吴鹤皋每医人,必先书一案,然后用药。自谓察得病情,立定方论,鬼贼莫循其形,药至而病起矣。喻嘉言
亦有极闸人议定病式。总之,先议病,后用药,案式详明,自然宇宙在手,造化生心。谨节录以为孟浪者劝。一
书某年月、某地、某人及年形声色;二书苦乐、病由,始于某日,时下昼夜孰甚,寒热孰多,喜恶何物,脉状奚
似;三书先后曾服某药,某药效,某药不效;四引经旨,以定病名,某症为标,某症为本,须某方加减某药,某
药归某经,某方合某义,一一详尽;末书某郡后学某撰。
书年之干支,月之春秋,占运气也。书地名,占方宜也。书年、貌,占老幼衰王也。书苦乐,占七情也。书
始病日,占久近也。书昼夜,寒热,喜恶,察阴阳脏腑也。书脉状,以之合年形病症也。历问其药物效否,相与
酌己见也。书经旨、书症,如明吏折狱,援律定刑,又病犹叛,药犹兵,师出贵有名也。书标本,识缓急轻重也。
书药性方义,使达人尝而无疑虑也。末书某郡某名,欲病家志之,以验己之工拙也。凡治名家德门之目,澄心息
虑书此一案,一以为照
病之鉴,二乃得作医之体,三则道高谤多,功过可以相质,一举三善,是盖俗耳之针砭也。有医责者,听思聪者,
胡然而使袖如乎?倘日视十数病,仓皇难以急就,或主家不知文,则书某人、某经受病,合某症,因某故而致,
据脉对症或否,当从某阵某方加减议治,虽简卒无味,较冒昧一单略胜几筹。劣医秘不立方,且不许人问难,未
审师承谁氏。若夫内障用针,尤宜详悉发明。盖患者在处不少,医生几省都无,张介宾,浙江名医,着《景岳全
书》,至内障直言无治,然闻有巧手,能以针入睛内拨去,吾实未见其人。可见斯道精专者绝少,根据前说立案外,
还当另书。两目不犯禁戒俱可治,或两并针,一目见,又有针入即识人物,针出不红不痛,勿药顿愈。有明看障
落,仍不能睹。且针后症变多端,但好生调燮,过一月二月,甚而周年却全光。此中妙理,虽经历老练如庭镜,
未针不能预定,并弗解其所以,大约时也,运也,命也,各人福份使然。总之,病有治即吉人天相,医复炉锤在
手,造化生心,自应两家合庆,金针端不负人。
Wu Hegao, whenever he treated a patient, would first write down a medical record (bing'an) before prescribing medication. He claimed that by examining the condition of the disease and establishing the formula theory, pathogenic factors (gui zei) could not discern its form, and upon administration of the medicine, the illness would be cured. Yu Jiayan also had extremely detailed and standardized formats for discussing diseases. In short, one must discuss the disease first and then prescribe medication; with a detailed and clear case format, one can naturally master the situation and act with creative ingenuity. I hereby excerpt this to advise those who are rash and imprudent.
First, record the year, month, location, person, as well as their age, physique, voice, and complexion; second, record their emotional state (joy or distress), etiology, onset date, which time of day (day vs. night) symptoms are worse, whether cold or heat predominates, what they like or dislike, and the pulse characteristics; third, record any medications previously taken, which were effective, and which were ineffective; fourth, cite classical medical principles to determine the disease name, identify which symptoms are the branch (biao) and which are the root (ben), specify which formula requires modification with which herbs, which herbs enter which meridians, and which formulas align with which theoretical meanings, listing everything in detail; finally, record the author as "a junior scholar from [County Name]."
Recording the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches of the year and the seasons of the month is to assess the influence of Six Qi (yun qi). Recording the location is to assess regional suitability. Recording age and appearance is to assess youth/old age and the flourishing or declining state of vital energy. Recording joy or distress is to assess the Seven Emotions (qi qing). Recording the onset date is to assess the duration of the illness. Recording day/night variations, cold/heat, and likes/dislikes is to examine Yin-Yang and Zang-Fu organs. Recording pulse characteristics allows for integration with age, physique, and symptoms. Asking sequentially about drug efficacy allows for deliberation on one's own insights. Citing classics and recording symptoms is like a wise judge citing laws to pass sentence; similarly, disease is like rebellion and medicine like troops, so military action must have a just cause. Recording root and branch helps identify urgency and severity. Recording herb properties and formula meanings ensures that knowledgeable individuals will have no doubts after reviewing it. Recording the author's name at the end allows the patient to keep a record, thereby verifying the physician's skill level.
When treating eye diseases for families of renowned and virtuous physicians, one should clear the mind and settle thoughts while writing this case record. This serves three purposes: first, as a mirror for diagnosing the disease; second, to establish the proper conduct of a physician; third, since high moral standing often invites slander, merits and faults can be mutually verified. This achieves three benefits at once and serves as a corrective needle for worldly ears. Those responsible for medicine, and those who listen and think wisely, how can they remain passive? If seeing dozens of patients daily makes it difficult to complete records hastily, or if the family members are illiterate, one may simply record which person, which meridian is affected, which syndrome is present, the etiology, whether the pulse matches the symptoms, and propose treatment based on modifications of specific syndromes and formulas. Although brief and lacking in literary flair, this is still superior to prescribing recklessly. Inferior physicians secretly withhold formulas and forbid questioning, leaving their lineage unknown.
Regarding acupuncture for internal cataracts (nei zhang), detailed explanation is especially necessary. Patients are common everywhere, yet doctors skilled in this area are rare even across provinces. Zhang Jiebin, a famous doctor from Zhejiang who authored *Jingyue Quanshu* (Complete Works of Jingyue), stated directly that internal cataracts are incurable. However, I have heard of skilled practitioners who can insert needles into the eye to dislodge the opacity, though I have never seen such a person myself. This shows that true experts in this field are extremely rare. Beyond the standard case recording mentioned above, additional notes are required. If neither eye violates contraindications, treatment is possible; both eyes may be needled simultaneously. Some cases show immediate improvement in one eye; some patients regain vision immediately upon needle insertion, with no redness or pain after withdrawal, recovering fully without further medication. In other cases, although the opacity appears to have fallen, vision remains impaired. Furthermore, post-acupuncture symptoms can vary widely. With proper care and regulation, vision may return completely within one or two months, or even a year later. The subtle principles involved are such that even an experienced practitioner like Tingjing cannot predict the outcome before needling, nor fully understand the mechanism. It seems to depend on timing, fortune, destiny, and individual merit. In summary, if the disease is curable, it is due to divine assistance for the auspicious; the physician holds the hammer and furnace of creation in hand and acts with creative insight. Thus, both parties should rejoice, and the golden needle will indeed not fail the patient.