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Jaundice (Huangdan) arises from the stagnation and steaming of damp-heat in the Spleen and Stomach, gradually causing the whole body and eyes to turn yellow like gold, with sweat and urine both becoming yellow. The Classics state that when damp-heat interacts, the people suffer from Dan disease. Zhu Danxi said: This is similar to fermenting paste; after damp-heat persists for a long time, the yellow color forms. Zhang Yuansu (Haizang) said: For any disease where sweating should be induced but is not, or where promoting urination should occur but does not, jaundice will result. Internal treatment focuses on clearing heat and draining dampness.

Divide Yin and Yang points (200 times). Push San Guan point (100 times). Retreat Liu Fu point (100 times). Push and tonify Pi Tu point (300 times). Embrace the belly and knead (100 times). Knead the navel rotating left and right (100 times each). All pushing techniques should use scallion soup or musk-infused water.

Note: Jaundice should be differentiated into Yin and Yang types. Damp-heat leading to Yang Jaundice often involves stasis-heat, presenting with irritability, thirst, and profuse sweating; the pulse is invariably slippery and rapid. This is due to damp-heat steaming in the Stomach fu organ, combined with the leakage of bile fluid, which moves upward to invade the Lung, resulting in yellowing. The color is bright like an orange peel. Treatment focuses on the Stomach. There are also distinctions between exterior excess and interior excess. Exterior excess presents with no sweating; treatment should release the exterior to resolve jaundice through the skin. Interior excess presents with constipation and urinary retention, along with abdominal fullness; treatment should purge the interior to resolve jaundice from within. If there are no exterior or interior excess signs, neither sweating nor purging should be used; only promoting urination is appropriate.

Yin Jaundice presents with cold sweat and a pulse that is deep and faint. This is caused by cold-dampness obstructing the Spleen zang organ, interacting with bile fluid, which infiltrates outward into the muscles, causing yellowing. The color is dull and dark like smoke-stained material. Treatment focuses on the Spleen; one may warm the Spleen using Lizhong Tang (Regulate the Middle Decoction) added with Yinchen (Artemisiae Scopariae Herba). Alternatively, one may warm the Kidney using Sini Tang (Frigid Extremities Decoction) added with Yinchen. Furthermore, Yin Jaundice may present with body pain and fever, but the body color resembles smoke-stained yellow, distinctly different from the orange-peel hue of Yang Jaundice. Zhang Yuansu treated Yin Jaundice with difficulty in urination, irritability, and thirst using Yinchin Fuling Tang (Artemisia and Poria Decoction).

Dan: A disease characterized by yellowing. There are five types of Dan. When the body and eyes are yellow, accompanied by chills, fever, and fatigue, it is called Huangdan (Yellow Jaundice); when one feels hungry shortly after eating, experiences dizziness, irritability, and yellowing of the body, it is called Gu Dan (Grain Jaundice); when heavy drinking followed by exposure to wind or entering water causes mental restlessness, anorexia with nausea, and a yellow-red mottled face, it is called Jiu Dan (Wine Jaundice); when sexual exhaustion leads to lower abdominal fullness and urgency, blackening of the forehead, hot palms and soles, and evening fever, it is called Nulao Dan (Female Labor Jaundice); when sweat stains clothes with a color like cypress juice, resulting from bathing while the body is hot and sweating, allowing water to enter the pores, it is called Huanghan (Yellow Sweat). Methods of treatment found in medical formularies are already documented, so no further elaboration is needed. Relying solely on various massage techniques would be too restrictive. (Tili Zi)