Library

Guo Taiwei was a native of Zhizhou. He had long suffered from blindness with white nebula membranes covering his eyes. He tried various eye medicines without effect. His relative, Zhong, who served as the Tax Supervisor in Changzhou, heard of the fame of Zhang Tuolong and recommended him to the Taiwei. The Taiwei invited Mr. Zhang to examine him. Mr. Zhang said, "This condition is caused by excessive use of hot-natured medicines, resulting in external nebula (external eye obstruction), blurred vision, and complete darkness day and night." Other physicians believed it was due to damage to the Liver Yuan (Liver's fundamental energy) and deficiency in the lower jiao, advocating tonification of the Liver and Kidneys. Although their treatment resolved the inflammation, the blindness worsened. Mr. Zhang said, "Please allow me to apply medicine to your eyes and administer internal medication." After one month, the nebula slightly subsided, and indeed, after another month, the nebula receded, and both eyes returned to normal. The Taiwei then requested the prescription for external application and internal consumption. Mr. Zhang used only pig gallbladder, simmered it into a paste over a gentle fire in a silver pot (yao), added ice flakes (bingpian) the size of millet grains, and instilled them into the eyes, providing slight relief. Subsequently, he dried the white membrane skin of the pig gallbladder, formed it into small cords the size of hairpins, burned them to ash, and upon cooling, applied the ash to severe cases of nebula, which could also be cured. This prescription is excellent; do not disseminate it casually. (From *Mingyi Lu*)

Shu Dihuang (Rehmanniae Radix Preparata), Maimendong (Ophiopogonis Radix), and Cheqianzi (Plantaginis Semen) mixed together are effective for treating internal nebula (cataract/internal eye opacity). Repeated trials confirm this. The method is: finely crush these three herbs, mix with honey, and form pills the size of wutong seeds. These three herbs are difficult to crush and sift individually, but when combined, they have an exceptional sweet fragrance. Truly a miraculous prescription. (From *Dongpo Daquanji*)

The wet nurse of Zhao Taiwei, a member of the imperial clan in Tanzhou, suffered from lan yuan feng yan (wind-eye disease with ulcerated eyelid margins) for nearly twenty years. An old woman selling medicine passed by her door and said, "There are worms in this eye, fine as silk threads, red in color. If left untreated, they will multiply endlessly. I can remove them while chatting." The old woman went into the mountains to gather medicine and returned in the evening to perform the treatment. Zhao Taiwei sent a servant to follow her secretly. He saw the old woman picking creeping vines and tree leaves along the way, crushing them with her hands, chewing them, and collecting the juice and dregs in a small bamboo tube. Upon returning, she asked for a black gauze to cover the wet nurse's eyes, drew outlines of the two eyes on the gauze, and then dripped the medicinal juice onto the eyelid margins. As she moved the gauze, seventeen worms emerged from between the gauze layers, shaped as described earlier. She returned a few days later, treated the lower eyelid until the flesh dried up like that of a normal person, and then used the same method on the upper eyelid, extracting another dozen or so worms. The family was greatly delighted. Later, this method was passed to the physician Shangguan Yancheng, who gathered women from neighboring villages suffering from this condition for verification. All treatments were immediately successful. The medicine consisted solely of Fupenziye (Rubi Caulis Folium), recorded in Bencao (Materia Medica). Chen Cangqi stated that it treats dim vision, inability to see objects, continuous cold tearing, and qing mang (blindness). Take this herb, dry it in the sun, crush it thoroughly, wrap it in thin cotton, and soak it in the leftover milk of a man for a duration equivalent to walking eight or nine li. Instill into the eyes. Within three to four days of lying supine, vision would return to that of a youth. However, one must avoid alcohol, wheat products, and oil. It is a wonderful product for treating eye diseases. (From *Gui Zhi*)