Dongui Bogam_40_Forgetfulness

[健忘 Forgetfulness]

靈樞曰, 黃帝問人之善忘者, 何氣使然. 岐伯對曰, 上氣不足, 下氣有餘, 腸胃實而心肺虛, 虛則榮衛留於下, 久之不以時上, 故善忘也. 又曰, 腎盛怒而不止則傷志, 志傷則喜忘其前言.
Divine Pivot (靈樞) says the following. "Huangdi (黃帝) said, 'What causes one to become forgetful?' Qibo (岐伯) said, 'It is because upper qi is deficient and lower qi is excessive; hence the intestines and stomach are excessive but the heart and lungs are deficient. When nutrient and defense qi stay in the lower part for a long time because the heart and lungs are deficient, they cannot ascend even when it is the right time. This is what causes one to be forgetful.'" It also says, "Will can be damaged when the kidneys get angry continuously. One forgets what one said just before when one's will is damaged."

內經曰, 血幷於下, 氣幷於上, 亂而喜忘.
The Inner Classic (內經) says, "When blood gathers up in the lower part of the body and gi gathers in the upper part of the body, one's mind is disorderly and one forgets well." 

丹溪曰, 健忘之證, 精神短少者多, 亦有痰者.
Danxi (丹溪) said, "Forgetfulness occurs a lot in those who are deficient in essence and spirit, as well as in those who have phlegm." 

戴氏曰, 健忘者, 爲事有始無終, 言談不知首尾. 此以爲病之名, 非生成之愚頑不知人事者.
Dai Yuanli (戴氏) said, "Forgetfulness is when one starts to do work but cannot finish it, and when one cannot keep up the consistency of one's words. This is the name of a disease and not a condition where one is foolish from birth and is unreasonable." 

健忘者, 陟然而忘其事, 盡心力思量不來也. 主心脾二經. 盖心之官則思, 脾之官亦主思. 此由思慮過多, 心傷則血耗散, 神不守舍, 脾傷則胃氣衰憊, 而慮愈深. 二者皆令人事, 卒然而忘也. 治法, 必先養其心血, 理其脾土, 以凝神定智之劑, 調理之. 亦當以幽閑之處, 安樂之中, 使其絶於憂慮, 遠其六淫七情, 如此則日漸以安矣. 《醫鑑》
Forgetfulness is when one forgets something and cannot remember it no matter how hard one tries. The problem usually lies within the heart and the spleen. The heart commands one's thinking and the spleen also commands one's thinking. When the heart is damaged because one thinks too much, blood is used up and scattered, causing the spirit to be unable to protect its proper position. When the spleen is damaged, one thinks very deeply even after stomach qi has become weak. Therefore, one forgets all of a sudden in both situations. Treatment is to nurture the heart blood and to command the spleen Earth. Therefore, one should be taken care of with medicine that gathers the spirit and relieves will. Also, one will become comfortable day by day if one enjoys comfortably at a secluded place, loses one's worries and anxieties, and keeps away from the six excesses and the seven emotions.

怔忡, 久則健忘, 由心脾血少神虧, 引神歸舍丹主之. 或所稟陰魄不足, 善忘者, 宜定志丸ㆍ開心散. 如年老善忘者, 宜加減固本丸. 《入門》
When throbbing is prolonged, it becomes forgetfulness. This is because the spirit has waned because of the deficient blood of the heart and the spleen. In this situation, a Lead Spirit Back Home Elixir is mostly used. If one has forgetfulness from decreased congenital yin corporeal spirit, a Settle the Will Pill or Open Heart Powder should be used. If one is forgetful because of old age, a Modified Stabilize the Root Pill should be used.