Mr. Jiao, male, 67 years old, first consultation on October 15, 1982. A year ago, due to anger, he experienced distension and pain in both flanks, followed by abdominal distension and fullness, and discomfort in the stomach. After taking remedies for soothing the liver and regulating qi without improvement, the condition worsened, leading him to seek treatment.
Symptoms include gastric stuffiness and fullness, inability to belch, mild before meals and worse after, relieved by rest and aggravated by exertion, severe with both cold and heat, normal bowel movements; tongue texture pale red, coating greasy, mixed yellow and white, pulse deep, wiry, and soggy. This is a case of liver depression affecting the spleen, leading to dysfunction of the middle jiao, resulting in stuffiness and fullness. Previous treatments with liver-soothing and qi-regulating remedies, when overused, consumed qi and dried blood, harming the body's integrity, further disrupting the spleen and stomach, causing stagnation in the middle jiao, hence the onset of stuffiness and fullness. Only Aconite Heart-Draining Decoction, with its pungent dispersing and bitter descending properties, is suitable for relieving stuffiness. Prescription:
Aconite Lateral Root 15g, Turmeric 5g, Wine-processed Skullcap Root 3g, Wine-processed Rhubarb Rhizome 3g, Honey-fried Cimicifuga Rhizome 3g, Pinellia 4g
. After taking 8 doses, the condition was cured.