凡人三四月,天气乍暑,腠理乍开,内气不胜其散,而为神昏、发热、体倦、不思食之
症,谓
之注夏,世医论之多矣。至于七八月间,暑气初收,新凉乍来,腠理乍闭,而内气久经夏汗
外泄,其力孱弱,不能自充,多见肺气下陷,呼吸短促不足之象,继则连暑气、凉气、湿气
一齐吸受皮腠之内,发为 热、恶寒、体重肢倦、饮食无味、口渴不欲饮诸症。此与注夏之
病,正相对待∶一为阴虚,天气乍开,而力不足于开也;一为阳虚,天气乍合,而力不足于
合也。世医论之者少,惟张石顽《医通》劳倦门有之。吾名之以“注秋”,而录其文曰∶脾
胃虚,则怠惰嗜卧,四肢不收,时值秋燥令行,湿热少退,体重节痛,口干舌燥,饮食无味
,不欲食,食不消,大便不调,小便频数,兼肺病洒淅恶寒,惨惨不乐,而色槁不和,乃阳
气不伸故也,升阳益胃汤。又曰∶劳役辛苦,肾中阴火沸腾,后因脱衣,或沐浴,歇息阴凉
处所,其阴火不行,还归皮肤,腠理极虚无阳,被风阴凉所遏,以此表虚,不任风寒,与外
感恶寒相似,其症少气短促,懒于言语,困弱无力,不可同外感治,补中益气加柴、苏、羌
活,甚者加桂枝,最当。此条虽不言秋令,而风与阴凉,非秋气乎?故乍凉见证,每多如此
。后条较前条尤重者,为凉气乍至,尤觉有猝不及防之势也。
又按∶注夏一病,前人有指为三四月乍暑之时,即见此证者;有指为长夏六月暑湿交蒸
之时
,而见此证者。窃谓二者当并有之。如乍暑见此证,盛夏未有不加甚者也;盛暑见此证,初
夏未有不先兆者也。且病名注夏,本统夏令三月而言。其病由于阴虚,不任疏散,自是夏令
之月,无日不然,而其机总发动于初夏,与初秋为一开一合之对待,故以初夏见证为当也。
但时有初盛,即病有微甚耳!亦有初夏见证,至盛夏转精神清爽者,此阳气不足,经络伏有
寒湿,初时阳力不能伸达,非如阴虚者内气先已不固,不胜天气之再散也。其证多见烦 躁
扰,不似注夏之怠惰少气也,是又注夏之别一证矣。戴元礼以七月初凉见证为注夏,殊觉名
义未协,吾故创“注秋”之说也。
In the third and fourth months, when the weather suddenly becomes hot, the *Couli* (pores of the skin) suddenly open. The internal Qi cannot withstand this dispersion, leading to symptoms such as mental confusion, fever, body fatigue, and loss of appetite. This is called "Zhu Xia" (Summer-Attending Disease). Many physicians in the world have discussed it. However, during the seventh and eighth months, when the summer heat begins to recede and a new coolness suddenly arrives, the *Couli* suddenly close. The internal Qi, having been leaked out through sweating throughout the summer, is weak and unable to replenish itself. It often manifests as sinking of Lung Qi, with shortness of breath and insufficiency. Subsequently, summer heat, coolness, and dampness are all absorbed into the *Couli*, causing symptoms such as fever, aversion to cold, heavy body, limb fatigue, tastelessness in food, thirst without desire to drink. This stands in exact opposition to the disease of "Zhu Xia": one is Yin deficiency, where the weather suddenly opens but the strength is insufficient for opening; the other is Yang deficiency, where the weather suddenly closes but the strength is insufficient for closing. Few physicians discuss this. Only Zhang Shiweng mentions it in the section on Labor Fatigue in his *Yi Tong* (General Treatise on Medicine). I name it "Zhu Qiu" (Autumn-Attending Disease) and record its text as follows: "When Spleen and Stomach are deficient, there is lethargy and a desire to lie down, limbs are not held firm. When the autumn dryness command prevails and damp-heat slightly retreats, the body feels heavy and joints painful, mouth and tongue are dry, food tastes bland, there is no desire to eat, food does not digest, bowel movements are irregular, urination is frequent. Accompanied by Lung disease manifesting as shivering aversion to cold, miserable unhappiness, and sallow, discordant complexion, this is due to Yang Qi not extending. Use Sheng Yang Yi Wei Tang (Spleen-Boosting Decoction)." It also says: "Due to labor and hardship, Yin fire in the Kidneys boils. Later, after removing clothes, bathing, or resting in a cool place, that Yin fire fails to circulate and returns to the skin. The *Couli* are extremely empty lacking Yang, obstructed by wind and coolness. Thus, the exterior is deficient and cannot bear wind-cold, resembling aversion to cold from external contraction. Symptoms include shortness of breath, reluctance to speak, weakness and lack of strength. It must not be treated as an external contraction. Use Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang (Middle-Boosting Qi-Supplementing Decoction) plus Chai Hu (Bupleuri Radix), Zi Su (Perillae Folium), Qiang Huo (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix). In severe cases, add Guizhi (Cinnamomi Ramulus), which is most appropriate." Although this passage does not mention the autumn season, are wind and coolness not autumnal Qi? Therefore, manifestations appearing with sudden coolness are often like this. The latter case is more severe than the former because the sudden arrival of coolness feels particularly unanticipated.
Furthermore: Regarding "Zhu Xia," some predecessors refer to the time of sudden heat in the third and fourth months when these symptoms appear; others refer to the time of humid-heat steaming in the sixth month of Long Summer (Central Summer). I believe both should exist. If these symptoms appear during sudden heat, they will inevitably worsen in midsummer; if they appear in midsummer, there will inevitably be precursors in early summer. Moreover, the name "Zhu Xia" generally refers to the three months of the summer season. Since the disease stems from Yin deficiency and inability to tolerate dispersal, it naturally occurs daily during the summer months, but its mechanism always activates in early summer, forming an opposition of opening and closing with early autumn. Therefore, it is appropriate to consider early summer manifestations as the standard. However, timing varies between initial onset and peak, meaning the illness varies in severity. There are also cases where symptoms appear in early summer but the patient feels refreshed and clear-headed in midsummer. This is due to Yang insufficiency and latent cold-dampness in the meridians; initially, Yang power cannot extend and reach, unlike Yin deficiency where internal Qi is already insecure and cannot withstand the weather's repeated dispersion. Such cases often show irritability and disturbance, unlike the lethargy and shortness of breath seen in Zhu Xia. This is another variant of Zhu Xia. Dai Yuanli referred to manifestations in early July coolness as Zhu Xia, which seems semantically inconsistent. Hence, I created the theory of "Zhu Qiu."