丙戌春,仑夫郑德顺患急症,时已二鼓。丐孟英视之∶见其扒床拉席,口不能言,唯以两手指心抓舌而已。
孟英曰∶中毒也。取绿豆二升,急火煎清汤,澄冷灌之,果能霍然。诘(次日)朝询其故,始言久
患臂痛,因饵草头药,下咽后即心闷不可耐,舌麻不能言,而旁人不知也。录此足以证孟英之烛照如神,亦可见
草药之不可轻试也。
胡季权令郎珍官,右颧偶发紫 一块,当时季冬。孟英与∶犀角、石膏凉解之药,二、三帖后,始发热, 渐
透。犀角服至二十余帖始撤去。又素有目疾,余热复从目发,令以石膏药久服,居然渐愈。且能食肌充,略无他患,
闻者莫不异之。
陆某,操酒业,极窘,又遭颠沛,久而患一异疾,形消善痒,虱从皮肤而出,搔之蠕蠕,医治莫效。孟英诊曰∶悲
哀劳苦,阳气受伤,曲 浸淫,乃从虫化。与补气药加杉木、桑枝而愈。
都城售透土长寿丹,极言其功之大,能治诸疾,而价甚廉,人皆称之。孟英谓∶勿论其所用何药,执一方以疗
百病,无此治法。每以禀赋不齐,证因有别。劝人切勿轻尝,况以绿豆汤为饮,必有热毒之品在内,不可不慎也。
继而张孟皋少府饵之患疽,广粤亭司马服之咽烂,孟英投多剂甘寒而愈。
王雪山,久患下部畏冷,吞未百丸,齿痛目赤,诸恙蜂起。孟英察脉弦滑,与多剂石膏药,兼以当归龙荟丸频
服,新疾既瘳,腿亦渐温。令其常饮柿饼汤,以杜将来之恙。
伊芳弟患腹胀而喜温补,久而不效。孟英曰∶湿热也,宜清化。彼不信,因服透土丹,初颇应,已而血大溢,始
得悔悟。志此数则,以为世之好服奇药者戒。
王雪山,于上年误饵“透土丹”之时,孟英延医向愈。即嘱其常饮柿饼汤,以杜关格于将来,迨今年四月间,
形体日瘦,张某进以导湿、疏风、补气之药,孟英偶见之,力劝其温补莫投,且以“凡物遇火则干瘪,得滋则肥润”
为譬。雪山深韪之,奈为张某辈朝夕虚言所眩惑,仍服补药。延至秋间,始延孟英视之。胁痛畏风,周身络胀,
时欲敲扑,食少便艰,日晡微有寒热。脉来弦涩而数,右寸关弦软以滑。是升降之令久窒,痰邪袭于坠络,关格之势
将成。勉与∶沙参 (竹)茹 贝(母) (白)薇 (青)蒿 旋(复) (石)斛 栀(子) 楝(实) 兰
草枇(杷)叶 丝瓜络 冬瓜子 芦根 茅根等,出入为方,服之,寒热既蠲,胁痛亦减。雪山大喜,复请诊之,
脉颇转和,第肝阴为谋虑所伤,最怕情志不怡,必生枝节。小愈奚足为恃?嘱其另邀明眼图之。无如嗔怒萦思,诸多
枨触,频有转关,屡生枝节。以致大便必极捶背尻而始解,上则吐痰恶谷,果成关
格之候,复误于温散、温补,舌色干紫,津涸而亡。
In the spring of Bingxu year, Zheng Deshun from Lunfu suffered from an acute illness; it was already the second watch of the night. He Mengying went to examine him: he saw him scratching the bed and mat, unable to speak, only pressing his hands against his chest and scratching his tongue.
Mengying said, "This is poisoning." He took two sheng (a unit of volume) of mung beans, boiled them rapidly in clear water, clarified the decoction, cooled it, and administered it orally. The patient indeed recovered instantly. The next morning, upon inquiring about the cause, Zheng finally revealed that he had long suffered from arm pain. Due to ingesting herbal medicine (grass-head medicine), immediately after swallowing, he felt unbearable chest stuffiness and tongue numbness preventing speech, while bystanders were unaware. Recording this case serves to prove Mengying's divine insight into diseases and also shows that herbal medicines should not be tried lightly.
Hu Jiquan's son, Zhenguan, accidentally developed a purple patch on his right cheekbone at that time, which was late winter. Mengying prescribed rhinoceros horn (Xijiao) and gypsum (Shigao) for cooling and resolving. After two or three doses, fever began, gradually emerging. Rhinoceros horn was taken for over twenty doses before being discontinued. He also had a chronic eye disease; residual heat erupted again from the eyes. He was ordered to take long-term gypsum-based medication, and indeed, he gradually recovered. Moreover, he could eat and his muscles became full, with no other ailments. Those who heard of this marveled.
Lu, who worked in the wine industry, was extremely poor and had suffered through upheavals. After a long time, he contracted a strange disease: emaciation and frequent itching, with lice emerging from the skin, wriggling when scratched. Medical treatments were ineffective. Mengying diagnosed, "Sorrow and hard labor have injured the Yang Qi. Damp-heat has soaked and infiltrated, transforming into parasites." He prescribed Qi-tonifying herbs plus cedar wood (Shanmu) and mulberry branches (Sangzhi), resulting in recovery.
"Totu Changshou Dan" was sold in the capital, claiming great efficacy in curing all diseases, and its price was very low; people praised it. Mengying said, "Regardless of what ingredients it contains, adhering to one formula to treat a hundred diseases is not a valid method. Each person's constitution differs, and the causes of symptoms vary. I advise people not to try it lightly. Furthermore, if it is taken with mung bean soup, it must contain heat-toxic substances internally. One must be cautious."
Subsequently, Zhang Menggao, a Shaofu (official title), developed carbuncles after taking it. Guangyue Ting Sima (official title) suffered throat ulceration after taking it. Mengying treated them with multiple doses of sweet-cold herbs, leading to recovery.
Wang Xueshan had long suffered from cold intolerance in the lower body. After taking less than one hundred pills of "Totu Dan," he experienced toothache, red eyes, and various ailments arose simultaneously. Mengying palpated the pulse as wiry and slippery, prescribed multiple doses of gypsum-based medication, and frequently administered Danggui Longhui Wan. The new ailments healed, and his legs gradually warmed. He advised Wang to often drink persimmon cake soup to prevent future illnesses.
Yi Fang's younger brother suffered from abdominal distension and preferred warm-tonifying therapies, but there was no effect after a long time. Mengying said, "It is damp-heat; it should be cleared and transformed." He did not believe this and took Totu Dan. Initially, it seemed effective, but soon massive bleeding occurred, leading to regret. These few cases are recorded to warn those in the world who love to take miraculous drugs.
When Wang Xueshan mistakenly took "Totu Dan" last year, Mengying invited doctors to treat him until he was recovering. He then instructed him to often drink persimmon cake soup to prevent future Guan Ge (obstruction syndrome). By April of this year, his physique grew thinner day by day. Zhang Mou prescribed damp-guiding, wind-dispersing, and Qi-tonifying herbs. Mengying happened to see these prescriptions and strongly advised against using warm-tonifying methods, using the analogy: "All things shrink when exposed to fire and become plump and moist when nourished." Xueshan deeply agreed, but was bewildered by the empty words of Zhang Mou and others day and night, continuing to take tonics. It was not until autumn that Mengying was consulted again. There was hypochondriac pain, aversion to wind, distension of the whole body's collaterals, a desire to beat oneself, poor appetite, difficult defecation, and slight chills and fever in the afternoon. The pulse was wiry, choppy, and rapid; the right Cun and Guan positions were wiry, soft, and slippery. This indicated that the regulation of ascending and descending had been blocked for a long time, phlegm pathogens attacked the collaterals, and the situation of Guan Ge was about to form. Reluctantly, he prescribed: Shashen, Zhuru, Beimu, Baiwei, Qinghao, Xuanfuhua, Shihu, Zhizi, Lianshi, Lancao, Pipaye, Sigualuo, Dongguazi, Lugeng, Maogen, etc., varying the composition. After taking it, the chills and fever subsided, and hypochondriac pain decreased. Xueshan was greatly delighted and asked for another consultation. The pulse had turned harmonious, but the Liver Yin was injured by excessive planning and worrying. He feared emotional distress most, as it would surely cause complications. How could slight improvement be relied upon? He advised inviting another bright-eyed doctor. However, anger and obsession lingered, causing many triggers and frequent changes, generating new issues repeatedly. Consequently, defecation required extreme beating of the back and buttocks; upper body symptoms included vomiting phlegm and aversion to grain. It truly became the symptom of Guan Ge. Mistakenly treated with warm-dispersing and warm-tonifying methods, the tongue color became dry and purple, fluids dried up, and he died.