典藏书目

Summerheat is one of the Six Qi (Six Climatic Factors), which often combines with Wind and Dampness to cause disease, flowing along the meridians into various Zang-Fu organs. However, it does not combine with Cold; therefore, syndromes such as Summerheat-Dampness and Wind-Warmth occur.

The Summerheat-Dampness syndrome manifests as aversion to cold accompanied by fever, spontaneous sweating, pain throughout all joints, dizziness and vertigo of the head and eyes, fatigue and weakness in the hands and feet, to the point where the body cannot support itself. These are caused by injury from Summerheat-Dampness pathogens.

The Wind-Warmth syndrome manifests as headache and bodily heat, frequent sweating, heaviness of the body with panting, flaccidity and inability to control the four limbs, silence and a desire to sleep. This results from first being injured by Wind and subsequently by Summerheat. Each condition has its own specific treatment methods.

To treat exposure to Summerheat toxicity compounded by dampness; or bathing immediately while sweat is still wet, both can result in Summerheat-Dampness.
Prescription: Poria (Fuling), Prepared Ginger Root (Ganjiang - processed), Honey-fried Licorice Root (Gancao - roasted), Atractylodes Rhizome (Baizhu), Cinnamon Heart (Guixin) (each 1 liang).
Grind the above herbs into coarse powder. Take 4 qian per dose, add one cup of water, decoct until reduced to 70%, strain off the dregs, and take before meals.

To treat Wind-Warmth, also treating Winter-Warmth, as well as Wind-Cold and Warmth contracted in Spring causing fever, dizziness and headache, dry throat, stiff tongue, chest pain, fullness and distension, and stiffness/tightness in the lower back and back.
Prescription: Kudzu Root (Gegen), Ephedra Herb (Mahuang - nodes removed, boiled then dried and weighed), Honey-fried Licorice Root (Gancao - roasted), Anemone Root (Baiwei), Szechuan Lovage Rhizome (Chuanxiong), Notopterygium Rhizome (Qianghuo), Apricot Seed (Xingren - skin and tips removed, each 0.5 liang), Gypsum (Shigao - 1 liang, crushed), Polygonatum Rhizome (Weirui - 3 fen), Blue Sandalwood Wood (Qingmuxiang - 1 fen).
Cut the above herbs into fragments for decoction. Take 5 qian per dose, add one and a half cups of water, decoct until reduced to 70%, strain off the dregs, and take before meals. For Mugwort/Aromatic Woody Plants (Muxiang), use 1 liang in winter and 0.5 liang in spring.

Among the Five Elements, each element appears once, but Fire appears twice due to the distinction between Ministerial Fire (Xiang Huo) and Sovereign Fire (Jun Huo). Ministerial Fire attaches to the Five Elements and refers to the physiological fire used in daily human activities. Sovereign Fire, however, is the source of the Two Qi (Yin and Yang) and the origin upon which all things depend for their beginning. At the time of initial human formation, one must be conceived within the father's essence and mother's blood. Essence belongs to the Kidney, and the Kidney belongs to Water; thus, Heavenly One generates Water. Blood belongs to the Heart, and the Heart belongs to Fire; thus, Earthly Two generates Fire. Consciousness (Shi) is profound (Xuan), and Xuan belongs to Water; thus, Heavenly Three generates Wood. This embodies the principle of "Taiyi containing three and leading six." It also aligns with the Daoist numerical sequence: "Dao produces One, One produces Two, Two produces Three." From this, we know that essence and blood are accomplished through consciousness. When consciousness moves, warmth arises; when it is still, activity ceases. Stillness has no form, but warmth can be perceived. Therefore, this warm consciousness is named Sovereign Fire, which corresponds to what the Buddhist scriptures describe as maintaining life through the continuous holding of warmth, consciousness, and breath. The reason it is called "Sovereign" is because it does not exhibit the scorching heat of summer, symbolizing the virtue of a ruler; all things rely on it to begin, symbolizing the transformation of a ruler; it resides in the Shaoyang position, symbolizing the governance of a ruler; the emergence and entry of spiritual clarity symbolize the decrees of a ruler. Thus, the Sovereign is Heaven, and Heaven is the Sovereign. The Qian Trigram operates above with Yuan, Heng, Li, and Zhen; the Sovereign assists below with virtue, transformation, and decrees. When the Way of Heaven follows its order, growth, flourishing, transformation, gathering, and storage occur without missing their times; when the Way of the Sovereign assists in compliance, advancement, retreat, existence, and destruction remain upright. In essence, they share the same principle. Taking forms and models, although primarily associated with the Heart and Kidney, when extended and clarified, a single point of spiritual clarity contains everything. This aptly demonstrates the function of Sovereign Fire, harmonizing above with the manifest heavens and below with the hidden earth, growing together with all things without interruption. If physicians do not understand this, they will fall into the realm of technical arts and numerology, similar to blind musicians using the I Ching, confined within divination and omens. I see this as greatly obscuring the Great Way of the Sages, with no heard benefit to the world or future generations. How sad!