Library

Ming Dynasty's Liu Chengyi Bo stated: "When medicine does not match the syndrome, many die in vain." My great-grandfather, Rugu Gong, in his *Secret Collection* (Miji), said: "There is no fatal case among carbuncles and sores (yongju)."

However, various medical texts only record where the lesion arises and which meridian the disease belongs to. Thus, when treating breast cancer (ruyan) with Antelope Horn (Lingyangjiao) and Rhinoceros Horn (Xijiao); when treating bubo (hengxuan) [inguinal lymphadenitis] with Rehmannia Root (Shengdi) and Stephania Tetrandra (Fangji); and when treating scrofula (luoli) [cervical lymphadenitis] and subcutaneous nodules (ehe) with Prunella Vulgaris (Xiakucao), Platycodon Root (Jiegeng), and Forsythia Fruit (Lianqiao). They generally do not differentiate between Yin deficiency and Yang excess, but merely use more drugs that guide the action to specific meridians (jingzhi zhi yao). This leads to untreatable cases of ruyan and hengxuan once the disease has formed; and for luoli and ehe, prolonged ulceration leads to increasing debility. They fail to realize they were misled by guiding drugs, instead blaming the inherent incurability of white gangrene (baiju). Is this not absurd?

Red carbuncle (hongyong) is a syndrome of Yang excess, characterized by hot Qi and Blood with stagnant toxin; White gangrene (baiju) is a syndrome of Yin deficiency, characterized by cold Qi and Blood with coagulated toxin. Both require opening the interstices (colili) [skin pores and tissue spaces] as the key. Once the interstices are opened, the toxin of red carbuncle dissipates upon resolution; the cold of white gangrene resolves immediately upon warming. If one relies solely on meridians without differentiating symptoms, although the medicine may correspond to the meridian, it actually contradicts the symptom. Many in the world die from Yin gangrene; if Yin and Yang were treated differently, how could there be fatal cases?

My great-grandfather paid close attention to this field, recording in writing all the formulas for saving lives in critical conditions and medicines for eliminating diseases at their onset, making them family treasures. I read these in my youth and found them completely different from other books in the world. Having treated syndromes for over forty years, I have saved those in critical condition, eliminated those at the onset, stopped pain and itching, and promoted healing of ulcers. It has been hundred percent effective. Relying on meridians to treat syndromes is common worldwide; differentiating Yin and Yang is unique to our school. Therefore, I have included the ancestral secret techniques, my own formulas that cure diseases upon administration, and methods for carefully preparing medicinal materials in this *Collection*. This is to await those in the world who care about saving lives, so they may compound according to the formulas, prepare according to the methods, and medicate according to the symptoms, thereby avoiding death in vain. Let the world and future generations know that indeed, there are no fatal cases among carbuncles and sores.

Written by Wang Weide Hongxu of Dongting West Mountain, on the first day of mid-spring in the Gengshen year, the fifth year of Qianlong.