Nice translation! The thing about a pulse that is 乍大乍小 suddenly large then suddenly small... that is specifically associated with ghosts (above, it is for ghost malaria). I have come across it a few times. Here is a case where it occurs:
Lǚ Cāngzhōu treated an unmarried girl whose disease was amenorrhea. Various doctors had treated her but none had figured out her condition. Lǚ looked at her and saw that her abdomen was enlarged like she was pregnant. He found her complexion and pulse to be strange so he said to her, “Your disease is not from having unusual dreams; it is due to ghosts and spirit-beings.” The girl did not reply and hurried back into her bedroom. She talked privately with the old woman who waited upon her, saying, “Last summer, I went under the veranda of the temple at twilight to get cool. I passed by a wooden deity and my heart stirred. That evening, I dreamed of a man who looked like [the deity] that I saw him at twilight, and I slept with him intimately. I fell ill from this. My face became red from shame and I didn't dare tell anyone. The doctor talked about this.”
The old woman then told Lǚ, and Lǚ said, “The girl's facial complexion is suddenly red then suddenly white; this is shame. Her pulse is suddenly large then suddenly small; this is a haunting.” The disease cause tallied with the complexion and pulse. Even though it was severe, she was not suffering. He then boiled táorén for her, and then she passed blood and six or seven pieces of something that looked like pig liver, all with orifices like fisheyes. The disease recovered.
from Volume 11 of 江瓘《名醫類案》 Míngyī Lèi’àn (Categorized Cases of Famous Doctors) by Jiāng Guàn (Míng)
Thanks, Lorraine, that means a lot, coming from you. The táorén bit is interesting, IIRC it is in the Shén Nóng Bӗn Cӑo Jīng for ghost/specter indications. As an aside I have seen some very interesting results using blood stasis formulas for PTSD and related issues, which seems in line with using táorén for ghost diseases. The pulse picture is something I will be on the lookout for.
Nice translation! The thing about a pulse that is 乍大乍小 suddenly large then suddenly small... that is specifically associated with ghosts (above, it is for ghost malaria). I have come across it a few times. Here is a case where it occurs:
吕滄洲治一女在室，病不月，諸醫療皆不得其狀。視之，腹大如娠，求其色脉即怪，語之曰：汝病非有異夢，則鬼靈所憑耳。女不答，趨入卧內，密語其侍嫗曰：我去夏追凉廟廡下，薄暮，過木神心動，是夕夢一男子，如暮間所見者，即我寢親狎，由是感病。我慚赧，不敢以告人，醫言是也。
Lǚ Cāngzhōu treated an unmarried girl whose disease was amenorrhea. Various doctors had treated her but none had figured out her condition. Lǚ looked at her and saw that her abdomen was enlarged like she was pregnant. He found her complexion and pulse to be strange so he said to her, “Your disease is not from having unusual dreams; it is due to ghosts and spirit-beings.” The girl did not reply and hurried back into her bedroom. She talked privately with the old woman who waited upon her, saying, “Last summer, I went under the veranda of the temple at twilight to get cool. I passed by a wooden deity and my heart stirred. That evening, I dreamed of a man who looked like [the deity] that I saw him at twilight, and I slept with him intimately. I fell ill from this. My face became red from shame and I didn't dare tell anyone. The doctor talked about this.”
嫗以告吕，吕曰：女面色乍赤乍白者，愧也；脉乍大乍小者，祟也。病因與色脉符，雖劇無苦。乃以桃仁煎，下血類豚肝者六七枚，俱有竅如魚目，病已。
The old woman then told Lǚ, and Lǚ said, “The girl's facial complexion is suddenly red then suddenly white; this is shame. Her pulse is suddenly large then suddenly small; this is a haunting.” The disease cause tallied with the complexion and pulse. Even though it was severe, she was not suffering. He then boiled táorén for her, and then she passed blood and six or seven pieces of something that looked like pig liver, all with orifices like fisheyes. The disease recovered.
from Volume 11 of 江瓘《名醫類案》 Míngyī Lèi’àn (Categorized Cases of Famous Doctors) by Jiāng Guàn (Míng)
Thanks, Lorraine, that means a lot, coming from you. The táorén bit is interesting, IIRC it is in the Shén Nóng Bӗn Cӑo Jīng for ghost/specter indications. As an aside I have seen some very interesting results using blood stasis formulas for PTSD and related issues, which seems in line with using táorén for ghost diseases. The pulse picture is something I will be on the lookout for.