Library

Ministerial Fire (Xiang Huo) governs during the Si and Wu hours. Si belongs to Five Yang, and Wu belongs to Six Yang. This is the proper manifestation of the Taiyang (Greater Yang) channel, thus governing the summer season. However, it is called Shaoyang (Lesser Yang) because although the Qi of Six Yang has emerged from the ground, it has not yet reached its extreme in the upper region; therefore, it is still referred to as Shaoyang, not referring to the Shaoyang of spring generation. In terms of Si Tian (Heavenly Stem/Earthly Branch governing the first half of the year), it originates from Yin and Shen years. Fire is born at Yin, and Six Yang reaches its extreme at Shen. This specifically deals with summer heat. Summer heat is the root, and Shaoyang is the branch. Wherever Shaoyang arrives, manifestations include sneezing, vomiting, sores and ulcers, palpitations with restlessness, mental confusion, sudden onset of disease, throat obstruction, tinnitus, projectile vomiting, acute diarrhea, convulsions, and sudden death. When attacked by summer heat, the onset must be rapid and swift; therefore, the diseases are violent and fierce, also because they belong to "Yin-less" (pure Yang) nature. If summer heat attacks what it overcomes, it corresponds to the Yangming Stomach. Thus, when heat lodges in the Stomach, symptoms include vexation, heart pain, red eyes with desire to vomit, vomiting of sour fluid, good appetite, ear pain, dark urine, susceptibility to fright, delirium, rapid consumption due to high fever, lower abdominal pain, and dysentery with red and white discharge. Heat lodging in the Stomach steams upward to the Heart, causing vexation and heart pain; the branch of Shaoyang is in the Gallbladder, originating at the outer canthus, causing red eyes and desire to vomit; vomiting sour fluid occurs because the Gallbladder is also hot; strong Stomach Qi leads to good appetite; the Shaoyang meridian enters the ear, causing ear pain; Yangming heat infiltrates the water passages, causing dark urine; the Yangming meridian passes through the heart region and further enters the Heart, causing heart palpitations and delirious speech; rapid consumption due to high fever is caused by humid heat; lower abdominal pain and dysentery with red and white discharge occur because the Large and Small Intestines connect to Yangming and Taiyang, thus both are affected by summer heat. If Ministerial Fire remains below and does not ascend, it will internally invade the Sanjiao (Triple Burner) and damage the Blood aspect. The people suffer from acute diarrhea with red and white discharge, lower abdominal pain, dark urine, and in severe cases, hematochezia. This is what is currently known as epidemic dysentery. Conditions such as pure blood in stool (dysentery type) and hematuria all involve the Middle and Lower Jiao, resulting from internal injury to the Blood aspect. This is referred to as "Zai Quan" (Earthly Branch governing the second half of the year). Generally, when excessive Heat invades what it overcomes, although the Lung Metal suffers, presenting with vexation and heat in the chest, dried blood, distension on the right side, bleeding, changes in urine color, and abdominal distension, these are actually diseases of Yangming and Sanjiao, not merely stopping nasal bleeding, sneezing, skin pain, chills and fever, wheezing, and coughing which injure the Lung. Precisely because the onset is rapid and swift, the diseases mainly manifest as tremors, vertigo, and fright. Upper heat stagnation, bleeding, hematochezia, and heart pain occur; when it overacts on Earth, Metal, and Water, it results in heavy body and edema, fullness, fluid retention, coldness in the shoulder, back, and chest, and edema. Therefore, the Pathogenesis states: All abdominal distensions and enlargements belong to Heat; all diseases with sounds, where percussion yields a drum-like sound, belong to Heat; all tendon contractions and spasms, with turbid body fluids, belong to Heat; all vomiting and sour regurgitation, acute diarrhea with tenesmus, belong to Heat. From this perspective, abdominal distensions with drum-like sounds indicate Fire overacting on Yangming; tendon contractions and spasms with turbid fluids indicate Fire overacting on Shaoyang and Taiyang; vomiting, sour regurgitation, and urgent downward flow indicate Fire overacting on Sanjiao. When Ministerial Fire issues outward, it causes erysipelas, carbuncles, sores and ulcers, throat obstruction, pharyngeal swelling, convulsions, and sudden death; when it invades inward, it causes abdominal distension like a drum, turbid fluids, vomiting, sour regurgitation, and acute urgent diarrhea. These are all due to the rushing of Fire, while the Righteous Qi cannot circulate. However, these symptoms occur when encountering the arrival of Ministerial Fire and the restriction of Water運 (Water Cycle). If these syndromes appear generally without being in a Si Tian or Zhi Nian year, then it is due to internal injury and mutual overacting of Zang-Fu organs, which must be carefully examined. Generally, abdominal distension can be Cold or Heat; tendon contractions can be due to Liver Cold and tendon tension; turbid fluids can be due to Qi transformation failing to reach Zhou Du (Bladder), or caused by the decline of Ministerial Fire. Approximately, diseases in the domain of Ministerial Fire are not necessarily always Heat. These points were specially elucidated by Qibo regarding the influence of Si Tian and Zai Quan in Yunqi (Five Movements and Six Qi); one should not fail to examine them and fall into the errors of incompetent physicians.