典藏书目

In Shanghai, there was a physician versed in both Chinese and Western medicine who ran a shop selling medicines. His treatments often involved the use of scalpels and needles; he did not take pulses nor prescribe herbal formulas.

I once witnessed a villager suffering from *Ge* syndrome (a condition characterized by obstruction in the chest and diaphragm, making swallowing difficult) seeking treatment. The physician gave him several pills to take home. After ingestion, the patient felt his intestines and stomach as if burning and cracking, with his whole body feeling like it was on fire. Shortly after, he vomited two objects resembling fireflies but twice their size, which were still wriggling.

During the follow-up visit the next day, upon learning the details, the physician said, "This disease is incurable. There are countless such creatures in the abdomen. If medication is taken, those vomited out will die, and those remaining inside will also die. Although these have been vomited out, they are still alive, indicating that this is not something medicine can kill."

The villager wept and begged for help. The physician handed him a letter and four silver coins, instructing him to go to a specific location to seek another doctor. The villager went there, and after reading the letter, the second physician slowly took out a small amount of medicinal liquid, applied it to the area below both breasts and the anterior back region. He then instructed the patient to lie supine on a chair equipped with mechanical buttons that restrained his hands and feet. The physician produced a sharp knife, incised the area where the medicine had been applied, and probed with his fingers but found nothing. He then covered the wound with medicine again. The patient later recounted that although his heart trembled during the incision, the pain was not severe, yet his illness remained unresolved.

Another individual sought treatment for an eye disorder. The physician removed two insects from a box, which resembled locusts but were smaller, placed them on the eye, and they consumed almost all the corneal opacity (nebula), resulting in the immediate disappearance of the old ailment.

However, this method largely relies on brute force. It is indeed unsuitable for internal disorders. Even for sores and ulcers, it often involves cutting away flesh; while it may be tolerable for robust individuals, applying it to those with weak constitutions might cause even more severe harm.

Liang Cangshi commented: Reading classics such as the *Suwen* (Basic Questions) and *Lingshu* (Spiritual Pivot), one learns that practicing medicine requires penetrating the profound mysteries of Yin and Yang. By the late Han Dynasty, Hua Yuanhua (Hua Tuo) replaced herbal remedies with surgical knives and axes, which ultimately belonged to the external branches of medical practice. Since his works are no longer extant, Western medicine seems to have inherited only one aspect of this approach. However, since its efficacy is not particularly high, it appears to be somewhat superficial or inaccurate.

For patients suffering from sudden collapse or stroke-induced numbness and insensibility of the limbs, electrical energy can provide treatment. The method involves placing wires against the affected areas, similar to acupuncture and moxibustion, or having the patient press their body and hands against a cylinder containing stored electricity, which yields quick results. This is because electrical energy follows the meridians and collaterals, operating within the joints, and its effect is indeed very rapid.