治温病初得,其脉浮而有力,身体壮热。并治一切感冒初得,身不恶寒而心中发热者。若其热已入阳明
之腑,亦可用代白虎汤。
生石膏(二两,轧细) 生粳米(二两半)
上二味,用水三大碗,煎至米烂熟,约可得清汁两大腕。乘热尽量饮之,使周身皆汗出,病无不愈者。
若阳明腑热已实,不必乘热顿饮之,徐徐温饮下,以消其热可也。
或问∶外感初得,即中有蕴热,阳明胃腑,不至燥实,何至速用生石膏二两?答曰∶此方妙在将石膏同
粳米煎汤,乘热饮之。俾石膏寒凉之性,随热汤发散之力,化为汗液尽达于外也。西人谓,胃本无化水之能,
亦无出水之路。而壮实之人,饮水满胃,须臾水气旁达,胃中即空。盖胃中原多微丝血管,能引水气以入回血
管,由回血管过肝入心,以营运于周身,由肺升出为气,由皮肤渗出为汗,余透肾至膀胱为溺。石膏煎汤,毫
无气味,毫无汁浆,直与清水无异,且又乘热饮之,则敷布愈速,不待其寒性发作,即被胃中微丝血管吸去,
化为汗、为气,而其余为溺,则表里之热,亦随之俱化。此寒因热用,不使伤胃之法也。且与粳米同煮,其冲
和之气,能助胃气之发达,则发汗自易。其稠润之汁,又能逗留石膏,不使其由胃下趋,致寒凉有碍下焦。不
但此也,清水煎开后,变凉甚速,以其中无汁浆,不能留热也。此方粳米多至二两半,汤成之后,必然汁浆甚
稠。饮至
胃中,又善留蓄热力,以为作汗之助也。是以人之欲发汗者,饮热茶不如啜热粥也。
初拟此方时,惟用以治温病。实验既久,知伤寒两三日后,身不恶寒而发热者,用之亦效。丙辰正月上旬,
愚自广平移居德州。自邯郸上火车,自南而北,复自北而南,一昼夜绕行千余里。车窗多破,风寒彻骨。至德
州,同行病者五六人,皆身热无汗。遂用生石膏、粳米各十余两,饭甑煮烂熟,俾病者尽量饮其热汤,皆周身
得汗而愈,一时称快。
沈阳朱姓妇,年五旬。于戊午季秋,得温病甚剧。时愚初至奉天,求为延医。见其以冰囊作枕,复悬冰囊,
贴面之上侧。盖从前求东人调治,如此治法,东人之所为也。合目昏昏似睡,大声呼之,毫无知觉。其脉洪大
无伦,按之甚实。愚谓其夫曰∶此病阳明腑热,已至极点。外治以冰,热愈内陷。然此病尚可为,非重用生石
膏不可。其夫韪愚言,遂用生石膏细末四两、粳米八钱,煎取清汁四茶杯,徐徐温灌下。约历十点钟,将药服
尽,豁然顿醒。后又用知母、花粉、玄参、白芍诸药,少加连翘以清其余热,服两剂全愈。
附录∶
江苏崇明县蔡××来函∶
季秋,敝处张氏之女得瘟病甚剧,服药无效,医言不治,病家以为无望。其母求人强仆往视,见其神昏如
睡,高呼不觉;脉甚洪实。用先生所拟之石膏粳米汤,生石膏用三两,粳米用五钱。见者莫不惊讶诽笑。且有
一老医扬言于人曰∶“蔡某年仅二十,看书不过年余,竟大胆若此!石膏重用三两,纵 透用之亦不可,况生
者乎?此药下咽,人即死矣。”有人闻此言,急来相告,仆曰∶“此方若用 石膏,无须三两,即一两亦断送人命而
有余。若用生者,即再多数两亦无碍,况仅三两乎。”遂急催病家购药,亲自监视,煎取清汤一大碗,徐徐温
灌下。病患霍然顿醒。其家人惊喜异常,直以为死后重生矣。继而热疟流行,经仆重用生石膏治愈者不胜计。
Treats the initial stage of warm diseases (Wen Bing, febrile diseases caused by warm pathogens), characterized by a floating and forceful pulse, and high body heat. It also treats all types of common colds in their initial stage where there is no aversion to cold but a sensation of heat in the heart/mind. If the heat has entered the Yangming Fu-organ syndrome, Dai Baihu Tang can also be used.
Raw Gypsum Fibrosum (Shi Gao) [two taels, finely crushed] Raw Oryza Sativa Grain (Jing Mi) [two taels and a half]
Take the above two ingredients, add three large bowls of water, and decoct until the rice grains are soft and cooked. Approximately two large bowls of clear liquid can be obtained. Drink it as much as possible while hot, inducing sweating throughout the body; the disease will invariably be cured.
If the Yangming Fu-organ heat is already solidified/excessive, there is no need to drink it all at once while hot; it can be taken slowly in warm doses to dissipate the heat.
A question arises: In the initial stage of external contraction, if there is already latent heat inside, and the Yangming Stomach organ has not reached a state of dryness and excess, why use two taels of Raw Gypsum Fibrosum so quickly? The answer is: The brilliance of this formula lies in decocting Gypsum Fibrosum together with Oryza Sativa Grain and drinking it while hot. This allows the cooling nature of Gypsum Fibrosum to be transformed into sweat and reach the exterior through the dispersing power of the hot decoction. Western medicine posits that the stomach lacks the ability to transform water and has no outlet for water discharge. However, in robust individuals, when the stomach is filled with water, within moments the water vapor spreads laterally, leaving the stomach empty. This is likely because the stomach contains numerous capillaries that can draw water vapor into the venous return vessels. From there, it passes through the liver to the heart, circulating throughout the body. It rises via the lungs to become Qi, exudes through the skin as sweat, and the remainder penetrates the kidneys to the bladder to become urine. The decoction of Gypsum Fibrosum has no odor and no viscous consistency, being virtually identical to clear water. Moreover, since it is drunk hot, its distribution is even faster. Before its cooling properties can take effect, it is absorbed by the gastric capillaries, transforming into sweat, Qi, and the remainder becomes urine. Thus, the heat in both the interior and exterior is simultaneously resolved. This method utilizes cold herbs with heat ("Han Yin Re Yong"), avoiding damage to the stomach. Furthermore, boiling it with Oryza Sativa Grain provides a harmonious Qi that assists the development of Stomach Qi, making sweating easier. Its viscous juice retains the Gypsum Fibrosum, preventing it from descending rapidly through the stomach, which would otherwise cause the cold nature to harm the Lower Jiao. Additionally, clear water cools down very quickly after boiling because it lacks viscous components to retain heat. This formula uses a large amount of Oryza Sativa Grain (two taels and a half); upon completion, the decoction must be quite viscous. Once ingested into the stomach, it effectively retains heat energy, assisting in the generation of sweat. Therefore, for those wishing to induce sweating, drinking hot tea is inferior to sipping hot congee.
Initially, I formulated this prescription solely for treating warm diseases. After long-term clinical practice, I found it effective for Taiyang cold damage (Shang Han) presenting with fever without aversion to cold after two or three days. In early January of the Bingchen year, I moved my residence from Guangzhou to Dezhou. Traveling by train from Handan, going south then north, and back again, covering over a thousand li in twenty-four hours. Many window panes were broken, allowing bone-chilling wind and cold to penetrate. Upon arriving in Dezhou, five or six companions suffered from fever and lack of sweat. I therefore used over ten taels each of Raw Gypsum Fibrosum and Oryza Sativa Grain, steamed them thoroughly in a rice steamer, and allowed the patients to drink the hot decoction to satiety. All recovered with full-body sweating, bringing great relief to everyone at the time.
A female patient surnamed Zhu from Shenyang, aged fifty, suffered from severe warm disease in late autumn of the Wuwu year. I had just arrived in Fengtian when she sought my medical attention. She was using an ice bag as a pillow and had another ice bag suspended against the side of her face. This was a treatment method previously employed by Japanese doctors. Her eyes were closed, appearing drowsy; she was unresponsive even to loud calls. Her pulse was extremely surging and forceful, feeling very solid upon pressure. I told her husband: "This condition involves extreme heat in the Yangming Fu-organ. External application of ice causes the heat to sink deeper inward. However, this case is still treatable, and it requires a heavy dose of Raw Gypsum Fibrosum." Her husband agreed with my assessment. I prescribed four taels of fine powder of Raw Gypsum Fibrosum and eight qian of Oryza Sativa Grain, decocted to yield four teacups of clear liquid, which was administered slowly in warm doses. After approximately ten hours, the medication was fully consumed, and she suddenly regained consciousness. Subsequently, I used Anemarrhenae Rhizoma (Zhi Mu), Trichosanthis Radix (Gua Lou Gen), Scrophulariae Radix (Xuan Shen), and Paeoniae Radix Alba (Bai Shao), adding a small amount of Forsythiae Fructum (Lian Qiao) to clear residual heat. After two doses, she made a complete recovery.
Appendix:
Letter from Cai XX of Chongming County, Jiangsu Province:
In late autumn, the daughter of the Zhang family in my area contracted a severe pestilential disease. Medication proved ineffective, and physicians declared it incurable, leading the family to despair. Her mother requested my services. Upon examination, I found her spirit confused as if asleep, unresponsive to loud calls; her pulse was extremely surging and solid. I used Mr.'s proposed Shi Gao Jing Mi Tang, using three taels of Raw Gypsum Fibrosum and five qian of Oryza Sativa Grain. Those present were astonished and ridiculed. An old physician publicly declared: "Cai's daughter is only twenty years old, having studied medicine for barely a year, yet she is so bold! Using three taels of Gypsum Fibrosum is inadvisable even if calcined, let alone raw! Once this medicine is swallowed, death will ensue." Someone heard this and urgently informed me. I replied: "If calcined Gypsum Fibrosum were used, one tael would be more than enough to cause death; three taels would be excessive. But if raw Gypsum Fibrosum is used, even several additional taels would be harmless, let alone three taels." I urged the family to purchase the medicine immediately and supervised the decoction myself. One large bowl of clear decoction was prepared and administered slowly in warm doses. The patient suddenly woke up. Her family was overjoyed, believing she had been resurrected from death. Later, during an epidemic of heat-malaria, countless cases were cured by my heavy use of Raw Gypsum Fibrosum.