凡久病,左尺浮大,宜补肺气,须保元加白芍、白茯苓之类,盖金能生水之义。
大抵病在上,宜求之下;在下,宜求之上。凡用药,有用味留气者,须热饮为妙。倘
有畏服热药者,以水洒药面上,即气收在内,是留气也。
凡四时之令,皆有寒热温凉,有及时来者,谓之正令。譬如春宜温而反寒,谓之不及;
温而先热,谓之太过。宜温而寒,用香苏散解之。如当春得正令,夏初反复 峭,其春初之
令未除也,犹宜香苏散解之。倘春遇极温,即为太过,则口渴、舌燥之症见矣。第发热而不
恶寒者,谓之温病。此温令之过,治有温病条说具。四时各有时令之病,各有时令之过,咸以此类推之。
若夏时四、五、六月正当夏令,而寒凛凛犹春初之意,香苏犹不免耳。若当时小便赤、口渴
等症见,此时令症也,宜五苓、清暑益气、十味香薷之类治之。若当时不热,至秋七、八月
天气暑热,人患前症,仍以前汤治之。是治其不及之症,而调其不及之候也。
譬如春天正令,三月温和,偶或风寒大作,即有感冒伤风寒之症。若五、六月正令大热
,偶或大雨,遍地尘热之气,为寒雨逼入人家,即为受暑之症,宜清暑益气汤解之。
凡诊老人及病患,六脉俱和缓而浮,二、三年间当有大病或死,何也?脉浮则无根,乃阳气
发外而内尽阴火也。(阳衰于外,阴竭于内,即洪缓而按之无一条者也,最忌喘促、泻利与
彻夜不眠、饮食日减、四肢无力等证。)急用保元或建中服之,则阳气收于内,即反见虚脉
,或弦或涩,此真脉也,宜照脉用保元助脾之剂,脉气待和,病亦寻愈,寿有不可知者。(
此条说得好,尝见老人冬月体倦、少食、畏寒、右寸短、左关陷、两尺缓长或左尺微陷,立
春加病,春分死,未有能延至立夏者,金败水枯,木无所生也。两尺缓长,所谓缓临水宫也。)
大凡内伤症,下俱虚寒。
凡病,肺脉浮大即喘,用温脾敛肺之药,敛不下则成胀,既敛下,肺脉犹大则成疟。若遍
身发疮,浮大无妨矣。右关浮大则肚疼,建中敛之,敛不下则成痢,皆内伤之症。
For chronic diseases, if the left Chi pulse (Kidney pulse) presents as floating and large, it is appropriate to tonify Lung Qi. One must use Baoyuan Tang (Preserve Origin Decoction) with added Baishao (Radix Paeoniae Alba) and Bai Fuling (Poria) etc., based on the principle that Metal generates Water.
Generally speaking, for diseases located in the upper part of the body, treatment should seek causes or remedies in the lower part; for diseases located in the lower part, treatment should seek causes or remedies in the upper part. When using herbs, some rely on retaining their aroma and qi within the body; such medicines are best taken while hot. If a patient fears taking hot medicine, one can sprinkle cold water on the surface of the decoction; this causes the qi to be retained inside, which is referred to as "retaining qi."
The regulations of the four seasons all involve cold, heat, warmth, and coolness. Those arriving at the proper time are called "correct regulations" (Zheng Ling). For example, spring should be warm but turns out cold; this is called "insufficiency" (Bu Ji). If spring is warm but becomes hot prematurely, this is called "excess" (Tai Guo). When it should be warm but is cold, Xiangsu San (Fragrant Su Powder) is used to resolve the exterior. If the correct spring regulation prevails, but early summer experiences repeated sharp/cold weather, it means the early spring regulation has not yet cleared; Xiangsu San is still appropriate to resolve it. If spring encounters extreme warmth, this constitutes excess, leading to symptoms such as thirst and dry tongue. Fever without aversion to cold is called Warm Disease (Wen Bing). This results from an excess of warm regulation; treatments are detailed in the specific sections on Warm Diseases. Each season has its own seasonal diseases and its own seasonal deviations, all of which can be deduced by analogy.
If during the fourth, fifth, and sixth months of summer, when the summer regulation is in force, one feels bitterly cold like early spring, Xiangsu San may still be unavoidable. However, if symptoms such as dark urine and thirst appear at this time, these are symptoms specific to this seasonal deviation, and Wuling San (Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria), Qingshu Yiqi Tang (Clear Summerheat and Boost Qi Decoction), or Shiwei Xiangru Yin (Ten-Ingredient Mosla Decoction) should be used. If it was not hot at that time, but later in autumn during the seventh and eighth months when the weather is hot and humid, the person suffers from the previous symptoms, the same decoctions should still be used. This treats the symptoms caused by climatic insufficiency and regulates the state of climatic insufficiency.
For instance, in spring during the correct regulation, March is mild; if wind-cold suddenly becomes severe, symptoms of common cold due to wind-cold invasion will occur. If during the fifth and sixth months, when the regulation is intensely hot, heavy rain occurs unexpectedly, driving the dust and heat into homes, this leads to Summerheat syndrome; Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang (Clear Summerheat and Boost Qi Decoction) should be used to resolve it.
When examining elderly patients or those with illnesses, if all six pulses are harmonious, slow, and floating, a major illness or death may occur within two to three years. Why? Because a floating pulse indicates a lack of root, meaning Yang Qi is dispersing outward while Yin Fire exhausts the interior. (This refers to Yang deficiency externally and Yin exhaustion internally; even if the pulse appears洪缓 [full and slow], pressing heavily reveals no pulse quality. It is most contraindicated to have panting, diarrhea/dysentery, insomnia throughout the night, decreasing appetite, and weakness in the four limbs.) Urgently administer Baoyuan Tang or Jianzhong Tang to consolidate Yang Qi inward. The pulse may then revert to a deficient appearance, becoming either Xian (String-taut) or Se (Choppy); this is the true pulse. One should follow the pulse pattern using Baoyuan Tang combined with Spleen-tonifying agents. Once the pulse qi harmonizes, the illness will gradually heal, and longevity becomes unpredictable. (This explanation is excellent. I have seen elderly patients in winter who were fatigued, had poor appetite, feared cold, with a short Right Cun pulse, sunken Left Guan pulse, and long/slow Chi pulses or slightly sunken Left Chi pulse. Their condition worsened after Li Chun (Start of Spring), and they died around Chun Fen (Spring Equinox), none surviving until Li Xia (Start of Summer). This is because Metal fails and Water dries up, leaving Wood without generation. Long/slow Chi pulses refer to "Slow approaching the Water Palace.")
Generally, internal injury syndromes below are characterized by deficiency and cold.
In any disease, if the Lung pulse is floating and large, wheezing will occur. Use herbs that warm the Spleen and astringe the Lung. If the astringency does not take effect, distension will result. If astringency takes effect but the Lung pulse remains large, Malaria (Nue) will develop. If sores break out over the whole body, a floating and large pulse is not a concern. If the Right Guan pulse is floating and large, abdominal pain will occur; treat with Jianzhong Tang to astringe. If astringency fails, dysentery will result. All these are internal injury syndromes.