孝廉臧茗泉老先生,脉左弦数,右寸弱,关大,重则滑,右尺微。原以疟后复伤饮食,
大便泻
而变痢,一日夜虽只五六行,皆积滞无粪,腹疼后重难安。午未后发热,至天明始退,此
夏伤于暑而秋为疟痢也。其热仍疟之余邪,当先解散,然后以补剂投之,则大便自愈矣。与
神授香连丸一服。服讫,腹中肠鸣,须臾大便行,且较前更多,方有粪下。改以白芍药四钱
,
泽泻、黄连各一钱,滑石二钱,粉草、桂皮、木香各四分,山楂七分,两日后,乃与补中益
气汤加木香、黄连、白芍药。调理半月,潮热,大便皆愈。
包继可先生令眷,孕三月而疟疾发,先寒后热,胸膈大胀疼,口渴,汤水入即吐,谵语
,无
汗,胎气上冲而成子悬,脉皆弦大,以川芎、柴胡、黄芩、知母、甘草、橘红、紫苏、枳壳
、砂仁,水煎服之,吐止痛除。
一张氏妇,年才二十一,其夫延余诊之。左寸关短弱,尺滑,右寸亦滑,关濡弱,尺沉
微。
诊毕问予曰∶脉何如?予曰∶心神脾志皆大不足,肺经有痰。夫曰∶不然,乃有身也。予曰
∶左寸短弱如此,安得有孕?夫曰∶已七十日矣。予俯思久之,问渠曰∶曾经孕育否?夫曰∶
已经二次,今乃三也。予问∶二产皆足月否?男耶女也?夫曰∶实不敢讳,始产仅九个月,手
足面目完全,而水火不分,脔肉一片,生下亦无啼声,抱起已身冷矣。细检之,乃知其无水
火也。次亦九个月,产下又无啼声,看时口中无舌。二胎之异,不知何故?闻先生能细心察
人之病,特祈审之。予方悟前二胎之不完者,由心脾二经不足所致也。今左寸右关之脉可见
矣,乃为筹思一方,专以补心血为主,令其多服,以百帖为率。酸枣仁、远志、茯神各一钱
,白术二钱,白芍药、当归、枸杞子各一钱五分,甘草五分,生地黄八分,艾絮二分,龙眼
肉五枚,水煎服。足月而产一子。次年又有身,不以前事为意,至九个月,产下形体俱具,
外有脂膜一片包其面,耳目口鼻不见,但不能去此脂膜,产下即殁。因思上年之子,为药
之力也。因予久不至苕,其家以予方粘于壁间,一觉有身,即照方服之。后生二子一女。里
中以此方为补天手云。
Mr. Zang Mingquan, a Juren (provincial graduate), had a pulse that was wiry and rapid on the left side, weak at the right Cun (inch) position, large at the Guan (bar) position, slippery upon heavy pressure, and faint at the right Chi (cubit) position. The etiology was post-malaria injury due to improper diet, leading from diarrhea to dysentery. Although he defecated only five or six times a day and night, the stools consisted entirely of stagnant accumulation without normal feces, accompanied by abdominal pain and tenesmus (a feeling of incomplete defecation with urgent need to pass stool), causing great discomfort. He experienced fever from Wu to Wei hours (11:00 AM to 3:00 PM), which subsided only at dawn. This indicates summer-heat injury in summer manifesting as malaria and dysentery in autumn. The heat is still residual pathogenic factor from malaria; it should first be resolved/dissipated, followed by tonifying agents, after which bowel movements will naturally normalize. One dose of Shenshou Xianglian Wan was administered. After ingestion, borborygmus (intestinal rumbling) occurred in the abdomen, and shortly thereafter, defecation occurred, even more profuse than before, finally yielding normal feces. Subsequently, a prescription of Baishao Yao (Paeoniae Radix Alba) 4 qian, Zexie (Alismatis Rhizoma) and Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma) 1 qian each, Huashi (Talcum) 2 qian, Fencao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Preparata), Guipi (Cinnamomi Cortex), and Muxiang (Aucklandiae Radix) 4 fen each, and Shanzha (Crataegi Fructus) 7 fen was given. Two days later, Buzhong Yiqi Tang (Decoction for Boosting the Middle and Augmenting Qi) with added Muxiang, Huanglian, and Baishao Yao was prescribed. After half a month of regulation, the tidal fever and dysentery were completely cured.
Madam Bao, wife of Mr. Bao Jike, developed malaria at three months of pregnancy. Symptoms included initial chills followed by fever, severe distension and pain in the chest and diaphragm, thirst, vomiting immediately after ingesting liquids, delirium, absence of sweating, and fetal qi rushing upward resulting in Zixuan (fetal oppression/distension syndrome). The pulse was wiry and large throughout. A decoction of Chuanxiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma), Chaihu (Bupleuri Radix), Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), Zhimu (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma), Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), Juhong (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Rubrum), Zisu (Perillae Folium), Zhike (Aurantii Fructus Immaturus), and Sharen (Amomi Fructus Rotundus) was prepared in water and administered. Vomiting ceased and pain was relieved.
Mrs. Zhang, aged only twenty-one, sought my consultation through her husband. The pulse at the left Cun and Guan positions was short and weak, while the Chi position was slippery; the right Cun was also slippery, the Guan position was soggy and weak, and the Chi position was deep and faint. After finishing the diagnosis, her husband asked, "How is the pulse?" I replied, "The Heart spirit and Spleen intention are both significantly deficient, and there is phlegm in the Lung meridian." Her husband said, "No, she is pregnant." I stated, "With such a short and weak Left Cun pulse, how can she be pregnant?" Her husband replied, "It has been seventy days." I pondered deeply for a long time and asked him, "Has she been pregnant before?" He answered, "She has delivered twice already; this is the third." I asked, "Were both previous deliveries full-term? Were they male or female?" He said, "I dare not conceal the truth. The first delivery was at nine months; although hands, feet, and face were fully formed, yin and yang were not separated (indicating congenital defect), appearing as a lump of flesh. It did not cry after birth, and its body was cold when picked up. Upon careful examination, it lacked 'water and fire' (vital essence/functions). The second delivery was also at nine months; the infant did not cry, and upon inspection, lacked a tongue. I do not know the cause of these abnormalities in the two children. Hearing that you can carefully observe diseases, I specifically request your thorough diagnosis." Only then did I realize that the incompleteness of the previous two children was caused by deficiency in the Heart and Spleen meridians. This could now be seen in the Left Cun and Right Guan pulses. Therefore, I formulated a prescription focusing primarily on nourishing Heart blood, advising frequent intake, with a limit of one hundred doses. Suanzaoren (Ziziphi Spinosae Semen), Yuanzhi (Polygalae Radix), and Fushen (Poria with Hostwood) 1 qian each, Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) 2 qian, Baishao Yao, Danggui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), and Gouqizi (Lycii Fructus) 1.5 qian each, Gancao 5 fen, Shengdihuang (Rehmanniae Radix) 8 fen, Aixu (Mugwort Floss) 2 fen, and Longyanrou (Longan Arillus) 5 pieces were decocted in water and taken. At full term, a son was born. The following year, she became pregnant again, disregarding the previous incident. At nine months, the infant was fully formed but covered by a layer of fatty membrane over the face, obscuring the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Unable to remove this membrane, the infant died immediately after birth. Reflecting on this, I concluded that the survival of last year's child was due to the efficacy of the medicine. Because I had not visited the Tiao area for some time, the family had pasted my prescription on the wall. Upon sensing pregnancy, they took the formula as directed. They subsequently gave birth to two sons and one daughter. The locals refer to this prescription as "Bu Tian Shou" (Hand that Repairs Heaven/Mending the Sky).