During the reigns of the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors (1723-1795) in the Qing Dynasty, two renowned physicians emerged from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province: one was named Ye Gui and the other was named Xue Xue.
In his early years, Xue Xue traveled widely to study. He had a bold and generous personality, excelled in both poetry and prose, and was skilled in calligraphy, painting, and martial arts. Later, because his mother suffered from a damp-heat illness, he devoted himself to medicine. His skills grew increasingly refined, and his treatments often produced miraculous results, earning him a reputation rivaling Ye Gui’s.
Conflict: A charity clinic
One year, a major plague swept through Suzhou. The local government established a “Charity Clinic” there to treat the common people, designating several renowned physicians to take turns providing free medical care. One day, a night watchman arrived at the clinic. His entire body was swollen, his skin pale white, waiting for a doctor to treat him.
Soon, Xue Xue arrived at the clinic. After taking the night watchman’s pulse, he shook his head and said, “Your illness is severe and beyond cure. Go home.” The night watchman walked home dejectedly and, on the way, encountered Ye Gui, who was heading to the clinic. Ye Gui observed the night watchman’s condition and said, It seems your illness is caused by poisoning from the smoke of mosquito coils burned to repel mosquitoes. Come with me!” He led him into the clinic, prescribed two doses of medicine, and told him, “Don’t be afraid. After taking these two doses, you will recover.”
Xue Xue, who was standing nearby, witnessed the entire scene. Believing that Ye Gui had intentionally humiliated him, he felt both anger and resentment. Upon returning home, he renamed his own pharmacy “Sweeping Ye Clinic,” meaning to sweep away Ye Gui’s prestige. Upon hearing this, Ye Gui was furious as well. He renamed his own pharmacy “Trampling Xuě Clinic,” meaning he would forever trample Xue Xue’s arrogance underfoot. From then on, the two ceased all contact.
The illness that ended a long-standing feud
One day, Ye Gui’s elderly mother fell ill with a high fever. Ye Gui prescribed several doses of medicine for her, but days passed, and her condition showed no signs of improvement. Just as Ye Gui was growing anxious about his mother, a maid suddenly came to report, “Madam’s fever has grown even more severe!” Ye Gui hurried to his mother’s room and found the elderly woman drenched in sweat, her face flushed crimson, and breathing heavily.
Ye Gui took his mother’s pulse again and said to his wife, Wang, who was standing by his side, “This isn’t a particularly difficult or complex condition. In the Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases by the great physician Zhang Zhongjing, there’s a formula called ‘White Tiger Decoction’ that can treat it. However, the formula has a cooling nature, and I’m afraid my mother, being so advanced in age, might not be able to tolerate it. I’ve been hesitating about this for the past couple of days.”
His wife said, “I’ve recently heard people say that Dr. Xue — the one across the street whom you look down on — has been mocking you for not even daring to use ‘White Tiger Decoction’! According to him, our elderly mother’s condition calls for ‘White Tiger Decoction’; as long as the dosage is properly controlled, there’s nothing to worry about.”
Hearing his wife’s words, Ye Gui muttered to himself, “So much for you, Xue Xue — aren’t you trying to kill my mother on purpose?” But then he reconsidered: Xue Xue’s words did make some sense — it was a matter of treating the root cause! So Ye Gui carefully measured the dosage and administered the ‘White Tiger Decoction’ to his mother. Within a few days, his elderly mother’s illness had indeed cleared up.
After this incident, Ye Gui felt deep gratitude toward Xue Xue. Had it not been for his suggestion, he feared he would have hesitated and ultimately delayed treatment, which could have worsened his mother’s condition. This led Ye Gui to reflect on his past behavior — such as publicly criticizing Xue Xue to elevate himself — and he felt deeply ashamed of these actions. He realized that one should be humble and use others’ strengths to compensate for one’s own shortcomings. With this in mind, he purchased some gifts and made a special trip to Xue Xue’s residence to pay his respects and express his gratitude.
Xue Xue was in his “Sweeping Ye Clinic” leafing through a medical text when he saw his old rival, Ye Gui, unexpectedly paying him a visit. He was greatly surprised. Just as he was about to greet him, Ye Gui stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said, “Master Xue, I used to look down on you, and I truly was a fool. Thanks to your guidance, my mother has fully recovered from her illness. I really ought to thank you properly. I hope you will continue to offer your guidance in the future!”
Xue Xue didn’t know what to say. He gripped Ye Gui’s hand tightly and said sincerely, “Mr. Ye, I was young and competitive, ignorant of the world’s ways. I hope you will forgive me for any offenses I may have committed in the past. When it comes to medical skills, I am truly no match for you. People praise you as the ‘Foremost Physician of Jiangnan,’ and you truly live up to that reputation!”
Having said this, Xue Xue hurried to the entrance of his own residence and reached out to take down the signboard reading “Sweeping Ye Clinic.” After returning home, Ye Gui also removed the signboard for “Trampling Xue Clinic.”
The power of gratitude and humility
The two doctors studied together to complement each other’s strengths. From then on, the two renowned physicians respected one another and frequently gathered to exchange medical insights and discuss the principles of medicine.
Later, Ye Gui’s theory of warm-heat diseases distinguished between warm diseases and cold-induced diseases, revealed the general pattern of warm diseases progressing from superficial to deep stages, and established corresponding treatment principles based on their pathological characteristics. Ye Gui’s medical expertise focused on warm-heat syndromes, while he was less versed in damp-heat conditions.
Coincidentally, Xue Xue’s Treatise on Damp-Heat Diseases filled the gap in Ye Gui’s research, distinguishing damp-heat pathogens from other exogenous diseases. It provided a meticulous analysis — from etiology and treatment methods to herbal formulas — and established standardized protocols for diagnosing and treating complex, challenging damp-heat diseases.
The publication of Ye Gui’s Treatise on Warm-Heat Diseases and Xue Xue’s Treatise on Damp-Heat Diseases marked a major breakthrough in the methodology of traditional Chinese medicine for treating infectious diseases.
The story of Xue Xue and Ye Gui — two eminent physicians who each set aside their own preconceptions, rejected established biases, and treated one another with mutual respect — has been passed down as a beautiful anecdote within the medical community. Like a pair of constellations in the medical firmament, Xue Xue and Ye Gui complemented one another perfectly, leaving future generations with boundless imagination and endless admiration.
Translated by Audrey Wang and edited by Tatiana Denning
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