Li Shouchang, a neighboring farmer, had a wife in her forties who suddenly developed amenorrhea (cessation of menstruation). The husband worked hard but struggled financially, and worse – he frequently verbally abused his wife when drunk. Years of emotional repression eventually made her ill.
During a rainy summer, Li arrived mud-stained at my door. When asked his purpose, he pleaded: “My wife is gravely ill. Please examine her.” Upon inquiring the symptoms, he explained: “No menstruation for three months. Now her abdomen swells with pain, she can’t eat, and villagers suspect witchcraft poisoning (Gu). If incurable, we’ll accept fate.”
I asked: “Is there edema?” He replied: “No.” I concluded: “Without edema, it’s not Gu poisoning.” Further questioning revealed: “Pain comes intermittently, but bloating persists constantly with difficult bowel movements.”
Diagnosing “Qi stagnation obstructing blood flow,” I declined pulse-taking: “Three to four doses will (supports) this.” Li hesitated: “Shouldn’t we check pulses?” I insisted: “The pattern is clear. Why formalities when healing is certain?”
Prescribing Ben Shi Hu Po San (Marvelous Powder with Amber):
- Rhizoma Sparganii (San Leng)
- Radix Paeoniae Rubra (Chi Shao)
- Herba Artemisiae Anomalae (Liu Ji Nu)
- Cortex Moutan (Dan Pi)
- Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata (Shu Di)
- Pollen Typhae (Pu Huang)
- Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui)
- Cortex Cinnamomi (Guan Gui)
- Flos Chrysanthemi (Ju Hua)
- Rhizoma Curcumae (E Zhu)
I instructed: “Take four doses.” Li departed with the formula.
On Mid-Autumn Festival evening while walking farm paths, Li suddenly knelt before me holding a sickle. Startled, I asked why. He exclaimed: “One dose caused thunderous rumbles in her chest – gas released, bloating eased! After the second dose, all symptoms vanished! We stopped medication, but her menses now flow regularly with strong appetite – a miraculous formula! Farming kept me from thanking you sooner.”
I smiled and helped him rise. We discussed millet and sorghum harvests until dusk parted us.
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