Library

Xue Lizhai stated: A woman presented with laxity and non-closure of the yin gate (female genitalia), accompanied by swelling, pain, fever, and aversion to cold. She was treated with Shiquan Dabu Tang (Ten Complete Tonifying Decoction) added with Wuweizi (Schisandrae Fructus). After four doses, the swelling subsided and the tissues contracted. If the condition arises from postpartum swelling, or involves pain without laxity, Jiawei Xiaoyao San (Modified Free and Easy Wanderer Powder) should be used. If the swelling has subsided but the yin gate remains open, Buzhong Yiqi Tang (Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction) is indicated. Cold-natured medicines must be strictly avoided.

Yu Zhen commented: Non-closure of the yu guan (jade gate, referring to the female genitalia) is undoubtedly a deficiency syndrome. However, within deficiency syndromes, further differentiation is required. Xue Lizhai has bestowed great benefits upon later learners. Nevertheless, there are many rare diseases in obstetrics and correspondingly many rare prescriptions; this collection cannot record them all. When encountering bizarre symptoms, one should consult the various books authored by Ye Tianshi (Ye Xinglin). What is difficult about learning medicine? It is merely reading more books. The History of Jin records that Zhang Jiegu (Zhang Yuansu) learned medicine and once dreamed that someone used a large axe and a long chisel to open his heart's orifices, placing several volumes of books inside. From then on, he thoroughly mastered the art. One might think that even for heaven to make someone a good physician, it is necessary to put books into their mind. Since we do not dream of axes and chisels opening our orifices, we must surely use our eyes to read and our mouths to recite, incorporating the knowledge into our hearts. If we incorporate enough, how could we possibly trail behind Zhang Jiegu? When facing rare diseases, there will naturally be rare prescriptions, which can be sought from the library within one's belly (metaphor for one's accumulated knowledge). Regarding the annotations by Jiang Gong in similar cases, he stated: "One must inquire about the difficulty of labor and the amount of blood loss to differentiate between excess and deficiency; furthermore, when blood heat is present, warm-drying agents are contraindicated." These are profound statements and can be considered merits contributing to Xue's theories.

Yu Zhen has never been proficient in surgery (yangke) and pediatrics, so he dared not select cases from these fields. Now, he selects a few items related to internal medicine, collecting them slightly to provide some residual light to adjacent walls (a metaphor for borrowing light or providing auxiliary reference).

Chen Douyan treated Jin Tai, a monk named Sizhen, who had developed sores all over his body for years, with no effect from medication. Chen said, "This is wind-pathogen stagnating in the Taiyin meridian, transforming into insect-related gangrene." Initially, the monk did not believe him. The next day, the monk examined several pieces of scab carefully and found insects resembling lice within them. He wept and bowed, begging for treatment. Chen instructed him to decoct Baibu (Stemonae Radix), Shechuangzi (Cnidii Fructus), Caowu (Aconiti Radix Preparata), and Liandeye (Meliae Folium) in a vat of water, allowing the monk to bathe for one or two shichen (hours). Countless scabs and insects fell off. After several baths over a month, the monk's skin resembled vitiligo, and he recovered.

Xue Lizhai treated a sixteen-year-old man who, in summer, experienced thirst, fever, expectoration, dry lips, and generalized scabies, particularly severe on both legs. The lesions were dark-colored and pruritic, worsening at dusk. In mid-winter, he developed ulcers on his legs, with a chi pulse that was flooding and rapid. Xue said, "Scabies belongs to kidney gangrene; ulcers belong to bone abscess. Both are deficiency syndromes of the Kidney meridian." After acupuncture, pus drained, and the qi seemed misty. Xue believed that during periods of fire hyperactivity, phthisis (consumption/tuberculosis) would inevitably occur. Thus, Liuwei Dihuang Wan (Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill) and Shiquan Dabu Tang were administered. Within ten days, all symptoms resolved, yet signs of phthisis manifested.

He continued using the previous medications and eventually recovered. Upon marrying in winter, the symptoms recurred in spring. His parents were worried and ordered him to sleep in a separate room. Fortunately, being young and careful with his health, he consumed several jin of Dihuang Wan and took over three hundred doses of decoctions before recovering.