cracked lips, thirst, and red face. Administering Guizhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction) and Fuzi (Aconite Root) warms its dwelling to attract it; Fire naturally returns to its original position. This is why the *Ben Cao* (Materia Medica) mentions "guiding fire back to its source." Unaware physicians indiscriminately apply this to conditions involving Water deficiency combined with pathogenic Fire. People dying unjustly have no one to appeal to. Tracing the origin, the disaster began with Zhang Jingyue, the *Yi Guan* (Medical Canon), and the *Xue Shi Yi An* (Xue's Medical Cases), spreading poison for over two hundred years. Heaven's benevolence towards the people offers a chance for repentance; since the publication of works like *Shen Ji Chu Yan* (Fodder for Caution Against Illness) and *Yi Xue Hui Can* (Compilation of Medical Studies), the practices in the Wu-Yue region ceased. Similarly, after my book *Huan Xing Shi Ren Shu* was published, the practices in the Yan-Zhao region ceased. Only in Jing-Chu does this practice still prevail until the flames extinguish and ashes turn to dust, at which point life is lost. Is it treatable? Or untreatable? I hope fellow scholars, when encountering symptoms originating internally and seeing the pulse slightly exceed normal limits, will use mellow, tranquil, sweet, and cold substances to nourish the patient (such as Baihe (Lily Bulb), Shudi (Prepared Rehmannia Root), Pipaye (Loquat Leaf), Lizhi (Pear Juice), Tongbian (Child's Urine), Maidong (Ophiopogon Tuber), Sangpi (Mulberry Bark), Digupi (Phellodendron Bark). Empirical Modified Dihuang Tang (Rehmannia Decoction): Shudi, Huaiyao (Chinese Yam), Zaopi (Cornus Fruit), Zexie (Alisma Rhizome), Yunling (Poria), Shengdi (Raw Rehmannia Root), Maidong, Danpi (Moutan Cortex). Baihe Gulin Tang (Lily Decoction to Consolidate the Lung): Shengdi, Shudi, Baihe, Maidong, Shaoyao (Peony Root), Danggui (Angelica Sinensis), Beimu (Fritillaria Bulb), Yuanshen (Scrophularia Root), Jiegeng (Platycodon Root), Gancao (Licorice Root)), preventing the pulse from becoming rapid. This is truly the ferry of compassion saving the world. Then, asking if this Fire has left its proper position, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, can we precisely indicate where it resides? I answer: Clearly, the fragrance is on the plum blossom; seeking the plum blossom, the fragrance is gone (holding a flower to show the assembly).
(I wrote this manuscript, touching upon deep regrets of that time. At thirteen, I took the child scholar examination, was appreciated by the examiner, and ranked highly. After enduring wind and frost in an inn, I returned home suffering from edema. Mistakenly taking Guizhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction) and Fuzi (Aconite Root), I nearly died. Suddenly, an old doctor from Jiangxi surnamed Nie, named Guangda, cured me using Huanglian (Coptis Rhizome) steamed in milk. Investigating further, the damage caused by Guizhi and Fuzi led to subsequent symptoms of hematemesis, coughing, and tidal fever. In one room, I recuperated for five years, collecting medical books and synthesizing them into a unified approach. I merely took sweet and cold medicines daily, and my body gradually recovered. My medical skills also found their way. I originally intended to resume my family trade and inherit my father's legacy, but night-time patients kept coming, disturbing my mind, so I shelved my manuscripts. Until I sought the dream from fifty years ago, [I became] a Daoist monk amidst scattered clouds and empty sky.)