癫之言 , 仆也。凡物上重下轻则仆,故人病气聚于头顶则患 。《素·脉解》太阳
所谓
癫疾者,阳尽在上,而阴气从下,下虚上实,故癫疾也。与厥论巨阳之厥,发为 仆同义。
是明以癫为仆也。癫,经文作巅,故注云顶上曰巅。古字无巅,止作颠,后人加 旁遂作癫
。
亦或省作 ,《玉篇》痫,小儿 病也是也。且据《玉篇》,知癫痫实一病。《病源》亦云
十岁以上为癫,十岁以下为痫,然则二字之分,分于年之长少也。《金匮》风引汤下云,治
大人癫、小儿痫,即此意。近世不晓此义,专指古之风邪为癫,而以别于子痫。执今之名,
检古之书,无怪乎其谓古方不可治今病矣!
《灵》、《素》、《本草》有五癃、癃闭之名,而仲景以下诸书并无之。考杨上善《太
素》
注∶癃,淋也。因知淋、癃乃一声之转。《毛诗·皇矣》与尔临冲,《韩诗》作与尔隆冲,
是其的证。所以通淋于癃者,以癃训罢。《汉书》云∶臣有疲癃之病。注∶癃,罢病也。而
《素问》说癃者,一日数十溲,则膀胱之胞罢疲矣,故得假借取义。近世不知此义,歧而二
之。徐灵胎《轨范》以癃、闭、利、淋四字为目,又自注云∶绝不便为癃。于此叹识字之难
!根据字当作麻,《说文》麻,疝类。则是麻之名,取义于腹痛,故仲景亦以少腹弦急,痛引
脐中为正。后世以其病状淋沥不宣,遂借淋字为之。详泉所撰《证原》中。
"Dian" (epilepsy/sudden collapse) means to fall or prostrate. Whenever an object is heavy at the top and light at the bottom, it tends to topple; thus, when a person's Qi accumulates at the vertex of the head, they suffer from Dian. In the *Suwen* (Basic Questions), chapter "Mai Jie" (Explanation of Pulse Patterns), it states that the so-called Dian disease of the Taiyang (Greater Yang) channel occurs because Yang Qi has entirely gathered in the upper part, while Yin Qi follows from below, resulting in deficiency in the lower part and excess in the upper part, hence causing Dian disease. This shares the same meaning as the description in the *Juelun* (Treatise on Jue) regarding Jue of the Great Yang (Taiyang), which manifests as sudden collapse. This clearly indicates that Dian is interpreted as "Pu" (falling/prostrating). In the classic texts, Dian is written as "Dian" (vertex), hence annotations state that the top of the head is called "Dian". The ancient character did not have "Dian", only using "Dian"; later generations added the "disease" radical (bing zi tou) to write it as "Dian".
It is also sometimes abbreviated as "Xian" (pediatric epilepsy). The *Yupian* records: "Xian refers to convulsive diseases in children." Furthermore, based on the *Yupian*, it is known that Dian and Xian are essentially the same disease. The *Zhubing Yuanhou Lun* (Source Book of Diseases and Etiologies) also states that those over ten years old are called Dian, while those under ten are called Xian. Therefore, the distinction between the two characters lies in age. Under the formula Fengyin Tang in the *Jingui Yaolue* (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet), it notes: "Treats adult Dian and pediatric Xian," which reflects this intent. Modern practitioners fail to understand this meaning, specifically attributing ancient wind-pathogen diseases to Dian, thereby distinguishing it from Zi Xian (maternal epilepsy). Clinging to modern nomenclature to inspect ancient texts, it is no wonder they claim that ancient formulas cannot treat modern diseases!
The *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), *Su Wen*, and *Shennong Bencao Jing* mention the terms "Wu Long" (Five Types of Obstruction) and "Long Bi" (Urinary Retention/Obstruction), but these terms do not appear in books by Zhang Zhongjing and subsequent authors. Examining Yang Shangshan’s annotation in the *Taisu* (Great Simplicity): "Long is Lin (stranguria)." From this, we know that Lin and Long are phonetic variations of the same word. In the *Classic of Poetry* (Shijing), poem "Huang Yi", the phrase "Yu Er Lin Chong" appears, whereas the *Han Shi* version writes it as "Yu Er Long Chong", which serves as definitive proof. The reason for equating Lin with Long is that Long is defined by "Ba" (fatigue/exhaustion). The *Book of Han* states: "Ministers suffer from fatigue and Long disease." The annotation explains: "Long refers to a disease of exhaustion." In the *Suwen*, the condition described as Long involves urinating dozens of times a day, indicating that the bladder's Qi transformation function has become exhausted; thus, the term is borrowed to convey this meaning. Modern scholars, unaware of this etymology, have split them into two distinct concepts. Xu Lingtai, in his work *Gui Fan* (Standard Track), lists "Long", "Bi", "Li", and "Lin" as separate categories, yet annotates himself: "Complete inability to urinate is called Long." One cannot help but sigh at the difficulty of correctly interpreting Chinese characters! Based on the character form, it should be written as "Ma" (numbness/pain). The *Shuowen Jiezi* classifies "Ma" under Shan (hernia-like disorders). Thus, the name "Ma" derives its meaning from abdominal pain, which is why Zhang Zhongjing also considers tightness and urgency in the lower abdomen, with pain radiating to the umbilicus, as the correct syndrome presentation. Later generations, observing symptoms of dribbling and incomplete voiding, borrowed the character "Lin" to describe it. This is detailed in Quan’s work *Zheng Yuan*.