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In the mid-winter of the Guiyou year, I was in the official residence of Yijun. My wife contracted cold during childbirth. The placenta did not descend, and blood loss filled a basin. Seven days later, due to anger, she vomited a small amount of blood which temporarily stopped, but then suddenly suffered from massive hemorrhage (Bengle), gushing forth. Her eyes were closed shut, her four limbs were cold and inverted (Jue), and she was unconscious. The pulse in all six positions was deep and intermittent (Dai), indicating a critical condition. I immediately used two liang of Renshen (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma) as the sovereign drug, with two qian each of Danggui Shen (Angelicae Sinensis Radix), Fuzi (Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata), and Zhigancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Preparata) as supporting drugs, adding three qian of Shanqi (Panacis Japonici Rhizoma). It was decocted rapidly over high heat. I also invited Hu Jun, a skilled physician from the Prince of Shu's mansion, to consult on the treatment. Upon examination, Hu Jun said: "The Spleen is the source that controls blood. Now Liver Wood is suppressing Spleen Earth; one must strengthen the middle jiao to consolidate and stop bleeding, requiring the addition of Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma)." I treated according to his advice. After half a day of taking the medicine, her eyes moved, her breath eased, and her pulse gradually revived. By the thirteenth day, her limbs suddenly swelled. She was treated with Shiquan Dabu Tang (Decoction for Complete Great Tonification), removing Chuanxiong (Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma) and Shaoyao (Paeoniae Radix Alba), and adding Paojiang (Zingiberis Rhizoma Preparatum). After seven doses, the swelling subsided. Hu Jun was consulted again to discuss a tonic regimen. He said: "The previous condition was sudden exhaustion of True Yin, already entering a fatal pattern. If you now diligently care for her and do not cease good medicines, she may extend her life by a few years." From that winter through the summer of Jiashen, spanning twelve years, her menstruation ceased. Even in intense summer heat, she wore cotton clothes. If she stayed away from Renshen for a few days, she would suffer from dizziness, asthma, and distension. In total, she consumed more than fifteen jin of Renshen, over fifty jin of pills, and 1,500 prescriptions of decoctions, yet ultimately could not avoid death. This was because for several years, funds were lacking, and it was difficult to procure sufficient Renshen. In the mid-summer of Jiashen, due to a trip to Hongjiang, I again experienced fire rising from events, leading to thirst. I mistakenly chewed several water chestnuts (Biqie), and subsequently developed Gezheng (Regurgitation syndrome). Food was vomited immediately upon ingestion, and Stomach Qi abruptly failed. She drank only about a bowl of water per day, abstained from grain for forty-nine days, and died. At the time of death, her body was plump and lustrous as if alive. This shows that the cumulative effect of Renshen in saving lives is significant. I often regretted the inability to continuously supply Renshen, leading to premature death and causing our marriage to end in separation, breaking my heart into pieces. I nearly could not survive.

In the mid-winter of the Guiwei year, Fang Tianzhu's eldest daughter-in-law, who was my wife's younger sister, had been suffering from chronic fatigue and depression. She contracted cold while sitting on grass during labor. The initial physicians prescribed either acrid-releasing or mild and ineffective formulas. Her condition gradually worsened. Five days later, I was called to treat her. Observing her pulse and symptoms, she presented with alternating chills and fever, spontaneous sweating, asthma and vomiting, refusal to eat, dryness and delirium, insomnia, abdominal fullness and pain, and tenesmus (Li Ji Hou Zhong). The pulse showed Jie Dai (knotted and intermittent), pausing after every three beats. The condition was critical and near death. I administered a formula containing Renshen, Danggui, Baizhu, Guizhi (Cinnamomi Ramulus), Fuzi, along with Wuweizi (Schisandrae Fructus), Shengma (Cimicifugae Rhizoma), and Zhigancao. She suspected the omission of these ingredients and consulted her elder brother-in-law Chen Qingyun, who also knew medicine. Chen agreed that without such warming and tonifying agents, recovery was impossible. She finally accepted the treatment. Before finishing the dose, her fever subsided, sweat stopped, and she slept quietly for half a day. Upon waking, she asked for porridge, her distension resolved, pain decreased, and her pulse gradually recovered. After two more doses, the lochia began to flow, and blood clots were expelled. After three doses, the pulse remained knotted. I asked, "Did you reduce the dosage of Renshen last night?" She replied, "Indeed, I used only five fen." For the fourth dose, I instructed her to increase it to two qian, whereupon all symptoms disappeared. Regarding the previous symptoms: alternating chills and fever with spontaneous sweating indicate Yin deficiency and Yang collapse; vomiting, asthma, and food refusal indicate Lung rebellion and Stomach cold; dryness, delirium, and insomnia indicate extreme Yin cold with Yang violently floating upward; abdominal fullness and pain indicate Cold invading the Chong and Ren vessels with stasis accumulation; tenesmus indicates Spleen Qi sinking. The previous physicians mistook this for dysentery, which was erroneous. The knotted and intermittent pulse indicates sudden deficiency of Stomach Qi unable to connect continuously. If treated erroneously, how could one avoid the disaster of 'deficiency making deficiency worse'? Thus, Danxi stated that postpartum conditions require major tonification of Qi and Blood as the primary approach. Even if other symptoms exist, they should be treated secondarily. For example, aversion to cold and fever indicate extreme weakness of Qi and Blood, requiring Da Bu Tang (Great Tonifying Decoction). I have always followed this method, using warming and tonifying therapies for postpartum conditions, achieving consistent success. Do not the words of the sages deceive us?