Library

Cheng Xuanxuan's second son, Guangchi, was just past the age of twenty (ruo guan, 弱冠) and had never been ill before. In summer, he accidentally developed abdominal distension. It was thought to be due to dampness stagnation (Shi Zhi, 湿滞), considered insignificant. Although he took medicine, he was not careful in his diet and daily life. The condition dragged on for two months, with the abdomen gradually enlarging, muscles wasting, appetite decreasing, and frequent vomiting. Self-treatment failed. He then invited doctors through his colleagues, Mr. Cao Xiaoyan and Mr. Yu Langting. Medications used included methods for harmonizing (He, 和), draining (Shen, 渗), warming (Wen, 温), clearing heat (Qing, 清), reducing accumulation (Xiao, 消), and tonifying (Bu, 补), but none were effective. At that time, he could still勉强 go out, paying little attention to it. I thought, since all medicines were ineffective, as the proverb says: "Not taking medicine can sometimes yield a moderate effect" (Bu Yao De Zhong Yi, 不药得中医). Thus, I ordered him to stop medication. By early winter, provoked by an incident, the illness worsened significantly. Food eaten was immediately vomited; lying down caused Qi rushing upward; urination and defecation were difficult. I recalled the Classic stating: "The Liver governs anger; anger causes Qi to ascend." Could it be that Liver Qi (Gan Qi, 肝气) was rebellious and obstructing the descent of Stomach Qi? Hence the vomiting and distension. My self-formulated Yueju Xiaoyao Tang (Yueju Xiaoyao Decoction) and methods for calming the Stomach and restraining the Liver were also ineffective. Gradually, the abdomen became large as a drum, hard as stone, with distended veins and protruding umbilicus, emaciated bones, shortness of breath upon walking. My skills were exhausted. I invited other colleagues to consult again. All stated this had become "Zhong Man" (Middle Fullness/Abdominal Distension, 中满), where both reducing and tonifying methods were difficult to apply. Some recommended special pills for Drum Distension (Gu Zhang, 鼓胀), claiming that after administration, sounds like resonance would occur, and the abdomen would shrink immediately. I suspected those drugs contained drastic purgatives like Ba Dou (Croton Seed) and Da Huang (Rhubarb Root and Rhizome). With long-standing illness and deficient Stomach Qi, how could he tolerate them? Even though ancient texts mention Ji Shi Li (Chicken Dropping Fermented Liquid) for single abdominal distension, the patient feared food and vomited, so the taste did not agree. Day and night I pondered, having no strategy. Delaying until December (La month), suddenly seeing plum blossoms on branches, inspired by the scene, I picked dozens of branches, instructed to brew them in water as tea, drinking several times a day. The key was unlocked, drawing analogies. There was aged wine stored at home. I used Mu Gua (Chaenomeles Fruit) and Ju Bing (Tangerine Peel Candy) each 3 qian, separately boiled with village wine, mixed with the aged wine, drinking two cups at night. Previously, the abdominal distension was blocked with no bowel sounds or gas. After drinking thus for three days, slight rumbling occurred in the abdomen, gas was expelled occasionally, the hard abdomen softened slightly. After more than ten days, the distension reduced by half, urination and defecation felt smooth, eating no longer caused vomiting, and peaceful sleep was possible at night. After one month, the abdominal distension completely disappeared. At that time, the abdomen was swollen like holding a urn, leading one to suspect what pathogenic factor (Xie Qi, 邪气) was so vigorous? When the distension subsided, no foul matter was excreted in stool. It is known that this was merely the body's own Yuan Qi (Original Qi, 元气) causing trouble for itself. After the son recovered, everyone considered it miraculous. A friend asked which book my use of plum blossoms for treating distension came from. I said: "The subtlety of application lies in the mind." This was my intuitive insight, without precedent in ancient texts to follow. Generally, plum blossoms appear early in spring, blooming first; their aroma allows them to soothe the Liver and awaken the Spleen. Tangerine peel harmonizes various Qi. For the Liver, astringency acts as purging; Mu Gua is sour and soft, able to drain Wood within Earth (restraining Liver overacting on Spleen), aided by the power of wine, hence the efficacy. The friend sighed, saying: "You are a skilled physician. Your son's disease, although successfully treated later, had no method to treat it earlier. This is the difficulty of medicine. However, if this syndrome occurred in a family ignorant of medical principles, during the urgent phase, they would surely have died following inappropriate prescriptions. This is another thing physicians must know." Hearing these words, I felt startled and reverent.

An Bo's Note: The syndrome of abdominal swelling (Peng Zheng, 膨证) lacks good prescriptions in the world. Carefully analyzing the reason for this child's recovery, it is because he was young with strong upright Qi, abundant blood and Qi. Although the long illness caused physical decline, the root was still solid. Furthermore, being young and ignorant, the depression and anger were not deep, unlike cases of deep-seated grievance, unrelenting rage, and daily melancholy. Otherwise, when late winter ends and spring returns, Wood Qi ascends under Yang energy, his condition would only worsen rapidly. How could the trivial material of plum blossoms possibly dispel disease? I have seen many such cases untreated, where patients were around forty to fifty years old. I have rarely heard of cases over thirty. I was born late; otherwise, I might blame Old Man Xing, wondering if he would agree.