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Another patient suffered from severe abdominal pain for over ten days, accompanied by the loss of hair on the temples and forehead. Hua Tuo said, "This is half-rotten spleen; it can be treated by laparotomy." He administered medicine to induce sleep, then incised the abdomen to examine the spleen. Indeed, it was half-rotten. Using a knife, he severed the affected part, excised the necrotic tissue, applied an ointment, and the patient recovered immediately. The Emperor Wu of Wei heard of this with amazement and summoned Hua Tuo to attend him constantly. The Emperor suffered from *Toufeng* (Head Wind disease, characterized by headaches and dizziness); whenever it attacked, he felt chaotic and dizzy. Hua Tuo needled the *Geshhu* (BL17) acupoint, and the symptoms resolved instantly.

A commandery governor fell ill. Hua Tuo believed that if the patient became extremely angry, the illness would heal. Therefore, he accepted large amounts of payment but provided no treatment. Soon after, he left without warning, leaving a letter insulting the governor. The governor indeed flew into a rage and ordered men to pursue Hua Tuo. The governor's son learned of this and instructed the officials not to chase. In his anger, the governor vomited several sheng of black blood and recovered. (From *Records of the Three Kingdoms*)

The *Book of Jin* records: Zhang Miao had always loved medical arts and was skilled in pulse diagnosis and prognosis. Chen Linqiu fell ill and took medication to induce sweating, but no sweat came out. The physicians said, "If sweating does not occur, death is certain." Zhang Miao pondered and thought, "One could use steam therapy similar to the method for treating wind-stroke, applying warm qi externally to attract the pathogen, which should induce sweating." He asked Zhang Miao about this. Zhang Miao said, "There was once a person who was exhausted and sweating, lay on a bamboo mat, caught cold, and developed an illness worsened by cold. Physicians gave dispersing herbs for four days, totaling eight attempts to induce sweating, but failed. I then heated the ground, spread peach leaves upon it, and performed steam therapy. The patient sweated profusely. Then, powder was applied under the blankets until the body was extremely dry before rising. The patient recovered." Chen Linqiu followed this advice and indeed recovered.

The *Records of Wei* states: The wife of the Chancellor of Ganling was pregnant and suffering from abdominal pain and restlessness at six months gestation. Hua Tuo examined her pulse and said, "The fetus has already died." He had someone palpate the abdomen to determine its position; if on the right, it is female; if on the left, it is male. The family reported it was on the left. Thus, Hua Tuo prescribed a decoction to expel it. A male infant was delivered, and she recovered.

The *Book of Qi* records: Xu Sibai often encountered patients with kyphosis and chronic stagnation-cold that did not heal for years. After diagnosing one such patient, Xu Sibai said, "This is *Shizhu* (Corpse Transmission disease). One must obtain a dead person's pillow, boil it, and take the decoction to recover." He went to an ancient tomb to retrieve a pillow, which was partially rotten and incomplete. After taking it, the patient recovered. Later, Zhang Jing from Moling, aged fifteen, suffered from abdominal distension and yellow complexion. Physicians could not treat him. When asked Xu Sibai, Xu said, "This is *Shiwei* (Stone Ascaris disease), very difficult to treat. One must obtain a dead person's pillow, boil it, and take the decoction." [Following the method], the patient passed large amounts of feces and five sheng of ascaris heads hard as stone, and the illness healed. Later, Shen Singyi suffered from eye pain and frequently saw ghosts. When asked Xu Sibai, Xu said, "Evil qi has entered the Liver. You may find a dead person's pillow, boil it, and take it." After taking it, the pillow was buried back in its original place. Following these instructions, he also recovered. Wang Yan asked him, "These three diseases are different, yet all were cured using a dead person's pillow. Why?" He answered, "*Shizhu* is caused by ghostly qi lying dormant, causing stagnation. Obtaining a dead person's pillow accelerates the process, causing the soul's qi to fly away and preventing reattachment to the body, thus curing *Shizhu*. *Shiwei* refers to long-standing ascaris that have hardened due to chronic illness; worldly medicines cannot dispel them, so ghostly substances are needed to drive them apart, hence boiling the dead person's pillow. Evil qi entering the Liver causes eye pain and seeing wraiths; one needs an evil substance to hook and draw it out, hence using the dead person's pillow. The qi departs with the pillow, so it is buried again in the grave." (From *Taiping Yulan*)