大凡云翳之生也,由肝、肺积热年久,然后上升
于目,结成红丝、云翳等症。此病非朝伊芳夕,岂能卤
莽奏效。治斯病者,有点法,有歇法,有服药之日,
有不服药之日。服药、点药是去邪热;不服、不点是
扶正气。且肝、肺上云翳之根,要先用孙真人吹冲之
法除去,眼中红丝、云翳方可渐退。此须俟以日月,
次第施治,所谓王道无近功也。往往见病者惜小利欲
速成,以致半途而废,难曰天命,实人为之耳!
眼症到二、三年,已成锢疾,先扶正气,后去
邪气,非岁月之功不能告成。每见世之治目者,用刀
剪磨荡之法,去其云翳,服寒凉降火之药,逼住热
毒,速于取效,而终身之病根由此成矣。此固无高明
指教,亦好利之心为之也。殊不知有心留病,甚于庸
医杀人,获罪冥冥,祸延子孙。业斯道者,可不慎
舆!
上三十二段,从孙真人《秘诀》中,经历五十余年
变化出来,作为俗论,以指迷路,令病者斟酌用药,
共登光明之域,无负孙真人传方之意,则幸矣!云知
眼科则未也。
孙真人秘传,治少年、中年气血壮盛者,屡有奇
效。若年老日久,气血衰弱,外而翳膜遮睛,内而瞳
神昏暗者,俱不能治。
至丙辰年,遇江左熊飞张公,授余治老年眼科
书一册。凡遇老年诸症,按方加减调理,果有奇验。因
刻以广其传,为返老还童之一助云。
夫人之有目,如天之日月。若云雾干于空中,则
日月之光蔽矣。人之眼目昏暗,亦邪干空窍,而清明
之光塞耳。
经云∶肝开窍于目,目得血而能视。肝木不平,
则目病矣。今之治目者,遵《银海》、《龙树》等书,
讲五轮、八廓之说,分五行生克之论。内服之药,用
除风散热、行气活血者居多;外治之法,用金、石、
片、麝者居多。轻则点洗,重则磨荡,甚则针刺。如
此治法,施之少年气血充实者,犹获其效;若年衰日
久,气虚弱者,则为瞽矣。何也?内服除风之药过
多,则荣卫枯燥;行气太过,则真气耗散;活血太
过,则真阴散而不聚,外点太过,甘石性燥而耗血,
金石损肌肉而坚凝,片麝味香而散气。加之磨荡,则
伤血肉,针刺则损元气。以致灵窍痞塞,气血耗散,
络定珠陷。惜哉!
不思《内经·灵枢》言目病者无多语,只云肝开窍
于目,目得血而能视;天明则日月不明,邪干空窍等
语,并无五行生克之论。《素》、《难》目病,皆属肝者,
言其本也;《银海》等书,言五轮、八廓者,言其标也。
盖肝属木,在卦为巽,木胜则心火有余,风火交作,
气血沸腾,而成蟹睛、旋螺、 肉攀睛等障矣。如初
发红肿,疼痛不已,宜除风散热之剂。若日久不痛,
又非此法所能治也。是肾水不足,不能 养心火,亦
征气血之精粹不能上注于目,而成青盲昏暗内障矣。
治法宜补肝滋肾,引神通窍为主。前外障日久,云翳
不退者,亦用此法。常见治目者,虽用补药而不能效
者多矣,只说内障及年老日久,不能全复光明,无如
之何也矣。
丙辰年,余在汶阳朱太守衙内,有女目病,黑睛
白翳,坚硬若冰,朝暮点磨,而弗能奏效。因请江左
张君字熊飞者至,其治法无不神明乎《内经》之旨,
真发前贤之所未发,不越月而获效七、八。予欲求此方
济世,张君慷慨尽泄元机于予,则世之无瞽目,赖
有此也。各治法开后∶
一张君之法,先通窍而后补。补中观其气血、寒
热加减,佐以明目退翳之药,内外夹攻,令药气不断,
而兼养神,神静则阴生,阴生则目明也。
一论退翳之法。翳者乃目中通灵之窍闭塞,气血、
津液凝而不行,结聚以成云翳。先宜通窍为主,窍通
则气血流行,补养退翳之药方能入也。
Generally speaking, the generation of corneal opacity (Yunyi) arises from long-standing accumulation of heat in the Liver and Lung meridians, which then ascends to the eyes, forming symptoms such as red filaments (Hongsi) and cloud-like opacities. This disease does not develop overnight; how can one expect immediate efficacy through rash treatment? Those treating this condition employ methods of applying eye drops, resting periods, days of taking oral medicine, and days of abstaining from it. Taking medicine and applying drops are for eliminating pathogenic heat; abstaining is to support healthy Qi (Zhengqi). Moreover, the root cause of cloudiness in the Liver and Lung must first be removed using Sun Simiao's "blowing and flushing" method, so that the red filaments and opacities in the eyes can gradually recede. This requires waiting for time to pass and treating step by step, which is what is meant by saying that the "Kingly Way" yields no quick results. It is often seen that patients, cherishing small gains and desiring rapid cure, abandon treatment halfway. This cannot be blamed on destiny but is truly self-inflicted!
When eye conditions persist for two or three years, they become entrenched diseases. One must first support healthy Qi and then eliminate pathogenic factors; this cannot be accomplished without the passage of years. I frequently see practitioners who use knives, scissors, and grinding methods to remove opacities, and administer cold-natured herbs to clear fire, thereby trapping toxic heat to achieve quick effects, thus establishing lifelong pathological roots. This is due not only to a lack of profound guidance but also to a desire for profit. Little do they know that intentionally leaving pathology behind is worse than a mediocre doctor killing a patient; it incurs guilt in the unseen world and brings disaster upon descendants. Those engaged in this profession should certainly be cautious!
The above thirty-two paragraphs were derived from Sun Simiao's *Secret Manual* over more than fifty years of clinical variation. They are presented as common-sense advice to guide those lost in confusion, allowing patients to carefully select medications and attain visual clarity, thereby honoring Sun Simiao's intent in passing down prescriptions. To claim expertise in ophthalmology would be presumptuous.
Sun Simiao's secret transmission yields miraculous effects when treating youths and middle-aged individuals with robust Qi and Blood. However, if the patient is elderly and suffering from long-term depletion of Qi and Blood, with external opacities obscuring vision and internal dimness of the pupil, these cases are incurable.
In the Bingchen year, I met Mr. Zhang Xiongfei from Jiangzuo, who handed me a booklet on treating elderly eye conditions. For various elderly eye ailments, adjusting formulas according to the text yielded remarkable results. Therefore, I had it printed for widespread dissemination, hoping it serves as an aid to rejuvenation.
Human eyes are like the sun and moon in the sky. If clouds and mist interfere in the air, the light of the sun and moon is obscured. Similarly, dimness in human eyes is caused by pathogenic factors interfering with the clear orifices, blocking the luminous clarity.
The Classics state: The Liver opens into the eyes; the eyes can see when nourished by Blood. If Liver Wood is imbalanced, eye diseases arise. Current practitioners follow books such as *Yin Hai Jing Wei* and *Long Shu*, discussing theories of the Five Wheels and Eight Passages, and analyzing the generation and restriction of the Five Elements. Internal medications mostly consist of wind-dispelling and heat-clearing agents, along with Qi-moving and blood-invigorating herbs; external treatments predominantly use minerals (Gold/Stone), musk, and camphor. Mild cases are treated with washing and dropping; severe cases involve grinding or even acupuncture. Such methods may still yield results in youths with sufficient Qi and Blood; but in the elderly with depleted Qi, they lead to blindness. Why? Excessive internal wind-dispelling drugs dry up Ying (Nutritive) and Wei (Defensive) Qi; excessive Qi-moving depletes True Qi; excessive blood-invigorating scatters True Yin; excessive external application of Gypsum and Litharge dries and consumes Blood; minerals damage muscles and cause hardening; camphor and musk scatter Qi due to their aromatic nature. Furthermore, grinding injures flesh and blood, and acupuncture damages Yuan (Original) Qi. Consequently, the spiritual orifices become blocked, Qi and Blood dissipate, and the eyeball sinks. Alas!
One fails to reflect that the *Ling Shu* chapter of the *Nei Jing* speaks little about eye diseases, merely stating that the Liver opens into the eyes, the eyes see when nourished by Blood, and that pathogenic factors interfere with clear orifices, just as darkness obscures the sun and moon. It contains no discussion of the Five Elements' generation and restriction. In the *Su Wen* and *Nan Jing*, eye diseases are attributed to the Liver because this addresses the root (*Ben*); whereas *Yin Hai Jing Wei* discusses the Five Wheels and Eight Passages, addressing the branch (*Biao*). Since the Liver belongs to Wood and corresponds to the Xun trigram, excess Wood leads to surplus Heart Fire, causing wind and fire to interact, Qi and Blood to boil, resulting in conditions like crab-eye, spiral corns, and pterygium. If initially presenting with redness, swelling, and unceasing pain, wind-dispelling and heat-clearing formulas are appropriate. However, if there is no pain after a long duration, this method is ineffective. This indicates insufficient Kidney Water failing to nourish Heart Fire, and essence of Qi and Blood failing to ascend to the eyes, resulting in green blindness, dimness, and internal cataracts. The treatment should focus on tonifying the Liver and nourishing the Kidneys, guiding Spirit to open orifices. This method is also used for chronic external obstructions where opacities do not recede. It is commonly seen that many practitioners fail to achieve efficacy even with tonifying herbs, excusing themselves by saying internal cataracts and long-term aging make full restoration of vision impossible.
In the Bingchen year, at the residence of Governor Zhu of Wenyang, a young woman suffered from an eye condition characterized by white opacities on the black pupil, hard as ice. Despite morning and evening applications and grinding, there was no effect. I invited Mr. Zhang Xiongfei from Jiangzuo. His treatment methods aligned profoundly with the principles of the *Nei Jing*, revealing insights previously unexpressed by sages. Within less than a month, he achieved seven or eight successes out of ten attempts. Desiring to obtain this prescription for public benefit, Mr. Zhang generously revealed its secrets to me, ensuring that the world might have fewer blind people. The specific treatment methods are as follows:
1. Mr. Zhang's method prioritizes opening orifices before tonification. During tonification, adjustments are made based on Qi, Blood, Cold, and Heat, assisted by herbs that brighten the eyes and resolve opacities. Internal and external treatments attack simultaneously, ensuring continuous medicinal action while nurturing the Spirit. When the Spirit is calm, Yin generates; when Yin generates, vision clarifies.
2. Regarding the method of resolving opacities: Opacities result from the blockage of the spirit-connecting orifices in the eyes, where Qi, Blood, and Body Fluids coagulate and stagnate, forming cloud-like masses. The primary approach should be to open the orifices. Once the orifices are patent, Qi and Blood circulate freely, allowing tonifying and opacity-resolving medicines to enter effectively.