Library

Qian Xiaolu was a disciple of Yiqiu. He was also proficient in drinking alcohol, and would always drink when playing chess, always getting drunk, without exception for any day of the year. In the autumn of the Xinsi year, he returned home late after heavy drinking, suffering from vomiting, alternating chills and fever, and vexing pain in the bone joints. Physicians treated him with exterior-releasing medicines for epidemic colds, but to no avail. Another physician, recognizing it as alcohol toxicity, used hot-natured herbs as guides within cold-natured prescriptions, yet this also failed. After lying in bed for more than twenty days, I was finally invited to examine him. His pulse was surging (Hong) and rapid/irregular (Cu), his body pressed against the mat unable to move or stretch, his left leg painful as if pierced by a knife, and his nose black. From the onset of the illness until then, he had not had a bowel movement; this is a sign of carbuncle and ulcer (Yong Ju). Upon returning, I spoke to my two disciples. Wang Sheng happily expressed his understanding, saying, "Currently, Dryness Metal governs the season. Alcoholics are inherently damaged by damp-heat, which manifests now. When Metal is excessive, Wood declines, hence the pain in sinews and bones preventing him from rising. The Zang organs are dry and the Fu organs are also dry, leading to dried-up fluids and loss of lubrication in the Large Intestine. Treating with clearing Metal and moistening dryness should suffice." Wu Sheng said, "Incorrect. With severe alcohol toxicity, the intestines and stomach are like burning furnaces; can we wait to dig a well for water? Urgent treatment requires drastic purgation (Da Xia)." I replied, "Purgation might indeed be effective, but an alcoholic's Stomach Qi has been damaged by frequent vomiting. Medications entering the Stomach will likely cause upper congestion, failing to descend. Even methods like umbilical application or intestinal guidance would be useless. Digging a well is difficult, and opening a canal is not easy either. What shall we do? I will open another path for you. Alcohol is a clear and pure substance; it does not descend with turbid waste but prefers to infiltrate. The infiltration pathway starts from the Stomach into the Gallbladder, because the Gallbladder is the organ of purity, and similar energies interact. However, the Gallbladder's capacity for retention is limited; next, it moves from the Stomach to the Intestines, where the Bladder permeates it, resulting in the most significant transformation into urine. By the time it becomes urine, only the residual quality of alcohol remains, and its intense nature is borne solely by the Gallbladder. I often observe that good drinkers sip slowly to allow for abdominal infiltration. If they gulp down several cups at once, it is like emptying a purse. Thus, when half-drunk, even a coward gains the courage to throw punches and curse at others; even a poor person gains the courage to spend a thousand gold pieces; even a reserved scholar gains the courage to climb walls; even a villain gains the courage to kill with a sword; and those who indulge in wild behavior may drink several hu without regard for their lives. Given Qian Xiaolu's extreme poverty, how could his Gallbladder spirit remain unbroken unless sustained by alcohol? His pathology differs from others. The Gallbladder Fu organ originally lacks drainage pathways. In others, Gallbladder heat can transfer to the brain, with turbid mucus flowing continuously from the nasal orifices, slightly reducing the intensity. But Qian Xiaolu suffers from excessive Yang Qi in the Yang aspect and severely deficient Yin Qi in the Yang aspect. His hair and beard are completely absent, resembling the barren lands of the South, indicating extreme heat. Would he accept the transfer of Gallbladder heat? Fortunately, he sweats profusely on his head, allowing brain heat to dissipate secretly, avoiding major disaster. Since Gallbladder heat cannot be dispersed, compounded by the heat of alcohol and the dryness of the season, internal heat blazes fiercely, causing a rapid/irregular pulse. How could this not lead to extreme exhaustion? Therefore, the hot juice of the Gallbladder overflows and gradually infiltrates the collaterals, turning the body and eyes yellow, resulting in Jaundice due to Alcohol (Jiu Dan). Because it exits via infiltration, it can be driven into the Bladder and eliminated through urination. Now, targeting only the Huantiao acupoint, which belongs to the Gallbladder channel, requires no additional driving force. Moreover, he has long suffered from this point during walking; the injury is old, Qi and Blood are scattered, and heat pathogens linger densely. Even taking many medicines would result in rejection. How could it work? Even if acupuncture were attempted, this chronically injured point is difficult to drain. If one encountered a master craftsman like the ancients, what method would they use? I have further concerns. After birth, the body relies entirely on Grain Qi for nourishment; Grain Qi is Yuan Qi (Original Qi). For those who consume little grain, alcohol serves as Yuan Qi. Now, due to illness, he must stop drinking; what will sustain him for the long term? I have carefully considered a method: first, extract the yellow fluid from the brain through the nose; second, puncture several collaterals connecting the Gallbladder points to the brain, ensuring Gallbladder heat transfers out through the brain and nose. This way, the accumulated evil in the Huantiao point will gradually circulate, and the dryness of the intestines and stomach will recover. Then, administer herbs that purge Gallbladder heat mixed into alcohol, allowing him to still get drunk daily. Although the method of drinking is the same, the nature of the alcohol changes, allowing it to function subtly through Yin channels. His lifelong bias has built a strong fortress; only by using alcohol as a guide can success be achieved. Could methods of clearing Metal/moistening dryness or drastic purgation resolve this situation?" The two students eagerly said, "Your teaching of the treatment method opens our minds. Please record this to commemorate the joy of transmission in this hall." I gave this record to his son, instructing him to seek help from Gu Youshu, a Xiaoqiu (scholar-official). Qian Xiaolu ultimately prevented this. Perhaps some think my words are incorrect. Mr. Hu Youchen stated, "Describing the full spiritual state before discussing treatment methods is truly a marvel."