越
【方名】越婢湯
【來源】《金匱》卷中。
【組成】麻黃6兩，石膏半斤，生薑3兩，大棗15枚， 甘草2兩。
【主治】風水惡風，一身悉腫，脈浮不渴，續自汗出，無大熱者。
【功效】發汗利水。
春秋末年的一日,越王勾踐突患頭昏目眩、渾身乏力、下腹脹滿、小便困難。一連十幾日,病情絲毫沒有減輕,反有加重之勢,眾太醫束手無策。越王大怒,斥責太醫無能。
這時,越王的一個婢女自告奮勇,願給越王治病。越王被疾病折磨得甚苦,只好抱著一線希望,勉強同意婢女診治。說來也奇,越王服下一碗湯藥之後,不多時便覺全身輕快,浮腫漸退,病已去了一大半。三劑後,病競痊癒了。
越王大喜,對這個婢女大加讚賞。太醫們個個自覺慚愧,便結伴向這個婢女討教醫術。婢女聽後,說道:“我哪有什麼高超醫術、靈丹妙藥,只不過經常熬藥服侍王宮上下,久而久之,就熟悉了各種藥的功效。這次大王患病,你們的藥方不驗,是因為你們懼畏大王,認為大王是龍身玉體,不敢用那些峻猛之藥罷了。”
事後,太醫們將婢女所用之方劑,取名為“越婢湯”,並載入醫書。
（何靖摘自《中醫原來這麼有趣》)
Decoction from Yue’s Maidservant (Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet, about 206)
In the late spring and Autumn Period (700-476BC), Goujian (520-465Bc), a King of the Yue state, suddenly became ill with dizziness, fatigue, fullness in lower abdomen and difficult urination. For ten days the disease worsened, all the imperial physicians’ efforts failed and they were helpless to treat it. The King was furious and rebuked their incompetence.
Just then, one of the handmaids volunteered to treat the King. Because he was suffering terribly he reluctantly agreed to let her have a try. To hie surprise, The King felt better after taking her decoction and is symptoms were almost gone after only there doses.
The King was overjoyed at his recovery and when he rewarded the handmaid all the imperial doctors were ashamed. They went to seek her advice and said, "Congratulations to you, my girl! It’s wonderful, you have cured our King! Would you tell us which prescription you used?"
She replied, "Oh, you flatter me! Unlike all of you, who are famous physicians and masters of medicine, I have only a superficial knowledge of it. I was just lucky, I chose nearly the same prescription as you but changed some of the herbs. The reason your prescriptions could not cure our King is that you feared he might experience side effects if you used more drastic remedies. "
All the imperial physicians nodded to show their agreement, and afterwards, the "Maidservant’s decoction"was recorded in the medical records.
(From Interesting stories of Chinese Medicine)
(Translator:He Jing)
Glossary
furious ['fjuarias] adj.激烈的；狂怒地；熱烈興奮的；喧鬧的
rebuke [ri'bju:k] vt.指責；非難；制止；使相形見絀；n.非難；指責；譴責
incomepetence [ɪn'kɒmpɪtəns] n.無資格；不勝任；無能力；不適當；不熟練
reluctantly [rɪ'lʌktəntlɪ] adv. 不情願地；嫌惡地
flatter ['flætə] vt. 奉承；諂媚；使高興
drastic ['draestik] adj. 激烈的；猛烈的 n. 烈性瀉藥
摘自《杏林趣事》
第五章 方劑趣聞 越婢湯（《金匱要略》）
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