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The wife of my clan's great-nephew, Cheng Shi, was the daughter of Shuanggui Weng. She was just thirty years old and had given birth to five children previously. For the past eight years, her menstruation had been amenorrheic (absence of menstruation). Her muscles were fatter than before, her food intake had doubled compared to the past, yet her spirit and complexion were more radiant than ever. Her abdomen was soft and not hard, showing no signs of illness whatsoever, except for the amenorrhea and infertility.

Specialist doctors typically used Siwu Tang (Four Substances Decoction), Yanhusuo (Corydalis Rhizome), Mudanpi (Tree Peony Bark), and other blood-invigorating and regulating prescriptions, totaling over a thousand doses. They also tried Sanleng (Burreed Tuber), Ezhu (Curcuma Zedoary Rhizome), Ganqi (Lacquer Tree Resin), Taoren (Peach Seed), Sumu (Calamus Wood), and similar blood-breaking substances, but none yielded any effect. She then sought my consultation. Her six pulses were slow, large, and forceful. I said: This is phlegm generated by spleen dampness, with fat filling the uterus. Merely moving blood, invigorating blood, or breaking blood is of no benefit. The treatment principle should be to regulate qi and eliminate phlegm, dry dampness and melt fat, so that the body becomes leaner. In this way, new dietary intake will not generate phlegm or assist in accumulating fat, but will instead transform into menstrual blood, which will flow spontaneously without expectation. If one adheres strictly to nourishing blood, invigorating blood, and breaking blood as specialist doctors do, hoping for menstruation to resume, is it not difficult? Indeed, the previous prescriptions consisted of cloying, damp-generating, and phlegm-producing herbs, unsuitable for those with damp-phlegm, especially for obese individuals. Therefore, I formulated a prescription based on Pingwei San (Stomach-Pacifying Powder) added with Huashi (Talcum), Taoren (Peach Seed), Huanglian (Coptis Rhizome), Jianghuang (Turmeric Rhizome), Danshen (Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root), Nanxing (Arisaema Cum Bile), and Banxia (Pinellia Tuber), made into pills. After half a year, menstruation resumed. The following year, she gave birth to a son, and subsequently bore another son and a daughter.

Xiong Chengbaguan was from Nanchang, Jiangyou. While walking early in the morning, he suddenly saw two masses of "evil fire" rolling towards him, causing great fright. The next day, his abdomen became distended and bloated, gradually worsening. His face was pale with thin skin, his hands were emaciated, and both feet showed edema (swelling); pressing the swelling left an indentation that did not immediately rebound. He experienced shortness of breath upon movement, and both his form and spirit were weak. Physicians reasoned that due to weak spirit, shortness of breath, pale face, emaciated muscles, visible blue veins in the chest and abdomen like ropes, and clear, long urination, these symptoms indicated spleen deficiency. They administered Shenling Baizhu San (Ginseng, Poria, and Atractylodes Macrocephala Powder). After ten days, his abdomen became tightly distended like a drum, with a prominent, rock-hard mass protruding in the center. His umbilicus was flat and full, and he could not ingest even a spoonful of food. Upon re-examination, the physician declared: Your condition is incurable according to medical principles. Why not plan to return home soon and avoid becoming a ghost in a foreign land? Hearing this, the patient wept bitterly. Xiong Dongxi, pitying him, earnestly requested my consultation. His pulse was deep, wiry, and forceful. After examining him, I told him: Based on the pulse and symptoms, this is not a pattern of qi deficiency with middle jiao fullness. The previous tonification was too abrupt, inadvertently aiding the pathogen. Moreover, it is currently the plum rain season, and the journey home is long; even if you return, you may not arrive promptly. Even if you do, you might not find a skilled practitioner; a slight deviation in treatment would lead to disaster. I have a remedy that offers hope for survival. Dongxi pleaded strongly on his behalf. We administered Hupo Tiaozhong Wan (Amber Regulating Middle Pill) twice daily. After the first dose, he felt very comfortable; after the second, he felt relieved. Ten days later, his abdomen gradually softened, and the mass began to dissolve. Within half a month, the mass disappeared completely, and the visible veins receded. The prescription was changed to Pingwei San (Stomach-Pacifying Powder) added with Luobozzi (Radish Seed), Jianghuang (Turmeric Rhizome), Yiren (Coix Seed), Sharen (Amomum Fruit), and Muxiang (Aucklandia Root) for one month of conditioning. His appetite increased significantly, and he slept peacefully. The edema in both feet also resolved.