唐宋人论白虎病,证治不一,猝不易晓。以泉考之,其别有三。一为年神。《病源》卷
四十
八云∶太岁在卯,即白虎在寅。准此推之,知其神所在,小儿有居处触犯此神者,便能为病
,其状身微热,有时啼唤,有时身小冷,屈指如数,似风痫,但手足不螈 耳!又《外台》
卷十三,苏孝澄云白虎病,妇人因产犯白虎,丈夫因眠卧犯白虎,其病口噤,手拳,气不出
是也。一为粪神。《证类本草》云∶白虎鬼古人言如猫,在粪堆中,亦云是粪神。今时扫粪
,莫置门下,令人病此。陈藏器云治法,以鸡子揩病者痛处,咒愿送着粪堆头上,
勿反顾,不过三次瘥。白虎是粪神,爱吃鸡子也是也。今湖俗名此曰送客人。但古为白虎设
,今则沿用而忘所自耳!一为历节风。以其百节皆痛,昼差夜剧,如虎之啮,故名。亦见《
外台》。近世谓之白虎历节,治属风家。白虎病须别此三者,斯知古论有条不紊。
宋·朱端章《卫生家宝·产科备要方》卷七追命散方,治妇人血症,方中有羊胫炭,云
即炭
中圆细紧实如羊胫骨者,取三四寸,却作十余段,别以着灰同烧通红,淬入醇酒中,如此
七遍,烘干为末半两。案《纲目》炭火、羊胫骨下,皆不载此方。独《苏沈良方》小儿吞铁
方
,剥新炭皮为末,调粥服,炭屑裹铁而下云云,与《谈野翁方》误吞铜铁,以羊胫骨烧灰,
煮稀粥食,神效云云正合。而《纲目》卷五十二,采谈方乃入羊部,不云即炭。他书亦未有
言羊胫骨如朱说者,则讹以传讹久矣。
During the Tang and Song dynasties, discussions on *Baihu* disease (White Tiger Disease) varied in syndrome differentiation and treatment, making it difficult to understand at first glance. Upon examination by Quan, there are three distinct categories. The first is the "Year Deity" (Nianshen). *Zhubing Yuanhou Lun* (Treatise on the Pathogenesis and Symptoms of All Diseases), Volume 40, states: "When the Tai Sui is in Mao, the Bai Hu is in Yin." Based on this deduction, one can determine where the deity resides; if a child's residence offends this deity, illness will ensue. The symptoms include slight fever, occasional crying or calling, occasional coldness of the body, and finger movements resembling counting, similar to wind epilepsy (Feng Xian), but without convulsions of the hands and feet! Furthermore, in *Waitai Miyao* (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergencies), Volume 13, Su Xiaocheng describes *Baihu* disease as occurring when women offend the Bai Hu during childbirth, or men offend it while sleeping. The symptoms include lockjaw, clenched fists, and inability to exhale air. The second category is the "Feces Deity" (Fenshen). *Zhenglei Bencao* (Compendium of Materia Medica Classified by Category) records that the ancient people spoke of the Bai Hu ghost as being cat-like, residing in manure piles, also referred to as the Feces Deity. Currently, when sweeping manure, do not place it at the doorway, as it causes people to suffer from this illness. Chen Cangqi recorded a treatment method: rub the painful area of the patient with an egg, recite incantations, and send it to the top of a manure pile without looking back; recovery occurs within no more than three times. This is because the Bai Hu is the Feces Deity and loves eating eggs. In modern Hunan customs, this is called "sending off guests." However, what was originally established by the ancients for the Bai Hu has been沿用 (continued to be used) over time, with its origin forgotten. The third category is "Li Jie Feng" (Joint-Traveling Wind Rheumatism). It is named so because all joints ache, improving during the day and worsening at night, with pain likened to a tiger biting. This is also seen in *Waitai Miyao*. In recent times, it is called Bai Hu Li Jie, and its treatment falls under the category of wind diseases. One must distinguish these three types of *Baihu* disease to understand that ancient discussions were systematic and well-organized.
In Volume 7 of *Weisheng Jiabao Chanke Beiyao Fang* (Prepared Formulas for Obstetrics in the Family Health Treasure) by Zhu Duanzhang of the Song Dynasty, the Zhuming San (Reviving Life Powder) formula treats blood syndromes in women. The formula contains Yangjing Tan (Sheep Tibia Charcoal), described as charcoal found in the fire that is round, small, tight, and solid like a sheep tibia bone. Take three or four cun in length, cut into more than ten segments, burn red-hot together with ash, quench in pure wine, repeat this seven times, dry, and grind into half liang of powder. According to *Bencao Gangmu* (Compendium of Materia Medica), neither the entry for Tan Huo (Charcoal Fire) nor Yangjing Gu (Sheep Tibia Bone) records this formula. Only *Su Shen Liangfang* (Good Prescriptions of Su and Shen) mentions in the formula for children swallowing iron: peel the skin of new charcoal, grind into powder, mix with porridge to take, noting that charcoal dust wraps around the iron for excretion. This aligns perfectly with *Tan Ye Weng Fang* (Prescriptions of Old Man Tan), which states that for accidentally swallowed copper or iron, burning sheep tibia bone to ash and cooking thin porridge to eat yields miraculous effects. However, *Bencao Gangmu* Volume 52 includes Tan's prescription in the Sheep section without stating it is charcoal. No other books mention sheep tibia bones as Zhu described, indicating that errors have been passed down for a long time.