盛夏酷热，烁石流金，汗出过多，未有不伤气者。内经云∶热伤气。又云∶壮火食气。
故治
之必顾气分，补气之药，孰有过于参哉？孙真人生脉散，东垣清暑益气汤，丹溪十味香薷饮
，皆人人共见之方，未有不用参者。至人参白虎汤，乃《金匮》中 门专主之方，《金匮》
乃医圣仲景之书，是不足法，更何法也？今人见中暑之症，往往疑为时邪而不敢用，不知四
时不正之气，如春当暖反凉，夏当热反寒，秋当凉反热，冬当寒反温，感而病者，谓之时邪
。暑乃六气中之一气，本天地之正热，应时而至，人或不慎，感之而病，是直中暑而已。不
得混谓之时邪也。竟有霍然撩乱，上吐下泻，汗出如油，阳微欲绝，非重用参、附，不能挽
救者。犹记亡友刘南士云∶其兄文星，精堪舆之学，七月初，为人相地，在罗店地方，中暑
霍乱，吐泻交作，十指螺纹尽瘪，危在顷刻，医尽束手。适有友人周介儒，在其地处馆，视
之，以为气虚欲脱也。重用一味高丽参，煎汤服之，吐泻顿止，螺纹尽绽。及南士闻信赶至
，已愈矣。皆惊以为奇，而不知非奇也，人特不细思耳。盖文星体素肥胖，外有余者，中气
必不足；又当秋暑方张之日，履地劳苦之事，气之伤也决矣。既经大吐、大泻、大汗，舍参
无别法矣。其效之神速，不亦宜乎？或曰；暑天岂无秽浊之气，何可用参以补住之？ 余曰∶
此病之所以贵乎看也，果有秽浊，原不可补。不知当大吐泻之后，即有秽浊，亦必尽去，此
时不补其气，更有何法可用？况亦有本无秽浊，而仅感暑气，体虚不克支持者乎？奈何执暑天
不可用补之说，坐令有可治之法，而听其不治也。
盛夏时节酷热难耐，高温足以熔化金石，出汗过多，没有不损伤元气的。《内经》说：热邪会损伤元气。又说：壮火（亢盛的阳热之气）会消耗元气。
因此治疗时必须顾护气分，补气药物中，有比人参更合适的吗？孙思邈的“生脉散”，李东垣的“清暑益气汤”，朱丹溪的“十味香薷饮”，都是大家常见的方剂，这些方子中没有不用人参的。至于“人参白虎汤”，是《金匮要略》中专门针对中暍（中暑）的主方，《金匮要略》是医圣张仲景的著作，如果这都不值得效法，还效法什么呢？
现在的人见到中暑的症状，往往怀疑是时行邪气（时邪）而不敢用人参，不知道四季不正之气，比如春天该暖反凉，夏天该热反寒，秋天该凉反热，冬天该寒反温，人体感受这种邪气而生病的，才称为时邪。暑气是六气（风、寒、暑、湿、燥、火）中的一种，本是天地间正常的热气，顺应时令而来，人如果不谨慎，感受它而生病，这就是直接的中暑罢了。不能混淆称之为时邪。
竟然有病情突然混乱，上吐下泻，汗出如油，阳气微弱几乎断绝的情况，非重用参、附（人参、附子），不能挽救。我还记得已故的朋友刘南士说过：他的哥哥刘文星，精通堪舆（风水）之学，七月初，为人看风水，在罗店这个地方，因中暑患霍乱，呕吐腹泻交替发作，十个手指的螺纹全部瘪陷，危在旦夕，医生们都束手无策。恰好有位朋友周介儒，在当地馆舍教书，诊治后认为这是气虚欲脱。重用一味高丽参，煎汤服用，呕吐腹泻立刻停止，手指螺纹全部舒展。等到刘南士听到消息赶去时，病人已经痊愈了。大家都惊讶地认为是奇迹，却不知道并不奇怪，只是人们不仔细思考罢了。因为刘文星身体向来肥胖，外表看似有余，体内元气必定不足；又正值秋暑正盛之时，从事踩踏土地劳苦之事，元气受损是必然的。既然经历了大吐、大泻、大汗，除了人参别无他法。其疗效神速，不也是理所当然的吗？
有人问：暑天难道没有秽浊之气吗？为什么可以用参来补住它呢？我说：这正是看病贵在辨证的原因，果真有秽浊，原本确实不可进补。但要知道在大吐大泻之后，即使有秽浊，也必然已经排尽，此时若不补气，还有什么方法可用？况且也有本来就没有秽浊，仅仅感受暑气，身体虚弱无法支撑的情况呢？为何要固执于暑天不可用补的说法，坐视有可治的方法，却听任其不治呢？
In the height of summer, when the heat is scorching enough to melt stones and gold, excessive sweating invariably damages Qi (Vital Energy). The *Neijing* states: "Heat injures Qi." It also says: "Excessive Fire consumes Qi."
Therefore, treatment must attend to the Qi aspect. Among tonifying herbs, which is superior to Ginseng? Sun Simiao's Shengmai San (Pulse-Generating Powder), Li Dongyuan's Qingshu Yiqi Tang (Clear Summerheat and Boost Qi Decoction), and Zhu Danxi's Shiwei Xiangru Yin (Ten-Ingredient Mosla Decoction) are formulas well-known to all; none of them omit Ginseng. As for Renshen Baihu Tang (Ginseng and White Tiger Decoction), it is the primary formula in the *Jinkui Yaolue* (Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet) specifically for treating Zhongshu (Summerheat Stroke). The *Jinkui Yaolue* is a work by the Medical Sage Zhang Zhongjing; if this is not worthy of emulation, what else is?
Today, when people encounter symptoms of summerheat stroke, they often suspect it to be a seasonal pathogen (Shixie) and dare not use Ginseng. They fail to realize that "abnormal Qi of the four seasons"—such as spring being cold instead of warm, summer being cold instead of hot, autumn being hot instead of cool, and winter being warm instead of cold—which causes disease upon contraction, is termed Shixie. Summerheat is one of the Six Qi (Wind, Cold, Summerheat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire); it is originally the normal heat of Heaven and Earth, arriving according to the season. If one is careless and contracts it, resulting in illness, this is simply direct summerheat stroke. It should not be confused with Shixie.
There are cases where the condition suddenly becomes chaotic, with vomiting and diarrhea occurring simultaneously, sweat oozing like oil, and Yang Qi so weak it is on the verge of collapse. Such cases cannot be saved without heavy doses of Ginseng and Aconite (Fuzi). I still remember my late friend Liu Nanshi saying: His brother, Liu Wenxing, was an expert in Fengshui (Geomancy). In early July, while surveying land in Luodian, he contracted summerheat-induced Huoluan (Cholera-like disorder), suffering from alternating vomiting and diarrhea. The whorls on his ten fingers collapsed completely, and he was in critical condition, moment by moment. All physicians were at a loss. Fortunately, a friend named Zhou Jieru, who was teaching at a local academy, examined him and diagnosed it as Qi deficiency with impending collapse. He prescribed a heavy dose of a single herb, Korean Ginseng (Gaolishen), decocted in water. Upon ingestion, the vomiting and diarrhea ceased immediately, and the finger whorls reappeared. When Liu Nanshi arrived after hearing the news, his brother had already recovered. Everyone marveled at it as a miracle, unaware that it was not miraculous, but rather that people failed to think carefully. Since Wenxing was naturally obese, his exterior appeared robust, but his interior Qi must have been deficient. Furthermore, during the peak of autumn summerheat, engaging in laborious outdoor work inevitably injured his Qi. After experiencing severe vomiting, diarrhea, and sweating, there was no method other than using Ginseng. Was it not appropriate that its effect was swift and miraculous?
Some might ask: Is there no turbid or foul Qi in summer? How can one use Ginseng to tonify and retain it? I reply: This highlights why diagnosis requires careful differentiation. If there truly is turbidity, tonification is indeed contraindicated. However, after severe vomiting and diarrhea, any existing turbidity would necessarily have been expelled. At this point, if one does not tonify Qi, what other method remains? Moreover, are there not cases where there is no turbidity at all, only a contraction of summerheat Qi, leaving the body too weak to sustain itself? Why adhere rigidly to the notion that tonification is forbidden in summer, thereby sitting idly by while treatable conditions go untreated?