普通疡患,惟湿热二者最多。偏于热者,灼痛成脓;偏于湿者,发痒流水。大率痛痒、
脓水之分途,即热毒湿邪之分证也。热毒为患多发于身半以上,湿毒为患多发于身半以下,
是火恒炎上,湿恒润下之症。且湿疡浸淫,每在皮肤之表,四肢之末。则湿之积滞,其源由
于脾土卑监;(卑监二字,借用《素问》之“土运不及,名曰卑监”,是土德之卑下也。)而
脾
苟非湿与热蒸,亦不四散走窜;惟与热交并,乃始流注于肢体,外达于皮毛。所以治疡之湿
,亦必与清热之剂相助为理。有湿而兼风热者,如游风之上行于颈项,洋溢于肩背,则清化
湿热,而必佐之以疏风。有湿而兼血热者,如疥癣之痒搔,则清热化湿,而必主之以凉血。
有脾胃湿热而旁行于肌表者,则黄水疮等之滋水频仍,宜醒胃快脾,而分利以通之(俗称天
泡疮者是)。有肝肾湿热而下流于阴股者,则阴 疮等之湿痒不已(如前阴之肾囊风,后臀之
坐板
之
三五日而腐烂盈尺,苟非大剂清热解毒,急起直追,鲜不误事。此是燎原之火,救焚手段万
不容缓带轻裘,从容贻误者也。若夫湿重热轻,流入关节则为流注;寒湿互阻滞于经络,则
为痹着;凝于筋骨则为附骨、环跳、鹤膝、委中诸证。脉必涩滞,舌必白腻,是宜于燥湿宣
络,温经流气。初起之时,必以温运入手,苟得气血流通,投匕辄效。若至迟延淹久,湿郁
于中,驯致化热,内欲蒸脓,已难操十全之胜算矣。
In ordinary cases of external sores (external ulcers), the pathogens are predominantly dampness and heat. When biased towards heat, it manifests as burning pain and suppuration; when biased towards dampness, it manifests as itching and oozing fluid. Generally, the distinction between pain and itching, and the presence or absence of pus/fluid, corresponds to the differentiation between heat-toxin and damp-pathogen syndromes. Heat-toxin pathologies tend to occur in the upper half of the body, while damp-toxin pathologies tend to occur in the lower half, reflecting the nature that fire flares upward and dampness sinks downward. Furthermore, damp-sores often spread invasively on the surface of the skin and at the extremities of the limbs. The accumulation and stagnation of dampness originates from the deficiency of Spleen Earth (the term "Bei Jian" is borrowed from *Su Wen*, meaning "insufficient Earth transport," referring to the lowly state of Earth virtue). However, if the Spleen were not steamed by the combination of dampness and heat, it would not disperse widely; only when dampness and heat combine does it flow into the limbs and reach the skin and hair follicles externally. Therefore, treating dampness in sores must be assisted by heat-clearing agents. In cases where dampness combines with wind-heat, such as wandering wind ascending to the neck and shoulders, one must clear and transform damp-heat while assisting with wind-dispersing methods. In cases where dampness combines with blood-heat, such as the itching of scabies and tinea, one must clear heat and transform dampness, prioritizing blood-cooling methods. In cases where Spleen-Stomach damp-heat spreads to the muscle surface, causing frequent oozing in conditions like yellow-water sores, one should awaken the Stomach and invigorate the Spleen, using diuresis to unblock the pathways (commonly known as bullous impetigo). In cases where Liver-Kidney damp-heat flows down to the groin and thighs, causing persistent itching in conditions like yin sores (such as scrotal wind in the anterior genitalia, or sit-board sores on the buttocks), the area may rot over a span of several days. Unless large doses of heat-clearing and detoxifying herbs are used urgently to arrest the progression, the condition will likely worsen. This is like a prairie fire; rescue measures cannot be delayed or treated with casual leisure. Conversely, when dampness is heavy and heat is light, flowing into the joints, it becomes liuzhu (flowing abscess); when cold-dampness obstructs the meridians, it becomes bi-zhuo (bi syndrome with sticking pain); when congealing in the bones and sinews, it presents as gu-bone abscess (osteomyelitis), Huan-tiao abscess, crane-knee deformity, or Wei-zhong toxicity. The pulse must be choppy and stagnant, and the tongue coating white and greasy. It is appropriate to employ drying dampness and unblocking collaterals, warming the meridians and promoting Qi flow. At the initial stage, treatment must begin with warming and moving methods; once Qi and Blood circulate freely, efficacy is immediate. If left neglected for too long, dampness stagnates internally, gradually transforming into heat, leading to internal suppuration, making a perfect cure difficult to guarantee.