評論
打印
At noon， a servant on duty at the gate announced that the Doctor Chang， who had been sent for， had come， and Chia Chen conducted him along the Court into the large reception Hall， where they sat down； and after they had partaken of tea， he broached the subject.
"Yesterday，" he explained， "the estimable Mr. Feng did me the honour to speak to me of your character and proficiency， venerable doctor， as well as of your thorough knowledge of medicine， and I， your mean brother， was filled with an immeasurable sense of admiration！"
"Your Junior，" remonstrated Dr. Chang， "is a coarse， despicable and mean scholar and my knowledge is shallow and vile！ but as worthy Mr. Feng did me the honour yesterday of telling me that your family， sir， had condescended to look upon me， a low scholar， and to favour me too with an invitation， could I presume not to obey your commands？ But as I cannot boast of the least particle of real learning， I feel overburdened with shame！"
"Why need you be so modest？" observed Chia Chen； "Doctor， do please walk in at once to see our son's wife， for I look up， with full reliance， to your lofty intelligence to dispel my solicitude！"
Chia Jung forthwith walked in with him. When they reached the inner apartment， and he caught sight of Mrs. Ch'in， he turned round and asked Chia Jung， "This is your honourable spouse， isn't it？"
"Yes， it is，" assented Chia Jung； "but please， Doctor， take a seat， and let me tell you the symptoms of my humble wife's ailment， before her pulse be felt. Will this do？"
"My mean idea is，" remarked the Doctor， "that it would， after all， be better that I should begin by feeling her pulse， before I ask you to inform me what the source of the ailment is. This is the first visit I pay to your honourable mansion； besides， I possess no knowledge of anything； but as our worthy Mr. Feng would insist upon my coming over to see you， I had in consequence no alternative but to come. After I have now made a diagnosis， you can judge whether what I say is right or not， before you explain to me the phases of the complaint during the last few days， and we can deliberate together upon some prescription； as to the suitableness or unsuitableness of which your honourable father will then have to decide， and what is necessary will have been done."
"Doctor，" rejoined Chia Jung， "you are indeed eminently clear sighted； all I reGREt at present is that we have met so late！ But please， Doctor， diagnose the state of the pulse， so as to find out whether there be hope of a cure or not； if a cure can be effected， it will be the means of allaying the solicitude of my father and mother."
the married women attached to that menage forthwith presented a pillow； and as it was being put down for Mrs. Ch'in to rest her arm on， they raised the lower part of her sleeve so as to leave her wrist exposed. The Doctor thereupon put out his hand and pressed it on the pulse of the right hand. Regulating his breath （to the pulsation） so as to be able to count the beatings， he with due care and minuteness felt the action for a considerable time， when， substituting the left hand， he again went through the same operation.
"Let us go and sit outside，" he suggested， after he had concluded feeling her pulses. Chia Jung readily adjourned， in company with the Doctor， to the outer apartment， where they seated themselves on the stove-couch. A matron having served tea； "Please take a cup of tea， doctor，" Chia Jung observed. When tea was over， "Judging，" he inquired， "Doctor， from the present action of the pulses， is there any remedy or not？"
"the action of the pulse， under the forefinger， on the left hand of your honorable spouse，" proceeded the Doctor， "is deep and agitated； the left hand pulse， under the second finger， is deep and faint. The pulse， under the forefinger， of the right hand， is gentle and lacks vitality. The right hand pulse， under my second finger， is superficial， and has lost all energy. The deep and agitated beating of the forepulse of the left hand arises from the febrile state， due to the weak action of the heart. The deep and delicate condition of the second part of the pulse of the left wrist， emanates from the sluggishness of the liver， and the scarcity of the blood in that organ. The action of the forefinger pulse， of the right wrist， is faint and lacks strength， as the breathing of the lungs is too weak. The second finger pulse of the right wrist is superficial and devoid of vigour， as the spleen must be affected injuriously by the liver. The weak action of the heart， and its febrile state， should be the natural causes which conduce to the present irregularity in the catamenia， and insomnia at night； the poverty of blood in the liver， and the sluggish condition of that organ must necessarily produce pain in the ribs； while the overdue of the catamenia， the cardiac fever， and debility of the respiration of the lungs， should occasion frequent giddiness in the head， and swimming of the eyes， the certain recurrence of perspiration between the periods of 3 to 5 and 5 to 7， and the sensation of being seated on board ship. The obstruction of the spleen by the liver should naturally create distaste for liquid or food， debility of the vital energies and prostration of the four limbs. From my diagnosis of these pulses， there should exist these various symptoms， before （the pulses and the symptoms can be said） to harmonise. But should perchance （any doctor maintain） that this state of the pulses imports a felicitous event， your servant will not presume to give an ear to such an opinion！"
