经云∶热生风。因时火盛而作(不知此火,何由而盛)。盖东方之震木,得火气而发搐(此处不言肝风心火作
搐,硬说为少阳相火作搐,但闻雷得火而丰,未闻震得火而搐。杜撰)。
有曰∶身热脉浮,精神恍惚,或吐泻不思乳食,发搐,即半阴半阳合病(身热脉浮,外感风寒也;吐泻兼
作,内伤饮食也。但曰外感内伤足矣,何必曰半阴半阳?原其意,不过以身热脉浮属太阳,吐泻属阳明太阴。
凡幼科所言者,无非心肝脾之脏病,若曰外感内伤,则惊风痰热之证,何处安顿,岂不自呈败露乎)。身热脉
沉,精神倦怠,或吐不泻,又有乳食发搐,亦半阴半阳合病(身热脉沉属太阴,但吐不泻属阳明,明是阳明伤
食,太阴受寒,显然夹食伤寒,偏不明言。悲哉)。
有曰∶亦有急惊,凉泻而不愈,或与吐下药太过,变为慢惊者(此等之言,益见背谬。诸书以急惊为阳,
为实热,既是急惊,则用凉泻无疑,何以不愈?盖因误以伤寒表证
为急惊,所以不愈也。既凉泻不愈,则认证不确,自应愧悔,何昧焉不察,而更用吐下之药乎?凉泻一误,吐
下再误,而不变为坏证者,未之有也。非病之能变,由医变之也);又有慢惊补温而不愈,变为急惊者(幼科
疏忽,于此数语,尽见底里。既以脾虚阴寒为慢惊,则用温补,适为恰当。今不特不愈,反加变证,盖误以伤
风自汗为慢惊,不知此证本有风邪在表,正宜解肌,今误用温补而致变,偏不言错认病源,误用反药,而曰病
变急惊,即至于死,亦曰病变于死,与医何涉?可谓善为说辞者矣)。
有曰∶病有阴阳,急惊风属热,病在心肝二脏,谓之阳痫;慢惊风属虚寒,病在脾肺二脏,谓之阴痫,此
以寒热分阴阳也(以寒热分阴阳,虽曰牵强,犹可混赖;以心肝二脏主阳痫,不通)。五脏属阴,六腑属阳,
急惊发于六腑为易治,慢惊发于五脏为难治。此以脏腑分阴阳也(上节言急惊属实热,病在心肝二脏;慢惊属
虚寒,病在脾肺二脏。此以急慢二惊,皆属五脏也明矣,与六腑无涉。下节即云急惊发于六腑,慢惊发于五脏,
是又以脏腑均有惊风也。夫六腑者,膀胱、胃、胆、小肠、大肠、三焦,六经是也。其六经证治,轻重不等,
理应指明急惊发于何腑。五脏者,心、肝、脾、肺、肾,五经是也。其五经证治,贵贱不同,理应指明慢惊
发于何脏,后人始有实据。今竟不指明,第泛言急惊发六腑,慢惊发五脏。岂急惊之来,六腑齐病,应用六经
之药治之乎;慢惊之至,五脏均伤,应用五经之药治之乎?必无是理。若以上节心肝脾肺之言为是,则与下节
六腑五脏不相侔矣;若以下节六腑五脏之言为是,则与上节心肝阳痫,脾肺阴痫,相矛盾矣。盖腑脏关乎表里,
岂容混称!如腑为表,脏为里,表病不可治里,里病不可治表,不易之规,以其阴阳不同,内外自别,不可误
治者也。今详前说,既惊风之属脏属腑者,已无定论,而临证之治表治里者,安有成规?吾
恐其李帽张戴,势所不免。如前诸家之论,非但脏腑混淆,表里不辨,而反多增名色,眩人心目,曰风、曰痰、
曰惊、曰吓、曰火、曰热、曰血虚、曰木急、曰相火、曰阴火、曰外感、曰内伤、曰喜怒、曰乳哺、曰阳盛、
曰阴虚、曰属腑、曰属脏,究于惊风二字,毫无着落。其论证如此支离,治疗何能不误,不为规正,其害岂胜
言哉)。
诸家之说,已见于前,种种不经,殊难尽述。夫古哲立言,自有定理。如仲景伤寒六经,表里汗下和温,井
然不乱,孰敢妄赞一辞!独此惊风之说,纷纭鼎沸,莫可究诘。医事动关生命,岂容混乱经常,不特来学无归,
练达者难言不惑。予因不辞狂悖,易去惊风字样,庶知病各有名,治无致误,在医者俾不致入海求蟾,病者亦可
以鉴车易辙矣。
The *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) states: "Heat generates wind." This occurs due to the excessive fire of the season (without inquiring how this fire becomes excessive). It is said that the Zhen Wood of the East, receiving fire energy, causes convulsions (here, it does not mention liver wind or heart fire causing convulsions, but insists on Shaoyang ministerial fire causing convulsions; one hears of thunder bringing abundance with fire, but never of the Zhen trigram causing convulsions with fire. Pure fabrication).
Some say: "Body heat and floating pulse, mental confusion, or vomiting and diarrhea with loss of appetite for milk and food, accompanied by convulsions, constitute a combined disease of half-Yin and half-Yang (body heat and floating pulse indicate external contraction of wind-cold; simultaneous vomiting and diarrhea indicate internal injury from diet. It suffices to say external contraction and internal injury; why call it half-Yin and half-Yang? Investigating the intent, it merely attributes body heat and floating pulse to Taiyang disease, and vomiting/diarrhea to Yangming and Taiyin diseases. Everything pediatrics discusses pertains only to diseases of the Heart, Liver, and Spleen organs. If one says it is merely external contraction and internal injury, where do conditions like fright-wind, phlegm-heat belong? Would they not expose their own flaws?). Another says: 'Body heat and deep pulse, mental fatigue, or vomiting without diarrhea, and convulsions triggered by feeding, are also combined diseases of half-Yin and half-Yang (body heat with deep pulse belongs to Taiyin; vomiting without diarrhea belongs to Yangming. Clearly, this is Yangming food retention complicated by Taiyin cold, obviously wind-cold with food retention, yet deliberately left unspoken. How sad).'
Some say: "There are cases of Ji Jing (Acute Fright-Wind/Convulsion) that do not improve with cooling purgatives, or transform into Man Jing (Chronic Fright-Wind/Convulsion) due to excessive use of emetic and purgative drugs (Such statements further reveal absurdity. Medical texts classify Ji Jing as Yang and excess-heat. Since it is Ji Jing, cooling purgatives are undoubtedly correct; why would it fail? This is because the exterior syndrome of Shanghan (Cold Damage) was mistaken for Ji Jing, hence the failure. Since cooling purgatives failed, indicating inaccurate diagnosis, the physician should feel ashamed and repent. Why remain ignorant and continue using emetics and purgatives? A mistake with cooling purgatives followed by another with emetics/purgatives inevitably leads to a deteriorated condition (Huai Zheng). It is not the disease that changes, but the doctor who changes it); there are also cases of Man Jing that do not improve with warming tonification, transforming into Ji Jing (Pediatricians' negligence is fully exposed in these few sentences. If Spleen deficiency and Yin-cold are considered Man Jing, then warming tonification is appropriate. Now, not only does it fail, but complications arise. This is because wind-cold with spontaneous sweating was mistaken for Man Jing. Ignoring that wind-pathogen remains at the exterior, which requires releasing the muscle layer, the erroneous use of warming tonification caused transformation. Yet, instead of admitting misidentifying the disease source and using contrary remedies, they claim the disease transformed into Ji Jing. Even if death results, they attribute it to natural disease progression, absolving the doctor. Truly skilled at making excuses)."
Some say: "Diseases have Yin and Yang aspects. Ji Jing belongs to heat and affects the Heart and Liver, called Yang Xian (Yang Epilepsy); Man Jing belongs to deficiency-cold and affects the Spleen and Lung, called Yin Xian (Yin Epilepsy). This divides Yin/Yang based on cold/heat (Dividing Yin/Yang by cold/heat is forced but passable; claiming Heart/Liver govern Yang Xian is incorrect). The Five Zang organs are Yin, the Six Fu organs are Yang. Ji Jing originating in the Six Fu is easy to treat; Man Jing originating in the Five Zang is difficult to treat. This divides Yin/Yang based on Zang/Fu (The previous section stated Ji Jing is excess-heat affecting Heart/Liver; Man Jing is deficiency-cold affecting Spleen/Lung. Thus, both acute and chronic convulsions belong to the Five Zang, unrelated to the Six Fu. The next section claims Ji Jing originates in the Six Fu and Man Jing in the Five Zang, implying both Zang and Fu suffer from convulsions. The Six Fu are Bladder, Stomach, Gallbladder, Small Intestine, Large Intestine, Sanjiao, corresponding to the Six Channels. Their treatments vary in severity; one should specify which Fu organ is affected by Ji Jing. The Five Zang are Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung, Kidney, corresponding to the Five Channels. Their treatments vary in importance; one should specify which Zang organ is affected by Man Jing, requiring solid evidence from later scholars. Now, no specification is made, only generalizations that Ji Jing affects the Six Fu and Man Jing the Five Zang. Does Ji Jing imply all Six Fu are diseased, requiring medicines of all Six Channels? Does Man Jing imply all Five Zang are injured, requiring medicines of all Five Channels? Surely not. If the previous statement about Heart/Liver/Spleen/Lung is correct, it contradicts the Six Fu/Five Zang statement below; if the Six Fu/Five Zang statement is correct, it contradicts the Heart/Liver Yang Xian and Spleen/Lung Yin Xian above. Fu and Zang relate to Exterior and Interior; they cannot be confused! If Fu represents Exterior and Zang Interior, treating Interior for Exterior disease, or Exterior for Interior disease, violates immutable rules, as Yin/Yang differ and Interior/Exterior are distinct, preventing mis-treatment. Examining the previous arguments, since there is no fixed conclusion on whether convulsions belong to Zang or Fu, how can there be standard rules for treating Exterior vs. Interior in clinical practice? I fear such confusion of roles (Li Mao Zhang Dai) is inevitable. The aforementioned theories not only confuse Zang/Fu and fail to distinguish Interior/Exterior, but also add numerous terms confusing the mind: Wind, Phlegm, Fright, Shock, Fire, Heat, Blood Deficiency, Wood Urgency, Ministerial Fire, Yin Fire, External Contraction, Internal Injury, Joy/Anger, Feeding, Yang Excess, Yin Deficiency, Belonging to Fu, Belonging to Zang. Ultimately, none of this clarifies the concept of 'Fright-Wind'. Such fragmented reasoning makes treatment bound to err. Without correction, the harm is incalculable)."
The theories of various schools have been mentioned previously; their many baseless claims are hard to recount completely. Ancient sages established doctrines with clear principles. For instance, Zhang Zhongjing’s Six Channels of Shanghan are orderly, distinguishing Exterior, Interior, Sweating, Purging, Harmonizing, and Warming, leaving no room for arbitrary alteration. Yet, the theory of Fright-Wind is chaotic and uproarious, impossible to trace to its root. Medicine concerns life itself; how can norms be allowed to become chaotic? This leaves beginners without guidance and even experienced physicians struggling to remain unconfused. Therefore, disregarding accusations of arrogance, I remove the term "Fright-Wind," hoping that knowing diseases have specific names prevents treatment errors. May physicians avoid futile efforts (seeking toads in the sea), and may patients learn from others' mistakes to change their course.