长沙李文正公(东阳)自言三十九岁时患脾病其症能食而不能化因节不多食渐节渐寡几至
废食
气渐 形日就惫医咸谓瘵也以药补之病愈剧岁将暮医曰吾伎且穷矣若春木旺则脾土必伤重吾
父闻之甚忧会有老医孙景祥来视曰及春而解因怪问之孙曰病在心火故得木而解彼谓脾病者不
揣其本故也子得非有忧郁之患乎曰嘻是也盖是时有丧妻亡弟悲怆交集积久成病非惟医不能识
而自亦忘之矣于是尽去旧药悉听孙说三日而一药药不过四五剂及春来瘥因自叹曰医不能识病
而欲拯人之危难矣哉又叹曰世之徇名遗实以躯命托之庸人之手亦岂少矣哉向不此医之值而徒
托诸所谓名医不当补而补至于羸惫而莫知悟也因录以自戒(麓堂文集)
盛文纪以医名吴中有谢训导病头疼发热恶寒初作外感治或以风治见热则退热痛则止疼或
又以
气虚治由是病转剧人事不省饮食已绝家人意其必死谢曰吾病惟盛文纪不曾视脉命其子延至盛
乃诊视曰君几误死法当先去其滞遂用二陈汤加大黄六七钱令守者曰急煎俾服至夜分左眼若动
肝气乃舒大泄则有可生之机矣至夜半时觉腹中有声左眼果开遗秽物斗许中有坚硬如卵之状以
竹刀剖视之即痰裹面食也既而气舒结散津液流通即索食矣众医问故盛曰谢君北人也久居于吴
饮酒食面皆能助湿湿能伤脾脾土一亏百病交作有是病服是药更何疑焉众医咸服
长沙李文正公（李东阳）自己说，三十九岁时患上脾病，症状是能够进食但无法消化，因此逐渐减少饮食，吃得越来越少，几乎到了废食的地步。气息日渐虚弱，身体一天比一天疲惫，医生们都认为是痨病（虚劳），用药物进补，结果病情更加严重。快到年底时，医生说：“我的办法已经用尽了。”如果等到春天木气旺盛的时候，脾土必然受到克制，这将加重我父亲的病情。他父亲听了非常担忧。
恰逢有位老医生孙景祥来诊治，说：“等到春天就会痊愈。”大家对此感到奇怪并询问原因。孙景祥说：“这个病根源在心火，所以得到木气的疏泄就能解除。那些说是脾病的人，没有探究疾病的根本。”他又问李东阳：“您莫非有忧郁的病患吗？”李东阳说：“唉，确实是这样。当时因为丧妻亡弟，悲伤与怆痛交织在一起，积久成疾。不仅医生没能识别出来，我自己也忘记了这件事。”于是，李东阳完全停用旧药，全部听从孙景祥的建议。三天后，只服用了三四剂药，药量不过四五次。到了春天，病就好了。李东阳因而感叹道：医生如果不能识别疾病，却想要拯救他人的危难，这太难了！他又感叹道：世上追逐名声而忽视实际疗效，将性命托付给庸医之手的人，难道还少吗？如果不是遇到这位医生的价值，而是仅仅托付给所谓的“名医”，在不该补的时候乱补，以至于身体羸弱疲惫而不知醒悟。于是记录此事以自我警戒。（出自《麓堂文集》）
盛文纪在吴中地区以医术闻名。有一位谢训导生病，出现头痛、发热、恶寒的症状，起初被当作外感治疗。有的医生按风邪治疗，见热就退热，见痛就止痛；有的又按气虚治疗，导致病情反而加重，人事不省，饮食断绝。家人认为他必死无疑。谢训导说：“我的病只有盛文纪不曾诊脉。”于是让他的儿子去邀请盛文纪。盛文纪诊视后说：“您差点误死。治法应当先去去除体内的积滞。”于是使用二陈汤加大黄六七钱，嘱咐看守者说：“赶快煎煮让他服用。”到了半夜，左眼若动，肝气得以舒展，大泻之后就有生机了。到了半夜时分，觉得腹中有声响，左眼果然睁开，排泄出污秽物约一斗，其中夹杂着坚硬如蛋状的东西。用竹刀剖开查看，原来是痰裹着面食。随后气息舒畅，结聚消散，津液流通，便索要食物了。众医生询问缘故，盛文纪说：“谢君是北方人，长期居住在吴地，饮酒吃面都能助湿，湿气能损伤脾土。脾土一旦亏损，百病交作。有这样的病，就用这样的药，还有什么可怀疑的呢？”众医生都信服。
Li Dongyang, the Duke of Liwen Zheng from Changsha, stated that at the age of thirty-nine, he suffered from a Spleen disease. The symptoms were an ability to eat but an inability to digest, leading him to gradually reduce his food intake until he was nearly unable to eat at all. His Qi (vital energy) became increasingly deficient, and his body grew more exhausted day by day. Physicians all diagnosed it as Zhai disease (consumptive disease/chronic deficiency), and treatment with tonifying herbs aggravated the condition. As the year drew to a close, one physician said, "My methods are exhausted." If the Wood phase becomes vigorous in spring, it will inevitably injure the Spleen Earth, severely worsening my father's condition. His father heard this with great anxiety.
At that time, an old physician named Sun Jingxiang came to examine him and predicted, "It will resolve when spring arrives." Everyone found this strange and asked for an explanation. Sun replied, "The root of the illness lies in Heart Fire; thus, it resolves through the dispersing action of Wood. Those who diagnosed it as a Spleen disease failed to investigate its root cause." He then asked, "Did you perhaps suffer from melancholy?" Li replied, "Alas, indeed so. At that time, having lost his wife and younger brother, grief and sorrow intertwined, forming a chronic illness over time. Not only did physicians fail to recognize it, but I myself had forgotten it." Consequently, Li completely discontinued his previous medications and followed Sun's advice entirely. After three days, he took only three or four doses, with each dose being modest. By spring, the illness had healed. Li sighed and said, "If physicians cannot identify diseases, how can they hope to rescue people from danger?" He further sighed, "In the world, there are many who pursue fame while neglecting substance, entrusting their lives to the hands of mediocre physicians. Had I not encountered the value of this physician, but instead entrusted myself to so-called 'famous doctors,' who would have tonified when they should not have, leading to emaciation and exhaustion without realization. I record this to warn myself." (From *Lutang Wenji*)
Sheng Wenji was renowned for his medical skills in the Wu region. A teaching official named Xie fell ill with headache, fever, and aversion to cold. Initially treated as an external contraction, some physicians treated it as Wind pathogen, applying heat-clearing measures for fever and pain-relieving measures for pain. Others treated it as Qi deficiency. Consequently, the condition worsened significantly, leading to unconsciousness and cessation of food and drink intake. His family believed death was inevitable. Xie said, "Only Sheng Wenji has not yet examined my pulse." His son was sent to invite Sheng. Upon examination, Sheng said, "You were nearly killed by misdiagnosis. The treatment must first eliminate stagnation." He prescribed Er Chen Tang (Two-Cured Decoction) with 6-7 qian of Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma). He instructed the attendants, "Boil it urgently and administer it." By midnight, if the left eye moved, the Liver Qi would relax, and profuse diarrhea would indicate a chance of survival. Around midnight, sounds were heard in the abdomen, and the left eye indeed opened. He excreted about one dou of fecal matter containing hard, egg-like masses. Dissecting them with a bamboo knife revealed phlegm-wrapped wheat flour products. Subsequently, his Qi relaxed, stagnation dispersed, fluids circulated, and he requested food. When the other physicians asked for the reason, Sheng explained, "Official Xie is from the North but has lived long in Wu. Alcohol and wheat noodles both generate dampness. Dampness injures the Spleen. Once Spleen Earth is deficient, myriad diseases arise. With such a disease, using such medicine leaves no room for doubt." All physicians were convinced.