商人楊某得了一種怪病:每當他一開口說話,肚子就會隱約發出聲音,將他的話重複一遍。
一個老和尚告訴他:“你這是染上了‘應聲蟲’病,只要拿起《本草經》,把所有的藥念過一遍,念到哪一味藥,應聲蟲不敢回應,就吃這味藥治療。
楊某按老和尚所說,一味味藥念下來,應聲蟲也一一回應,直到念到雷丸時,應聲蟲沒了聲響。 楊某於是趕緊到藥房抓了雷丸吃,果然治好了這個“心腹大患”。
(林宇棟摘自《中藥的故事》)
Omphalia (Sclerotium Omphaliae Lapidescens)
A business man named Yang once had a weird disease: whenever he spoke, a faint voice could be heard coming from his abdomen that repeated whatever he said.
An old monk told him, “you are infected with a ‘yesman’ (echo worm) disease. If you read aloud all the herbs in the (Shen Nong’s) Herbal Classic you can treat your disease by taking the herb which the yesman dares not respond to.”
Yang followed the old monk’s direction. The echo worm responded one by one as before until Yang read the word “Omphalia” (léi wán). Yang then rushed to the pharmacy to buy the herb, which expelled the echo worm as expected.
(Form Stories of Chinese Materia Medica)
(Translator: Lin Yudong)
Glossary
weird [wɪəd] adj. 怪誕的；超自然的； n. 命運；厄運
herb [hɜːb] n. 草；草本植物；藥香；香草；牧草
pharmacy ['fɑːməsɪ] n.藥房；配藥學；藥學
yesman [‘jesmean] n.應聲蟲
Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic《神農本草經》
雷丸， 為白蘑科真菌雷丸的乾燥菌核。 上藥為末， 以熟蘄艾揉軟， 合成一處， 用草紙包裹， 燒熏痛處。 有追風散寒， 行氣止痛的功效， 主治癱瘓頑風， 骨節疼痛， 下元虛冷， 痔漏下血。
摘自《杏林趣事》
第四章 中藥趣聞 雷丸