Written By Jun Heo(許浚, 1539~1615), Translated by Namil Kim, Wung Seok Cha et al., Published by Ministry of Health & Welfare (Korea)
Qi Stagnation 氣鬱 기울
① Zhu Zhenheng said, “When qi disease first occurs, it is not apparent. Because of the seven emotions, six qi and food, fluid and humor cannot flow, and the clear and the turbid mix with each other, causing qi to turn into accumulation, and then to phlegm. When qi is stagnated like this, the epigastric region is blocked and there is pain.”
② The Orthodox Transmission of Medicine (正傳) says, “When qi is stagnated, dampness is blocked, and when dampness is blocked, heat rises. Therefore, qi stagnation often comes with edema, distention and fullness.”
③ The Introduction to Medicine (入門) says, “Stagnation is when qi binds together and does not dissipate. When qi binds and does not dissipate, one should consume a Sympathy Elixir with water decocted with a Syzygii Flos Relieve Stomach Decoction.” It also says, “When blood is coagulated and qi blocked, one should use Revive Health by Unblocking Qi Powder. When qi is blocked because of phlegm, one should use a Smooth Qi and Guide Out Phlegm Decoction. [The prescription is shown in the chapter on Wind].”
④ One should use a Sympathy Elixir, Aucklandia Even Qi Powder, Aucklandia Regulate Qi Powder. [Theprescription is shown in the chapter on Accumulation]. Or Part and Eliminate from Top to Bottom and Guide Out Qi Decoction for qi stagnation. If edema is combined with qi stagnation, one should use a Qi Flow Pill, Aucklandia Move Qi Drink, Five Peels Powder, or Direct Qi
Downwards Aquilaria Decoction. [These four prescriptions are shown above].
• Sympathy Elixir 交感丹 교감단
It cures various qi stagnations. It is highly effective in those who feel tightness in the chest because of all kinds of public and private affairs, and those who feel agony because one’s riches and honor do not go well as one had planned. It is also highly effective in those who have been damaged by the seven emotions and do not wish to eat, with a yellowed face, thinning body, and those who suffer from tightness in the chest as well as many other symptoms. It enables the rise and fall of Water and Fire. Pound and grind the following medicine, knead with honey, and make it into pills the size of a bullet: Cyperi Rhizoma (香附子) (1 geun [1geun (斤) 600g]) (Soaked in running water from a distant place (長流水) for 3 days, taken out, and parched). And Hoelen cum Radix (茯神) (4 nyang). Take 1 pill at a time, chew it well, and swallow it with a Direct qi Downward Decoction.
• Direct Qi Downward Decoction 降氣湯 강기탕
Decoct the following herbs in water: Cyperi Rhizoma (香附子) (processed), Hoelen cum Radix (茯神), and Glycyrrhizae Radix (甘草) (1 don each).
• Aucklandia Even Qi Powder 木香勻氣散 목향균기산
It cures qi stagnation. Grind the following medicine and put in water decocted with 3 pieces of Zingiberis Rhizoma Crudus (生薑), 5 leaves of Perillae Folium (紫蘇葉), and a little bit of salt by 2 don: Agastachis Herba (藿香), Glycyrrhizae Radix Praeparata (灸甘草) (8 don each), Amomi Fructus (砂仁) (4 don), Aquillariae Lignum (沈香), Aucklandiae Radix (木香), Syzygii Flos (丁香), Santali Albi Lignum (白檀香), and Amomi Fructus Rotundus (白豆蔲) (2 don each).
• Part and Eliminate from Top to Bottom and Guide Out Qi Decoction 上下分消導氣湯 상하분소도기탕
It cures qi stagnation, and its effect is better than that of a Part Heart Qi Drink (分心氣飮). One can also use this prescription for those who easily get angry. Aruantii Fructus Immaturus (枳殼), Platycodonis Radix (桔梗), Mori Cortex (桑白皮), Cnidii Rhizoma (川芎), Poria Sclerotium Rubra (赤茯苓), Magnoliae Cortex (厚朴), Citri Unshius Pericarpium Immaturus (靑皮), Cyperi Rhizoma (香附子) (soaked in a child’s urine and parched) (2 nyang each), Coptidis Rhizoma (黃連) (soaked in the juice of Zingiberis Rhizoma Crudus (生薑) and parched), Pinelliae Tube Preparata (半夏製), Trichosanthis Semen (瓜蔞仁), Alismatis Rhizoma (澤瀉), Akebiae Caulis (木通), Arecae Semen (檳榔), Hordei Fructus Germinatus (麥芽) (parched) (1 nyang each), and Glycyrrhizae Radix Praeparata (灸甘草) (3don). Chop these medicines and decoct in water with 3 pieces of Zingiberis Rhizoma Crudus (生薑) by 1 nyang. One can also grind these medicines, knead with plaster made with Massa Medicata Fermentata (神麯), make it into pills, and take 70~80 pills at a time with boiled water. It is so-called a Part and Eliminate Pill.
24 Disease Occurs if One Does Not Have Enough Qi 氣不足生病기가 부족하면 병이 생긴다
① Divine Pivot (靈樞) says, “In all places where pathogenic qi is present, healthy qi is deficient. Therefore, if there is not enough qi in the upper part, the brain is not filled up. If this happens, one suffers from tinnitus, tilted head, and blindness. If one does not have enough middle qi, the status of feces and urine changes, and severe noises come from the intestines. If there is not enough qi in the lower part, the legs become weak, and the chest feels tight.”
② It also says, “When there is not enough qi in the upper part, push qi upward. When there is not enough qi in the lower part, collect and send qi downward. If yin and yang are both deficient, one should use moxibustion.”
25 Signs of Expiring Qi 氣絶候기가 끊어지려는 징후
① Divine Pivot (靈樞) says, “If all the yin qi of the five viscera expire, the eye connector revolves, and when the eye connector revolves, the eyes turn as well. The turning of the eyes indicates that one has lost one’s will. When one loses one’s will, one dies before a day and a half passes. If all the yang qi of the six bowels expire, yin and yang become separated from each other, and when they separate, the skin cannot be closed, causing expiry sweat. Therefore, if the signs show in the morning, one dies in the night, and if the signs show in the night, one dies in the following morning. [Expiry sweat refers to beadlike sweat that does not run down].”
② It also says, “If the qi of the six bowels expires from the outside, qi ascends from the lower part, and thus the legs contract. If the qi of the five viscera expires from the inside, diarrhea does not stop and if it is severe, one loses tactile sense in the hands and the feet.”
③ It also says, “If yang qi first expires and then yin qi disappears, the person’s body becomes blue when one dies. If yin qi first expires and then yang qi disappears, the person’s body is yellow, armpits are warm, and the epigastric region is hot when one dies.”[P30]
26 Contraindications 禁忌 금기
① The Inner Classic (內經) says, “Lying down for a long time damages qi.”
② The Xishan’s Records of Reading (西山記) says, “If one approaches filthy qi, it damages genuine qi. If one approaches death qi, it disturbs living qi.”
③ One should not look at a corpse on an empty stomach. If the odor enters the nose, white fur occurs on the tongue and foul breath lingers. When looking at a corpse, one should drink wine in order to fight the poison.
④ When entering a house with an epidemic or a febrile disease, one should block the poisonous qi. Contagious and poisonous qi smells foul and strong just as when one perspires a lot.
27 Instructions for Administrating Medicinals 用藥法 용약법
① The Orthodox Transmission of Medicine (正傳) says, “When a male acquires qi, it is likely to dissipate because men are yang. When a female acquires qi, it is likely to stagnate because women are yin. Therefore, qi diseases happen seldom in men and a lot in women. Thus the treatment women should use is the balancing of blood to use up qi; whereas men should use the balancing of qi to nurture blood.'”
② The Introduction to Medicine (入門) says, “The seven emotions come from the mind, and the seven qi all belong to qi. Qi becomes Fire when they move, because they are yang. Therefore, the steps of treatment are divided into subduing Fire, alleviating phlegm, and removing accumulation. Generally, when qi is deficient, a Four Gentlemen Decoctionis used and when
qi is excessive, a Minor Lindera and Aquilaria Decoction is used. When there is too much Fire, add a Coptis Detoxification Decoction. [The prescription is shown in the chapter Cold Damage]. And when there is too much phlegm, add a Syzygii Flos Relieve Stomach Decoction. [The prescription is shown n the chapter Phlegm]. When there is too much accumulation, add Calm Stomach Powder. [The prescription is shown in the chapter Five Viscera].”
③ Zhenheng said, “When medicine is ineffective because one has suffered from qi disease for a long time and qi cannot return to the genuine source, use Psoraleae Semen (破故紙) as the sovereign medicine. Grind Psoraleae Semen (破故紙) (parched) (1 nyang), Foeniculi Fructus (茴香) (parched), and Olibanum (乳香) (5 don each), knead with honey, and make it into pills the size of a seed of a foxglove tree. Take 50 pills at a time with boiled water on an empty stomach.”
④ Mr. Fang said, “If using qi medicine for a qi disease is ineffective, it is because qi storage cannot gather qi. The lungs govern qi and the kidneys store qi. The reason for using Psoraleae Semen (破故紙) for both an Aristolochia Formula and Aucklandia Smooth Qi Pill is to give rise to qi and to get it to return to the kidneys.”
⑤ Introduction to Medicine (入門) says, “A Syzygii Flos Relieve Stomach Decoction. [The prescription is shown in the chapter Phlegm]. Is generally used for qi diseases. Put in Aruantii Fructus Immaturus (枳殼), Platycodonis Radix (桔梗), Cyperi Rhizoma (香附子), and Amomi Fructus (砂仁) for qi stagnation in the upper energizer, Magnoliae Cortex (厚朴), Ponciri Fructus Immaturus (枳實), Sparganii Rhizoma (三稜), and Curcumae Rhizoma (蓬朮) for qi stagnation in the middle energizer, and Citri Unshius Pericarpium Immaturus (靑皮), Aucklandiae Radix (木香), and Arecae Semen (檳榔) for qi stagnation in the lower energizer. Put in Aruantii Fructus Immaturus (枳殼) for qi pain. Put in Linderae Radix (烏藥) and Cyperi Rhizoma (香附子) if qi is excessive, and Ginseng Radix (人參), Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba (白朮), and Aucklandiae Radix (木香) if qi is deficient.” ⑥ Zhenheng said, “When curing ascending qi, put in Cyperi Rhizoma (香附子), Coptidis Rhizoma (黃連), Scutellariae Radix (黃芩), and Gardeniae Fructus (梔子).” He also said, “‘There is no tonifying method in a qi disease’ is an ignorant comment. When healthy qi is deficient, qi cannot flow as it should and pathogenic qi attaches to it, causing disease. The Classic (經) says ‘Healthy people are healed when qi flows well, and weak people get diseased when pathogenic qi attaches to them.’ How can qi flow if one does
not use tonifying methods when qi is very weak?” He also said, “One must use Cnidii Rhizoma (川芎), Cyperi Rhizoma (香附子), Gardeniae Fructus (梔子), Scutellariae Radix (黃芩), and Coptidis Rhizoma (黃連) when treating qi stagnation.”
⑦ He also said, “Aucklandiae Radix (木香) moves the qi in the middle and lower energizers. Cyperi Rhizoma (香附子) dissipates stagnant qi. Citrus Unshius Pericarpium (陳皮) lowers reflux qi. Perillae Folium (紫蘇葉) dissipates exterior qi. Magnoliae Cortex (厚朴) lowers defense qi. Arecae Semen (檳榔) lowers high qi. Agastachis Herba (藿香) sends stomach qi upward. Aquillariae Lignum (沈香) makes genuine qi move up and down. Borneolum (龍腦) and Moschus (麝香) dissipates genuine qi. However, they are all temporary treatments of drawing out qi, and they do not treat the qi disease thoroughly.”
