Li, aged over 20, initially suffered from external contraction. Various doctors treated him with mixed methods, and his condition changed repeatedly. The doctors eventually gave up, but his father traveled dozens of miles to seek treatment.
Upon examination, his complexion was slightly yellow, with mild abdominal distension and fullness. He had no fever or chills, but after sitting for a while, he would glare at people, clench and stretch his fists as if wanting to strike someone, and then stop after a while, only to repeat the behavior. His pulse was deep and choppy, and his tongue coating was yellow and dark, with a bright red underside. After the diagnosis, the host urged for a prescription and inquired about the cause of the disease. The response was: the disease has already entered the blood aspect. Previous doctors only used qi aspect medications, which is why they were ineffective. The Neijing states, "When blood is in the upper body, it causes forgetfulness; when blood is in the lower body, it causes madness." This condition is described in the "Cold-Damage Disease Treatise" as heat accumulation in the bladder, causing the person to act as if mad. The Peach Kernel Purgative Decoction should be used. The prescription given was:
Peach Kernel 9g, Raw Rhubarb 9g (washed with wine), Mirabilite 6g (divided and infused), Cinnamon Bark 1.5g, Roasted Licorice Root 2g.
One dose brought improvement, and two doses cured the condition. Subsequently, Peripatetic Powder with Gardenia and Unprocessed Rehmannia Root was used for recuperation, and the patient recovered.