临溪吴天威丈,年七十有三,客邸远归,偶坠马跌伤,左胁作痛,随治而愈。后半年,
忽左
胯肿痛,憎寒作热,动止极艰,里中诸公有认湿痰者,有认风气者,有认湿热者,总罔效。
闻歙外科洪氏能,且识杂病,迓以为治,居数日,视为疝气,率投荔枝核、大小茴香、川楝
子、橘核之类,痛躁不可当,乃欲引绳自绝。诸子百般慰解,洪乃辞去,竟不知为何疾也。
其婿汪开之,予之表弟也。邀予诊之,六脉浮而洪数,左寸尤甚,验其痛处,红肿光浮如瓠
,抚之烙手。予曰∶此便痈也,洪系外科专门,胡独忽此?盖渠素慎重,见患者年高,乌敢
认
为便痈治哉!此殆千虑一失,毋足怪。诸郎君闻予言皆骇然,诘予曰∶家严不御色者十载,
顾安得此,愿先生再思。予曰∶此非近色而得,审胯属足厥阴肝经,肝为血海,乃昔时坠马
,恶血消之未尽,瘀蓄经络,无门可出,化而为脓,由年高气虚,又被香燥克伐太过,不
能溃而即出,故散漫浮肿。观其色,青中隐黑,浓已成腐,必须外用 针,引而出之,内用
千金托里,庶可排脓生肉。但予生平心慈,不能用针。予弟警吾,外科良手,可延而决之。
至,即以 针深入寸余,出青黑脓五六碗许,臭秽难近,即语诸郎君曰∶使早决三日,可免
一月之苦,今即日大补之,非百日不能痊,此俗名石米疮也。诸郎君及患者见脓色如是,始
信予言不爽,急以请剂。予乃用内托十宣散,参、 每帖三钱,后加至五钱,一日两进,两
越月,脓尽肉满而愈。一市称奇。
Mr. Wu Tianwei of Linxi, aged seventy-three, returned from a sojourn elsewhere and accidentally fell from a horse, injuring himself. He suffered pain in the left hypochondrium, which healed after treatment. Half a year later, he suddenly experienced swelling and pain in the left groin, accompanied by aversion to cold and feverish sensations, making movement extremely difficult. Various local physicians attributed the condition to damp-phlegm, wind-pathogen, or damp-heat, but none of the treatments were effective.
Hearing that Master Hong, a surgeon from Shexian, was skilled in surgery and also knowledgeable about miscellaneous diseases, they invited him to treat the patient. After a few days, Master Hong diagnosed it as hernia (Shan Qi) and administered herbs such as Litchi Seed, Big Fennel Fruit, Small Fennel Fruit, Sichuan Chinaberry Fruit, and Tangerine Seed. The patient's pain and restlessness became unbearable, leading him to attempt suicide with a rope. His sons comforted and persuaded him at length, after which Master Hong resigned, still unaware of the actual disease.
Wu Kai zhi, the patient's son-in-law and my cousin, invited me to examine him. I found the pulse floating and surging-rapid in all six positions, particularly pronounced in the left Cun position. Inspecting the painful area, I observed redness, swelling, brightness, and edema resembling a gourd; it felt hot to the touch. I stated, "This is a perineal abscess (Bian Yong). Master Hong is a specialist in surgery; why did he overlook this? It is likely because he is usually cautious and, seeing the patient's advanced age, dared not diagnose it as a perineal abscess." This was probably a minor oversight among many considerations, nothing surprising. Hearing my words, the gentlemen were startled and questioned me, saying, "Our father has abstained from sexual intercourse for ten years; how could he have contracted this? We beg you to reconsider." I replied, "This is not caused by sexual indulgence. The groin belongs to the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian. The Liver is the Sea of Blood. The previous fall from the horse resulted in incomplete resolution of blood stasis, which accumulated in the meridians without an outlet, transforming into pus. Due to his advanced age and Qi deficiency, compounded by excessive use of aromatic-drying herbs that depleted healthy Qi, the pus could not rupture and discharge, resulting in diffuse edema. The color is greenish-black, indicating thick, necrotic pus. External incision with a needle is required to drain the pus, and internally, Qianjin Tuoli San (Thousand-Gold Supporting Interior Decoction) should be used to promote pus discharge and flesh regeneration. However, out of compassion, I cannot bring myself to use needles. My brother, Sun Jingwu, is a skilled surgeon; please invite him to decide on the procedure."
Upon arrival, Sun Jingwu immediately inserted a needle more than one cun deep, draining approximately five to six bowls of dark green-black pus, which had a foul odor. He then told the gentlemen, "Had this been decided three days earlier, a month of suffering could have been avoided. Now, immediate vigorous tonification is necessary; recovery will take at least one hundred days. This is commonly known as 'Stone Rice Sore'." Seeing the nature of the pus, the gentlemen and the patient finally believed my diagnosis was correct and urgently requested prescription. I prescribed Neituo Shixuan San (Interior-Supporting Ten-Accumulation Dispelling Powder), with Ginseng Root and Astragalus Root each at 3 qian per dose, later increased to 5 qian, administered twice daily. After two months, the pus was completely discharged, and the flesh regenerated, leading to recovery. The entire market marveled at the outcome.