[Clinical features of Wei Yuheng]

Wei Yuheng held that the endogenous miscellaneous diseases are mostly caused by liver diseases, highly stressed the treating method of nourishing yin to generate liver. He claimed that liver deficiency is mostly caused by congenital factors, sexual strain or improper treatment. He criticized that the improper treatment by elder generations mainly was caused by their ignorance of tonifying the liver based on the saying of "no tonifying treatment for the liver". Wei Yuheng's medical theories and clinical experiences are scattered in his book Xu Mingyi Lei'an (Supplement to Classified Case Records of Celebrated Physicians). Wang Mengying collected part of his thoughts and experiences and wrote the book Liuzhou Yihua (Liuzhou Medical Talks). Although Wang Mengying's book could deduce part of the thoughts of Wei Yuheng, it didn't disclose his theories completely. It is known to all that the compound recipe Yiguan Jian is a representative formula of Wei Yuheng to tonify liver yin. Actually, it can be concluded from the analysis of Xu Mingyi Lei'an that he used Fructus Lycii (Gouqi) as a main herb to tonify liver yin in the method of nourishing yin to generate liver. Based on the idea that there are accept, restriction, generation and transformation relationship among the lung, kidney and liver yin, so he also always used Radix Glehniae (Beishashen), Radix Ophiopogonis (Maidong), Radix Rehmanniae Recens (Shengdihuang), and Radix Rehmanniae Preparata (Shudihuang) in his compound recipes. If the yin blood is insufficient, Semen Ziziphi Spinosae (Suanzaoren) should be added. In order to prepare a out way for phlegm-heat caused dy liver yin deficiency, a lubricative, Semen Trichosanthis (Gualouren) was always used and raw Semen Coicis Recens (Shengyiyiren) too. Sichuan Rhizoma Coptidis (Chuanhuanglian) can be used to clear fire-heat, and Fructus Meliae Toosendan (Chuanlianzi) for pain caused by fire-heat.