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According to the *Baojian* (Mirror of Precious Prescriptions): The diseases of nuns and widows have rarely been discussed since ancient times. In the past, Tai Cang Gong (Chunyu Yi) and Chu Cheng briefly discussed them and formulated separate prescriptions; their treatment methods are difficult to compare with those for ordinary wives. Widows live in solitude with yin but without yang; when desires arise, they are often unfulfilled, leading to a struggle between yin and yang. This manifests as alternating chills and fever, resembling warm malaria (Wen Nue). If prolonged, it evolves into consumptive disease (Lao). Mencius stated that "a woman without a husband is called a widow," referring to nuns or widowed women who desire men but cannot attain them, becoming ill due to depression and frustration. The *I Ching* states: "When heaven and earth interact, all things become pure and substantial; when male and female combine their essence, all things are born." Can isolated yin or solitary yang suffice? Such imbalance, if persistent, leads to amenorrhea, leukorrhea (Bai Yin), rebellious phlegm, cephalalgia (Tou Feng), diaphragmatic qi stagnation, chest fullness, sallow complexion, and emaciation. Upon pulse diagnosis, the liver pulse is wiry and extends beyond the cunkou position upward toward the fish-bi area. Investigating the origin of these pulses reveals they stem from abundant blood. The *Classic of Difficult Issues* states: "When a man's essence is abundant, he desires sexual intercourse; when a woman's blood is abundant, she conceives." Generally, men prioritize essence, while women prioritize blood. If yin and yang are harmonious, how could illness occur? Moreover, women are the gathering place of all yin, often associated with dampness, and thrive when blood is abundant and qi is subdued. Abundant blood and subdued qi constitute "following" (Cong); following ensures no hundred diseases arise. Scanty blood and excessive qi constitute "reversal" (Ni); reversal brings disaster. Women have more desires than men and suffer illnesses at double the rate. When ill, they are ten times harder to treat than men, warranting careful examination. Conditions caused by seasonal changes, emotions (joy, anger, worry, thought), diet, or sexual fatigue are similar to those in men. However, conditions such as seven types of masses, eight types of accumulations, nine types of pain, twelve types of leukorrhea, and postpartum disorders are unique to women, making their pathology more complex. Furthermore, women often harbor resentment, love, hate, jealousy, and sorrow, unable to release their depression, leading to deep-seated and stubborn illnesses, making treatment ten times more difficult than for men. Therefore, separate prescriptions for women are necessary. If one can trace the cause and regulate it, the result will be perfect.

Humans possess five zang organs, within which reside the seven spirits. Born from the refined qi of the five elements, they rely on spiritual energy for nourishment. If yin and yang are harmonious, the zang-fu organs are strong, and ghosts/demons cannot harm them. If preservation is irregular and blood/qi decline, evil ghosts invade. Thus, women often dream of sexual intercourse with ghosts/demons because the zang-fu are deficient, the spirit does not guard its residence, and ghostly qi causes disease. Symptoms include aversion to seeing people, as if confronting an adversary, occasional spontaneous laughter, or sudden weeping. The pulse may be hidden and slow, or intermittent like a bird pecking, indicating ghost/evil pathology. A continuous, indeterminate pulse with unchanged facial color is also a sign. Previously, Dai Ren (Zhang Congzheng) treated a thirty-four-year-old woman who dreamed of intercourse with ghosts/spirits nightly, experiencing extreme fear, visions of spirit halls and ghost mansions, boats, and bridges for fifteen years, resulting in infertility. She sought every possible exorcism, drilling skin and moxing flesh at thousands of acupoints, leading to sallow complexion, fever, polydipsia, chest fullness, and leg edema. Her cunkou pulses were both deep and hidden, indicating phlegm-solidity in the chest. This was excess fire above and excess water below. Ghosts/spirits belong to the spirit of yin; spirit halls are the abode of yin; boats/bridges utilize water. The treatment required three rounds of emesis, three rounds of purgation, and three rounds of sweating. Within ten days, the dreams ceased; within a month, pregnancy occurred. Dai Ren's efficacy is recorded in books, proving it was not cured by witchcraft alone. For widows and nuns dreaming of intercourse due to evil qi interaction, leading to masses or "ghost fetuses," use Fushen San Tao Ren Wan. Another secret fumigation prescription follows:
Pine Resin (San liang, stir-fried dry, separately ground) Realgar (Yi liang, separately ground)
Grind the two ingredients into powder, melt Benzoin (Anxi Xiang) to mix and form pills, blending evenly to the size of a bullet. Let the patient sit naked on a warming cage, cover the surroundings with clothes, burn the medicine under the cage with a stove, using one pill for fumigation; severe cases may use up to five pills.