Category: Zui Hua Chuang Medical Cases
Excess Damp-Heat Syndrome Mistakenly Treated with Tonics
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Patient Background In the spring of engxu year, I traveled to the capital for the imperial examination. A fellow candidate, Mr. Zhang, developed urinary retention in early June after prolonged rainy weather and excessive tea consumption. Within days, his limbs swelled severely, progressing to breathlessness and inability to lie flat. Misguided Treatment A merchant from…
Dietary Impropriety Damaging the Stomach
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There was a merchant named Mr. Cao (exact name forgotten) who had legendary drinking capacity and ate enough for three people. One summer, after working in the heat, he gulped down large amounts of icy cold foods and drinks to quench his thirst. This caused severe digestive blockage, leading to headaches, fever, abdominal bloating, and…
External Wind-Heat Pathogen Invasion
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Ma Jingbo and I shared both a scholarly bond as fellow provincial-level scholars* and the mentorship of Master Long Lanyi. In 1795, while he was preparing to purchase a magistrate position*, a remarkable courtesan named Yunshang captivated Beijing’s elite with her artistry and beauty, becoming Jingbo’s cherished companion. One evening during a banquet near Qianmen…
Yin Deficiency with Blood Heat: Mistaken Use of Warming Herbs
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A friend of mine, Mr. Liang, had long suffered from hemorrhoids and was addicted to opium. Whenever his hemorrhoids flared up, the pain left him bedridden. He also had some private health issues he’d never shared with anyone. One day, his hemorrhoids became unbearably painful, so he consulted a doctor from southern China. Noticing Liang’s…
Eczema with Qi Deficiency Aggravated by Cold Herbs Overuse
Medical Story from Late Qing Beijing Cultural Context: This story reflects traditional Chinese medical practices in 19th century Beijing. At the time, TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) was mainstream, and the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) was an imperial complex where officials worked. Summer of Yimao Year (approx. 1915 by Gregorian calendar), I was residing in Beijing.…
Heatstroke from Overexertion
A Chinese Opera Performer’s Brush with Heatstroke (Qing Dynasty Case) In 19th-century Beijing, a lead female-role performer (Note 1) from the prestigious “Four Joys” opera troupe performed in the martial arts drama “The Siege of Sizhou City” to great acclaim. An impressed government official paid extra for an additional weapons demonstration scene. Bound in elaborate…
Excessive Cold Drinks Causing Qi-Blood Congealing
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When I lived in Beijing, I employed a cook (whose name I’ve forgotten) with unusual habits. Though mediocre at his job, he often starved himself while working but could devour enough food for three or four people in one sitting. He also insisted on drinking unboiled cold water despite others’ warnings, claiming, “I’m used to…
lmproper Diet with Cold Exposure Leading to Phlegm-Dampness
Li Lianfang, the prefect of Yuzhou (equivalent to a modern-day mayor), and I had been friends since childhood, bonding over poetry and essays. After passing the provincial imperial exam (juren) in the Xinhai year, he qualified for an official post and was appointed as a prefect. While waiting for his assignment in the capital, we…
Qi Stagnation Causing Phlegm Vomiting
Official Zhang Hancha from the Ministry of Works (an ancient institution similar to a modern construction ministry) was widely regarded as the most knowledgeable and virtuous scholar in our hometown. His younger brother Zhang Tiehua, who served as a county magistrate, had taken the imperial examinations (China’s ancient civil service exams) in the same year…
Mistreatment of Cold Syndrome
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There was a tea merchant (whose name has been lost to history) operating in the capital city. He contracted malaria during summer. Despite consulting many doctors and taking various medications, he would still experience full-body chills and shivering every afternoon, lasting over two hours. After months of prolonged illness, he became emaciated to the point…
