典藏书目

The sages established laws to govern the world, all derived from the Correct Path (Zheng). Human beings live between Heaven and Earth; Six Excesses (Liu Qi, referring to Wind, Cold, Summerheat, Dampness, Dryness, and Fire) are affected externally, and Seven Emotions (Qi Qing, referring to Joy, Anger, Worry, Thought, Sorrow, Fear, and Fright) are injured internally. Additionally, due to irregular diet and overexertion, the diseases that arise are indeed too numerous to enumerate. I shall speak only of Eye Diseases (Mu Bing) as an example. The eye is the orifice of the Liver (Gan), and the ocular wheels correspond to the Five Zang Organs (Wu Zang). Kidney Water (Shen Shui) nourishes it, and Gallbladder Juice (Dan Zhi) controls it. Any pathogenic influence can cause harm. One must examine whether the condition is Deficiency (Xu) and tonify it, or Excess (Shi) and drain it. If Pathogenic Factors (Xie Qi) are abundant while Healthy Qi (Zheng Qi) is deficient, one should combine tonification with draining, or draining with tonification. This is the Correct Method (Zheng Fa). It is regrettable that the Correct Method has been lost, and Incorrect Methods (Xie Fa) have arisen in confusion. How can one count those who have suffered from them? It is necessary to strictly distinguish them. For instance, some use needles to puncture the upper and lower eyelids, first drawing blood, then rubbing the inner eyelid with metal instruments. Over time, this inevitably leads to the formation of Opacities (Yi Zhang), because Blood (Xue) is damaged and Pathogenic Factors remain undispersed. Some lick the eyeball with their tongue, seeking the reputation of ancient "filial piety affecting heaven," but without sincerity, often breaking the eyeball. The tongue is the sprout of the Heart (Xin), and the Pupil (Tong Shen) is the essence of the Kidney (Shen). Using Heart Fire (Xin Huo) to overcome Kidney Water causes injury. Some consume spicy foods, drink distilled liquor, warm themselves by fire, or expose themselves to the sun, absurdly claiming to "attack heat with heat." This is like providing grain to the enemy and handing a blade to the thief. Some apply dust from scraped fingernails, gold, or jade to the eyes. To subject delicate tissues to hard, rigid substances—how could they not be injured? Some use decoctions of Coptis Rhizome (Huanglian Tang) or Mint (Bohe Tang), mud, well water, egg white, rock crystal, or gold and silver, using their cooling properties to wash the eyes. This inevitably causes Blood stasis and induces complicated changes, which is truly worrying. Furthermore, there are physicians who, without examining complexion, lesion location, Zang-Fu organs, and meridians, indiscriminately prescribe formulas such as Chrysanthemum Decoction for Cleansing the Heart (Juhua Xixin San), Dragon’s Gallbladder Four Substances Decoction (Longdan Siwu Tang), Three Yellows Decoction (Sanhuang Tang), or Sheep Liver Pills (Yanggan Wan), treating symptoms randomly. These are truly what Xu Lingtai called "inferior physicians." Generally, eye diseases take the Liver and Kidney as the root. Abandoning the root to follow the branch is not the Correct Method. The distinction between Correct and Incorrect methods is clear and obvious. Confucianism has its orthodox school, and medicine also has its orthodox school. Students must beware of being confused by heterodox paths.

The *Lingshu Jing* states: The nose is the official organ of the Lung (Fei); the eye is the official organ of the Liver; the lips are the official organ of the Spleen (Pi); the tongue is the official organ of the Heart; the ear is the official organ of the Kidney. Meridian Qi (Jingluo) and Blood (Xueqi) all ascend to the face and traverse the orifices. Its refined Yang Qi ascends to the eyes to form vision; its distinct Qi flows to the ears to form hearing; its Ancestral Qi (Zong Qi) emerges from the nose to form smell; its turbid Qi exits from the Stomach (Wei), flowing to the lips to form taste.