先君寿峰公,少壮时,素称善饮。后年及四旬而酒病起,遂得痰饮之疾。多见呕酸胀满
,饮食日减,眩晕不支,惊惕恍惚,疾疟等证。相继迭出。百方治痰,弗获寸效。因慕张子
和吐法之妙,遂遵而用之。初用独圣散、茶调散及齑汁之类。一吐而稍效,再吐而再效,自
此屡用不止。虽诸痰渐退,而元气弗复也。如此年余,渐觉纯熟,忽悟其理,遂全不用药,
但于五鼓食消之后,徐徐咽气,因气而提,提不数口而清涎先至,再提之,则胶浊后随。自
后凡遇诸疾,无论表里虚实,虽变出百端,绝不服药,但一行吐法,无不即日尽却。后至六
旬之外,则一月或半月必行一次,全不惮烦,而鹤发童颜,日增矍铄。
斯时也,宾将弱冠,渐已有知,恐其吐伤,因微谏曰∶吐本除痰,岂诸病皆可吐耶?且
吐伤元气,人所共知,矧以衰年,能无虑乎?先君曰∶吐以治痰,尔所知也。吐治百病,尔
知之乎?吐能伤气,尔所知也。吐能生气,尔亦知乎?余当为尔细谈之。夫先哲中之善治痰积
者,无如子和之三法,及丹溪之倒仓,在倒仓之法不易行,亦未敢有用之者。惟子和之法,
则为人所常用,而取效不为不速,亦不为不多也。今以余法言之,则有不同者矣。盖子和之
吐,用药而吐也。药必苦劣,吐必勇猛,势不我由,不能无伤也;余之吐,不用药而吐者也
。痰随气行,气因痰至,徐疾自如,有益无损也。子和之法,其用在急,故但攻有余之实痰
;余之法,其用在缓,故可兼不足之百病。
夫百病所因,本自不一,何以皆宜于吐?如痰涎壅盛,格塞胃脘,而清道不通者,不得
不吐也。积聚痛急,不易行散者,不得不吐也。胶固稠浊,非药所能消者,不得不吐也。痰
在经络膜窍,及隐伏难状等痰,其藏深,其蓄远,药所难及者,不得不吐也,此皆人所易知
者也。又若风寒外感者,吐能散之。食饮内伤者,吐能清之。火郁者,吐能发越热邪。寒盛
者,吐能鼓动阳气。诸邪下陷者,吐有升举之功。诸邪结聚者,吐有解散之力。且人之百病
,无非治节不行,吐能达气,气从则无所不从,而何有于病。故凡有奇怪难治之病,医家竭
尽其技而不能取效者,必用吐法,方见神功,此又人所罕知者也。
再如生气之说,则不惟人不知,而且必不信。兹余力行身受,始悟其微。盖天地不息之
机,总惟升降二气,升本乎阳,生长之道也;降本乎阴,消亡之道也。余之用气,借此升权
,可疾可徐,吐纳自然之生意,无残无暴,全收弗药之神功。故凡吐之后,神气必倍王,尔
之所见也;阳道必勃然,我之常验也。使非吐能生气,而有能如是乎。盖道家用督,余则用
任,所用不同,所归一也。不惟却病,而且延年。余言非谬,尔切识焉。宾奉此教,常习用
之,无不效如附应,第不及先君之神妙耳。
忆自轩岐之后,善用吐法者,惟子和一人。若以先君法较之,则其难易优劣,奚啻霄壤
?而所谓亘古一人者,当不在子和矣。倘智者见同,则必有踵而行之,而蒙惠将来者,自应
不少。第恐百世之下,泯此心传妙道。故详录语训,以为之记,并列其详法于下∶
先君行吐之法,每于五鼓睡醒之时,仰卧用嗳提气,气有不充,则咽气为嗳,随咽随提
,痰涎必随气而至。虽以最深之痰,无不可取,但最后出者,其形色臭味,甚有紫黑酸恶不
堪言者。所以每吐之后,或至唇肿咽痛,但以凉水一二口漱咽解之。吐毕早膳,悉屏五味,
但用淡粥一二碗,以养胃中清气。自四旬之后,绝不用酒。行吐法者,四十余年,所以愈老
愈健,寿至八旬之外,犹能登山,及灯下抄录古书。后以无病,忽一旦含笑而辟谷,时年八
旬二矣。
My father, Lord Shoufeng, was known in his youth and prime for his fondness of drinking. Later, when he reached his forties, alcohol-induced ailments arose, leading to a condition of phlegm-fluid retention (Tan Yin). Common manifestations included vomiting acid, abdominal distension and fullness, decreasing appetite, severe dizziness and weakness, palpitations with mental confusion, and various syndromes such as malaria, emerging successively. Various treatments for phlegm yielded no effect whatsoever. Admiring the efficacy of Zhang Hezi's emetic method, I followed and applied it. Initially, Du Sheng San (Single Holy Powder), Cha Tiao San (Tea Seasoning Powder), and vinegar juice were used. After one induction of vomiting, there was slight improvement; after the second, further improvement occurred, and this was repeated frequently. Although various phlegm pathogens gradually receded, the primordial Qi (Vital Energy) did not recover. This continued for over a year. Gradually becoming proficient, I suddenly comprehended the underlying principle and ceased using medicinal herbs entirely. Instead, just after food digestion at the Wu Geng period (5:00-7:00 AM), I would slowly swallow air, lifting it upwards by means of Qi movement. Within a few lifts, clear saliva would arrive first; upon further lifting, thick and turbid phlegm would follow. From then on, regardless of whether diseases were exterior or interior, excess or deficient, even if they manifested in hundreds of ways, I absolutely avoided taking medicine. A single application of the emetic method ensured complete resolution on the same day. Beyond the age of sixty, I performed this once every month or half-month without any reluctance. My hair turned white yet my face remained youthful and rosy, and my vigor increased daily.
At that time, I, Zhang Jiebin, was approaching adulthood and had begun to acquire knowledge. Fearing that vomiting might injure the body, I gently advised him, saying: "Emesis is originally intended to remove phlegm; can all diseases be treated by vomiting? Moreover, it is widely known that vomiting damages primordial Qi. How can one not worry about this in advanced years?" My father replied: "You know that vomiting treats phlegm. Do you know that vomiting can treat a hundred diseases? You know that vomiting can damage Qi. Do you also know that vomiting can generate Qi? I will explain this to you in detail." Among ancient sages, none excelled more than Zhang Hezi in treating phlegm accumulation using his "Three Methods," nor Zhu Danxi with his "Stomach Purging Method" (Dao Cang Fa). The Stomach Purging Method is difficult to practice and rarely dared to be used. Only Zhang Hezi's method is commonly used by people, yielding rapid and frequent results. However, my method differs. Zhang Hezi's emesis relies on medication. The medicines are necessarily bitter and harsh, the vomiting forceful and violent, proceeding beyond human control, inevitably causing injury. My emesis requires no medication. Phlegm moves with Qi, and Qi arrives due to phlegm. The speed is self-regulated, beneficial without harm. Zhang Hezi's method focuses on urgency, attacking only excess solid phlegm; my method focuses on slowness, thus capable of treating a hundred deficiencies.
The causes of the hundred diseases vary; why are they all suitable for emesis? When phlegm-saliva is abundant, blocking the stomach and obstructing the clear pathways, emesis is necessary. When accumulations cause acute pain and cannot be dispersed by other means, emesis is necessary. When phlegm is sticky, fixed, and turbid, indigestible by herbs, emesis is necessary. When phlegm resides in meridians, membranes, and hidden cavities, deeply stored and long accumulated, beyond the reach of drugs, emesis is necessary. These are easily understood by people. Furthermore, for external wind-cold invasion, emesis disperses it; for internal dietary injury, emesis clears it; for constrained fire, emesis vents the heat pathogen; for excessive cold, emesis stirs up Yang Qi; for sinking pathogens, emesis has a lifting function; for aggregated pathogens, emesis has a resolving power. Since most diseases stem from dysfunction in regulation and flow, emesis unblocks Qi. Once Qi flows smoothly, nothing remains unresolved, so what disease could persist? Therefore, for strange and refractory diseases where physicians exhaust their skills without success, only the emetic method reveals miraculous efficacy. This is rarely known by others.
Regarding the concept of "generating Qi," not only do people not know it, but they certainly do not believe it. Through my own vigorous practice and experience, I have grasped its subtlety. The mechanism of heaven and earth's ceaseless operation lies primarily in the ascending and descending of Qi. Ascending is based on Yang, the way of growth; descending is based on Yin, the way of decline. By utilizing Qi to leverage this ascending power, moving at varying speeds, I inhale and exhale natural vitality without cruelty or violence, fully harnessing the miraculous power of non-medication. Thus, after emesis, spiritual energy invariably doubles, as you have witnessed; Yang vitality invariably becomes robust, as I often verify. If emesis did not generate Qi, could such results occur? Daoists utilize the Du Mai (Governing Vessel); I utilize the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel). Though the methods differ, the destination is the same. It not only eliminates disease but also prolongs life. My words are not false; remember them well. I followed this teaching, practicing it regularly, achieving effects as responsive as echoes, though not as miraculous as my father's.
Recalling since the time of Xuanyuan (Yellow Emperor) and Qibo, only Zhang Hezi was adept at using emesis. Comparing my father's method with his, the differences in difficulty and superiority are like heaven and earth. Thus, the title of "the one man across the ages" should not belong to Zhang Hezi. If wise individuals share this insight, they will surely follow suit, benefiting future generations. I fear that in centuries to come, this transmitted secret method may be lost. Therefore, I record these teachings in detail as a memoir and list the specific methods below:
My father practiced emesis usually upon waking at Wu Geng. Lying supine, he induced belching to lift Qi. If Qi was insufficient, he swallowed air to induce belching, lifting continuously until phlegm-saliva arrived. Even the deepest phlegm could be extracted. The last portions expelled often had purple-black colors and foul, sour odors. After each session, lips might swell and throat hurt, relieved by rinsing and swallowing a mouthful of cool water. After emesis, breakfast consisted solely of bland congee (one or two bowls) to nourish the clear Qi of the stomach, avoiding all five flavors. From his forties onward, he abstained completely from alcohol. Practicing this for over forty years, he grew healthier with age, living past eighty, still able to climb mountains and copy ancient texts by lamplight. Eventually, free from illness, he passed away smiling while practicing Bigu (grain avoidance), at the age of eighty-two.