Abstract
In this case Xu Shuwei is dealing with a patient who developed hiccups due to the incorrect application of sweating. He says nothing about the initial disorder or symptoms accompanying the hiccups. Another physician examines and treats this patient without any effect. Once Xu was called to the scene and examined the patient, he asseted that the other physician’s diagnosis missed a critical issue, which is probably the reason for including this case in the collection. The main point is the need to completely understand the pathology of the disorder and its effects on the body, especially by understanding the nuances of the pulse.
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- 1.
Literally, this term can be translated as ‘gulping that goes contrary to the correct pathway’ but it simply means hiccups; See Zhongyi da cidian, 2nd ed., p. 609. The cause of this disorder is stomach qi that goes up instead of down.
- 2.
Since I could not find a decoction titled Ginger Decoction it seems that Xu omitted the first half of the decoction name referring to Licorice and Ginger Decoction (甘草干薑湯). See Scheid et al. 2009, pp. 270–272.
- 3.
See Scheid et al. 2009, pp. 546–547.
- 4.
- 5.
See Scheid et al. 2009, pp. 104–109.
- 6.
Liang 两 (Chinese ounce), sometimes translated as tael, is a weight measurement unit in China. During the Song dynasty it was equivalent to about 40 grams.
Bibliography
Other Sources:
Farquhar, Judith. 1994. Knowing Practice: The Clinical Encounters of Chinese Medicine. Boulder, CO: Westview Press Inc.
Scheid, Volker, Dan Bensky, Andrew Ellis, and Randall Barolet. 2009. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies. Seattle: Eastland Press.
———. 2016b. Nan Jing: The Classic of Difficult Issues With commentaries by Chinese and Japanese authors from the Third through the Twentieth century The Complete Chinese Text with an Annotated Translation. Berkley, CA: University of California Press.
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Goldschmidt, A. (2019). Case Number 40. In: Medical Practice in Twelfth-century China – A Translation of Xu Shuwei’s Ninety Discussions [Cases] on Cold Damage Disorders. Archimedes, vol 54. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-06103-6_41
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