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The *Daquan* states: The head is the convergence point of all Yang meridians. After childbirth, the five zang organs are all deficient, stomach qi is depleted and weak, dietary intake is insufficient, and grain qi remains scarce. This leads to deficiency heat, where yang qi fails to remain anchored and rushes upward to the head. The resulting excess of yang and deficiency of yin causes headache. There is also headache caused by postpartum retained blood (stasis), which must not be overlooked; the *Heilong Dan* discusses this in detail.

Xue states: If the aforementioned symptoms are due to middle qi deficiency, use *Buzhong Yiqi Tang* (Tonify the Middle and Augment the Qi Decoction) with added *Manjingzi* (Vitex Fruit). If it is blood deficiency, use *Siwu Tang* (Four Substance Decoction) with added *Renshen* (Ginseng Root) and *Baizhu* (Atractylodes Rhizome). If both qi and blood are deficient, use *Bazhen Tang* (Eight Treasure Decoction). If caused by injury from wind-cold pathogens, use *Buzhong Yiqi Tang* with added *Chuanxiong* (Szechwan Lovage Rhizome). (Using *Buzhong Yiqi Tang* for wind-cold injury requires careful consideration.) One parturient suffered from headache, taking *Buzhong Yiqi Tang* daily without interruption for three years. Slight exertion triggered aversion to cold and internal heat, indicating yang qi deficiency. Adding one qian of *Fuzi* (Prepared Aconite Lateral Root) to the previous decoction stopped the attacks after a few doses.

Another woman had suffered from headache and a bluish complexion for two years postpartum, taking *Siwu Tang* and other medicines daily. I reasoned that kidney water failed to nourish liver wood, leading to blood deficiency. Using *Liuwei Wan* (Six-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia) with added *Wuweizi* (Schisandra Berry), she recovered within two months.

Jinhua Jun, sister-in-law of Guo Maoxun, did not eat for seven days after childbirth, then began complaining of headache. Following the headache, heart pain occurred, followed by eye pain, described as cutting or stabbing. The pain came and went continuously without a moment's respite. When the headache was severe, she desired a large stone to press upon her head; only after a long time did it gradually subside. When heart pain occurred, she scratched her arms with ten fingers until blood filled her palms. Once the pain subsided, eye pain returned, and she dug at her eyes with her hands. This persisted for ten days, and no physicians knew what to do. Administering half a pill of *Heilong Dan* (see section on Retained Placenta) slightly alleviated the disease. She took another dose at midnight, then closed her eyes and slept as usual. By early morning, she passed a stool of about three sheng, resembling locust eggs. The three ailments were reduced by half. At the Si hour (9–11 AM), she passed stool again as before, and was suddenly cured. (This pain was caused by insect bites; using vermifuges would have been more effective.)

*Yiqi San* (One Extraordinary Powder), also known as *Xionggui Tang*, treats postpartum headache due to blood deficiency.
*Danggui* (Angelica Sinensis Root) and *Chuanxiong* (Szechwan Lovage Rhizome) (each 2.5 qian).
Grind into fine powder. Take 2 qian per dose, decoct with one cup of water until reduced to 0.7 cup, and take warm.

*Xiong Wu San* treats postpartum headache due to qi stagnation.
*Tiantai Youyao* (Tiantai Betel Nut with Coptis Rhizome) and *Dachuanxiong* (Large Szechwan Lovage Rhizome) (equal parts).
Grind into fine powder. Take 3 qian per dose. Red-hot a steelyard weight should be quenched in wine to extract the essence, then mixed with the powder for administration. (This method of administration is excellent.)

*Xiong Fu San* treats postpartum headache due to qi deficiency and headache caused by retained blood obstruction, when other medicines fail.
*Chuanxiong* (Szechwan Lovage Rhizome) (1 liang), *Da Fuzi* (Large Prepared Aconite Lateral Root) (one piece. Peel off skin and navel, cut into four slices, mix with one bowl of strong vinegar, roast the *Fuzi*, dipping it in vinegar until the vinegar is fully absorbed).
Grind into powder. Take 2 qian per dose, mixed with clear tea.

*Jiajian Siwu Tang* (Modified Four Substance Decoction) treats postpartum headache due to blood deficiency, phlegm-stagnation, cold-jue, all of which can cause headache. (For postpartum headache, addressing blood deficiency is the standard treatment; seeking stasis is the treatment for excess patterns. If it appears like stasis but is not, and instead material resembling locust eggs is expelled, this is unusual. If it involves phlegm-stagnation, cold-jue, or qi deficiency, one must investigate miscellaneous diseases. The Classics state: "Seek the cause where there is [pathology], seek the mechanism where there is none." How can one adhere rigidly to one approach? Knowing the constant and knowing the variable makes one an superior physician.)
*Cangzhu* (Atractylodes Rhizome) (1 liang 6 qian), *Qianghuo* (Notopterygium Rhizome), *Chuanxiong* (Szechwan Lovage Rhizome), *Fangfeng* (Saposhnikovia Root), *Xiangfu* (Cyperus Rhizome, stir-fried), *Baizhi* (Angelica Dahurica Root) (each 1 liang), *Shigao* (Gypsum Fibrosum) (2.5 liang), *Xixin* (Asarum Root) (1.5 liang), *Danggui* (Angelica Sinensis Root), *Gancao* (Licorice Root) (each 5 qian).
Cut into pieces. Take 1 liang per dose, decoct in water, and take at any time. If sweating occurs, it indicates qi-deficiency headache; add *Shaoyao* (Peony Root) 3 liang, *Guizhi* (Cinnamon Twig) 1.5 liang, and decoct with *Shengjiang* (Fresh Ginger Rhizome). If it is headache due to hot-phlegm, add *Baizhi* (Angelica Dahurica Root) 3 liang, *Shigao* (Gypsum Fibrosum) 3 liang, and *Zhimu* (Anemarrhena Rhizome) 1 liang. If it is headache due to cold-jue, add *Tianma* (Gastrodia Rhizome) 3 liang, *Fuzi* (Prepared Aconite Lateral Root) 1.5 liang, and *Shengjiang* (Fresh Ginger Rhizome) 3 slices, and decoct for administration.