Mr. Huang Gengyuan from Jiangxi Province was awarded the title of Provincial Commissioner (Fansi) with peacock feather decoration (Hualing) by imperial decree for his military donations, later appointed as Xi’an Grain Intendant (Liangdao). This lucrative position combined with his family wealth allowed him to maintain integrity while treating subordinates kindly, earning widespread respect.
At around age 50, he developed frequent nocturnal emissions. His medical advisor attributed this to having multiple concubines causing physical weakness, prescribing Three Powers Marrow-Sealing Pill (San Cai Feng Sui Dan) containing Tianmen Dong (Asparagus root, Tiandong), Rehmannia (Dihuang), and Ginseng (Renshen). Mr. Huang supplemented with bird’s nest and Manchurian ginseng, yet the condition persisted. The advisor declared it incurable “consumptive disease” (Xulao).
One afternoon, Mr. Huang summoned me (the physician) in casual attire. After confirming he maintained normal appetite without cough or fever, I explained: “Nocturnal emissions have multiple causes – excessive ‘ministerial fire’ (Xianghuo) requires nourishment; rich diet causes damp-heat (Shire) needing clearance; prolonged abstinence leads to overflow. Only random emissions indicate critical deficiency.”
Surprised, Mr. Huang requested examination. His pulse showed firmness especially at the right guan position. I diagnosed: “Damp-heat accumulation causing chest tightness and difficult bowel movements.” Prescribed Zhu Zhenheng’s Dampness-Draining Decoction (Shenshi Tang) containing:
- Coptis root (Huanglian) 6g
- Atractylodes rhizome (Cangzhu) 9g
- Magnolia bark (Houpo) 6g
- Szechuan lovage root (Chuanxiong) 4.5g
- Licorice (Gancao) 3g
He expressed concerns about Coptis being too cold and Magnolia bark harming stomach. I clarified: “Roasted Coptis uses bitterness to dry dampness, not cold property. This formula with Szechuan lovage improves blood flow. Take four doses with Six Gentlemen Pill (Liu Junzi Wan) containing Aucklandia (Muxiang) and Amomum fruit (Sharen).”
Five days later, Mr. Huang reported complete recovery: “Emissions stopped, appetite doubled, vitality restored!” He maintained correspondence even after I left for maternal mourning.
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