麻先生兄村行为犬所啮,舁至家,胫肿如罐,坚若铁石,毒瓦斯入里,呕不下食,
头痛而重,往问戴人。女僮曰∶痛随利减。以槟榔丸下之,见两行不瘥。适戴人自舞阳
回,谓麻曰∶胫肿如此,足之二阴三阳可行乎?麻曰∶俱不可行。如是,何不大下之?乃命夜临
卧服舟车丸百五十粒,通经散三、四钱。比至夜半,去十四行,肿立消,作胡桃纹,反细于
不伤之胫。戴人曰∶慎勿贴膏纸,当令毒瓦斯出,流脓血水常行。又一日,戴人恐毒瓦斯未尽,
又服舟车丸百余粒,浚川散三四钱,见六行。病患曰,十四行易当,六行反难,何也?戴
人曰∶病盛则胜药,病衰则不胜其药也。六日其脓水尽。戴人曰∶脓水行时不畏风,尽后
畏风也。乃以愈风饼子,日三服之。又二日,方与生肌散,一敷之而成痂。呜呼!用药有多寡,
使差别相悬,向使不见戴人,则利减之言非也。以此知知医已难,用医尤难。
谷阳镇酒监张仲温,谒一庙,观匠者砌露台,高四尺许,因登之,下台,或肭一
足,外踝肿起,热痛如火。一医欲以 针刺肿出血。戴
人急止之曰∶肭已痛矣,更加针,二痛俱作,何以忍也?乃与神 丸八、九十丸,下二十余
行。禁食热物。夜半肿处发痒,痛止行步如常。戴人曰∶吾之此法,十治十愈,不诳后人。
Mr. Ma's elder brother was bitten by a dog while walking in the village and was carried home. His lower leg swelled like a jar, hard as iron or stone. The pathogenic heat-toxin entered the interior, causing vomiting and inability to eat, accompanied by severe and heavy headache. He went to consult Dairen (Zhang Congzheng). A female servant said, "Pain is alleviated by purgation." Therefore, *Binglang Wan* (Areca Seed Pill) was administered to purge the bowels. Two movements of the bowels were passed, but the condition did not improve. Coincidentally, Dairen returned from Wuyang. He said to Mr. Ma, "With such severe swelling of the lower leg, can the six meridians of the foot (specifically the Foot Shaoyin Kidney and Foot Taiyang Bladder meridians) still circulate freely?" Mr. Ma replied, "They cannot circulate at all." Dairen said, "In that case, why not perform a strong purgation?" He instructed him to take 150 pills of *Zhouche Wan* (Boat and Cart Pill) and 3-4 qian of *Tongjing San* (Meridian-Penetrating Powder) just before going to bed at night. By midnight, he had defecated fourteen times. The swelling immediately subsided, the skin wrinkled like a walnut shell, and it became thinner than the uninjured leg. Dairen said, "Do not apply plaster; allow the pathogenic heat-toxin to exit, with pus, blood, and fluid flowing continuously." One day later, fearing the toxin was not fully expelled, Dairen had him take over 100 pills of *Zhouche Wan* and 3-4 qian of *Junchuan San* (River-Dredging Powder), resulting in six bowel movements. The patient asked, "Passing fourteen stools was easy to bear, but passing six is difficult now. Why?" Dairen explained, "When the disease is vigorous, it withstands the medicine; when the disease declines, it cannot withstand the medicine." After six days, the pus and fluid were completely exhausted. Dairen said, "While pus and fluid are flowing, wind-cold is not feared; after exhaustion, wind-cold will be feared." Thus, *Yufeng Bingzi* (Wind-Nourishing Cake) was prescribed, taken three times daily. Two days later, *Shengji San* (Flesh-Generating Powder) was applied once, forming a scab. Alas! The dosage of medicines varies greatly, leading to vastly different outcomes. Had he not met Dairen, the principle that 'pain is alleviated by purgation' would have been considered incorrect. From this, we know that understanding medicine is difficult, but skillfully employing physicians is even more so.
Zhang Zhongwen, the Wine Supervisor of Guyang Town, visited a temple and watched craftsmen building a terrace about four chi high. He climbed up and descended, but twisted his foot upon landing. The outer ankle swelled, feeling hot and painful as if on fire. One physician intended to puncture the swelling with a needle to release blood. Dairen urgently stopped him, saying, "The sprain already causes pain; adding needle puncture would cause both pains to arise simultaneously. How could one endure this?" Instead, he administered 80-90 pills of *Shenyu Wan* (Divine Protection Pill). The patient passed more than twenty stools. Hot foods were prohibited. At midnight, the swollen area became itchy, the pain ceased, and he walked normally. Dairen said, "My method cures ten out of ten cases; I do not deceive future generations."