百秘一梳

汉末，神医华佗有弟子曰樊阿，精岐黄之术，善摄生之道。世知华佗医名冠世，鲜知樊阿年逾百岁，犹攀崖采药，步履如飞。

In the late Han Dynasty, the renowned physician Hua Tuo had a disciple named Fan A, who excelled in the art of medicine and was well-versed in the ways of preserving health. The world knew Hua Tuo as a peerless healer, but few knew that Fan A lived beyond a hundred years, still climbing cliffs to gather herbs with agile steps.

时有大族，彭城杨氏，与阿交好，延阿诊之。阿乃观草木之性，独取桃木为器。复浸百草之液，藏其精于木理；更以脂膏封养，使药性潜存。梳成，乃授其法。

At that time, there lived a prominent family, the Yangs of Pengcheng, who befriended Fan A and invited him to treat them. Fan A observed the properties of various plants and chose peach wood as the sole material for his implement. He then soaked it in an infusion of many herbs, allowing their essence to penetrate the wood grain; he further sealed and nourished it with oils and balms, so that the medicinal properties lay dormant within. When the comb was completed, he imparted the method of use.

谓之曰：”此梳得天地阳和之正气，藏百草之精华。晨昏勤梳，可养首而益身。善藏之，毋轻示于人。”

He said to them: “This comb has absorbed the harmonious vital energy of heaven and earth, and holds within it the essence of a hundred herbs. Comb diligently at dawn and dusk, and it will nourish your head and benefit your body. Treasure it well, and do not lightly reveal it to others.”

杨氏受而敬藏之，自是晨则梳首，暮则理发，以发达首，以首养身。积年累岁，寿登百龄，无疾而终。

The Yangs received it and kept it with reverence. From that time on, they combed their hair in the morning and groomed it in the evening — using the comb to invigorate the scalp, and through the scalp to nurture the whole body. Over the years, they reached the age of a hundred, and passed away peacefully without illness.

子孙验其效，族中长者循之，皆得遐龄，故奉为家珍。自三国而两晋，自唐宋而明清，迨明清之际，湖广填四川，族人奉祖西迁至白帝城下。万里迁徙，不失其法；千山涉险，未坠其传。

Their descendants witnessed its efficacy, and the elders of the clan followed the practice, all attaining great longevity. Thus, it was treasured as a family heirloom. From the Three Kingdoms through the Jin, from the Tang and Song to the Ming and Qing — and at the turn of the Ming-Qing, when the great migration from Huguang to Sichuan took place, the clan carried their ancestral heirloom westward to the foot of Baidi City. Though they traveled ten thousand miles, they never lost the method; though they crossed perilous mountains, the tradition never fell into oblivion.

彭城月远，白帝云深。昔刘玄德托孤于此，此梳遂随杨氏并隐夔州，与山川日月同久。杨氏族中，多享寿考。亲见者异之，以寿相询，长者抚须曰：”百岁无秘，惟此一梳耳。”

The moon of Pengcheng grew distant; the clouds of Baidi grew deep. In times past, Liu Xuande (Liu Bei) had entrusted his orphan here — and this comb, along with the Yangs, withdrew into seclusion in Kuizhou, enduring alongside the mountains, rivers, sun, and moon. Among the Yang clan, many enjoyed long lives. Those who witnessed it marveled and asked about their longevity. The elders stroked their beards and said: “There is no secret to a hundred years — only this comb.”