典藏书目

Mr. Kuai Liang recounted two cases he knew of: One person had a tumor on the corner of his forehead; when the physician incised it, a black stone chess piece was extracted, which could not be damaged even by striking it with a giant axe. Another person had a tumor on the lower leg; because a relative's dog was biting the tumor, over a hundred needles were extracted from within, all of which were still usable, and the patient recovered (from *Ji Shen Lu*).

Liu Xizu was skilled in divination. His wife suffered from "rat tumor" (a type of subcutaneous nodule or cyst) for many years without improvement, and her life was in danger. Liu performed a divination and obtained the hexagram *Yi* (The Jaw). According to the hexagram's interpretation, he deduced that a person surnamed Shi should treat her, and she would recover after a rat was caught. Soon after, a servant in the village named Shi claimed to be able to cure this disease. Three acupuncture points were moxibusted on the patient's head, and she felt better. Suddenly, a rat ran directly in front of them and lay down. They called a dog to bite it. Upon inspection, the rat's head showed three marks from the moxibustion. The wife then recovered (from *Shi Yi Ji*).

A scholar named Li from Fuliang suffered from an itching condition on his back, where the skin rose like an inverted bowl. There was no pain, only unbearable itching. His diet decreased daily, and no one could identify the disease. Physician Qin Deli examined him and said, "This is 'louse tumor' (a tumor harboring parasites); I can cure it." He applied medicine to the lesion and wrapped a layer of cotton bandage around it. After one night, the tumor ruptured, discharging about one *dou* (approx. 10 liters) of lice, all of which were wriggling and active. That day, his body felt light, but a small hole, the size of a chopstick tip, failed to heal. Lice continued to emerge endlessly, leading to his death. I recall a Tang dynasty novel recording that when Jia Wei Gong governed Huatai, a citizen fell ill. Jia Wei Gong stated that no ordinary medicine could cure it; only the ash of a thousand-year-old wooden comb and water used by a Yellow Dragon could heal it. This case is similar.

Pain preceding swelling indicates Qi injuring Form; swelling preceding pain indicates Form injuring Qi. When Wind dominates, there is movement/tremor; when Heat dominates, there is swelling/redness; when Dryness dominates, there is dryness/withering; when Cold dominates, there is edema/fluid retention; when Dampness dominates, there is dampness/softness.

*Shi Ming* states: "Swelling" (Zhong) implies gathering/concentration, caused by the accumulation of Cold and Heat pathogens (from *Taiping Yulan*).

To treat men with scrotal swelling as large as a *sheng* (approx. 5 liters), accompanied by nodular pain, which is difficult for others to cure, crush fresh *Mabiancao* (Calystegia hederacea / Hedge Bindweed Herb) and apply externally.

For sudden vacuous swelling and pain of the pediatric scrotum, mix raw *Gancao* (Licorice Root) with earthworm feces and apply gently.

Burn broken straw sandals and tangled hair into ash, mix with vinegar, and apply externally to treat heat-toxin wandering swelling (from *Bencao*).

Use half a *jin* of *Zhishi* (Immature Bitter Orange Fruit), crush and stir-fry until cooked. Wrap in old cloth and apply as a hot compress; replace when cool (ibid.).

A sixty-one-year-old man had swollen feet with sores. After suddenly eating pork, he felt unwell. The physician induced diarrhea with medicine, and he improved slightly. Later, he contracted wind-stroke while going out. After sweating, his head and face swelled suddenly, turning purple-black. He became lethargic, and blisters and small sores appeared on his earlobes, oozing yellow fluid. The physician administered *Xiao Xuming Tang* (Minor Continue Life Decoction) with double the dosage of *Qianghuo* (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix), decocted and given orally. He subsequently recovered (from *Bencao Yan yi*).