凡病患恒多焦躁,此其常也。惟瘟疫之怒与凡病之焦躁不同。其症或因人语言之稍有拂逆,
或细事之偶然不谐,在平时可以嬉笑处之,而兹则入耳便怒不可解,心中暗恼不休,至昏愦时,
返将所怒之事,从谵语说出而弗自觉也。又或有靡所触忤,偶忆往事可恼者,亦时时发怒,能令
心腹郁闷胀塞,与懊 相似而实不同。盖懊 ,方书中解之谓郁郁然不舒,愦愦然无奈,比之烦
闷而甚者是也。系下后之症,且无所忤而自生者。兹善怒,则不论曾否汗下,日日如斯,甚有瘟
病已愈,而此症仍在者,必俟能起坐如平时方止。将谓此症不由肝胆,而肝胆实司怒之经,将谓
其怒尽由肝胆,而肝胆不任其疚,何者?肝胆之瘟邪退,而其怒仍在也,惟投以理气之剂,而郁
闷稍舒,然虽舒,或有所触而其病复发矣。有似于阳厥而又非也。书言阳厥怒病发狂者,因阳气
暴折而难决,故善怒,病名阳厥。盖阳气暴折,故郁而多怒,治以铁落饮加辰砂少许,取金能生
水之意。且铁性沉重,最能坠热开结云云。夫曰阳厥者,必有四肢厥逆之症,方可以厥名。曰怒
病发狂者,是狂而不仅于怒矣。
而兹则不厥不狂,心中暗恼,而不自禁也,因名之曰善怒。虽心腹郁结难支,然未见有以此殒命者。
惟专治其瘟,瘟愈而怒自已矣。或投以铁落饮,视其兼症,而加减出入之,庶可奏效也。
Patients generally tend to be irritable, which is a common occurrence. However, the anger caused by plague (wen yi) differs from the irritability seen in ordinary diseases. The symptoms manifest as follows: sometimes, due to slight verbal discord or minor accidental disharmony, situations that would normally be met with laughter and playfulness now provoke immediate, unresolvable rage upon hearing them. The patient harbors secret annoyance incessantly; when consciousness becomes clouded, they may involuntarily vocalize the objects of their anger through delirious speech (chan yu). Alternatively, without any external provocation, merely recalling past annoyances can trigger frequent outbursts of anger, causing a sensation of depression, distension, and blockage in the chest and abdomen. This resembles "ao nao" (a state of profound restlessness and frustration) but is fundamentally different. In medical formularies, "ao nao" is described as a feeling of depression and discomfort, accompanied by a sense of helplessness, being more severe than mere vexation. It typically arises after purgative treatment and occurs spontaneously without external triggers. In contrast, this condition of "excessive anger" (shan nu) persists daily regardless of whether diaphoresis or purgation has been employed. There are even cases where the plague has resolved, yet this symptom remains, ceasing only when the patient regains the ability to rise and move about as usual. One might argue that this symptom does not originate from the Liver and Gallbladder meridians, yet these meridians govern anger. Conversely, if the anger stems entirely from the Liver and Gallbladder, why do they not bear the blame? The reason is that even after the pathogenic factors of plague in the Liver and Gallbladder have subsided, the anger persists. Only by administering qi-regulating formulas can the depression be slightly alleviated; however, even if alleviated, the condition may recur upon any triggering stimulus. This presentation resembles "Yang Jue" (Yang Reversal) but is not identical. Texts state that Yang Jue manifests as anger and madness due to the sudden obstruction and difficulty in resolving Yang Qi, hence the name. Because Yang Qi is suddenly obstructed, it leads to stagnation and excessive anger. Treatment involves Tieluo Yin (Iron Falling Decoction) with a small amount of Zhensha (Cinnabar), based on the principle that Metal generates Water. Iron is heavy in nature and excels at descending heat and resolving knots. True Yang Jue must present with cold limbs (jue ni) to warrant the name "Jue." Furthermore, "anger leading to madness" implies mania rather than mere anger. In this case, there is no limb reversal nor madness; rather, there is internal secret annoyance that is involuntary, hence the name "Shan Nu" (Excessive Anger). Although the chest and abdomen feel severely constrained, fatalities from this specific symptom alone are rare. The primary approach is to treat the plague directly; once the plague resolves, the anger will naturally cease. Alternatively, Tieluo Yin may be administered, modified according to accompanying symptoms, to achieve efficacy.