Library

Spleen Heat Syndrome: Patients with spleen heat disease first experience heaviness of the head, pain in the cheeks, mental restlessness, a bluish complexion, a desire to vomit, and fever. When pathogenic heat contends with healthy qi, lower back pain occurs, making flexion and extension impossible; there is abdominal fullness and diarrhea, and pain in both mandibles. If the condition worsens on Wu or Ji days (Earth days), profuse sweating occurs; if Qi rebellion occurs, death ensues on Jia or Yi days (Wood days). Treatment involves needling the Foot-Taiyin Splein Meridian and Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian.

Heaviness of the head and cheek pain differ from headache. Headache typically arises when pathogens invade the Three Yang meridians, whereas here the pathogen resides in the Taiyin meridian, attempting to exit into the Yangming meridian but failing to do so, leading to stagnation and depression, thus causing head heaviness and cheek pain. Mental restlessness, bluish complexion, and desire to vomit indicate pathogenic factors knotting in the Yin divisions, unable to reach the exterior. The struggle within causes abdominal fullness and diarrhea, lower back pain preventing movement, and mandibular pain, all due to the congestion and blockage of Qi and Blood in the meridians. The patterns of worsening, sweating, and death are consistent with previous examples. Needling the Foot-Taiyin Spleen and Foot-Yangming Stomach meridians helps to drain the pathogen.

Lung Heat Syndrome: Patients with lung heat disease first feel chilly and shivering, with hair follicles erecting, aversion to wind and cold, a yellow tongue coating, and fever. When pathogenic heat contends with healthy qi, wheezing and coughing occur, pain radiates to the chest, hypochondrium, and back, deep breathing is difficult, severe headache is unbearable, and sweating is followed by chills. If the condition worsens on Bing or Ding days (Fire days), profuse sweating occurs; if Qi rebellion occurs, death ensues on Bing or Ding days. Treatment involves needling the Hand-Taiyin Lung Meridian and Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, releasing blood drops the size of soybeans, which stops symptoms immediately.

The skin and hair are the external correlates of the Lung. When heat pathogens stagnate in the Lung, Yang Qi cannot reach the skin and hair, causing initial chills as if sprinkled with water and cold extremities. Erected hair and aversion to wind/cold mimic exterior contraction, but actually result from internal heat closing off Yang Qi, hence the yellow tongue coating and fever. If it were an initial exterior pathogen rather than internal heat, the tongue coating would be white. Severe heat and Qi rebellion cause wheezing and coughing, with pain radiating to the chest, hypochondrium, and back, and inability to take deep breaths, all signs of Lung organ heat closure. Unbearable headache occurs because internal fire cannot vent and rushes upward to the brain. This differs from headaches caused by exterior pathogens in the meridians. When stagnation reaches its peak, pores open, sweat is released, heat dissipates, and the body feels cold. The patterns of worsening, sweating, and death are consistent with above. Bleeding from the Lung and Large Intestine meridians drains the pathogen.

Kidney Heat Syndrome: Patients with kidney heat disease first experience lower back pain, [missing text], bitter thirst, frequent drinking, and fever. When pathogenic heat contends with healthy qi, neck pain and stiffness occur, alternating chills and fever, heat in the soles of the feet, and reluctance to speak. If Qi rebels, neck pain intensifies, accompanied by dizziness and a sense of floating instability. If the condition worsens on Wu or Ji days (Earth days), profuse sweating occurs; if Qi rebellion occurs, death ensues on Wu or Ji days. Treatment involves needling the Foot-Shaoyin Kidney Meridian and Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian.

The waist is the residence of the Kidney. As heat pathogens are about to erupt, lower back pain appears first. [Missing text] indicates pathogens stagnating between sinews and bones. Bitter thirst and frequent drinking result from internal heat consuming body fluids. Neck pain and stiffness during heat contention occur because pathogens attempt to exit via the Taiyang meridian but fail, causing alternating chills/fever and heat in the soles, all due to congestion of Taiyang Qi. The helplessness of the condition causes reluctance to speak. Qi rebellion exacerbates neck pain. "Yuanyu dan dan" describes a state where the whole body feels out of control and indescribable. The patterns of worsening, sweating, and death are consistent with above. Needling the Kidney and Bladder meridians drains the pathogen.

Regarding sweating: Sweating occurs on the days corresponding to the element that overcomes the affected organ's element (or vice versa depending on specific interpretation, but generally refers to the day of the overcoming relationship).

This summarizes the preceding text, reiterating that internally latent pathogens must wait for the day when the Zang organ's Qi is prosperous to escape outward, resulting in healing through sweating.