吴江孙质庵老先生行人，时患痛风，两手自肩 及曲池，以至手梢，两足自膝及跟尻，
肿痛更甚，痛处热，饮食少，请告南还，而伏蓐者三年。里有吴君九宜者，沈考功西席也。
见予起后渠疾，因语行人逆予。诊其脉，皆弦细而数，面青肌瘦，大小腿肉皆削。予与言∶
此病得之禀气弱，下虚多内，以伤其阴也。在燕地又多寒。经云∶气主煦之，血主濡之。今
阴血虚，则筋失养，故营不营于中；气为寒束，百骸拘挛，故卫不卫于外。营卫不行，故肢节
肿
而痛，痛而热，病名周痹是也。治当养血舒筋，疏湿润躁，使经络通畅，则肿消热退，而
痛止矣。痛止，即以大补阴血之剂实其下元，则腿肉复生。稍愈之后，愿加珍重，年余始可
出户。行人闻而喜曰∶果如公言，是起白骨而肉之也。吾即未药，病似半去，惟公命剂。予
先
以五加皮、苍术、黄柏、苍耳子、当归、红花、苡仁、羌活、防风、秦艽、紫荆皮。服之二
十剂，而筋渐舒，肿渐消，痛减大半。更以生地、龟板、牛膝、苍术、黄柏、晚蚕砂、苍耳
子、苡仁、海桐皮、当归、秦艽，三十剂而肿痛全减。行人公益喜。予曰∶病加于小愈，公
下元虚惫，非岁月不能充实。古谓难足而易败者，阴也。须痛戒洒色，自培根本，斯饮药有效
，而沉 可除。据公六脉轻清流利，官必腰金，愿葆真以俟之，万毋自轻，来春气和，可北
上也。乃用仙茅为君，枸杞子、牛膝、鹿角胶、虎骨、人参为臣，熟地黄、黄柏、晚蚕砂、茯
苓、苍耳子为佐，桂心、秦艽、泽泻为使，蜜丸服，百日腿肉长完，精神复旧。又喜语予
曰∶贫官何以称报，撰次公济人泽物盛德于沈考功册后，以彰盛美云。后十年，行人官至江
西副宪。
吴江孙质庵老先生担任行人一职，当时患有痛风病，双手从肩部及曲池穴，一直延伸到手指尖；双足从膝盖及脚跟臀部，肿痛更加严重，疼痛部位发热，饮食减少。他请假南归，却卧床不起长达三年。同乡有位吴九宜先生，是沈考功家的家庭教师。他看到我治好了行人的疾病，于是请行人来拜见我。我诊察他的脉象，都是弦细而数（脉象端直以长如按琴弦为弦，脉道细小如线为细，一息五至以上为数），面色青暗，肌肉消瘦，大小腿的肌肉都萎缩了。我对他说：这个病是由于禀赋体质虚弱，下焦虚损且多有内热，从而损伤了阴液。在燕地生活又多受寒邪侵袭。《内经》说：气主要起温煦作用，血主要起濡养作用。现在阴血亏虚，筋脉失去濡养，所以营气不能在体内正常运行；气被寒邪束缚，全身关节拘挛，所以卫气不能在外正常护卫。营卫之气运行不畅，所以肢体关节肿胀而疼痛，疼痛伴有发热，这种病名叫周痹。治疗应当养血舒筋，疏风润燥，使经络通畅，那么肿胀消退、热退，疼痛也就停止了。疼痛停止后，再用大补阴血的方剂充实下元，腿部肌肉就能重新生长。病情稍有好转后，希望您多加保重，一年多以后才可以出门。行人听后高兴地说：果真像您说的，这是能让白骨生肉啊。我还没吃药，病似乎好了一半，只听您的处方用药。我先用五加皮、苍术、黄柏、苍耳子、当归、红花、薏苡仁、羌活、防风、秦艽、紫荆皮。服用二十剂后，筋脉逐渐舒展，肿胀逐渐消退，疼痛减轻大半。接着改用生地、龟板、牛膝、苍术、黄柏、晚蚕砂、苍耳子、薏苡仁、海桐皮、当归、秦艽，服用三十剂后，肿痛完全消除。行人更加高兴。我说：病情在刚见好转时容易反复，您下元虚惫，不是短时间能恢复的。古人说难以补足而易于耗败的是阴精。必须严格戒除酒色，自我培补根本，这样服药才有效，沉疴才能去除。根据您的六脉轻清流利，您必定会腰缠万贯（指高官厚禄），希望您保养真气来等待那一天，千万不要自轻自贱，等到明年春天气候和暖，就可以北上了。于是用仙茅作为君药，枸杞子、牛膝、鹿角胶、虎骨、人参作为臣药，熟地黄、黄柏、晚蚕砂、茯苓、苍耳子作为佐药，桂心、秦艽、泽泻作为使药，制成蜜丸服用，一百天后腿部肌肉长全，精神恢复到旧日状态。他又高兴地对我说：我这个贫寒的官员如何报答？我将把您济世救人的盛大功德撰写在沈考功的书册后面，以彰显您的美好德行。十年后，行人官至江西副宪。
Mr. Sun Zhi'an from Wujiang, serving as a Xingren (Censorial Official), was suffering from gout at the time. His hands swelled and hurt from the shoulders and Quchi (LI11) acupoint down to the fingertips; his feet swelled and hurt severely from the knees and heels/buttocks. The painful areas were hot, his appetite was poor, and he requested leave to return south, remaining bedridden for three years. A gentleman named Wu Jiuyi in the neighborhood, who was a private tutor for Scholar Shen Kaogong, saw me cure the official's illness and invited him to consult me. Upon examining his pulse, I found it string-taut, fine, and rapid (Xian Xi Shu). His complexion was dark green, muscles emaciated, and the flesh of both thighs and calves wasted away. I said to him: This disease stems from weak constitutional qi, deficiency in the lower jiao with internal heat, which has damaged Yin fluids. Living in Yan also exposed him to excessive cold. As the Classics state: Qi provides warmth, Blood provides nourishment. Now, with deficient Yin and Blood, the sinews lose nourishment, so Ying (Nutritive) Qi cannot circulate within; constrained by Cold, the hundred bones become spasmodic, so Wei (Defensive) Qi cannot protect the exterior. With Ying and Wei Qi failing to circulate, the limbs and joints swell and hurt, with heat accompanying the pain; this condition is called Zhou Bi (General Bi Syndrome). Treatment should focus on nourishing Blood and relaxing sinews, dispersing wind and moistening dryness, so that the meridians become unobstructed, swelling subsides, heat recedes, and pain ceases. Once the pain stops, use a major formula to tonify Yin and Blood to strengthen the lower Yuan, allowing leg muscles to regenerate. After slight improvement, you must take great care; only after more than a year can you venture outdoors. The official listened happily and said: Truly as you say, this is bringing life back to bones! Even before taking medicine, my illness seems half gone; I will follow your prescription. I initially prescribed Eucommiae Cortex (Wujia Pi), Atractylodis Rhizoma (Cang Zhu), Phellodendri Cortex (Huang Bai), Xanthii Fructus (Cang Er Zi), Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Dang Gui), Carthami Flos (Hong Hua), Coicis Semen (Yi Yi Ren), Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix (Qiang Huo), Saposhnikoviae Radix (Fang Feng), Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix (Qin Jiao), and Broussonetiae Cortex (Zijing Pi). After taking twenty doses, sinews gradually relaxed, swelling diminished, and pain reduced by more than half. Then I switched to Rehmanniae Radix (Sheng Di), Testudinis et Plastrum (Gui Ban), Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix (Niu Xi), Atractylodis Rhizoma (Cang Zhu), Phellodendri Cortex (Huang Bai), Bombyx Batryticatus (Wan Can Sha), Xanthii Fructus (Cang Er Zi), Coicis Semen (Yi Yi Ren), Sapindus Mukurossi Cortex (Haitong Pi), Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Dang Gui), and Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix (Qin Jiao). After thirty doses, swelling and pain completely subsided. The official was even happier. I said: Illnesses tend to relapse when slightly improved. Your lower Yuan is exhausted; it cannot be filled in a short time. The ancients said that what is hard to replenish but easy to deplete is Yin Essence. You must strictly abstain from alcohol and sexual activity to cultivate your root, so that medication will be effective and chronic ailments removed. Based on your six pulses being light, clear, and smooth, you are destined for high office and wealth. Preserve your True Qi and wait; do not belittle yourself. When the spring climate becomes harmonious next year, you may travel north. Thus, I used Morus Albae Cortex (Xian Mao - *Note: Xian Mao usually refers to Curculiginis Rhizoma, here likely a specific usage or typo in original context, translated as Curculiginis Rhizoma*) as the Sovereign herb, Lycii Fructus (Gou Qi Zi), Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix (Niu Xi), Cervi Cornu Colla (Lu Jiao Jiao), Ossis Tigris (Hu Gu - *Tiger Bone, prohibited/protected, historically used*), and Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Ren Shen) as Ministers; Prepared Rehmanniae Radix (Shu Di Huang), Phellodendri Cortex (Huang Bai), Bombyx Batryticatus (Wan Can Sha), Poria (Fu Ling), and Xanthii Fructus (Cang Er Zi) as Assistants; Cinnamomi Cortex (Gui Xin), Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix (Qin Jiao), and Alismatis Rhizoma (Ze Xie) as Guides. These were made into honey pills. After one hundred days, leg muscles were fully restored, and spirit returned to normal. He joyfully told me: How can a poor official repay you? I will compile your great virtue of saving people and benefiting things in Scholar Shen's book postscript to highlight your noble deeds. Ten years later, the official rose to the position of Vice Commissioner of Jiangxi.