Mr. Zhang, male, 62 years old. During the midwinter, he was engaged in water conservancy construction, sweating in the wind and then getting soaked in the rain. That night, he developed an aversion to cold and chest tightness, body pain, occasional dry cough, and dribbling urination. Overnight, his entire body skin turned yellow like an orange, with a yellow and thin greasy tongue coating, and a floating, tight, and wiry pulse. He was diagnosed with acute jaundice due to cold-damage disease with exterior excess. This was caused by wind-cold dampness binding the exterior, leading to the lungs losing their ability to disperse and descend, obstruction of Shuidao (ST28), dampness stagnating and transforming into heat, which then steamed the skin. The prescription used was Ephedra Decoction to directly open the sweat pores and induce sweating, with the addition of Virgate Wormwood to relieve stagnation and promote urination to reduce jaundice, allowing the pathogens to be expelled through sweat and urine. The medication used was:
12g of pure Ephedra, 12g of tender Cinnamon Twig, 12g of Bitter Apricot Seed, 6g of Prepared Liquorice Root, and 10g of Virgate Wormwood
. After taking two doses, the exterior symptoms resolved, urination became smooth, and the jaundice disappeared.