Refers to an illness caused by exposure to the poison of the Shegong, a term also known in ancient texts as Yu…
Refers to an illness caused by exposure to the poison of the Shegong, a term also known in ancient texts as Yu, Short Fox, Water Fox, or Water Crossbow. Accounts vary: some describe it as a kind of fox, others as a three-legged soft-shelled turtle, and still others as a winged beetle-like creature that "spits sand at one's shadow," causing mysterious sickness. It is speculated to be a type of waterborne parasite. In the early stages, symptoms may resemble typhoid or sudden evil affliction. Patients may lose the ability to speak, suffer rigidity of the body, chills, alternating cold and heat, stiffness in limbs, headache, prolonged muscle tension, involuntary yawning or jaw opening. Symptoms may ease in the morning but worsen by dusk. Within three days of intensifying, bleeding between the teeth may occur. If untreated, the illness can prove fatal.