祸由之法,《内经》贼风篇,岐伯曰∶先巫知百病之胜,先知其病所从生者,可祸而已
也。
又移精变气论,岐伯云∶古恬淡世,邪不能深入,故可移精祸由而已。今人虚邪贼风,内着
五脏骨髓,外伤空窍肌肤,所以小病必甚,大病必死,故祸由不能已也。由此观之,则祸由
之法,亦不过因其病情之所由,而宣意志气,以释疑而解惑。此亦必病之轻者,或有感应之
理。若果病机病重,亦不能有效也。古法今已不传,近所传符咒之术,间有小效;而病之大
者,全不见功。盖岐伯之时已然,况后世哉?存而不论可也。
禽兽之病,由于七情者少,由于风寒饮食者多,故治法较之人为尤易。夫禽兽之脏腑经
络,
虽与人殊,其受天地之血气,不甚相远,故其用药亦与人大略相同。但其气粗血浊,其所饮
食,非人之饮食,则药亦当别有主治,不得尽以治人者治之矣。如牛马之食,则当用消草之
药;犬豕之食,则当用消糠豆之药是也。又有专属之品,如猫宜乌药,马宜黄药之类。而其
病亦一兽有一兽独患之病,此则另有专方主治。余则与人大段相同。但必剂大而力浓之方,
取效为易。其中又有天运时气之不同,变化多端,亦必随证加减。此理亦广博深奥,与治人
之术,不相上下。今则医人之医尚绝传,况兽医乎?
Regarding the method of treating diseases through *Zhuyou* (incantation and ritual), in the "Zeifeng" (Thief Wind) chapter of the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), Qibo stated: Ancient shamans knew how to overcome various diseases; by first knowing the origin from which the disease arises, one could cure it through Zhuyou.
In the "Yijing Bianqi" (Transfining Spirit and Changing Qi) chapter, Qibo said: In ancient times when people were tranquil and indifferent, pathogenic factors could not penetrate deeply, so diseases could be treated by transferring spirit and altering qi through Zhuyou. Nowadays, people are affected by deficient evils and thief winds, which lodge internally in the five zang organs and bone marrow, and externally injure orifices, skin, and muscles. Therefore, minor illnesses inevitably become severe, and major illnesses inevitably lead to death; thus, Zhuyou cannot cure them. From this perspective, the method of Zhuyou is merely to guide the patient's will and qi according to the origin of the condition, thereby dispelling doubts and resolving confusion. This may have some efficacy based on spiritual resonance only when the illness is mild. If the pathological mechanism is complex or the illness is severe, it will certainly not be effective. The ancient methods are no longer transmitted today. The talismanic and incantatory arts circulated recently occasionally show slight effects, but for serious illnesses, they produce no results at all. This was already the case in Qibo's time, let alone in later generations. It is acceptable to preserve the records without further discussion.
The diseases of birds and beasts arise less often from the seven emotions (joy, anger, worry, thought, sadness, fear, and fright) and more often from wind-cold and dietary factors; therefore, treatment methods are easier than those for humans. Although the zang-fu organs and meridians of animals differ from those of humans, their reception of heaven-earth blood and qi is not significantly distant, so their medication is roughly similar to that used for humans. However, their constitution is coarse and their blood turbid, and their diet differs from human food; therefore, drugs must have specific indications and cannot simply use human treatments for animals. For example, since cattle and horses eat grass, herbs that digest grass should be used; since dogs and pigs eat bran and beans, herbs that digest bran and beans should be used. There are also specific substances exclusive to certain animals, such as Wuyao (Linderae Radix) being suitable for cats, and Huangyao (likely referring to a specific herb like Sophorae Flavescentis Radix or similar context-dependent term) being suitable for horses. Furthermore, each species has unique diseases peculiar to itself, which require specific formulas for treatment. Other aspects are largely similar to human medicine. However, larger dosages and stronger formulations are necessary to achieve efficacy easily. Additionally, variations in seasonal climate and qi cause diverse changes, requiring modifications based on symptoms. This principle is broad, profound, and comparable to the art of treating humans. Today, even physicians treating humans are nearly extinct, let alone veterinarians.