Less than a month after Guanxiang recovered from illness, his elder brother Weiqing (a county magistrate awaiting official appointment in the capital) was invited to a friend’s banquet. After indulging in food and wine, suffering from the summer heat, and overconfident in his strong constitution, he recklessly ate an entire watermelon.
Late that night around 2 a.m., he suddenly developed severe abdominal cramps accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, and sent someone to fetch me. Upon learning the circumstances, I diagnosed it as acute gastroenteritis (referred to as “huoluan” in traditional Chinese medicine, distinct from modern cholera) and advised taking Huoxiang Zhengqi Pills, thinking an in-person visit unnecessary. However, his family insisted, perhaps suspecting I was reluctant to make a nighttime house call, so I accompanied them.
Finding Weiqing moaning in pain with a distended belly like a drum, I remarked humorously, “The watermelon is causing trouble!” When asked about urination, he reported none. I instructed his family to press and massage downward along his abdomen forcefully. Within ten repetitions, gurgling sounds emerged from his belly, followed by the release of several bowlfuls of urine, gradually easing the pain. I maintained the prescription of Huoxiang Zhengqi Pills.
The next noon, Weiqing arrived formally dressed to express gratitude, declaring with comic seriousness: “Since watermelon proves so treacherous, I shall break up with it!” This amusing statement made us both laugh.
Notes:
Specified “huoluan” as traditional Chinese medical terminology for acute gastroenteritis
Retained “Huoxiang Zhengqi Pills” as a recognized TCM formulation
Converted traditional night watch periods (“四更”) to modern time
Preserved the humorous anthropomorphism of “breaking up with watermelon”
The esteemed medical text Zui Hua Chuang Medical (Original: Ming Dynasty Clinical Archives) has been translated by timtcm.com. We welcome your valuable comments and feedback in the section below.
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