Zheng, female, 65 years old, diagnosed on May 12, 1984. The patient has been experiencing generalized itching without sweating for several days, with sensations like ants crawling, accompanied by irritability, restlessness, and occasional chills and fever, occurring two to three times a day. The tongue coating is thin and white, and the pulse is floating, slow, and slightly rough. Considering that this condition closely matches the mechanism described in Article 23 of the "Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases," the treatment method was followed to slightly induce sweating, allowing the pathogen to be expelled through sweat. The prescription used was Cinnamon Twig Ephedra Half and Half Decoction:
Ephedra 8g, Cinnamon Twig 8g, Peony Root 10g, Bitter Apricot Seed 10g, Liquorice Root 3g, Fresh Ginger Rhizome 5g, Chinese Date 10 pieces
. The patient was instructed to decoct the above herbs with water, take the warm decoction, and then consume a small bowl of hot porridge, covering themselves to induce sweating. The patient followed the instructions, and indeed, sweating occurred all over the body, the generalized itching was immediately relieved, and the illness was cured.