常于欲寐未寐之际,霎然举手振跃者,世皆谓为血不养筋,而实非也,乃津不濡脉之候
也。
人身气脉一动,周身百脉涌应,其中必有津以濡之,故能自然无碍也。若有一脉竟塞不通
,则气亦竟不至其处,亦遂寂然不动矣。无如脉终不能不通,气终不能不至也。脉中津汁耗
燥,一有不濡之处,或略有痰丝以格之,则气之既动而窒,窒而复动,一控送之间,而百脉
为之撼跃矣。其动之所发无定处,或起四肢,或起胸中,随其气之所触而起也。此象偶然一
见,不足为病。若欲治之,惟甘凉生津而已。凡小儿寐中,多作此象,俗谓骨气撑长之兆,
实即痰格其气也。若大人逐日方寐,即见惊掣,是为痰盛,是津虚之燥痰也。生津为主,而
祛痰佐之,津盛则痰有所载,而滑利易出也。若血液亏虚,不能养筋者,当见肢节拘急不便
,或举身振振欲擗然。此风热所伤,与发汗太过之所致,所谓筋惕肉 也。是故心津虚燥之
人,往往神明散越,欲寐之际,心中无故惊惕,四肢微有螈 ,甚至累累不已,令人不能成
寐者,其势虽微,病根反深。若骤因风热与过汗者,宜甘酸以养之,经谓∶心苦缓,急食酸
以收之是也;若久病与无病而然者,更宜大剂甘寒酸温之药,生津补血以溉之,所谓津液相
成,神乃自生地;又有水饮冲心而发者,必辛散淡渗,兼滑润之剂,载痰上下分出以涤之,
此又所谓心中 大动,恐如人将捕之者,是心阳为水邪遏抑,而神不自安也。
At the moment when one desires to sleep but has not yet fully fallen asleep, suddenly raising a hand and jumping or trembling is commonly attributed by the world to blood failing to nourish the sinews (Jin), but this is actually incorrect; it is a sign of fluids (Jin) failing to moisten the vessels (Mai).
When the Qi and vessels of the human body move, all the hundred vessels throughout the body surge in response. There must be fluids to moisten them within, so that they can function naturally without obstruction. If even one vessel becomes completely blocked and unpassable, then Qi will also fail to reach that location, becoming silent and motionless. However, vessels cannot remain blocked forever, nor can Qi fail to arrive. When the fluids in the vessels are consumed and dried up, if there is any place lacking moisture, or if slight phlegm threads obstruct it, then Qi, having moved and then become stifled, will move again after being stifled. In this cycle of contraction and release, the hundred vessels are shaken and jump. The occurrence of this movement has no fixed location; it may arise in the limbs or in the chest, arising wherever the Qi touches. This phenomenon, appearing occasionally, is not sufficient to constitute a disease. If treatment is desired, only sweet-cool methods to generate fluids should be used. Children often exhibit this phenomenon during sleep, which is colloquially considered an omen of bone growth, but is actually due to phlegm obstructing Qi. For adults who experience convulsions (Jing Che) immediately upon attempting to sleep each day, this indicates excessive phlegm, specifically dry phlegm resulting from fluid deficiency. The primary treatment should be generating fluids, with dispelling phlegm as an adjunct. When fluids are abundant, phlegm is carried along and becomes slippery, making it easy to expel. In cases of blood deficiency where blood fails to nourish the sinews, symptoms such as stiffness and inconvenience in the joints, or whole-body tremors with a desire to stretch (Pi Ran), should be observed. These are caused by injury from wind-heat or excessive sweating, referred to as "sinew twitching and muscle quivering" (Jin Ti Rou Yu). Therefore, individuals with deficient and dry heart fluids often have scattered spirit (Shen). At the moment of desiring sleep, they experience inexplicable fright and vigilance in the heart, with slight twitching (Yu Yi) in the limbs, which may continue incessantly, preventing sleep. Although the manifestation may be subtle, the root of the disease is deep. If caused suddenly by wind-heat and excessive sweating, sweet and sour substances should be used to nourish, as stated in the classics: "The Heart dislikes flaccidity; urgently eat sour to astringe it." For those with chronic illness or no apparent illness who present similarly, large doses of sweet-cold and sour-warm medicines are more appropriate to generate fluids and nourish blood, embodying the principle that "when fluids and essence complement each other, the Spirit arises naturally." Another cause is water-fluids rushing to attack the Heart, which requires pungent-dispersing and bland-leaching agents combined with slippery-moistening properties to carry phlegm up and down for differentiation and purification. This corresponds to the description of "great palpitation in the Heart, feeling fearful as if someone were about to capture one," indicating that Heart Yang is suppressed by water-pathogens, causing the Spirit to be unsettled.