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Ma Tixing recorded that his ancestor, Lord Zhongsu (Zhang Fangping), while serving as the Prefect of Haozhou with the title of Minister of Works during the Tiansheng era of the Song Dynasty, had an old maid in his household suffering from a "Lou" disease (a chronic ulcer characterized by persistent discharge and non-healing wounds) for over ten years.

One day, an old soldier sweeping the courtyard remarked, "A few days ago, passing through the market, I heard of a physician who had traveled from afar, claiming that such ulcers are curable with but a moment's effort." The old maid replied, "I have consulted many physicians; I do not believe it." Someone reported this to Lord Zhongsu, who then summoned the physician.

Upon examination, the physician said, "It is undoubtedly curable, but requires one live eel and five to seven bamboo needles." The physician threw the live eel onto the ground; as the eel curled up in distress, the physician pierced it with the bamboo needles and placed it over the wound. After some time, he removed it and observed dozens of white, needle-like worms attached to the eel. He immediately placed the eel and worms into a cup of water, where the worms wriggled like threads. He repeated the application of the eel to the wound, retrieving another dozen or so worms, repeating this process five or six times. The physician stated, "Although the worms are not yet completely eliminated, the remaining ones are small. It is best to use the common medicinal powder available at home." At that time, only powdered Betel Nut (Arecae Semen) and Coptis Rhizome (Coptidis Rhizoma) were available, which was used for dressing.

The physician initially did not apply any medication. The next day, he instructed to decoct dried Mugwort Herb (Artemisiae Argyi Folium) and add two or qian of Alum (Alumen) powder to wash the wound before applying the dressing. This was because the elderly patient had cold Qi and Blood, requiring the warming properties of Mugwort to assist Yang, and Mugwort also possesses insecticidal properties. After two such treatments, granulation tissue began to form, and healing occurred within a month.

Subsequently, the physician explained, "If an ulcer is left untreated for a month, worms will breed. Their movement stimulates Qi and Blood circulation. Therefore, one must not hastily close a 'Lou' wound, as this leads to pain and induration caused by the worms." He further added, "When a disease persists for a month without recovery, the patient inevitably becomes exhausted and suffers from deficiency consumption (Xu Lao). For women, Spleen Blood should be tonified; for children, one must guard against convulsions and malnutrition syndromes (Jing Gan); in the Liangguang region, Miasma diseases (Zhang Li) must be treated concurrently. Although this physician was unknown, his treatments were effective, making him a good doctor. Moreover, his reasoning was sound, so I recorded it all. (From *Liang Fang*)"

In another case, a man developed an ulcer on his calf which eventually became a fistula. After two years, various medicines proved ineffective, and he despaired of life. A villager saw it and said, "This is 'Eel Lou'. Simply soak two or three sheng of Calcined Stone (Duan Shi) in boiling water and use the steam and liquid to fumigate and wash the area. If the wound feels itchy, it is working." The patient followed this advice, washing with the ash-water solution, and indeed felt itching. After less than two or three washes, the wound dried and healed.

In a third case, a woman suddenly developed a swelling on her neck that extended to her breast. The cause was unknown. Accidentally punctured with a knife, it discharged a bowl of clear fluid, and the wound failed to heal over time. A Daoist priest observing this said, "This is 'Ant Lou', caused by accidentally swallowing ants while eating." Upon inquiry, the woman admitted that when eating, swarms of ants would crawl on her food. She would rinse the food with hot water and eat it, often consuming dead ants unknowingly. The Daoist said this was easy to treat: simply take several slices of Pangolin Scale (Manis Squama), calcine them until they retain their efficacy (charred but not turned to ash), grind them into powder, and apply it to the wound. The wound healed quickly because ants fear pangolins.