李氏曰∶月水循环,纤 不作而有子。若兼潮热腹痛,重则加之咳嗽汗呕,或泻,有潮
汗,则血愈消耗;有咳呕,则气往上行;泻则津偏于后,痛则积结于中,是以必先去病,而
后可以滋血调经。就中潮热疼痛,尤为妇女常病。盖血滞积入骨髓,便为骨蒸;血滞积瘀于
中,与日生新血相搏,则为疼痛;血枯不能滋养百骸,则蒸热于外;血枯胞络火盛,或挟痰
气食积,寒冷外邪,则为疼痛。
方氏曰∶妇人经病,有月候不调者,有月候不通者。然不调不通之中,有兼疼痛者,有
兼发热者,此分而为四也。然四者若细推之,不调之中,有趋前者,有退后者,则趋前为热
,退后为虚也。不通之中,有血滞者,有血枯者,则血滞宜破,血枯宜补也。疼痛之中,有
常时作痛者,有经前经后作痛者,则常时与经前为血积,经后为血虚也。发热之中,有常时
发热者,有经行发热者,则常时为血虚有积,经行为血虚有热也,此又分而为八焉。大抵妇
人经病,内因忧思忿怒,外因饮冷形寒。盖人之气血周流,忽因忧思、忿怒所触,则郁结不
行;人之经前产后,忽遇饮冷形寒,则恶露不尽,此经候不调不通,作痛发热之所由也。大
抵气行血行,气止血止,故治血病以行气为先,香附之类是也;热则流通,寒则凝结,故治
血病以热药为佐,肉桂之类是也。(以类字推之,则所该者广,幸毋执也。而为先为佐,尤所当知)
Li stated: Menstrual blood circulates rhythmically; if free from disease, conception can occur smoothly. If accompanied by tidal fever and abdominal pain, severe cases may also present with coughing, sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea. Tidal fever and sweating further deplete the blood; coughing and vomiting cause Qi to rebel upward; diarrhea causes body fluids to drain posteriorly; pain leads to accumulation in the middle jiao. Therefore, diseases must be treated first before nourishing blood and regulating menstruation. Among these, tidal fever and pain are particularly common disorders in women. Generally, when blood stagnates and penetrates into the bone marrow, it manifests as bone-steaming (a symptom of Yin deficiency with internal heat); when blood stagnates and forms stasis in the middle jiao, it contends with newly generated blood daily, causing pain; when blood is depleted and fails to nourish the bones and limbs, steaming heat appears on the exterior; when blood depletion leads to excessive fire in the uterine collaterals, compounded by phlegm, Qi stagnation, food retention, or external cold pathogens, pain ensues.
Fang stated: Women's menstrual disorders include irregular cycles and amenorrhea (absence of menstruation). Within these categories of irregularity and obstruction, there are those accompanied by pain and those accompanied by fever, dividing them into four types. However, upon closer examination: among irregularities, there are early periods and delayed periods; early periods indicate Heat, while delayed periods indicate Deficiency. Among obstructions, there are blood stagnation and blood depletion; blood stagnation requires blood-breaking methods, while blood depletion requires tonification. Regarding pain, there is constant pain and pain occurring before or after menstruation; constant pain and pre-menstrual pain indicate blood accumulation, whereas post-menstrual pain indicates blood deficiency. Regarding fever, there is constant fever and fever during menstruation; constant fever indicates blood deficiency with accumulation, while menstrual fever indicates blood deficiency with Heat. This further divides the conditions into eight types. Broadly speaking, the internal causes of women's menstrual disorders are worry, overthinking, and anger, while external causes are drinking cold substances and exposure to cold. Human Qi and Blood circulate throughout the body; sudden emotional triggers like worry or anger cause Qi stagnation and impaired flow; exposure to cold drinks or cold environments before or after menstruation prevents the complete discharge of lochia. These are the origins of irregular, obstructed, painful, and febrile menstrual conditions. Generally, where Qi moves, Blood moves; where Qi stops, Blood stops. Thus, treating blood disorders prioritizes moving Qi, using herbs such as Cyperi Rhizoma (Xiangfu); Heat promotes circulation, while Cold causes coagulation. Therefore, warming herbs serve as assistants in treating blood disorders, such as Cinnamomi Cortex (Rougui). (By analogy, the scope is broad; one should not be rigid. The distinction between primary agents and assistants is especially important to understand.)