bubble_chart Indications

To treat the lung metal affected by damp-heat evil, with atrophy-flaccidity accelerated, chest fullness and reduced appetite, pale complexion and damaged hair, dizziness and heavy body, body pain and limb fatigue, thirst and constipation.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Yu Jia-yan said: Dryness and dampness are antagonistic. The formula is named "Qingzao" (clearing dryness), yet its primary task is to eliminate dampness. If not for Dongyuan's exceptional insight, this would be deficient.
2. Zhu Dan-xi said: Nowadays, wind diseases are mostly treated in the same way as various atrophy-flaccidity diseases. The ancient sages discussed wind and atrophy separately, with different categories and treatments. Wind diseases are caused by external contraction, are fast-moving and changeable, and are mostly excess conditions. There is no harm in promoting sweating and dispersing stagnation. Various atrophies arise from lung heat, spread to the five zang-organs, and manifest as various symptoms. Symptoms such as confusion, spasms, convulsions, sudden depression, dizziness, acute hoarseness, and clouded consciousness are all related to fire. Symptoms such as inability to move the limbs, flaccid feet, stiff tongue, and phlegm with sound are all related to earth, and are all dampness-heat diseases. They should be treated as Wei syndromes, generally using tonification and nourishment. If treated as external contraction wind pathogens, how can one avoid the disaster of treating excess as excess and deficiency as deficiency? Some say: The Neijing treats atrophy by focusing solely on the Yangming. Why? It is said: The statement that all atrophies arise from lung heat already reveals the main idea. The metal element is dry and resides above, its dominant qi fears fire. The earth element is damp and resides in the center, governing the limbs and fearing wood. If desires are not moderated, water loses its nourishment, fire lacks fear and overcomes the element it restricts, and the lungs receive fire pathogens and become hot. When the lungs are affected by pathogenic heat, metal loses its nourishment, wood lacks fear and overcomes the element it does not restrict, and the spleen is injured by wood pathogens. Lung heat then cannot control the entire body, spleen deficiency causes the limbs to be unusable, and various atrophy diseases arise. Draining the south clears lung metal and prevents the east from becoming excess, thus the spleen is not injured. Tonifying the north blocks heart fire and prevents lung metal from becoming deficient, thus there is no spleen heat. Therefore, when Yangming is strong, all tendons are moist, able to bind bones and facilitate movement. The great method of treating atrophy is nothing more than this.