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The daughter-in-law of Gu Tingquan, a Mingjing (Jinshi degree holder), suffered from severe headache shortly after childbirth. Mengying palpated the pulse and found it very slippery and large on the right side. He prescribed a method to clear the Yangming Stomach heat. The patient recovered after having a large bowel movement.

Mrs. Shi experienced wandering pain in her four limbs after childbirth, which did not respond to medication. Physicians claimed she had developed paralysis. This condition persisted for over a month. When she requested Mengying’s consultation, she was covered with plaster patches and groaning incessantly. Her pulse was rapid and surging, her tongue was crimson, and she had extreme thirst. Mengying said, “This is not caused by Wind-Dampness; the plaster patches must be removed immediately. The medicines taken recently are likely all warming, tonifying, and wind-dispelling agents. This has depleted the Ying-Blood and stirred up Internal Wind, threatening to turn a false appearance into a genuine disease. Moreover, I have always observed that her physique was robust with abundant Blood and Qi. Why did she suddenly fall ill after delivery? It must be the result of taking Shenghua Tang (Birth-Invigorating Decoction) or Brown Sugar Wine.” Her father, Mr. Ni, though blind, laughed upon hearing this and said, “You are truly a heavenly physician. My daughter took two doses of Shenghua Tang and eight catties of red rock sugar. Since then, her illness gradually worsened. I wonder if she can still be revived and restored?” Mengying replied, “Fortunately, her Yin essence is sufficient, so recovery will be relatively easy. If a person with Yin deficiency and scanty Blood had followed this path, although they might not die immediately, they would inevitably suffer from postpartum consumptive disease.” Therefore, he administered a large dose of cooling, moistening, and Kidney-Yin-nourishing herbs. Improvement was seen after one dose, stability after ten days, and full recovery within a month. Mengying commented, “During the summer season, many women die after taking Shenghua Tang, brown sugar, and wine. Only Liuyi San (Six-Ingredient Powder with Talcum) clears Summerheat-Toxin while also promoting blood circulation to resolve stasis. In the humid and hot season, it is indeed an excellent prescription for postpartum care.”

In summer, the wife of Ni Huaizhou, a broker, suffered from diarrhea, spontaneous sweating, vomiting, and inability to retain food a few days after delivery. Specialist physicians refused to treat her, claiming it violated the ‘Three Prohibitions’ (postpartum contraindications against diaphoresis, purgation, and diuresis). Mengying diagnosed a pulse that was weak, minute, and nearly imperceptible, indicating a critical condition requiring urgent tonification, as delay would be fatal. He prescribed: Codonopsis Radix (Dongyangshen, 东洋参) (stir-fried), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (Baizhu, 白术), Ostreae Concha (Longgu, 龙骨), Margaritifera Concha (Muli, 牡蛎), Paeoniae Radix Alba (Baishao, 白芍) (wine-fried), Psilostachyos Radix (Zhi Shiying, 紫石英), Mori Ramulus (Sangzhi, 桑枝), Chaenomelis Fructus (Mugua, 木瓜), Dolichoris Semen (Bian Dou, 扁豆), Poria (Fushen, 茯神), Glycine Max Seed (Heidadou, 黑大豆), and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chenpi, 橘皮). After administration, the patient showed gradual improvement after four doses. I remarked that using Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Renshen, 人参) and other strong tonics in the immediate postpartum period during midsummer requires true insight and understanding. Indeed, diseases worldwide are myriad and ever-changing, with no fixed treatment methods. Regrettably, those who rely on hearsay insist on applying rigid prescriptions to dynamic conditions, creating endless karmic debt. Why should everyone attempt to practice medicine and incur such blame?