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Yangming Channel Disease, characterized by eye pain, nasal dryness, chapped lips, rinsing the mouth with water but without desire to swallow, and a long pulse, constitutes the syndrome of the Yangming proper channel. Since this channel is not far from the Taiyang channel, headache and fever may also occur. It is appropriate to use Gegen Tang (Kudzu Decoction) to release the muscle layer. One must not mistakenly identify it as a Fu-organ disease and apply cooling and purgative methods.

Gegen Radix Puerariae Lobatae (2 qian), Shengma Rhizoma Cimicifugae, Qinjiao Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae, Jingjie Fructus Schizonepetae, Chishao Radix Paeoniae Rubra (each 1 qian), Suye Folium Perillae, Baizhi Radix Angelicae Dahuricae (each 8 fen), Gancao Radix Glycyrrhizae (5 fen), Shengjiang Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens (2 slices).
Decoct in water and take orally.

If there is no sweating accompanied by thirst, add Zhimu Rhizoma Anemarrhenae; if spontaneous sweating accompanies thirst, add Shigypsum Fibrosum, Renshen Radix Ginseng. In all Yangming syndromes, severe thirst indicates that the pathogen has entered the Fu-organs; therefore, cooling herbs are added. If there is spontaneous sweating without thirst, it is Wind-stroke of the Yangming channel; remove Suye Folium Perillae and add Guizhi Ramulus Cinnamomi. If treating during the transition between spring and summer, where one fears the complication of Warmth-Heat pathogens, Guizhi Ramulus Cinnamomi should be avoided; instead, add Baizhu Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (1.5 qian).

Question: How do we know the pathogen is in the Yangming channel based on eye pain and nasal dryness? Answer: The eyes and nose are the pathways of the Foot-Yangming Stomach channel. The Classics state: "The Yangming channel originates at the nose, intersects at the vertex, joins laterally with the Taiyang channel, connects to the inner canthus, descends along the lateral side of the nose, enters the upper teeth, and surrounds the lips." When pathogenic factors transmit here, eye pain and nasal dryness occur. Other channels follow their own distinct paths; thus, why would they present with eye pain and nasal dryness?

Question: How do we know the pathogen is in the Yangming channel based on chapped lips and rinsing the mouth with water without desire to swallow? Answer: The lips are the area traversed by the Yangming channel. Currently, the lips are chapped, prompting the desire to rinse with water for moistening; this indicates the pathogen is in the Yangming channel network. However, the lack of desire to swallow indicates that there is no heat in the corresponding Fu-organ, signifying an exterior syndrome with interior harmony. Further Question: If the exterior syndrome has been resolved and interior signs appear, or if there are cases of rinsing the mouth without swallowing, should treatment target the exterior or the interior? Answer: If there is no exterior syndrome, there must be interior heat. Heat consumes fluids, so when rinsing, the water should be swallowed. If it is not swallowed, it is due to intra-abdominal Blood Stasis. How do we know this? Externally, there is no exterior syndrome; internally, there is hardness, fullness, and pain in the lower abdomen, free urination, and black stools. This warrants the use of Tao Ren Cheng Qi Tang (Peach Kernel and Magnolia Bark Decoction) to purge the stasis. In summary, abdominal fullness with pain and inhibited urination indicates Dry Feces; normal defecation with inhibited urination indicates Dysuria. Now, since urination is free and the abdomen is hard and painful, it is clearly Blood Stasis.