典藏书目

I once passed west of Xiayi, where a woman suffered from abdominal distension like a drum. Her appetite fluctuated, alternating between eating and not eating; she experienced alternating chills and fever with frequent vomiting. This condition had persisted for three years. She had consulted sorcerers and exorcists, using talismans and incantations without any method left untried, merely awaiting death. Coincidentally, it was October, the agricultural slack season. Farmers gathered to hunt. A dog died of exhaustion, was dismembered, and thrown at the base of a large tree, leaving blood and offal on the roots. The sick woman happened to approach the tree roots, suddenly felt dizzy and confused, became unconscious, and rested her head by the roots. A worm emerged from her mouth, resembling a snake, complete with mouth and eyes. It licked the residual offal. Startled by the long worm, bystanders wrapped their hands in sleeves, held the worm's head, and forcefully extracted it. It was about two chi long and weighed several jin. Upon dissecting and showing it to the crowd, the woman recovered. The worm had no name. This coincides with the treatment method of Hua Yuanhua (Hua Tuo). It was likely an accidental use of emesis therapy!

There was also a scholar who suffered from malaria occurring every other day. As the autumn examinations approached, the exam day fell exactly on his malaria onset day. The scholar was deeply worried. He mistakenly ate green onions mixed with honey, resulting in severe vomiting of saliva, expelling several sheng of phlegm-fluid, along with stagnant blood and old food. His roommates were terrified. However, the next day when he entered the examination hall, the malaria did not recur. This too was an accidental use of emesis therapy!

During the Zhenglong era, an imperial decree summoned craftsmen from Bianliang. A carpenter named Zhao Zuotou and a blacksmith named Du Zuotou lost their way while traveling and begged for lodging at a large mansion. The owner refused, saying, "Someone in my family is seriously ill; I dare not receive you." Du Zuotou said, "This Mr. Zhao is from a family of Imperial Physicians in Bianliang. He has been summoned by superiors and lost his way here. Perhaps the patient will recover upon meeting this gentleman." The owner went in silently, returned after a long time, invited them inside, and fed them. The owner then rose and requested, "Please, Physician, examine the patient." Zhao looked and laughed, saying, "One medicine can cure him." The two men whispered, "The prepared medicines we brought are on his cart; we have no remedy here." Du said, "This is very easy!" He secretly went out, found a piece of cow dung, formed it into thirty pills, and administered them with warm water. Soon, the patient felt insects crawling in his chest, and a massive expulsion occurred, resembling small dung beetles, amounting to one or two sheng. Hand-extraction yielded another sheng. Suddenly, the illness vanished. The next day, the owner came out to thank them, saying, "A hundred-year-old man has never seen such miraculous medicine!" They were treated with courtesy and departed. Alas! These two were petty people who sought temporary rest and used filth to treat illness; it was merely an accidental use of emesis therapy!

Another woman suffered from wind-phlegm epilepsy, contracted from fright-wind at age six or seven. For the next three to four years, it occurred once or twice every few years. By five to seven years later, it occurred five or six times. By her thirties to forties, it occurred daily or more than ten times a day, leading to confusion, amnesia, and a desire for death. During the Xiding era famine, she ate various herbs. Near water, she collected a herb resembling Allium, soaked and steamed it, and ate it. Afterward, around dawn, she felt uneasy in her heart and vomited gelatinous saliva continuously for days, totaling one or two dou. She sweated profusely. Initially drowsy, after three days she felt light and vigorous, unlike before. Her appetite improved, her meridians harmonized. Recalling what she ate, she didn't know. Asking others, she learned it was Hancong seedlings (Liriope seedlings). Hancong seedlings refer to Luliao seedlings mentioned in Bencao. Tuying states: Luliao seedlings treat wind diseases. This was also an accidental use of emesis therapy!

Another woman, over thirty, suffered from chronic loose stools for a year. It was said there was stagnation in deficiency. She took Wuyou San every five to seven days, up to twenty doses, with no effect. She then took Chanji Dan and Ruanjin Wan, all ineffective. The faster she took medicine, the worse her condition became, and her intake decreased. Someone told her, "This is resting dysentery." Moxibustion should be applied to Zhongwan (CV12) and surrounding points, Qihai (CV6), and Pangguang (BL28), guided by Zusanli (ST36), annually on Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice. Over ten thousand moxa cones were used. Suddenly, someone outside said, "I know this disease well; it is caused by excessive fluid retention. Peach blossoms are blooming now. When they fall, prick the calyxes with long thorns, obtaining dozens, avoiding hand contact. Mix with white flour into cakes, cook over moderate fire, chew thoroughly, and swallow with rice soup." The patient followed this. Within one or two hours, diarrhea poured forth. For six or seven days, she defecated hundreds of times, becoming unconscious and only asking for cold water to sip slowly. By day six or seven, she regained consciousness. Thereafter, her diet increased, spirit revived, and Qi-blood harmonized. Within a few years, she bore two children. Unaware of the efficacy of peach calyxes in resolving stagnation, this was an accidental use of purgation therapy!

I once passed Zhulin and saw a boy who had swallowed copper and iron objects, becoming ill and emaciated, unable to support his body. In June or July, continuous rain prevented cooking fuel, causing starvation for days. One day, a neighbor's ox died. Hearing rice was being cooked, the starving boy ate heavily. Later, he suffered violent diarrhea, felt intestinal pain, and expelled the swallowed objects. I realized the Neijing principle: "When the Liver suffers from tension, sweet foods soothe it." Beef, jujube, and Malva verticillata are sweet substances that relax the intestines. With empty intestines and these foods, the metals were expelled. This was an accidental use of purgation therapy!

An eighty-year-old man suffered from sluggish viscera and constipation for days. Before defecating, he saw stars, felt dizzy, had nasal congestion, lower back pain, and reduced appetite. Even if he ate, stool was hard as pellets. One day, a friend served stewed Malva with oil and spinach. He ate it regularly. Bowels moved freely, appetite increased, and spirit cleared. At ninety, he noted spinach's coolness benefits the intestines; sesame oil fried and eaten benefits bowel movements; Malva widens the intestines and promotes urination. For the elderly, difficulty in bowel and bladder movement is urgent. This was an accidental use of purgation therapy!

Formerly, a scholar Zhao Zhongwen fell ill suddenly before exams. His eyes were red and swollen, obscured by nebulae, unable to see paths, suffering severe pain, wishing to die. One day, relaxing with peers in a tea house, a window hook detached, striking his forehead, splitting the hairline three or four cun, bleeding several sheng. Once bleeding stopped, he felt relieved, could navigate home, distinguish roof ridges the next day, and tile grooves shortly after, recovering fully within days. No medicine or needles were used; accidental hemorrhage cured him! Hemorrhage is a form of sweating. This was an accidental use of hemorrhage therapy!

Alas! Those discussing major diseases, abandoning sweating, purgation, and emesis, what else is worth mentioning? Readers may laugh at this view, but current physicians should examine it carefully. If one carefully discerns error within truth and truth within error, repeatedly investigating, no disease remains uncured. I write this so future scholars understand my intent is not fleeting. Another case: a blind person craved bitter lettuce, eating it constantly. Doctors suspected parasites. Within a year, eyes itched like insects moving, vision gradually clarified, then suddenly restored. Similarly, Northern nobles love dairy, butter, raw fish, deer jerky, pork bacon, and rich seafood—these promote parasite growth. Yet they don't get parasites because banquets include coriander, licorice, and fermented sauces, which kill parasites. This was an accidental use of dietary therapy! Wise readers should extrapolate from this.