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Seeing that the patient has not yet died and choosing not to treat them is worse than preparing a prescription to save them, even if life cannot ultimately be restored. I have formulated a prescription named Kaiqing Sanhei Tang (Open Cyanosis and Dispel Blackness Decoction), consisting of Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) 4 liang, Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) 4 liang, Fu Zi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata) 1 qian, Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) 1 liang, Rou Gui (Cinnamomi Cortex) 3 qian. Decoct in water and take orally. After taking this prescription, if the cyanosis on the hands and feet recedes slightly and the body ceases to turn black, there will be signs of vitality; otherwise, death remains inevitable. This is because the pathogenic toxins are deep and unresolvable, and the cold pathogens are knotted and unopenable.

In postpartum cases where the feet are purely cyanotic and there is pain below the heart, although the condition is slightly milder than the aforementioned symptoms, the mechanism of cold-toxin attacking the heart is the same, thus it is also considered a fatal syndrome. Administering the aforementioned prescription often yields good results, unlike cases where the entire body turns black which are difficult to rescue. This is because this syndrome develops from the lower part upwards; once the cold in the lower part is dispersed, the cold in the upper part resolves naturally, making it easier to achieve efficacy.

In postpartum Shaoyin disease (disease of the Kidney meridian) caused by external pathogens, with kidney water flooding upward, presenting with vomiting and diarrhea, and true yang flying away, it is also a fatal syndrome. The kidney water of a postpartum woman is originally dry; how can it flood upward causing vomiting? It is unknown that the flooding of kidney water is due to the decline of kidney fire. When fire is driven away by cold, water follows the cold and tends downward. Even if this syndrome occurs in a healthy person, it is still difficult to rescue, let alone in a postpartum woman. However, I believe it can be rescued because some kidney water remains. Urgently use yang-tonifying herbs within yin-nourishing herbs to guide fire back to its source, so that water naturally flows downward without flooding upward. Use Buhuo Yinshui Tang (Tonify Fire and Guide Water Decoction): Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) 5 qian, Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) 1 liang, Shu Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata) 1 liang, Shan Zhu Yu (Corni Fructus) 5 qian, Fu Ling (Poria) 1 liang, Fu Zi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata) 1 qian, Rou Gui (Cinnamomi Cortex) 3 qian, Che Qian Zi (Plantaginis Semen) 1 qian. Decoct in water and take orally. After one dose, the kidney water will no longer flood. This prescription tonifies the fire of the Mingmen (Gate of Life) while simultaneously nourishing the water; thus, water finds its way with fire, and fire gains vitality with water. They combine and mutually complete each other.

If a postpartum woman suddenly contracts wind-pathogen and experiences jue syndrome (cold extremities/convulsions) four or five days after delivery, it is a fatal syndrome. Jue syndrome is mostly heat-related, but why would there be heat in postpartum jue? This heat is also deficient heat. To treat jue, one cannot disperse pathogens due to bodily deficiency; to clear heat, one cannot use cooling herbs due to bodily deficiency. Thus, it is often difficult to treat. Although called a fatal syndrome, it is not entirely hopeless. I have fixed a prescription named Zhuanjue Anchang Fang (Turn Jue and Stabilize Childbirth Formula), consisting of Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) 1 liang, Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) 1 liang, Fu Zi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata) 1 qian. Decoct in water and take orally. After one dose, the jue resolves and life is restored. Postpartum jue arises from both deficient yang and depleted yin-blood, compounded by external cold-pathogen. I use Ren Shen to restore primordial qi to the realm of nothingness, Dang Gui to generate blood after the resolution of stagnant blood, and Fu Zi to expel external pathogens. Thus, righteous qi returns and pathogens scatter, blood generates and jue is eliminated.

Postpartum vomiting of roundworms is an untreatable syndrome; this is because stomach qi is about to perish, and the worms cannot find shelter. Roundworms do not reside in extreme cold nor in extreme heat within the human stomach. Now, postpartum vomiting of roundworms must occur after jue syndrome; the vomiting is thorough, not just one occasional worm, but sometimes clumps are vomited out. This is truly a malignant syndrome. How can I wish for survival? Precisely because the presence of vomiting roundworms indicates potential for life. If internal organs were completely severed, the worms would be silent. Now they are actively vomiting upward, indicating that there is still qi in the stomach forcing them out. By stabilizing the stomach qi, the worms will settle and the patient can survive. Use Anqi Jiuchang Tang (Stabilize Worms and Rescue Childbirth Decoction): Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) 1 liang, Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) 1 liang, Fei Zi Ren (Torreya Seed) 1 liang, Bai Wei (Cynanchi Atrati Radix) 3 qian, Rou Gui (Cinnamomi Cortex) 1 qian, Shen Qu (Medicated Leaven) 5 fen. Decoct in water and take orally. After two doses, the roundworms settle. This prescription uses Ren Shen and Bai Zhu to generate stomach qi, and Fei Zi, Bai Wei, and Rou Gui to kill parasites, hence its unique efficacy.

Postpartum vomiting of blood and pus, accompanied by the eruption of macules/rashes, occurs rarely among thousands. Originally untreatable, yet with proper treatment, survival is possible. This syndrome is likely due to contracting summer-heat and toxic qi in summer, which failed to erupt timely. Upon childbirth, the fire-toxin becomes prominent. Due to bodily deficiency, the fire cannot erupt all at once, causing blood and pus to vomit chaotically and macules to appear, disrupting the body. Theoretically, cooling herbs should not be used postpartum to resolve macules, but in such cases, cooling herbs must be used as a temporary measure. I have formulated Huohuo Jiuchang Tang (Resolve Fire and Rescue Childbirth Decoction): Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) 5 qian, Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) 1 liang, Chuan Xiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma) 5 qian, Mai Dong (Ophiopogonis Tuber) 5 qian, Jing Jie (Schizonepetae Spica) 3 qian, Yuan Shen (Scrophulariae Radix) 1 liang, Sheng Ma (Cimicifugae Rhizoma) 1 qian. Decoct in water and take orally. After one dose, blood and pus stop; after two doses, macules thin; after three doses, macules resolve. Do not use a fourth dose. After three doses, switch to Foshou San (Buddha's Hand Powder), taken in large quantities, to prevent future complications; otherwise, there is a risk of transformation into cold syndrome. My prescription is not overly cold. Even if it transforms into cold, it can be rescued. However, if one had used bitter-cold herbs like Huanglian Jiedu Tang (Coptis Decoction to Relieve Toxicity) upon seeing macules to relieve immediate urgency, when heat subsides and cold arises, death from cold shivering often ensues. Can cooling herbs be used lightly? Therefore, it is better to take my prescription to gradually dissipate macules and slowly reduce bleeding, rather than using霸道 (domineering/heavy) herbs for momentary relief.

Postpartum Jueyin disease (disease of the Liver meridian) presenting with vomiting and distension/fullness in both hypochondria must involve bloody stool, which is an untreatable syndrome. Injury to the liver causes blood to flow downward; injuring blood when blood is already scarce leads inevitably to death. Yet I insist on rescuing it. What method shall I rely on? Precisely because of the bloody stool. If the liver were affected by wind-pathogen without downward flow, the pathogen would remain in the hypochondria, becoming a disease of the abdomen and heart. Now, since blood flows entirely through the large intestine, the evil in the liver is scattered. Clearing the fire of the large intestine might work. But postpartum women require warming and tonification, not clearing. Using cooling herbs to extinguish fire is not the way to rescue postpartum women. One must understand that excess fire is due to insufficient water. Greatly tonifying the water will cause the fire to naturally subside into nothingness. Use Pinggan Jiuxue Tang (Level Liver and Rescue Blood Decoction): Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) 1 liang, Chuan Xiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma) 5 qian, Mai Dong (Ophiopogonis Tuber) 1 liang, San Qi Gen Mo (Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma Powder) 1 qian. Decoct in water and take orally. After one dose, bleeding stops and hypochondrial distension resolves. Why would there be vomiting food and bloody stool then?

Postpartum diarrhea with jue syndrome (cold extremities), restlessness preventing sleep, or unremitting jue, are all fatal syndromes. Diarrhea leads to loss of yin, jue leads to loss of yang; already difficult to rescue, what more of restlessness preventing sleep, indicating blood fails to nourish the heart? And if jue does not cease, sweating continues endlessly. How can one hope not to die? I seek life amidst death; there is no herb other than Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) and Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix). The prescription is named Shengui Tang (Ginseng and Angelica Decoction): Ren Shen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) 2 liang, Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) 2 liang, Jing Jie (Schizonepetae Spica) 1 qian. Decoct in water and take orally. Using Ren Shen and Dang Gui to tonify qi and blood to generate new blood allows old blood to stop. Once old blood stops, new blood grows more, naturally providing blood to nourish the heart, allowing jue to stabilize, the heart to be calm, and restlessness to release.