Li, a woman around sixty years old. In the spring of 1970, she suffered from insomnia, which was repeatedly treated but not cured, and gradually worsened, leading to dysphoria and loss of appetite, unable to sleep day or night. She could only take Anmian pills daily to barely sleep for a short while. At that time, our hospital was conducting open-door education in Qufu, and I was invited to diagnose her. Feeling her pulse, it was astringent and not smooth, with a yellow, thick, and sticky tongue coating, clearly indicating internal dampness-heat. I asked if she felt fullness and discomfort in her stomach, to which she replied, very full and uncomfortable. She also mentioned that she had not had a bowel movement for several days, but there was no distending pain in her abdomen. I believed this was a case of "stomach disharmony leading to restless sleep." To treat insomnia, it was necessary to harmonize the stomach first. Prescription: Pinellia Heart-Draining Decoction with the addition of Immature Orange Fruit.
She took the medicine in the evening and slept soundly through the night, with significant improvement in her fullness and dysphoria. After taking several more doses, her appetite was restored, bowel movements became smooth, and everything returned to normal.