Library

Wang was a carpenter who had long suffered from stomach pain. Various treatments proved ineffective. A physician administered herbal medicine, after which Wang suddenly experienced hematochezia (bleeding from the rectum) of half a bucket's volume. He frequently fainted, kept his eyes closed, and spoke with reluctance. His sweat poured profusely, his qi was weak, and his pulse was imperceptible upon palpation. Upon examining the pulse, I identified it as "Xue Mai" (a critical state indicating exhaustion of blood vessels where no pulse can be felt), which must be due to massive blood loss. However, although the principle of "Tonifying Qi in cases of Blood Depletion" requires the use of Ginseng (Renshen), this carpenter, being poor, could not possibly obtain such expensive herbs. Therefore, I declined to treat him, predicting that he would inevitably perish from Qi collapse following blood loss within a day or two. A month later, I met him on the road and saw that his movements were normal, which surprised me secretly. Later, he came to see me for another ailment. I asked how his previous illness had been cured. He replied, "You said my condition was critical and could only be saved by Ginseng. Seeking medical help seemed futile, so I had to decoct Codonopsis Pilosula Tang (Dangshen Decoction) daily. Fortunately, I survived." I said, "This is also an application of the 'Tonifying Qi in cases of Blood Depletion' method." Upon re-examination, both wrists still showed no pulse. I thought, how can a person survive without a pulse for so long? After pondering for a while, I suddenly realized, "This must be 'Fan Guan Mai' (an anatomical variation where the radial artery runs dorsally around the wrist rather than at the standard cun-kou position)." I turned his wrist over to palpate again, and indeed, it was so.

As a craftsman, he was unaware of his own pulse characteristics. When I examined him previously, seeing his severe external symptoms, I acted hastily and did not investigate thoroughly. I record this to warn all physicians: you must pay close attention and examine carefully.

The old physician Fang Xingyan once told me, "When I studied under Mr. Wang Xiezhong in Shanghai, we discussed that after recovery from hemorrhagic diseases (Xue Zheng), relapses are common. This is due to damage to the gastric mucosa, which requires medicinal repair." After careful consideration, I formulated a prescription using equal parts of Bletilla Rhizome (Baiji), Fish Maw (Yubiao), and Silk Floss (Simian), burned to ash and made into pills. Taking these prevents recurrence forever. Wang suffered from this condition and failed to eradicate it completely. Having him take these pills proved effective.

My clan's nephew was just entering adolescence (age 13). Initially, his urination was slightly difficult, which he ignored. Later, every time he urinated, he experienced astringency and pain in the urethra. Physicians treated it as Lin Syndrome (strangury), but his urination became completely obstructed, dropping only drop by drop. His lower abdomen became distended and hard; he lay in bed screaming, finding no rest day or night. I was summoned to his home. His mother held up an object for me to see, saying, "The patient has had no urine output for days. Last night, after straining for a long time, he suddenly expelled this object. He felt relief and joy, thinking the disease had passed, but now the obstruction has returned. Could there still be something blocking the urethra?" I observed that the object was bean-shaped, dark greenish-gray in color, and hard. It did not break when pounded in a mortar. Although medical texts mention Stone Lin (Shi Lin), even those I have personally witnessed were merely fine like salt or sand. A stone this large, like a bean, was unprecedented. Initially suspecting exaggeration, I tried probing the urethra with the handle of a hairpin. Hearing a sound confirmed that the urinary obstruction was indeed caused by this object. I considered removing the stone, but since ancient methods did not exist for this, I dared not offer an opinion and declined treatment. It was reported that later, unable to expel the stone, the root of the penis ulcerated and opened a hole, causing urine to leak out laterally. The patient eventually died after a prolonged course. Years later, passing through Lujiang, I met Mr. Lv Mozhuang, who mentioned that in his hometown, an old surnamed Xu physician could cure this condition. He had personally witnessed several cures. The technique involved incising the penis with a knife, extracting the stone, applying powdered medicine, and achieving healing within ten days. I found this remarkable and sought the prescription, but the physician had since passed away. I record this here: if anyone suffers from this in the future, they must seek a skilled surgeon for incision and extraction.