Library

In ancient times, for the meaning of "obstruction and concealment," the character was written only as *Zhang* (障). The *Shuowen Jiezi* states: "Zhang means to block or separate." This is correct. Those written as [missing character] or as *Zhang* (鄣) are phonetic loan characters.

Therefore, the obstruction caused by mountains, changing the radical from 'ear' (阝) to 'mountain' (山), becomes *Zhang* (嶂). Because the mountain's obstruction leads to little wind and much dampness, which steams into qi, sufficient to cause illness among the people, changing the radical from 'mountain' (山) to 'disease' (疒) results in *Zhang* (瘴). Observing the semantic derivation of these characters, it can be known that *Zhang* belongs to dampness. Taking the meaning of "obstruction," *Zhang* is similar to fog where earthy qi rises but heavenly qi does not respond; and it is opposite to fog where heavenly qi descends but earthly qi does not respond. However, for those suffering from fog-related illnesses, the *Qianjin Fang* has its own specific symptom treatments, which differ from the *Duzhang San* used to treat *Zhang*. This suffices to prove that the modern practice of conflating *Zhang* with fog is incorrect. The *Bingyuan* (Source of Diseases) generally conflates *Zhang* with epidemic pathogens. I have seen the complete Japanese edition, which contains over four hundred more characters than the Chinese editions in the section on "Green Grass and Yellow Tassel *Zhang* Syndrome," listing the symptoms and treatments of *Zhang* diseases in particular detail. It merely calls the *Zhang* of Lingnan analogous to the Cold Damage (*Shanghan*) of north of the ridge, which seems contrary to other discussions; this likely refers to the analogy of their prevalent momentum! Thus, this disease does not fall under the categories of Cold Damage syndromes, but is classified under pestilential epidemics (*Li Yi*). In essence, damp epidemic (*Shi Yi*) is just one aspect of epidemics and cannot be used to generalize all epidemics. The *Waitai Miyao* also refers to *Zhang* as malaria (*Nue*), but essentially, damp malaria (*Shi Nue*) is only one type of malaria and cannot be used to generalize all malaria. The *Shengji Zonglu* discusses *Zhang* differently from Chao Yuanfang and Wang Bing, providing more detailed medical consultations, which sufficiently supplements what predecessors left incomplete. Generally, the onset of *Zhang* naturally involves two types: those accompanied by cold and those accompanied by heat. For those accompanied by cold, herbs such as *Bai Zhi* (Angelicae Dahuricae Radix), *Gui Zhi* (Cinnamomi Ramulus), *Fang Feng* (Saposhnikoviae Radix), and *Bing Lang* (Arecae Semen) are already included in the formula *Duzhang San*; for those accompanied by heat, *Xi Jiao* (Rhinocerotis Cornu) and *Ling Yang Jiao* (Capricornis Subpulverizatum) are found in the *Shennong Bencao Jing* and the simplified formulas collected in the *Bencao Gangmu*. In regions south of the Yangtze with many mountains, although the *Zhang* is not as severe as in Lingnan, the low-lying and damp mud allows water qi to assist the *Zhang*, often intermingling with the onset of warm diseases and summerheat diseases. Therefore, the use of *Xi Jiao* and *Ling Yang Jiao* is particularly appropriate. Elderly physicians in the Sanwu region were skilled in using *Xi Jiao* and *Ling Yang Jiao*, starting from this period; after long-term mutual treatment, there arose cases of indiscriminate mixing and inappropriate application.