Library

*Qibing Fang* (Record of Strange Diseases) states: A person suffering from the tongue retracting into the throat, this is due to cold qi congealing in the chest and abdomen. Urgently use Fuzi (Aconite Lateral Root), Rougui (Cinnamon Bark), and Ganjiang (Dried Ginger) each one qian, Baizhu (Atractylodes Rhizome) five qian, and Renshen (Ginseng Root) three qian. After taking it, the tongue will naturally extend.

It also states: A person suffering from the tongue protruding and refusing to retract, this is due to excessive Yang fire. Apply a small amount of Bingpian (Borneol) to it, and it will immediately retract. Subsequently take Quanshe San (Complete Tongue Powder), and after two doses, peace will be restored.

Ding Zhi records: A commoner in Lin'an suffered from Shanghan (Cold Damage Syndrome), with the tongue protruding more than one cun. No one could treat it; they could only feed them porridge through a pen tube daily, sitting at the door. A Daoist priest saw this and sighed, saying, "I can cure this." However, the medicine was unavailable, so he said he would try hard to find it but left without revealing where. The next day, he spoke of it again. Ten days later, a high-ranking official returned home from office, dismounted, and observed the patient. The Daoist arrived just then, repeating his previous words. The official asked what was needed, which was Meihua Bingpian (Plum Blossom Borneol). Laughing, he said, "This is not difficult," and immediately sent a servant to fetch it quickly and hand it over. The Daoist ground it into powder, sprinkled it on the tongue, and the tongue retracted instantly. Five qian were used in total, and the illness was cured immediately.

*Wang Mingqing Yu Hua* (Reminiscences by Wang Mingqing) records: Wang Kuang, courtesy name Ziheng, was originally a scholar and the son-in-law of Song Yishu of Nanjing. Song Yishu's medical fame spread across north and south. Wang Kuang initially inherited his learning but was not yet proficient. Wandering in the capital, he felt desolate. Coincidentally, salt laws changed, and a wealthy merchant, startled by an omen/sign, had his tongue protrude in shock and could not retract it. After ten days, he could not eat or swallow, growing thinner daily. Imperial physicians could not cure him, and his family was worried and fearful. A notice was posted in the market: whoever could cure him would be rewarded with tens of millions of coins. Wang Kuang, tempted by the profit from selling something, went to answer the call. Upon seeing the merchant's condition, he suddenly laughed uncontrollably, thinking internally that it was not easy to handle. His family members questioned him strangely. Wang Kuang diagnosed it and loudly laughed, saying, "What I laugh at is that despite the greatness of the capital, no one can treat such a minor ailment?" He told the host's family, "Try to fetch the *Zhen Jing* (Classic of Acupuncture)." Wang Kuang casually flipped through it and accidentally found something similar to the disease. He said, "Your family should write a statement for me. If I cannot cure it, do not disturb me. I will needle it, and there will be immediate effect." The patient's family, having no choice, agreed. They immediately needled the base of the tongue. As the needle was withdrawn, the person appeared exhausted, but within moments, the tongue extended and retracted as usual. The family was overjoyed, thanked him as promised, and spread his reputation. At that time, his fame shook the capital. With his family becoming moderately wealthy, he began to devote himself to studying the *Zhouhou Beiji Fang* (Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies), eventually gaining renown. Such accidental events occurred. Later, Wang Kuang gained favor through medicine. In the Xuanhe era, he served as Chaoqing Dafu (Grand Master of Court Gentlemen) and authored *Quansheng Zhimi Lun* (Treatise on Guiding the Lost in Life Preservation), which physicians often used.

*Shenghui Fang* (Prescriptions of the Holy Grace) records: Someone suddenly had a tongue hard as iron with unceasing bleeding. Using Muze (Equisetum Decoction) to rinse the mouth resulted in a cure.

[Source Note] The Classics state: The Heart meridian connects to the root of the tongue, and the Spleen meridian winds around the sides of the tongue and connects under the tongue. Therefore, tongue diseases are mostly caused by these two meridians. It also states: Heart heat generates sores; Spleen heat causes stiffness. Swelling and overlapping of the tongue tip is called Chongshe (Double Tongue). Tongue swelling, hardness, lack of flexibility, protruding fullness, or extending out of the mouth is called Mushe (Wood Tongue). This is caused by fire congesting upward from the Heart and Spleen meridians. Urgently use acupuncture/bloodletting to prick and release toxic blood to eliminate the branch symptoms, then use herbs to drain the Heart and Spleen to treat the root. Observing this case where the tongue is hard as iron with unceasing bleeding, the fire has already been vented. Acupuncture may not be needed; using only Muze (Horsetail Herb) alone can ascend and dissipate the fire pathogen, lifting it with its momentum. Thus, rinsing with it leads to a cure.

*Liangfang* (Excellent Prescriptions) records: A person bled from the tongue without cause, with small holes remaining. Physicians did not know the disease. Accidentally, it was said: "This is called Shenu (Tongue Epistaxis)." Stir-fried Huaihua (Sophora Flower) ground into powder, applied topically, led to recovery.

It also states: Someone suffers from Shebi (Tongue Numbness) or numbness. This is due to phlegm qi stagnating in the Pericardium Luo collateral. Taking Shunqi Huotan Tang (Smooth Qi and Resolve Phlegm Decoction) leads to self-healing.

[Source Note] Shebi (Tongue Numbness) can also be caused by insufficient Heart blood. It should not be treated as wind-heat or phlegm. Lizhong Tang (Regulate the Middle Decoction) combined with Siwu Tang (Four Substances Decoction) should be used.

Miyun records: My elder brother suffered from oral and tongue ulceration, with phlegm-saliva surging upward, normal diet, but feeling like falling when strong winds blew. Taking Buzhong Yiqi Tang (Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction) and Bawei Wan (Eight Ingredients Pill) led to recovery. After a few days, it recurred. Whenever laborious, phlegma increased, eyes turned red, rinsing with cold water slightly improved the tongue, but soon worsened. Holding Fuzi Pian (Aconite Slice) in the mouth led to improvement, and taking decoctions cured all symptoms.

*Yishuo* (Medical Narratives) records: A person poisoned by Xianmao (Curculigo Rhizome), tongue swelled and extended out of the mouth, gradually enlarging to shoulder width. A small knife was used to cut it; it healed as it was cut. After hundreds of cuts, a drop of blood appeared. It was said, "It can be saved." Boiled Dahuang (Rhubarb Rhizome) and Puxiao (Mirabilite) for oral administration, and applied medicament topically. It reduced and shrank immediately. These are harms from excessive consumption by people with excessive fire and licentious nature.

Dairen treated Old Man Zhu, the southern neighbor, over sixty years old, with body heat lasting several days without abatement. The root of the tongue swelled, and the tip also swelled, filling the mouth, three times larger than the original tongue. A surgeon used burning needles (Fanzhen), pricking both sides of the tongue and the Lianquan acupoint below, worsening the condition. Dairen said, "When blood is excess, it should be drained." Using a row of needles sharpened to extreme points, he lightly pricked (bloodletting), eight or nine times daily, draining about two or three zhan of blood. Doing this three times, he gradually felt less blood loss, the illness decreased, and swelling subsided. The tongue is the external manifestation of the Heart. The Heart governs blood, so bleeding leads to recovery. Furthermore, all pain, itching, sores, and ulcers belong to Heart fire. Burning needles and moxibustion violate this principle. Xue Xinpu says: For severe tongue swelling, one should first prick the tongue tip, upper surface, or sides to bleed, releasing toxicity to save the emergency. However, the Lianquan acupoint under the tongue belongs to the Kidney meridian. Although bleeding is indicated, needling should be forbidden. Be cautious.

Zhen Liyan treated a woman during childbirth. The midwife offered warm water but mistakenly used Lu Jiaozhi (Deer Antler Glue, used by women to coat hair). Due to vomiting, the tongue protruded. Days postpartum, it could not retract. Medicines repeatedly failed. Zhen coated the tongue with Zhusha (Cinnabar) and instructed mimicking childbirth posture, supported by two women. Then, someone hid outside the wall, holding many jars, throwing them to the ground near the dangerous area to make noise. Hearing the sound, the tongue retracted.

Xue Ji treated a child whose tongue was severed by half a cun. Hongbao Dan (Hongbao Elixir) was applied, and Siwu Tang (Four Substances Decoction) added with Chaihu (Bupleurum Root) was taken. Pain stopped, and bleeding ceased. Next, Sizijunzi Tang (Four Gentlemen Decoction) added with Chaihu (Bupleurum Root) and Shanzhi (Gardenia Fruit) was taken. Over a month, the tongue regenerated naturally.

[Source Note] For children with severed tongues from falls, reconnect while hot. Ancient method: urgently strike an egg gently around the shell, remove the hard shell, take the membrane, cover the tongue with it, apply Hongbao Dan (Hongbao Elixir) on the membrane, and natural connection occurs. If the tongue has been cold for a long time, no need to reconnect; simply apply Hongbao Dan (Hongbao Elixir), and the tongue will grow back.

In my hometown, there was a wealthy woman, over fifty, who suddenly had her tongue protrude and not retract, with no other ailments. Physicians treated it as wind-phlegm without effect. One physician added Qisheye (Agkistrodon Tongue) to the wind-phlegm medicine, decocted and administered, leading to recovery.

Quanshe San (Complete Tongue Powder)
Huanglian (Coptis Rhizome), Renshen (Ginseng Root), Baishao (White Peony Root) (each 3 qian); Chaihu (Bupleurum Root), Changpu (Acorus Rhizome) (each 1 qian).
Decoct in water and take orally.

Shunqi Huotan Tang (Smooth Qi and Resolve Phlegm Decoction)
Banxia (Pinellia Tuber) (1.5 qian); Fuling (Poria), Juhong (Citrus Peel), Gualou (Trichosanthes Fruit), Beimu (Fritillaria Bulb), Huanglian (Coptis Rhizome), Jiegeng (Platycodon Root), Zhike (Aurantii Fructus Immaturus) (each 1 qian); Xiangfu (Cyperi Rhizome) (0.7 qian); Gancao (Licorice Root) (0.4 qian).
Three slices of Jiang (Fresh Ginger), decoct in water and take orally.

Lizhong Tang (Regulate the Middle Decoction)
Baizhu (Atractylodes Rhizome, stir-fried in soil) (2 qian); Renshen (Ginseng Root), Ganjiang (Dried Ginger), Gancao (Licorice Root) (each 1 qian).
Decoct in water and take orally.

Hongbao Dan (Hongbao Elixir)
Tianhuafen (Trichosanthes Root) (3 liang); Jianghuang (Turmeric Rhizome), Baizhi (Angelica Dahurica Root), Chishizhi (Red Halloysite) (each 1 liang).
Grind into powder, mix with tea water, and apply to the affected area.

Buzhong Yiqi Tang (Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction) (See Neck Section)
Bawei Wan (Eight Ingredients Pill) (See Hand and Foot Section)
Siwu Tang (Four Substances Decoction) (See Head Section)