The TCM Dictionary is massive, so the fastest way to find something is to search. As an
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better. The dictionary combines terms, definitions, medications, and acupuncture
prescriptions.
pain
A more or less localized feeling of discomfort, distress, or agony that is felt as a result of knocks and falls, cuts in the flesh, severe hunger, contact with fire or hot objects, or various ailments of the body. It can affect any part of the body and occurs in both externally contracted disease and internal damage. Pain is a major item of diagnostic information, and its significance depends on its nature and location.
Types of Pain
aching pain distending pain dull pain empty pain cold pain gripping pain heavy pain pulling pain scorching pain scurrying pain stabbing pain soreness
pain at the vertex
vertex headache.
pain below the heart
Pain in the pit of the stomach.
pain in the heart of the sole
Pain in the center of the sole of the foot, at KI-1 (Gushing Spring). It is usually due to kidney vacuity damp fixity and the life gate fire failing to spread warmth, in which case it is associated with heat pain in the ankle bone and treated with Kidney Fixity Decoction combined with Eight-Ingredient Pill. Pain in the heart of the sole may also be attributable to streaming damp phlegm, which is observed in obese people, and is experienced when the patient walks after long sitting or lying. This is treated with Kidney Fixity Decoction combined with Mysterious Two Powder.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on BL, KI and ouch points. Main points: BL-62 (Extending Vessel), BL-63 (Metal Gate), KI-3 (Great Ravine), and KI-1 (Gushing Spring). For kidney vacuity damp fixity and the life gate fire failing to spread warmth, add BL-23 (Kidney T
pain in the heart region and abdomen
pain in the limbs
Pain in one or more of the limbs. Pain in the limbs is usually caused by wind-cold-damp invading the channels and network vessels, the flesh, and the joints, obstructing the movement of qi. Elementary Questions states, ``When wind, cold, and damp evils concur and combine, they give rise to impediment.'' Pain in the limbs can also arise as a result of spleen and stomach. The spleen governs the limbs, and spleen vacuity can cause limb pain. The location and nature of pain in the limbs provides useful diagnostic evidence: Pain in the joints and scurrying pain is usually wind impediment; Acute pain in the joints exacerbated by cold and relieved by warmth is usually cold impediment; joint pain with heavy cumbersome body usually indicates damp impediment; scorching pain in the joints that likes cold, in some cases with redness and swelling, is usually heat impediment; dull pain in the heel or lower leg and knee is usually insufficiency of kidney qi.
pain in the lumbar spine
Pain in the spinal vertebrae and adjacent areas. It is caused by sprains, collection of static blood, wind-cold-damp evel invading the channels, and taxation damaging the kidney.
pain in the soles of the foot
pain in the umbilical region
Pain in the region of the navel; attributed to congealing cold, spleen-kidney yang vacuity, yang brightness heat bind, gastrointestinal qi stagnation, brewing damp-heat, food damage, or roundworm.
pain like the cutting of a knife
pain like the piercing of an awl
pain like the stabbing of a knife
Synonyms: white tiger joint-running wind.
pain wind
An impediment pattern characterized by acute pain of unfixed location.cold impediment.
painful impediment
cold impediment.
painful pendulous external kidney
A condition characterized by painful sagging of the scrotum observed in certain mounting diseases.
Acupuncture: Traditionally, treatment often involved burning five cones of moxa at the transverse creases of the underside of the middle joint of the great and second toes. An alternative treatment is to needle or moxa LR-1 (Large Pile), LR-3 (Supreme Surge), ST-30 (Q
painful swelling of the yin door
Painful swelling of the orificium vaginae, sometimes with rough (disfluent) urination, lower abdominal discomfort, and even heat~effusion and aversion to cold. It attributed to depressed anger damaging the liver, liver qi invading the spleen, and damp-heat pouring downward.
Medication: Clear heat and disinhibit dampness with variations of Gentian Liver-Draining Decoction as oral medication, and a combination of cnidium seed (Cnidii Monnieri Fructus), kochia (Kochiae Fructus), phellodendron (Phellodendri Cortex), ledebouriella (Ledebouri
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, LR, and SP. Select CV-3 (Central Pole) BL-34 (Lower Bone-Hole), LR-2 (Moving Between), SP-9 (Yin Mound Spring), and SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection); needle with drainage. Also, use a moxa pole to smoke (rather than warm) the aff
painful urination
A stinging or burning pain in the urethra on urination with difficulty voiding. It is a chief common feature of strangury patterns.
palace
The word ``palace'' is used in names of parts of the body and acupuncture points. It commonly represents the heart, as in the formula name Peaceful Palace Bovine Bezoar Pill.
palace of essence
essence chamber.
pale menstrual flow
Menstrual discharge that is paler than normal in color. Pale menstrual flow is attributable to dual vacuity of qi and blood and spleen-kidney yang vacuity preventing normal movement and transformation.
Medication: Supplement qi and blood to regulate menstruation. Use Eight-Gem Decoction plus astragalus (Astragali (seu Hedysari) Radix), cyperus (Cyperi Rhizoma), and fresh ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens). Take Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill on a regular basis. For
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on back transport points, CV, SP, ST, and KI. Select BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport), BL-20 (Spleen Transport), BL-23 (Kidney Transport), CV-6 (Sea of Qi), CV-4 (Pass Head), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), KI-3 (Grea
pale tongue
A pale tongue indicates vacuity of qi and blood. A well-moistened pale enlarged tongue with accompanying cold signs indicates yang qi vacuity.
pale white facial complexion
A colorless complexion. ``Pale'' denotes the absence of color, whereas ``white'' is the color associated with the metal among the five phases. Compare somber white facial complexion and bright white facial complexion.
palm heart toxin sore
A clove sore in the middle of palm attributed to intense fire toxin in the heart or pericardium channel. A palm heart toxin sore starts with a small macule or papule that subsequently becomes a hard swollen blister with local pain and itching. The sore is deeply rooted. In severe cases, it is shiny and turns black, with severe local pain and swelling. It can fester and cause deep erosion into the sinew and bone. At this stage alternating heat~effusion and aversion to cold and loss of appetite may be observed. In the early stages, it can be treated by lancing the blister, and prescribing Immortal Formula Life-Giving Beverage plus turmeric (Curcumae Longae Rhizoma) and cinnamon twig (Cinnamomi Ramulus).
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on GV, LI, and PC. Select GV-12 (Body Pillar), GV-10 (Spirit Tower), LI-4 (Union Valley), BL-40 (Bend Center), and PC-7 (Great Mound); needle with drainage and prick PC-9 (Central Hub) to bleed. For alternating heat~effusion and aver
palm heart wind
Goose-foot wind limited to the heart of the palm.
palpation
Synonyms: vacuity heart pain.
One of the four examinations; the process of examining the surface of the body by touch to detect the presence of disease. The pulse examination, an essential part of routine examination, is the most common form of palpation. Palpation of other parts of the body is called body palpation.
palpitation heart pain
Heart pain associated with heart palpitations. Palpitation heart pain is an intermittent pain that likes pressure and heat, and that is exacerbated by hunger. The pulse is vacuous and weak.
Medication: Supplement the heart and spleen using formulas such as Spleen-Returning Decoction, Astragalus Center-Fortifying Decoction, and Mysterious Fragrance Powder.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, BL, and PC. Select CV-17 (Chest Center), BL-15 (Heart Transport), BL-20 (Spleen Transport), BL-14 (Reverting Yin Transport), CV-14 (Great Tower Gate), PC-6 (Inner Pass), HT-5 (Connecting Li), PC-4 (Cleft Gate), ST-36 (Leg Thre
palpitations
heart palpitations; palpitations below the heart.
palpitations below the heart
Palpitations felt in the region below the heart, i.e., in the stomach duct. From On Cold Damage, ``After excessive promotion of sweating, when the person crosses his hands over the heart trying to press the palpitations below the heart, this is treated with Cinnamon Twig and Licorice Decoction.''
heart palpitations.
panting
Hasty, rapid, labored breathing with discontinuity between inhalation and exhalation, in severe cases with gaping mouth, raised shoulders, flaring nostrils, and inability to lie down. When associated with counterflow movement of qi, it is sometimes called panting counterflow. When breathing is usually rapid, it is sometimes called hasty panting. When in severe cases it is associated with raising of the shoulders and flaring nostrils, it is raised-shoulder breathing. Panting is a manifestation of impaired diffusion and downbearing of lung qi. Since the lung is the governor of qi and the kidney is the root of qi, panting is associated primarily with disease of the lung and or kidney. Panting occurs in repletion and vacuity. Repletion panting may occur when externally contracted wind-heat or wind-cold invade the lung, when depressed liver qi invades the lung, or when phlegm arising from spleen-lung vacuity obstructs the lung. Vacuity panting occurs in dual vacuity of lung yin and lung qi, and in failure of the kidney to absorb qi. Kidney vacuity with phlegm obstruction and yang vacuity water flood are vacuity-repletion complexes that may also give rise to panting. The difference between vacuity and repletion panting is succinctly elucidated in Jing-Yue's Complete Compendium as follows: ``In repletion panting, breathing is deep, and inhalation seems to be never-ending. In vacuity panting, breaths are short with a brief halt between inhalation and exhalation. In repletion panting, the chest feels distended, breathing is rough, and the voice is high and strident; the chest swells as if to burst, unable to contain all the breath it draws in, and relief from discomfort only comes with exhalation. In vacuity panting, the patient is distressed and anxious, and his voice is low and faint; he is panicky, feeling as if he is about to stop breathing; he is unable to catch his breath and feels as though the air is not being absorbed by the lungs; the short rapid breaths give the impression of panting as from exertion and relief is felt only when a long breath can be drawn.''
panting counterflow
Panting with counterflow qi.
panting in pregnancy
Panting during pregnancy. It arises in patients usually suffering from lung qi vacuity, when during pregnancy water qi ascends and exploits the lung, or when externally contracted wind-cold impairs lung qi diffusion. It can also occur in retention of dead fetus with rushing upsurge, or when fire stirs the fetal origin and causes qi counterflow. The signs include phlegm panting with rapid breathing, and unquiet sleep.
panting with rale
Wheezing or phlegm panting.
papular wind lumps
papule
Synonyms: coacting treatment.
Any rounded elevation of the skin. Observed in maculopapular eruptions occurring in externally contracted disease, dormant papules, and other skin diseases.
paradoxical treatment
The nonroutine principle of treating false signs with medicinals of opposite nature, e.g., treating heat with heat, cold with cold, the stopped by stopping, and flow by promoting flow. Treating cold with cold, for example, means using heavy does of heat-clearing toxin-resolving agents to treat exuberant heat in externally contracted febrile disease presenting with false signs of cold such as aversion to cold or shivering, and cold of the limbs. Compare straight treatment. etermpromotingflow??}
paralysis
Loss of use of the limbs. Paralysis that is not the result of external injury is attributable to liver-kidney depletion and insufficiency of qi and blood with evil qi (e.g., wind, cold, dampness, heat, phlegm, and stasis) entering the channels and network vessels. In severe cases, the limbs becomes wilted and disabled, preventing all movement. In milder cases, although the patient can move his extremities, he cannot perform normal activities without assistance. Paralysis may affect all limbs, individual limbs, only the legs or only the arms, or the arm and leg of one side of the body or the other. Compare wilting; hemiplegia.
paravertebral sinews
The sinews that run down either side of the spine. The paravertebral sinews correspond to various different muscles in Western anatomy.
parch
Describes the burning and drying effect of heat, as in the expression ``lung heat parching the lobes.''
parched lips
parched teeth
Dry teeth. Parched teeth are attributed to damage to yin humor. If the teeth are grimy, the condition is due to kidney vacuity and exuberant fire before stomach yin is exhausted; otherwise it is attributable to major damage to stomach liquid, and desiccation of spleen-kidney yin.
partiality for certain foods
A special liking or craving for food of a particular flavor or food of excessively strong flavor. Elementary Questions states, ``when one eats many salty foods, the vessels congeal and change color; when one eats many bitter foods, the skin becomes desiccated and its hair drops out; when one eats acrid foods to excess, the sinews become tense and the nails desiccated; when on eats too many sour foods, the skin becomes thick and wrinkled and the lips raised; when on eats too many sweet foods, the bones become painful and the hair drops out.'' Compare perverted appetite.
pass
To move or be transmitted.
pass
A narrow gap permitting passage, as in throat pass.
pass into the interior
Synonyms: paste preparation.
enter the interior.
passage and transmutation
shift.
passing of flatus
Farting; breaking wind. Seen in abdominal fullness; qi stagnation; gastrointestinal accumulation; food damage; qi dysentery; small intestinal cough.
paste
Any semi-liquid or virtually solid pharmaceutical preparation. Distinction is made between rich paste, which are taken orally, and medicinal paste, which are applied topically. Rich pastes are made by reducing decoctions of agents to a thick consistency and then adding honey or rock candy. Medicinal pastes are made by adding powdered agents to heated mixtures of vegetable oil and wax. A plaster is a kind of topically applied medicinal paste that has to be softened by heating before being applied.
pathomechanism
The process by which a disease arises and develops.
pathway of qi
Synonyms: disease pattern.
Any way or course traversed by qi.
pattern
A manifestation of human sickness indicating the nature, location, or cause of sickness. For example, the simultaneous presence of heat~effusion, aversion to cold, and floating pulse forms an exterior pattern due to an external contraction; vigorous heat~effusion, vexation and thirst, red tongue with yellow fur, and constipation constitutes an interior repletion pattern; wind stroke with clenched jaw, red face, rough breathing, phlegm-drool congestion, clenched hands, and a slippery stringlike or moderate sunken pulse constitutes a block pattern, whereas weak breathing, reversal cold in the limbs, pearly sweat, open mouth and closed eyes, open hands and enuresis, and faint fine pulse on the verge of expiration or sunken hidden pulse constitutes a desertion pattern. The concept of pattern is distinct from that of disease (as a specific kind of morbid condition). A disease may take the form of different patterns. Measles, for example, may take the form of a favorable or unfavorable pattern. A favorable pattern is characterized by a swift forceful eruption, indicating that body is putting up a strong fight against the measles toxin; an unfavorable pattern is characterized by a poor faltering eruption, indicating that the body is offering poor resistance. Treatment of measles varies according to pattern: favorable patterns are treated according to the principle of dispelling the evil, whereas unfavorable patterns also require right-supporting action to help the body's fight against the disease.
pattern identification
Identification of disease patterns. Pattern identification is the process by which information gathered through four examinations (inspection, smelling and listening, inquiry, and palpation) is classified into different patterns. The first stage in the process is eight-principle pattern identification, in which four-examination data is classified as interior exterior, cold or heat, vacuity or repletion, and yin or yang. Depending on the results obtained, other pattern identification procedures are applied. See entries listed below.
pc
The pericardium or hand reverting yin pericardium channel.
peach-blossom lichen
Synonyms: ear gate; shelter; fleshy protuberance in front of the ear.
blown blossom lichen.
pearl of the ear
The tongue-like projection in front of the ear.
pecking sparrow pulse
peeling fur
A patchy tongue fur interspersed with mirror-like, furless areas. This generally indicates insufficiency of yin humor and vacuous stomach qi. A peeling fur that is nontransforming and slimy indicates a complex pattern of untransformed phlegm-damp and damage to yin humor and stomach qi. A thick slimy fur that suddenly completely peels away indicates major damage to right qi.
pen-ts'ao
herbal foundation.
penetrating vessel
Synonyms: jade stem.
thoroughfare vessel.
penis
The male organ of copulation and urination.
peppercorn sore
A sore growing on the inner surface of the eyelid. A peppercorn sore is attributed to local contraction of wind toxin combining with accumulated heat in the spleen channel to cause stagnation in the network vessels of the eyelid and disharmony between qi and the blood. The sore is small and looks like a zanthoxylum fruit (``Sichuanese peppercorn''). It is associated with roughness and dryness, aversion to light, and tearing.
Medication: Dispel wind and clear heat; dissipate stasis and free the network vessels. An appropriate formula is schizonepeta (Schizonepetae Herba et Flos), ledebouriella (Ledebouriellae Radix), red peony (Paeoniae Radix Rubra), scrophularia (Scrophulariae Radix), ta
percolate
Disinhibit (especially dampness).
percolating dampness
perfuse
(Of qi) to spread throughout.
pericardiac network vessel
pericardium.
pericardiac pattern
Synonyms: pericardiac network vessel.
Any warm disease arising when warm evils invade the pericardium and manifesting in signs such as clouded spirit, delirious speech and manic agitation, and, in severe cases, by coma. Portending signs are agitation, somnolence, and trembling of the lip of the tongue. Warm evils usually, though not invariably, pass to the construction aspect before gradually falling inward to the pericardium. In some cases, such as that of what Western medicine calls infectious encephalitis B, the evil falls inward directly from the defense aspect without passing through the construction aspect. This is known as anticipated passage to the pericardium. Two main forms are identified. One is known as heat entering the pericardium, which is characterized by heat signs such as red to crimson tongue, and in most cases a burnt-yellow tongue. The other is a phlegm-damp pattern referred to as phlegm turbidity clouding the pericardium, which is marked by a grimy sticky slimy fur that covers what may or may not be a red or crimson tongue.
pericardium
The outer covering of the heart. It is traditionally held that evils invading the heart first affect the pericardium, so that conditions such as ``clouded spirit'' (stupor) and delirious mania due to high fever were termed heat entering the pericardium. By contrast, mental derangement due to phlegm-damp was termed phlegm turbidity (the turbid aspect of phlegm) clouding the pericardium. Both these conditions are in reality heart diseases.
pericardium channel
pericardium connects with the triple burner
Synonyms: lower extreme; meeting of yin.
The hand reverting yin and hand lesser yang triple burner channels are connected and stand in exterior-interior relationship with each other.
perineum
The area between two yin, i.e., between the external genitals and the anus.
perished complexion
perpendicular insertion
Insertion of acupuncture needles into the flesh at 90 to the surface of the skin. This is the most common type of insertion, and is applied in fleshy areas of the body.
persistent erection
persistent flow of lochia
Flow of the lochia in excess of twenty days. Persistent flow of lochia is attributed to qi vacuity, blood heat, or blood stasis.
persistent menstrual flow
menstrual spotting.
perverse crop
perverse qi
Any qi that causes highly contagious diseases including all warm epidemics and certain external medical diseases. Perverse qi is transmitted through the air or by direct contact.
perverted appetite
Craving for strange foods. Eating of raw rice or earth in emaciated infants and children with abdominal distention and a lump in the umbilical region that moves when pushed is a sign of worm accumulation. This is as a result of eating unclean food. Craving for sour foods accompanied by absence of menstruation, nausea, and a harmonious slippery rapid pulse in sexually active women is a sign of pregnancy. Indulgence in sour foods in pregnancy is not considered harmful if kept in moderation, but, in severe cases, it may accompany signs of stomach vacuity, stomach heat, stomach cold, phlegm stagnation, or liver heat that require appropriate treatment. Compare partiality for certain foods.
pestilence
Synonyms: epidemic pestilential qi; perverse qi; toxic qi; abnormal qi; miscellaneous qi.
pestilential qi.
Epidemic pestilence. Disease caused by pestilential qi; a violent contagious disease. pestilential wind (leprosy).
pestilential qi
Synonyms: leprosy; great numbing wind; numbing wind; great wind; malign disease of great wind; lai great wind; pestilence.
Any disease evil that is highly contagious. Elementary Questions states, ``When pestilence comes on a large scale, the people tend to die suddenly.'' It was formerly believed that pestilential qi resulted from abnormal weather conditions such as prolonged drought or extreme heat.
pestilential wind
A transmissible disease that is characterized by localized numbing and subsequent appearance of red patches which swell and rupture without suppuration and that may spread to other parts of the body, causing loss of the eyes, collapse of the nose, fissuring of the lips, and boring of holes in the soles of the feet. Pestilential wind is attributed to leprosy toxin stagnating in the skin and muscles.
Medication: Dispel wind and transform dampness; quicken the blood and kill worms. First use Safeguard Unlimited Efficacy Elixir to cause sweating and then use Wondrous Response Wind-Dispersing Powder.
petalled gums
Gums that are patterned by the presence of coagulated blood observed in warm disease when evil causes frenetic movement of the blood and consequence spilling of the blood in the upper body. Distinction is made between purple and yellow petals.: Petals that are purple in color or as black as lacquer indicate exuberant yang brightness heat.
Medication: Clear the stomach and engender liquid using White Tiger Decoction or Jade Lady Brew.: Petals that are yellow brown in color indicate exhaustion of kidney yin and ascendant hyperactivity of vacuous yang.
Rescue the kidney and nourish yin using Rhinoceros
pharynx
The upper part of the throat, distinguished from the larynx.
philtrum
The groove running between the nose and lips.
phlegm
A viscid substance traditionally understood to be a product and a cause of disease. Phlegm may gather in the lung, from where it can be expelled by coughing. However, phlegm as referred to in Chinese medicine is wider in meaning than sputum spoken of in Western medicine, and denotes a viscus fluid that can accumulate anywhere in the body causing a variety of diseases such as stroke, epilepsy, scrofula etc., but which in the absence of expectoration are usually characterized by a slimy tongue fur and a slippery or slippery stringlike pulse. Phlegm is a thick turbid substance that is distinguished from a thinner clearer form of accumulated fluid, rheum ( yin3), although the term ``phlegm'' is sometimes use to cover both. Phlegm and rheum may be the result of the impaired movement and transformation of fluids that is associated with morbidity of the lung, spleen, and kidney. Phlegm---but not rheum---may also result from the ``boiling'' of the fluids by depressed fire. Invasion of the six excesses, affect damage, and damage by food and drink may all affect the dynamic of bowels and visceral qi causing water humor to gather and form phlegm. The two most important of the five viscera in the formation of phlegm are the spleen and lung. Phlegm is the product of a transformation of fluids; most commonly it is the product of congealing water-damp. The spleen normally moves and transforms water-damp, but when its qi is weak or dampness evil is exuberant, the normal movement and transformation of water-damp is impaired, and dampness gathers to form phlegm. For this reason it is said that the spleen is the source of phlegm formation. It is said that ``obese people tend to suffer from phlegm.'' This saying can be explained by the observation that excessive consumption of sweet or fatty rich foods causes spleen dampness to gather (more at obesity). The lung is the upper source of water; it governs depurative downbearing and regulation of the waterways. When dampness and phlegm accumulate, these functions can be overloaded, so that phlegm collects in the lung; hence it is said that the lung is the receptacle that holds phlegm. Phlegm may also form in the lung when heat scorches lung liquid. Phlegm, however, appears not only in the lung; it can follow the upbearing and downbearing of qi and arrive at all places. Thus in addition to expectoration of phlegm, it can, depending on the organ or channel affected, cause vomiting of phlegm-drool, clouded spirit, mania and withdrawal, phlegm rale in the throat, numbness of the limbs, hemiplegia, scrofula, goiter, mammary aggregation, phlegm nodes, plum-pit qi, or dizziness. Phlegm in the lung causes cough, panting, and oppression in the chest. Clear thin phlegm indicates cold, whereas yellow or thick white phlegm indicates heat. Scant phlegm expectorated with difficulty signifies either heat or dryness. Copious phlegm that is easily expectorated indicates dampness. Coughing of fishy-smelling pus and phlegm generally indicates pulmonary welling-abscess in a pattern of toxic heat brewing in the lung. Expectoration of phlegm containing blood (or pure blood without phlegm) is attributed either to dryness-heat, vacuity fire, or lung heat damaging the network vessels; if the blood is purplish black, it indicates a blood stasis complication. Although many lung diseases lead to local collection of phlegm, it is only when the coughing up of phlegm is more pronounced than other signs that the condition is strictly described as a ``phlegm pattern.'' See cold phlegm; heat phlegm; dryness phlegm; phlegm-damp. See also phlegm-rheum. Phlegm in the spleen and stomach (also called damp-phlegm) causes easily expectorated phlegm often accompanied by abdominal distention, sloppy stool, yellow face, lassitude of spirit, heavy limbs, white slimy tongue fur, and moderate pulse. phlegm-rheum. Phlegm in the heart is said to cloud the orifices of the heart (consciousness) and is observed in externally contracted febrile disease and other diseases such as wind stroke. See phlegm confounding the orifices of the heart. Phlegm in the liver channel is phlegm being carried up by wind yang ascending counterflow (ascendant liver yang transforming into wind), causing sudden collapse, phlegm rale in the throat, and convulsions or hemiplegia, as observed in wind stroke or epilepsy. In binding depression of liver qi, liver qi that ascends counterflow can contend with phlegm so it binds in the throat causing a sensation of blockage by some foreign body known as ``plum pit qi'' or ``qi phlegm.'' Phlegm-drool ascending counterflow to the head can cause dizziness, hemilateral headache, deviated eyes and mouth, and hair loss. Depressed gallbladder-stomach heat engendering phlegm that ascends counterflow along the channels to harass clear yang causes dizziness, bitter taste in the mouth, tinnitus, vacuity vexation and insomnia, fright palpitations and profuse dreaming. Wind-phlegm surging up into the head can cause hemilateral headache or pain on one side of the face, or twitching of the eyes and mouth. Cold phlegm attacking the upper body gives rise to cold pain in the brain with a desire for warmth and an aversion to cold. Phlegm in the kidney channel is characterized by black complexion, lassitude of spirit, and phlegm with black flecks and a salty taste. Phlegm in the channels and network vessels of the exterior can cause numbness, or phlegm nodes (lumps of varying sizes under the skin without change of skin color) or breast lumps called mammary aggregation. Phlegm in the neck can cause scrofula or goiter. After contraction of cold-damp evil, the interstices, channels, and network vessels become blocked, and fluid gathers and binds to form phlegm. This phlegm may penetrate the sinew and bone, causing damp phlegm and cold phlegm patterns such as bone flat-abscess, crane's-knee phlegm, and flowing phlegm.
An abbreviation for flowing phlegm, as in ankle-boring phlegm.
phlegm accumulation
Accumulation of phlegm turbidity in the chest and diaphragm characterized by copious thick phlegm that is difficult to expectorate, dizziness, oppression in the chest with dull pain, and a slippery stringlike pulse.
Medication: Open the chest and flush phlegm with formulas such as Phlegm-Abducting Decoction or Dried Bamboo Sap Phlegm-Moving Pill. When signs are severe, but both body and qi are replete, Drool-Controlling Elixir may be used. For phlegm accumulating in the throat,
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, ST, and PC. Select CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), CV-17 (Chest Center), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), LI-4 (Union Valley), CV-22 (Celestial Chimney), CV-6 (Sea of Qi), and PC-6 (Inner Pass); needle with drainage
phlegm accumulation diarrhea
phlegm diarrhea.
phlegm accumulation vomiting
phlegm vomiting.
phlegm aggregation
Synonyms: phlegm and qi obstructing each other; binding depression of phlegm and qi.
Enduring water-rheum transforming into phlegm, which flows into the rib-side causing periodic pain.
phlegm and qi binding together
Phlegm turbidity being caused to bind in the throat or chest by depressed qi. The main signs are plum-pit qi, glomus and oppression or scurrying pain in the chest and diaphragm, affect-mind depression, rashness, impatience, and irascibility. Other signs include cough with thick phlegm, sighing, and menstrual irregularities. The tongue is thick and slimy. The pulse is stringlike and slippery.
phlegm and qi obstructing each other
phlegm and qi binding together.
phlegm block
phlegm clouding the pericardium
Synonyms: phlegm clouding the pericardium; phlegm obstructing the orifices of the heart; phlegm turbidity clouding the pericardium.
phlegm confounding the orifices of the heart
A disease pattern arising when phlegm turbidity causes disturbance of the heart spirit. Phlegm confounding the orifices of the heart occurs in several different diseases. The main signs are a)~mental depression and dementia (withdrawal disease); b)~clouded spirit-mind seeming both conscious and unconscious (damp warmth); c)~sudden clouding collapse, unconsciousness, phlegm-drool foaming at the mouth, and convulsions of the limbs (epilepsy). Other signs include dull stagnant complexion, no thought of food and drink, soliloquy, indifferent expression, irregular behavior, oppression in the chest and copious phlegm, and phlegm rale in the throat.
phlegm congestion seminal emission
Seminal emission attributed to phlegm congestion. Phlegm congestion seminal emission arises when prolonged thought causes qi to bind and produce phlegm, which confounds the orifices and causes disquietude of essence-spirit.
Medication: Abduct phlegm using Polyporus Pill, which contains polyporus (Polyporus) and pinellia (Pinelliae Tuber).
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on back transport points, CV, ST, HT, and SP. Select BL-15 (Heart Transport), BL-20 (Spleen Transport), BL-23 (Kidney Transport), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), HT-7 (Spirit Gate), SP-6 (T
phlegm constipation
Constipation attributed to damp phlegm obstructing the stomach and intestines. Phlegm constipation is associated with glomus and oppression in the chest and rib-side, panting and fullness, dizziness, sweating from the head, and rumbling intestines.
Medication: Transform phlegm and free the bowels using formulas such as Two Matured Ingredients Decoction plus unripe bitter orange (Aurantii Fructus Immaturus), rhubarb (Rhei Rhizoma), white mustard (Brassicae Albae Semen), and dried bamboo sap (Bambusae Succus Exsi
Acupuncture: Base treatment on alarm, back transport, and lower uniting points of LI, and on CV, ST, and SP. Select BL-25 (Large Intestine Transport), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot), ST-37 (Upper Great Hollow), TB-6 (Branch Ditch), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-36 (Leg Thr
phlegm cough
Cough caused by exuberant phlegm. A phlegm cough is a heavy turbid-sounding cough characterized by copious phlegm that is easily expectorated and relieved by expectoration. It is associated with oppression in the chest, reduced food intake, white slimy tongue fur, and a slippery floating pulse. It is attributed to phlegm-damp brewing internally and ascending to affect the lung.
Medication: Use Two Matured Ingredients Decoction, add apricot kernel (Armeniacae Semen), fritillaria (Fritillariae Bulbus), aster (Asteris Radix et Rhizoma), and tussilago (Tussilaginis Flos).
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on LU, SP, and ST. Select BL-13 (Lung Transport), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), LI-4 (Union Valley), CV-17 (Chest Center), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), LU-9 (Great Abyss), SP-3 (Supreme White), and ST-36 (Leg Three Li); needle with drain
phlegm depression
Synonyms: phlegm accumulation diarrhea.
A phlegm pattern caused by phlegm and qi becoming depressed and bound, and characterized by panting on exertion, cough, oppression in the chest, blockage in the throat, and a pulse that is sunken and slippery.
Medication: Flush phlegm and resolve depression, using Phlegm Depression Decoction.
phlegm diarrhea
From The Gateway to Medicine. Diarrhea arising when phlegm accumulating in the lung affects the large intestine through interior-exterior relationship between the two organs. Phlegm diarrhea is an intermittent form of diarrhea with the passing of sticky matter like egg-white, and associated with dizziness and nausea, oppression in the chest and abdominal fullness, and a slippery stringlike pulse.
Medication: Transform phlegm and dispel dampness with a combination of Two Matured Ingredients Decoction and Stomach-Calming Powder. For spleen vacuity engendering phlegm, use Bupleurum and Peony Six Gentlemen Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, ST, and SP. Select CV-13 (Upper Stomach Duct), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), PC-6 (Inner Pass), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), SP-9 (Yin Mound Spring), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh), and LI-4 (Uni
phlegm epilepsy
Epilepsy attributed to fright or fear in individuals suffering from phlegm-heat. Phlegm epilepsy is characterized by sudden collapse, fright, shouting, phlegm-drool congestion, and phlegm foaming at the mouth.
Medication: Dispel phlegm and clear heat with Phlegm-Rolling Pill.
Acupuncture: Use the general points for epilepsy, and further needle CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), and ST-36 (Leg Three Li).
phlegm glomus
Glomus (a localized feeling of fullness and blockage) attributed to congealing and binding of phlegm and qi and arising when water-rheum gathers to form phlegm and blocks the pathways of qi. Phlegm glomus is characterized by fullness, oppression, and blockage in the chest, rib-side pain, vomiting, cold sensation below the heart, and the sound of water on application of pressure. In some cases, there may be heat~effusion or numbness of the limbs.
Medication: Rectify qi and transform phlegm with formulas such as Two Matured Ingredients Decoction with the addition of amomum (Amomi Semen seu Fructus) and bitter orange (Aurantii Fructus).
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on ST, CV, and PC. Select CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), PC-6 (Inner Pass), CV-17 (Chest Center), and LR-3 (Supreme Surge); needle with drainage.
phlegm hiccough
Hiccough attributed to phlegm turbidity obstruction, characterized by the sound of phlegm, and attended by oppression in the chest and inhibited breathing.
Medication: Transform phlegm and move qi using formulas such as Phlegm-Abducting Decoction. If there are signs of phlegm heat, use Pinellia and Scutellaria Pill.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, PC, ST and LR. Select BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport), CV-17 (Chest Center), PC-6 (Inner Pass), CV-6 (Sea of Qi), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), and LR-3 (Supr
phlegm lodged in the channels
The presence of phlegm in the channels giving rise to goiter, phlegm nodes, and scrofula, all of which are relatively soft to the touch.
phlegm lodged in the chest and rib-side
Phlegm lodged in the chest and rib-side is composed of stubborn phlegm and accumulated rheum that form a soft mass called an ``afflux pouch.'' Phlegm lodged in the chest and rib-side is characterized by pain in the chest and rib-side exacerbated by coughing, panting, and turning over in bed, There is rapid breathing and expectoration of white phlegm and drool. There may also be fullness and distention in the chest and rib-side, swelling of the face, and a stringlike sunken pulse.
Medication: Transform rheum and expel phlegm. Commonly used rheum-transforming agents include ephedra (Ephedrae Herba), cinnamon twig (Cinnamomi Ramulus), asarum (Asiasari Herba cum Radice), dried ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma Exsiccatum), aconite (Aconiti Tuber Lateral
phlegm lodged in the limbs
Any condition characterized by numbness and pain in the upper or lower limbs, or in one limb, unaccompanied by any signs of blood vacuity or wind-cold-damp impediment , and characterized by a white slimy tongue fur and slippery pulse.
Medication: Pathfinder Poria (Hoelen) Pill can eliminate phlegm from the channels and network vessels of the limbs.
phlegm malaria
Malaria with signs of depressed phlegm. Phlegm malaria is characterized by alternating heat~effusion and aversion to cold with more heat~effusion than cold, headache, twitching of the flesh, vomiting of phlegm-drool, and a slippery stringlike pulse. In severe cases, there may be coma and convulsions.
Medication: Transform phlegm and eliminate malaria using formulas such as Bupleurum Stomach-Calming Brew or Phlegm-Abducting Decoction and variations. Exuberant heat with abdominal fullness and dry bound stool can be precipitated with Major Bupleurum Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on GV, SI, PC, CV, and ST. Select GV-14 (Great Hammer), GV-13 (Kiln Path), SI-3 (Back Ravine), PC-5 (Intermediary Courier), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), and ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge); needle with drainage. For exu
phlegm node
Any lump below the skin that feels soft and slippery under the finger, is associated with no redness, pain, or swelling, and (unlike scrofula) does not suppurate.
phlegm node of the eyelid
A hard lump growing out of the eyelid that is not painful when pressed and moves when pushed. A phlegm node of the eyelid is initially about the size of a rice grain, but gradually grows large to cause swelling and sagging of the eyelid. It is attributed to damp-heat brewing in the spleen and stomach.
Medication: Transform phlegm and dissipate binds. A representative formula is Stomach-Clearing Decoction, which contains gardenia (Gardeniae Fructus), bitter orange (Aurantii Fructus), perilla seed (Perillae Fructus), gypsum (Gypsum), Sichuan coptis (Coptidis Rhizoma
phlegm obstructing the network vessels of the lung
Obstruction of the lung by phlegm, occurring when an external evil impairs the lung's function of distributing fluids, and allows fluids to gather to form phlegm. It is characterized by exuberant phlegm, counterflow qi, panting and cough, etc.
phlegm obstructing the orifices of the heart
phlegm panting
From Dan Xi's Experiential Methods. Panting attributed to phlegm turbidity congestion the lung, occurring when phlegm-damp brews in the lung and obstructs the airways. Phlegm panting is characterized by hasty breathing with rale, cough, ungratifying expectoration of thick slimy phlegm, and fullness and oppression in the chest.
Medication: Dispel phlegm, downbear qi, and calm panting with formulas such as Two Matured Ingredients Decoction, Thousand Strings of Cash Decoction, Phlegm-Rolling Pill, and Perilla Fruit Qi-Downbearing Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on LU, ST and CV. CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), LU-1 (Central Treasury), BL-13 (Lung Transport), CV-22 (Celestial Chimney), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh), and Panting (one body-inch to the side of C
phlegm pattern
Any pattern caused by phlegm or drool accumulating and lodged within the body.
phlegm pouch
A swelling on the under surface of the tongue shaped like a gourd, smooth and soft to the touch, and yellow in color. Phlegm pouch hampers eating and speech. When it bursts, it exudes a thick sticky phlegm-like substance similar to egg-white, and sometimes like soy-bean dregs. It tends to recur and resist healing.
phlegm rale
An abnormal breathing sound produced by the presence of phlegm in the airways. In wheezing panting patterns, a continuous rale that sounds like the croaking of frogs is called frog rale in the throat. This is usually a sign of cold rheum due to phlegm-rheum in the inner body and cold evil in the outer body. In conditions of coma or certain blockages of the throat, a phlegm rale is described as having the rasping sound of a saw.
phlegm reversal
A reversal pattern arising when exuberant phlegm causes a qi block and reversal cold in the limbs, and, in severe cases, clouding reversal (syncope).
Medication: Transform phlegm and downbear qi. If oral medication cannot be administered, use mechanical ejection to treat the tip. Then oral medication should be given to clear and downbear or to warm and dissipate, dry dampness, and supplement the spleen and kidney.
Acupuncture: Base treatment on CV and ST. Select CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), CV-15 (Turtledove Tail), CV-22 (Celestial Chimney), PC-8 (Palace of Toil), and PC-5 (Intermediary Courier); needle with drainage and add moxa. See reversal pattern.
phlegm reversal headache
Synonyms: flowing rheum.
Headache attributed to phlegm turbidity ascending counterflow. Phlegm reversal headache is a splitting headache associated with dizziness, generalized heaviness, disquieted heart spirit, topsy-turvy speech, oppression in the chest, nausea, pronounced heart vexation and hasty rapid breathing, upflow of phlegm and drool or clear watery fluid, reversal cold of the limbs, and a slippery stringlike pulse.
Medication: Transform phlegm and harmonize the center. Use formulas such as Pinellia, Ovate Atractylodes, and Gastrodia Decoction or Ligusticum and Asarum Phlegm-Abducting Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV and ST. Select ST-8 (Head Corner), Greater Yang, CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), PC-5 (Intermediary Courier), and SP-9 (Yin Mound Spring); needle with drainage. See headache.
phlegm scrofula
Scrofula attributed to phlegm arising when abnormalities of hunger and satiety and of joy and anger cause impairment of the splenic movement. Phlegm scrofula begins as lumps the size of a mume (Japanese apricot), which may spread all over the body. In time, they become slightly red, and can rupture to heal easily. Scrofula growing on the yang brightness stomach channel on the front of the neck.
Medication: Move qi and sweep phlegm using formulas such as Scutellaria and Coptis Two Matured Ingredients Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on ST, CV, and TB. Select as main points *Ouch points (i.e., the nodes themselves), Hundred Taxations and Tip of the Elbow (see scrofula for method). To move qi and sweep phlegm, needle with drainage at CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), S
phlegm stagnation malign obstruction
Synonyms: dampness stroke.
Vomiting arising in pregnancy when spleen-stomach vacuity causes dampness to gather and form into phlegm and when congestion of blood in the channels causes thoroughfare vessel qi to ascend counterflow and carry the phlegm-rheum upward. Phlegm stagnation malign obstruction is characterized by nausea, vomiting of phlegm-drool, fullness in the chest, and poor appetite.
Medication: Sweep phlegm and downbear counterflow using Minor Pinellia Decoction Plus Poria (Hoelen).
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, ST, and PC. Select CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), PC-6 (Inner Pass), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot), and SP-4 (Yellow Emperor); needle with even supplementation and drainage and add moxa.
phlegm stroke
A pattern similar to wind stroke that arises when dampness engenders phlegm, which in turn engenders heat, which further engenders wind. Phlegm stroke is characterized by sudden dizziness, numbness, collapse and loss of consciousness, rigidity of the root of the tongue, sound of phlegm in the throat, inability to lift the limbs, and a slippery surging pulse.
Medication: Treat chiefly by transforming phlegm and secondarily by extinguishing wind, using formulas such as Phlegm-Abducting Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on GV, LI, hand and foot reverting yin PC/LR, ST and SP. Select GV-26 (Water Trough), GV-20 (Hundred Convergences), PC-9 (Central Hub), LI-4 (Union Valley), GB-20 (Wind Pool), LR-3 (Supreme Surge), LR-2 (Moving Between), ST-40 (Bount
phlegm turbidity
Phlegm as a turbid entity that is obstructive to the clear yang qi of the body. Phlegm turbidity is often said specifically to refer to phlegm-damp or phlegm-rheum. However, phlegm turbidity often implies that the phlegm is thick and sticky, while phlegm-damp often implies that the phlegm is thin.
phlegm turbidity clouding the pericardium
phlegm turbidity harassing the upper body
A disease pattern whose principal sign is dizziness, arising when phlegm turbidity causes internal obstruction in the chest and disturbs clear yang in the upper body. Dizziness is the essential feature of phlegm turbidity harassing the upper body. Hence it is said, "Where no phlegm is present, dizziness does not arise." Disturbance of vision may be so severe as to force the patient to remain in lying posture. Milder cases present as dizzy head, distention in the head, and heavy-headedness. Other signs include insomnia, oppression in the chest, retching and nausea, little thought of food and drink, or nontransformation of ingested food. The tongue fur is slimy in texture and either white or yellow in color. The pulse is slippery, and may also be stringlike. Where there is a heat complication, then vexation and bitter taste in the mouth may also be observed.
phlegm turbidity obstructing the lung
Synonyms: vomiting of phlegm-rheum; phlegm accumulation vomiting.
A disease pattern arising when phlegm turbidity congests the airways and impairs lung qi diffusion and depuration. The main signs are cough with copious sticky white phlegm that is easily ejected. Other signs include oppression in the chest and panting and phlegm rale in severe cases. The tongue is pale with white slimy fur. The pulse is slippery.
Medication: Transform phlegm turbidity; depurate the lung and suppress cough. Use Lung-Clearing Beverage with additions.
phlegm vomiting
Vomiting that arises when disturbance of spleen-stomach movement and transformation causes dampness to form into phlegm, which lodges in the middle stomach duct and ascends counterflow. Phlegm vomiting takes the form of periodic nausea and vomiting of phlegm-drool, gurgling sounds in the stomach, heart palpitations, dizzy head, and flowery vision. If signs include yellow slimy tongue fur, and rapid stringlike pulse, it is attributed phlegm-heat; if signs include a white slimy tongue fur and a slow sunken pulse, it is ascribed to cold rheum.
Medication: Clear heat and transform phlegm with Gardenia and Coptis Two Matured Ingredients Decoction. Cold rheum is treated by warming the stomach and transforming rheum with formulas such as Major Pinellia Decoction or Poria (Hoelen), Cinnamon Twig, Ovate Atractyl
Acupuncture: Base treatment on alarm and lower uniting points of ST, and on CV and PC. Main points: CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), PC-6 (Inner Pass), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), and CV-17 (Chest Center). For phlegm-heat, add ST-44 (Inner Court) and LI
phlegm wheezing
Wheezing attributed to phlegm turbidity congestion arising from phlegm-fire lying depressed in the inner body or wind-cold fettering the exterior. Phlegm wheezing is characterized by rapid panting, phlegm rale in the throat sounding like the rasping of a saw.
Medication: Diffuse the lung and downbear qi; dispel phlegm and clear fire. Use formulas such as Five Tigers Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on LU, CV, and ST. Select BL-13 (Lung Transport), BL-12 (Wind Gate), LU-7 (Broken Sequence), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh), Panting Stabilizer, CV-22 (Celestial Chimney), CV-17 (Chest Center), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct
phlegm-damp
Conditions arising when dampness gathers to form phlegm and characterized by signs of both phlegm and dampness.
phlegm-damp cough
phlegm cough.
phlegm-damp headache
Headache attributed to phlegm-damp clouding the upper body. Phlegm-damp headache is a headache with heavy head as if swathed, fullness and oppression in the chest and stomach duct, regular bouts of nausea and vomiting producing copious phlegm, white slimy tongue fur, and slippery pulse.
Medication: Transform phlegm and dispel dampness with formulas such as Phlegm-Abducting Decoction which can be combined with Ligusticum and Asarum Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV and ST. Select ST-8 (Head Corner), Greater Yang, CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), LI-4 (Union Valley), and ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge); needle with drainage. For fullness and oppression in the chest and stomach duct, add CV-17 (Chest C
phlegm-damp infertility
Infertility attributed to phlegm-damp affecting the thoroughfare and controlling vessels and obstructing the uterine vessels. Phlegm-damp infertility is observed in obese women who indulge in rich foods and is usually associated with copious vaginal discharge and menstrual irregularities.
Medication: Fortify the spleen and dry dampness; transform phlegm. Use formulas like Atractylodes and Cyperus Phlegm-Abducting Pill.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, SP, and ST. Select CV-4 (Pass Head), BL-20 (Spleen Transport), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), CV-6 (Sea of Qi), ST-30 (Qi Thoroughfare), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), and SP-9 (Yin
phlegm-damp obstructing the lung
Disturbance of diffusion and downbearing of lung qi attributed to phlegm-damp congesting the lung. The lung is the receptacle that holds phlegm, whereas the spleen is the source of phlegm formation. When splenic movement is impaired, dampness gathers and forms phlegm, which affects the lung. Phlegm-damp obstructing the lung manifests as cough and panting exacerbated by physical movement, phlegm-drool congestion, thin white phlegm that is easily expectorated, fullness and oppression in the chest and diaphragm, a slimy or glossy white tongue fur and a moderate soggy pulse.
Medication: Use Two Matured Ingredients Decoction combined with Stomach-Calming Powder and Three-Seed Filial Devotion Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on LU, SP, and ST. Select BL-13 (Lung Transport), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), CV-22 (Celestial Chimney), LI-4 (Union Valley), CV-17 (Chest Center), PC-6 (Inner Pass), LU-9 (Great Abyss), SP-3 (Supreme White), and ST-
phlegm-drool
Phlegm-rheum, especially thin white, usually copious fluid ejected via the mouth. ``Phlegm'' refers to thick fluid, whereas ``drool'' refers to thin fluid.
phlegm-drool congestion
Exuberant phlegm-drool impeding respiration. Phlegm-drool congestion is observed in wind stroke patterns, block patterns, phlegm-damp obstructing the lung, phlegm epilepsy, throat wind, and welling-abscess of the throat.
phlegm-fire
Phlegm in the lung that is made sticky and lumpy by the action of fire. Phlegm-fire is not usually manifest in overt signs, but external contractions and damage by food and drink can bring on episodes of wheezing and panting, with phlegm that is difficult to expectorate, heat vexation and pain in the chest, and dry mouth and lips. A phlegm node behind the ears or under the armpit having the appearance of rosary beads and being hard and of fixed location. A phlegm-fire is accompanied by a red tongue with yellow fur and a rapid stringlike pulse. It is the result of liver fire and depressed phlegm.
phlegm-fire dizziness
Dizziness attributed to phlegm turbidity with fire clouding clear yang in the upper body. The dizziness is associated with heavy distended eyes, and is accompanied by heart vexation, nausea, and upflow and ejection of phlegm-drool, bitter taste in the mouth, reddish urine, slimy yellow tongue fur, and a slippery stringlike pulse.
Medication: Transform phlegm and downbear fire using formulas such as Upper-Body-Clearing Pill or Coptis Gallbladder-Warming Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on ST and LI. Select ST-8 (Head Corner), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), LI-4 (Union Valley), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), ST-41 (Ravine Divide), HT-8 (Lesser Mansion), PC-7 (Great Mound), and LR-2 (Moving Between). Needle with drainage or
phlegm-fire fearful throbbing
Fearful throbbing (severe heart palpitations) attributed to phlegm-fire, and usually occurring in periodic attacks.
Medication: Clear the heart and abduct phlegm using formulas such as Coptis Gallbladder-Warming Decoction. See fearful throbbing; heart palpitations.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on HT, PC, back transport points and ST. Select HT-7 (Spirit Gate), PC-6 (Inner Pass), BL-15 (Heart Transport), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh), and ST-44 (Inner Court); needle with drainage.
phlegm-fire harassing the heart
A disease pattern that arises when affect-mind frustration causes qi depression that transforms into fire, which in turn condenses humor into phlegm, and the phlegm and fire bind together and harass the heart spirit. The chief signs are heart palpitations, vexation and sleeplessness or affect-mind abnormalities or manic agitation, or clouded spirit and delirious speech, vigorous heat~effusion, and phlegm rale. Other signs include red face and rough breathing, thirst with liking for cold drinks, oppression in the chest and copious phlegm, coughing of thick yellow phlegm, reddish urine and constipation, incoherent speech, abnormal crying and laughing, beating people and smashing objects, chiding and cursing regardless of who is present, dizziness, and profuse dreaming. The tongue with red with slimy yellow fur. The pulse is slippery and rapid.
Medication: Clear the heart and drain fire; sweep phlegm and open the orifices. Use Chlorite/Mica Phlegm-Rolling Pill, Iron Flakes Beverage, Peaceful Palace Bovine Bezoar Pill, or Gallbladder-Warming Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on HT, PC, ST, and GV. Select BL-15 (Heart Transport), HT-7 (Spirit Gate), PC-6 (Inner Pass), GV-26 (Human Center), KI-1 (Gushing Spring), PC-8 (Palace of Toil), HT-8 (Lesser Mansion), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), ST-40 (Bountiful
phlegm-fire headache
Headache caused by phlegm-fire ascending counterflow. Phlegm-fire headache is a headache with ringing in the brain or a hemilateral headache attended by fullness and oppression in the chest and stomach duct, nausea and vomiting, upflow and ejection of phlegm-drool, heart vexation, irascibility, red face, thirst, constipation, slimy yellow tongue fur, and a slippery surging pulse.
Medication: Transform phlegm and drain fire with formulas like Chlorite/Mica Phlegm-Rolling Pill.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV and ST. Select ST-8 (Head Corner), Greater Yang, CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), LI-4 (Union Valley), LI-11 (Pool at the Bend), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), and ST-44 (Inner Court); needle with drainage. For fullness and oppression in
phlegm-fire tetany
Tetany (clenched jaw, arched-back rigidity, convulsions) attributed to phlegm-fire congestion. Phlegm-fire tetany is characterized by pulling of the eyes and mouth, tremor, shaking, or convulsive spasm of the extremities, generalized heat~effusion, cough with copious phlegm, and a rapid surging pulse.
Medication: Clear heat and drain fire; sweep phlegm and resolve tetany. Use formulas such as Dragon-Embracing Pill.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on ST, GV, PC, TB and LI. Select ST-36 (Leg Three Li), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), ST-44 (Inner Court), LR-2 (Moving Between), GV-26 (Water Trough), GV-8 (Sinew Contraction), PC-6 (Inner Pass), TB-5 (Outer Pass), LI-4 (Union Valley), an
phlegm-fire tinnitus
phlegm-heat
Phlegm and heat arising when external evils invade, transform into heat, which then combines with existing phlegm or damages liquid and condenses it into phlegm.
phlegm-heat chest bind
major chest bind.
phlegm-heat congesting the lung
Synonyms: phlegm-heat congesting the lung.
phlegm-heat obstructing the lung.
phlegm-heat obstructing the lung
A disease pattern arising when phlegm-heat congests the lung and gives rise to panting and cough. External evils that have invaded become depressed in the lung and transform into heat. The heat damages lung liquid and condenses it to form phlegm, which in turn binds with the heat. The resultant combination of phlegm and heat then congests the network vessels of the lung. The chief signs of phlegm-heat obstructing the lung are cough and panting, thick yellow phlegm, and vigorous heat~effusion. Other signs include thirst, vexation and agitation, flaring nostrils, expectoration of blood, spontaneous external bleeding, oppression in the chest, coughing up of purulent phlegm and blood with fishy smell, dry bound stool, and short voidings of reddish urine.
Medication: Clear and drain phlegm-heat. Use Mulberry Root Bark Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on LU, LI, and ST. Select BL-13 (Lung Transport), LU-7 (Broken Sequence), LI-4 (Union Valley), LI-11 (Pool at the Bend), CV-17 (Chest Center), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), and KI-6 (Shining Sea);
phlegm-pattern spontaneous sweating
Synonyms: gourd tongue.
Spontaneous sweating attributed to phlegm turbidity causing internal obstruction of yang qi. In such patterns, spontaneous sweating is accompanied by phlegm signs such as dizziness, oppression in the chest, nausea, and ejection of phlegm drool.
Medication: Regulate the center and transform phlegm. Use Fuuzhou Ligusticum Decoction or Qi-Rectifying Phlegm-Downbearing Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, ST, PC, LI, and SI. Select CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), PC-6 (Inner Pass), CV-6 (Sea of Qi), LI-4 (Union Valley); and SI-3 (Back Ravine); needle with even supplementation and drai
phlegm-rheum
Accumulation of fluid in the body. ``Phlegm'' denotes thick pathological fluids, whereas ``rheum'' denotes thinner pathological fluids. In practice, the term phlegm-rheum has two specific meanings: (1) Any form of rheum (i.e., thin fluid), arising as a result of lung, spleen, or kidney disturbances preventing the normal transportation and transformation of fluid, and treated by warming and supplementing the spleen and kidney to secure the root and by disinhibiting water and expelling rheum to address the branches.One of the four rheums. Rheum lodged in the stomach and intestines. Phlegm-rheum is characterized by sloppy stool, poor appetite, ejection of foamy drool, and emaciation occurring in obese people. In some cases there may be heart palpitations and shortness of breath.
Medication: Warm yang and transform rheum with formulas such as Poria (Hoelen), Cinnamon Twig, Ovate Atractylodes, and Licorice Decoction or Golden Coffer Kidney Qi Pill.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, ST, BL, and SI. Select CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot), SP-9 (Yin Mound Spring), BL-64 (Capital Bone), SI-3 (Back Ravine), and BL-62 (Extending Vessel); needl
phlegm-rheum abdominal pain
Abdominal pain attributed to phlegm-rheum and associated with rumbling intestines, diarrhea with the passage of white glossy foamy matter without malodor, dizzy head, heart palpitations, nausea and vomiting, ejection of foamy drool, white putrid tongue fur, and a slippery rapid pulse.
Medication: Fortify the spleen and eliminate phlegm with Two Matured Ingredients Decoction plus atractylodes (Atractylodis Rhizoma) and magnolia bark (Magnoliae Cortex).
Acupuncture: Base treatment on back transport points, CV, and ST. Select BL-20 (Spleen Transport), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), and ST-25 (Celestial Pivot); needle with even supplementation and drainage.
phlegm-rheum aversion to cold
Aversion to cold attributed to phlegm in the chest and diaphragm obstructing yang qi. Phlegm-rheum aversion to cold is associated with generalized aversion to cold or aversion to cold in the back, reduced food intake, heavy limbs, slimy tongue fur, and a slippery pulse.
Medication: Free yang and transform phlegm with formulas such as Poria (Hoelen), Cinnamon Twig, Ovate Atractylodes, and Licorice Decoction, Pathfinder Poria (Hoelen) Pill, or Two Matured Ingredients Decoction.
phlegm-rheum cough
Cough attributed to phlegm-rheum, with cough as the main sign. Cough is a major signs of phlegm-rheum, and is most commonly seen when cold phlegm-rheum evil collects in the lung and stomach. It is associated with expectoration of copious white, sometimes foamy phlegm.
Medication: Warm and transform using formulas such as Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction Plus Gypsum and Poria (Hoelen), Cinnamon Twig, Ovate Atractylodes, and Licorice Decoction. Advanced-stage phlegm-rheum, which damages yang, manifests in additional signs of insuff
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on LU, SP, and ST. Select BL-13 (Lung Transport), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), LI-4 (Union Valley), LU-9 (Great Abyss), SP-3 (Supreme White), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), and SP-9 (Yin Mound Spring); needle with dra
phlegm-rheum dizziness
Dizziness that arises when spleen vacuity allows phlegm-rheum to collect and ascend to cloud the clear orifices. Phlegm-rheum dizziness is attended by heavy-headedness, oppression in the chest, vomiting, copious phlegm, and hasty panting.
Medication: Fortify the spleen and transform rheum with formulas such as Two Matured Ingredients Decoction, Phlegm-Abducting Decoction, or Six Gentlemen Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on ST and LI. Select ST-8 (Head Corner), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), LI-4 (Union Valley), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), and ST-41 (Ravine Divide); needle with even supplementation and drainage.
phlegm-rheum rapid panting
Rapid panting that arises when phlegm-rheum congests in the lung and causes counterflow ascent of qi. Phlegm-rheum rapid panting is mostly observed in children.
Medication: Treat with Perilla Seed and Tingli Phlegm-Rolling Pill.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on LU, SP, and ST. Select BL-13 (Lung Transport), Panting Stabilizer, BL-43 (Gao-Huang Transport), LU-9 (Great Abyss), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), and SP-9 (Yin Mound Spring); needle wi
phlegm-rheum rib-side pain
collecting rheum rib-side pain.
phlegm-rheum stomach duct pain
Stomach pain that arises when impaired spleen-stomach movement and transformation causes water-damp to gather and gradually turn into phlegm-rheum, which collects in the center burner. Phlegm-rheum stomach duct pain is attended by reduced food intake, nausea, vexation and oppression, ejection of foamy phlegm, and a slippery stringlike pulse. There may also be dizziness, heart palpitations and shortness of breath, and gurgling in the abdomen.
Medication: Transform rheum and harmonize the stomach. Use formulas such as Dampness-Eliminating Stomach-Calming Poria (Hoelen) Five Decoction and Two Matured Ingredients Decoction. For phlegm-fire, use Center-Clearing Decoction. For rheum pouring into the limbs and
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on alarm and uniting points of ST, PC, and SP. Select CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge), PC-6 (Inner Pass), SP-4 (Yellow Emperor), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot), and CV-6 (Sea of Qi); needle with dr
phlegm-rheum vomiting
photophobia
aversion to light.
physical body
The physical body in contrast to the constitutional body. Examining the physique is an important part of general diagnosis. A well-developed, strong, firm body indicates a strong constitution. Poor development and emaciation indicate a weak constitution. Obesity with soft flesh, lusterless white skin, shortage of qi, lack of strength, and lack of devitalized essence-spirit indicate what is known as a full physique with vacuous qi, implying a physical constitution characterized by a yang qi vacuity. Such conditions are often seen in diseases described by Western medicine as endocrine disturbances, hypothyroidism, and some forms of hypertension. A pale drawn complexion, emaciation, and dry skin indicate insufficiency of yin-blood, generally seen in constitutional yin vacuity. Such conditions occur often in cases of tuberculosis, which has lead to the saying, "The thin are prone to taxation coughs."
physical cold
Outwardly manifest signs of cold, e.g., aversion to cold, desire for warm beverages, curled-up lying posture, cold limbs, etc. Elementary Questions states, "When yang is vacuous, there is external cold." "Physical cold" is what is meant by "external cold."
physical cold and cold limbs
pick to bleed
To perform bleeding with a three-edged needle by a brisk darting and flicking action.
picking at bedclothes
Synonyms: root-severing therapy; needle-picking therapy. A method of treating disease
An aimless plucking at bedclothes observed in an extreme stage of disease. It occurs notably in extreme yang bright heat with heat~effusion and clouded spirit. Compare groping in the air and pulling at invisible strings.
picking therapy
that involves picking subcutaneous fibers with a needle. Picking therapy is a widely used folk remedy that came to be practiced by Chinese medical health-care workers after the so-called liberation. It is performed at specific sites including acupuncture points, and is mostly used to treat hemorrhoids, but is also used for prolapse of the rectum, clove sores , welling-abscesses and flat-abscesses acute conjunctivitis (wind-fire eye), sties, profuse menstruation, and chronic prostatitis. BL-25 (Large Intestine Transport) and BL-32 (Second Bone-Hole) are used for hemorrhoids, and GV-14 (Great Hammer) for conjunctivitis. At the selected site, a three-edged needle or large sewing needle is inserted to a depth of 2--3~mm a lifted so as to draw out and sever white fiber from under the skin. The site is then dressed. Treatment may be repeated at the same point 2--3 weeks later. Attention must be paid to hygiene to avoid infection.
pigeon chest
chicken breast.
pile
Synonyms: hemorrhoid.
Any protrusion of flesh from any of the nine orifices, e.g., ear pile or yin pile. Specifically, hemorrhoid.
pile
pill
Synonyms: jade pillow bone.
A medicinal preparation made by mixing finely ground medicinals with a binding medium (usually honey, water, or flour and water paste), and forming them into small round balls. The pill preparation has the advantage of being more convenient for the patient than the decoction, especially when medication has to be taken over a long period of time. The active constituents are absorbed into the body more slowly, but their effect is longer lasting. Pills are therefore most commonly used in the treatment of enduring diseases, and especially concretions and accumulations. They are also used for certain acute patterns since they can be kept at hand ready for occasional use. Pills are taken by swallowing with, or dissolving in water.
pillow bone
The bone in the lower back part of the skull, so called because the head rests on this part of the head in supine posture.
pillow fontanel
The posterior fontanel.
pimples
Synonyms: skin-pinching needle insertion.
acne.
pinch-and-lift needle insertion
A two-handed needle insertion technique whereby the needle is inserted while the other hand (pressing hand) pinches and lifts the flesh. (1) While holding the handle of the needle with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, pinch the skin around the point with the left hand. (2) Rest the tip of the needle lightly on the point, and insert with a quick, firm downward movement.
pine bark lichen
Lichen marked by a thickening of the skin that gives the appearance of pine bark. Pine bark lichen is attributed to factors such as invasion of exterior wind-cold, disharmony between construction and defense and between the thoroughfare and controlling vessels, and construction-defense depletion. It starts with red macules of various sizes, covered with white scales that slough away to reveal bleeding speckles and cause itching. It occurs on corresponding positions on the outer (yang) aspect of the limbs.
pinworm
Synonyms: kidney worm disease.
pinworm disease
The Origin and Indicators of Disease. One of the three worm diseases and one of the nine worm diseases. Pinworm disease is most common in infants and children. It is associated with nighttime anal itch that can affect sleep, heart vexation, and susceptibility to fright.
Medication: Medicinals effective in treating pinworm include stemona (Stemonae Radix), aspidium (Aspidii Rhizoma), carpesium seed (Carpesii Fructus), omphalia (Omphalia), garlic (Allii Sativi Bulbus), morning glory (Pharbitidis Semen), pomegranate rind (Granati Peric
plain stir-frying
Stir-frying without any adjuvants. It includes light stir-frying, scorch-frying, and blast-frying.
plaster
A topical paste that is mounted on cloth. It is made by slicing or pounding the ingredients and steeping them in sesame seed oil or tung-oil (Aleuritis Seminis Oleum) for 3--5 days. The mixture is then heated to fry the materials until they char. Flowers, leaves, and pericarps that cannot withstand heat should not be included. The materials are strained off, and the oil is returned to the fire, where it is continuously heated and stirred until the smoke given off turns from white to blue-green. When the temperature reaches 250-300 (at this temperature, when the oil is dropped in water it will stay together in a globule) the fire is turned down, and yellow upborne elixir (Hydrogyrum Oxydatum Crudum Aureum) or processed galenite (Galenitum Praeparatum) is slowly stirred in. The pot is removed from the fire when all the yellow upborne elixir (Hydrogyrum Oxydatum Crudum Aureum) has dissolved. It is then sprinkled with water and stirred, and then steeped in cold water to eliminate the fire toxin. Before use it is melted over a small flame or in water so that it can be spread on cloth or animal skin ready for topical application. Plasters are used for sores and wind-damp pain. They are available ready made and mounted on cloth, and require only warming prior to application.
plaster wind
Synonyms: seven-star needle.
Redness and swelling, and, in severe cases, blistering, erosion, and weeping of the skin as a result of applying a medicinal plaster, elephant skin plaster, or the like. The affected area may be square or round like the shape of the plaster, and is clearly circumscribed. It is associated with itching or burning sensation, and spreads if scratched.
Medication: Use Three Yellows Wash Preparation; if there is ulceration, apply Indigo Paste.
plum-blossom needle
Synonyms: qi phlegm.
A cutaneous needle, traditionally made by binding 5 to 7 sewing needles to a bamboo stick, and used to provide a therapeutic stimulus when lightly tapped on the skin.
plum-pit qi
Dryness and a sensation of a foreign body present in the throat which can be neither swallowed or ejected. The intensity of the signs fluctuates. The main cause is binding depression of liver qi.
Medication: Course the liver and rectify qi. Use Bupleurum Liver-Coursing Powder combined with Inula and Hematite Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, LI, and PC. Select CV-22 (Celestial Chimney), CV-17 (Chest Center), LI-4 (Union Valley), and PC-5 (Intermediary Courier); needle with even supplementation and drainage and add moxa. For depressed qi, add BL-18 (Liver Transport
pock pimples
Sores of varying sizes, the larger of which, called pocks , are between the size of a soybean or a jujube, are red, and contain pus and the smaller of which, called pimples , are small vesicles or pustules. Pock pimples are attributed to lung heat and spleen dampness or summer wind-heat toxin in the skin. Pock pimples of the buttocks are called seat sores.
Medication: Take Coptis Toxin-Resolving Decoction and decoct purslane (Portulacae Herba) as a wash.
point
Abbreviation for acupuncture point.
point combination
Methods of combining points. See the entries listed below.
Point Combination
combining local and distant points
combining source and network points
combining transport and alarm points
combining same-name channel points
combining transport points
combining upper and lower body points
combining left and right points
point joining
To insert an acupuncture needle (usually by transverse insertion) so that it passes through two or more points. For example, ST-4 (Earth Granary) joined to ST-6 (Cheek Carriage) treats deviation of the mouth; ST-38 (Ribbon Opening) joined to BL-57 (Mountain Support) treats shoulder pain and inability to lift the shoulder; TB-5 (Outer Pass) joined to PC-6 (Inner Pass), treats elbow and arm pain; GB-40 (Hill Ruins) joined to KI-6 (Shining Sea) treats ankle pain.
point selection
Points are selected by four basic methods: selection of local points; selection of distant points; selection of points on the affected channel; selection of pathocondition points; selection of special group points.
poling
Warming with a moxa pole.
polyuria
Synonyms: reduced eat; reduced food intake.
Copious urine.
poor appetite
A reduced desire to eat. The stomach governs intake and decomposition of grain and water (i.e., food); the spleen governs movement and transformation of grain and water and the distribution of their essence (i.e., nutrients). Appetite is principally related to the spleen and stomach. The stomach and spleen together form the ``root of the later heaven,'' i.e., the basis of the acquired constitution. ``The presence of stomach means life; the absence of stomach is death.'' A good appetite is a sign of health. In disease, a good appetite is a sign of a mild condition, and its return is a sign of recovery. Sudden return of an appetite in critical illness is a last flicker of the candle, and bodes death. Poor appetite is observed in externally contracted disease and internal damage. In most instances of externally contracted disease, it is of relatively short duration and hence of little significance. In internal damage miscellaneous disease, in which the duration of poor appetite can undermine the health of the patient, it commands greater attention. Distinction can be made between three categories of poor appetite: poor appetite without hunger; aversion to food; and no desire to eat despite hunger.
poor memory
poor stomach intake
Impairment of the stomach's governing of food intake. The stomach is responsible for the initial intake of food; it governs decomposition of the grain and water (i.e., food), and when emptied of its contents, the desire to eat rises. Poor stomach intake is reduced eating due to impairment of the stomach's function.
post-voiding dribble
posterior headache
Pain affecting the back of the head.
postmenstrual blood ejection and spontaneous external bleeding
Bleeding from the mouth or nose after menstruation; attributed to residual lung-stomach vacuity heat and blood heat failing to stay within the vessels causing loss of small amounts of fresh-colored blood.
Medication: Clear lung-stomach vacuity heat using either variations of Rhinoceros Horn and Rehmannia Decoction or Ophiopogon Drink.
postmeridian tidal heat~effusion
Tidal heat~effusion occurring any time after midday. Postmeridian tidal heat~effusion is usually a sign of yin vacuity, but a vigorous heat~effusion that becomes more pronounced at roughly 3-5 p.m., called late afternoon tidal heat~effusion, is associated with yang brightness interior repletion patterns.
postpartum
Occurring in the mother after she has given birth.
postpartum abdominal distention and vomiting
Synonyms: afterpains.
Abdominal distention, fullness and oppression with vomiting and retching after childbirth. Postpartum abdominal distention and vomiting is associated with scant lochia, and occurs when wasted blood attacks the spleen and stomach, causing stomach qi to ascend counterflow.
Medication: Quicken the blood and dispel stasis; fortify the spleen and harmonize the stomach. Use variations of Engendering Transformation Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, ST, SP, and LR. To quicken the blood and dispel stasis, select CV-6 (Sea of Qi), CV-3 (Central Pole), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), LR-3 (Supreme Surge), and LR-8 (Spring at the Bend); needle with even supplementation and dr
postpartum abdominal pain
Abdominal pain occurring after childbirth, as a result of blood vacuity or blood stasis.
postpartum bleeding
postpartum blood dizziness
Dizzy head and flowery vision occurring after childbirth. Postpartum blood dizziness is often so severe that the patient cannot get up, and is sometimes accompanied by fullness and oppression in the chest, nausea and vomiting, welling of phlegm and rapid breathing, heart vexation, and, in severe cases, clenched jaw, clouded spirit, and loss of consciousness. Distinction is made between vacuity and repletion patterns. patterns result from postpartum flooding and spotting causing yin vacuity and sudden collapse. The blood is usually thin. Dizziness comes on suddenly with heart palpitations, heart vexation, oppression and discomfort, and, in severe cases, clouding loss of consciousness. General signs include somber white complexion, closed eyes and open mouth, limp hands and cold limbs, dripping cold sweat, pale tongue without fur, and a faint pulse on the verge of expiration or a large floating pulse. In vacuity patterns, there may also be signs of upflow of phlegm-fire causing sudden dizzy head and flowery vision, nausea and vomiting, fullness and oppression in the chest and heart, and, in severe cases, loss of consciousness.
Medication: Boost qi and stem desertion using Pure Ginseng Decoction or Qi-Supplementing Dizziness-Resolving Decoction. For clouded spirit, cold limbs, and sweating, apply emergency yang-returning counterflow-stemming treatment using Ginseng and Aconite Decoction. T
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on GV, CV, ST, and SP. Select GV-26 (Human Center), GV-20 (Hundred Convergences), PC-6 (Inner Pass), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), and ST-36 (Leg Three Li); needle with supplementation. In addition, moxa CV-6 (Sea of Qi), GV-20 (Hun
postpartum communicating bowels
postpartum defecation difficulty
Constipation arising when loss of blood after childbirth damages the fluids and deprives the intestines of moisture.
Medication: Moisten the intestines and free the stool using honey (Mel), hemp seed (Cannabis Semen), and tangkuei (Angelicae Sinensis Radix). Do not use precipitants.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on ST and SP. Select BL-20 (Spleen Transport), BL-21 (Stomach Transport), BL-25 (Large Intestine Transport), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), and CV-4 (Pass Head); needle with supplementation and moxa if appropria
postpartum depression and veiling
From Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Coffer. ``Depression'' means binding depression, constrained qi; ``veiling'' means clouding of the spirit. Postpartum depression and veiling is a dizziness and visual distortion with feelings of depression and oppression, accompanied by retching and inability to eat, hard stool, and sweating head.
postpartum blood dizziness.
Medication: Treat by resolving both interior and exterior with Minor Bupleurum Decoction.
postpartum diarrhea
Diarrhea occurring after delivery owing to nonmovement of the lochia affecting spleen function. Postpartum diarrhea takes the form of incontinent throughflux diarrhea with green-blue, black, and white stool.
Medication: Use Truly Wondrous Powder, comprising four or five awns of schizonepeta (Schizonepetae Herba et Flos), burned to cinders in an oil lamp mixed with a pinch of musk (Moschus) taken with hot water.
postpartum enuresis
Enuresis arising after childbirth from kidney vacuity and insecurity of bladder qi, from qi-blood vacuity, or from damage to the bladder in childbirth.
Medication: Boost the kidney and supplement the center with Center-Supplementing Qi-Boosting Decoction combined with Mantis Egg-Case Powder. Damage to the bladder may require surgery.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on back transport points. Select BL-23 (Kidney Transport), CV-3 (Central Pole), BL-28 (Bladder Transport), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), and BL-22 (Triple Burner Transport); needle with supplementation and add moxa. To boost the kid
postpartum failure of the jade door to heal
Failure of damage to the birth gate ( orificium vaginae) in childbirth to heal within a few days. Postpartum failure of the jade gate to heal can be treated with an oral formula such as Perfect Major Supplementation Decoction and topically with bletilla (Bletillae Tuber), dragon bone (Mastodi Ossis Fossilia), hornet's nest (Vespae Nidus), chebule (Chebulae Fructus), and phellodendron (Phellodendri Cortex), ground in equal proportions and applied after washing the affected area with a decoction of perilla leaf (Perillae Folium, Caulis et Calyx).
postpartum fearful throbbing
Fearful throbbing (severe heart palpitations) attributed to excessive blood loss in childbirth depriving the heart of nourishment.
Medication: Harmonize the stomach and spleen; supplement qi and nourish the blood. Use formulas such as Ginseng Construction-Nourishing Decoction and variations. For incomplete elimination of static blood and inhibited flow of the lochia, Engendering Transformation D
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on HT, PC, ST, SP, and back transport points. Select HT-7 (Spirit Gate), PC-6 (Inner Pass), BL-15 (Heart Transport), BL-20 (Spleen Transport), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), and HT-5 (Connecting Li); needle with
postpartum flooding
Severe bleeding after childbirth. Postpartum flooding is attributable to a)~damage to the thoroughfare , controlling , and uterine vessels, b)~damage through physical exertion before the channels have returned to normal after childbirth, c)~retention of the afterbirth causing obstruction of the thoroughfare, controlling, and uterine vessels, or d)~sex too soon after childbirth.
postpartum food damage
Food damage that occurs as a result of dietary irregularity causing damage to the spleen and stomach after childbirth. Postpartum food damage is characterized by fullness and oppression in the chest and stomach duct, putrid belching and swallowing of upflowing acid, and sour-smelling stool.
Medication: Treat by simultaneous dispersion and supplementation. Use Engendering Transformation Decoction with the addition of abducting dispersion medicinals. For noodle-type food damage, use medicated leaven (Massa Medicata Fermentata) and barley sprout (Hordei Fr
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, ST, and SP. Select CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), CV-10 (Lower Stomach Duct), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot), CV-6 (Sea of Qi), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), and Li Inner Court; needle with even supplementation a
postpartum fright heart palpitations
Heart palpitations after childbirth that is brought on by fright, associated in severe cases with fixity of the eyes and inability to speak. Postpartum fright palpitations are attributed to blood vacuity and insufficiency of heart qi.
Medication: Supplement the heart and quiet the spirit using Heart-Nourishing Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on HT, PC, back transport points, SP, and ST. Select BL-15 (Heart Transport), CV-14 (Great Tower Gate), PC-6 (Inner Pass), HT-7 (Spirit Gate), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), and HT-5
postpartum generalized pain
Generalized pain arising after childbirth when a)~qi and blood are depleted and fail to move properly, b)~ retention of the lochia gives rise to blood stasis, or c)~wind-cold exploits vacuity to enter the body and cause stagnation in the vessels.
Medication: For blood vacuity, nourish and quicken the blood with Perfect Major Supplementation Decoction. For blood stasis, quicken the blood and transform stasis with Four Agents Decoction plus large gentian (Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix), peach kernel (Persicae Se
postpartum glomus and fullness
Glomus and fullness that arise in women usually suffering from stomach qi vacuity when dietary irregularities after childbirth cause further damage to the spleen and stomach, impairing harmonious downbearing of the stomach.
Medication: Treat by fortifying the spleen and abductive dispersion. Use Special Achievement Powder.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on ST, CV, and PC. Select ST-25 (Celestial Pivot), CV-6 (Sea of Qi), PC-6 (Inner Pass), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), and BL-20 (Spleen Transport); needle with even supplementation and drainage.
postpartum headache
Headache occurring after childbirth either as a result of excessive blood loss that deprives the network vessels of the brain of adequate nourishment, or as a result of stagnant lochia ascending the thoroughfare vessel to the head.
postpartum heart pain
From The Origin and Indicators of Disease. Postpartum pericardiac pain or postpartum true heart pain. Postpartum heart pain occurs in patients with abiding cold when major postpartum vacuity causes the blood to congeal and surge into to the network vessel of the heart or the heart channel. Damaging the network vessel of the heart, it is called postpartum pericardiac network vessel pain, which is characterized by oppression and pain in the chest and heart with the pain stretching into the back in severe cases. Damaging the heart channel, it is called postpartum true heart pain is attended by purple-black nails and coldextremities. If it occurs in the morning, the patient dies in the evening; if it occurs in the morning, the patient dies in the morning.
Medication: Treat pericardiac network vessel pain by dissipating cold with formulas such as Great Rock Honey Decoction. Treat postpartum true heart pain with Great Rock Honey Decoction combined with Sudden Smile Powder.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, back transport points, PC, and HT. Main points: CV-17 (Chest Center), BL-15 (Heart Transport), PC-6 (Inner Pass), and CV-14 (Great Tower Gate); needle with drainage. Selection of points according to pattern: For pericardiac pa
postpartum heat~effusion
Heat~effusion occurring after childbirth; attributed to external contraction, blood vacuity, blood stasis, food stagnation, or contraction of evil toxin.
postpartum heat~effusion and aversion to cold
postpartum hypertonicity
Hypertonicity of the sinews that arises either when wind-cold exploits sudden vacuity of qi and blood, and enters the channels and network vessels or when damage to qi and blood through childbirth leads to insufficiency of liver blood depriving the sinews of nourishment.
postpartum impediment pattern
An impediment pattern arising when major postpartum vacuity causes insecurity of the interstices allowing wind-cold-damp evils to exploit the vacuity and enter the flesh and channels and give rise to generalized or local joint pain.
Medication: Treat by supporting right and nourishing the blood, assisted by dispelling the evil. Use variations of Schizonepeta and Ledebouriella Four Agents Decoction. Use of acrid dry agents should be limited in major vacuity of right qi.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, SP, ST, LR, and GB. To support right and nourish the blood, select BL-20 (Spleen Transport), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport), CV-6 (Sea of Qi), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), LR-3 (Supreme Surge), and SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), needlin
postpartum inhibited urination
Inhibited urination (difficulty voiding and scant urine) occurring after childbirth. Three pathomechanisms exist: a)~damage to qi and blood and spleen-lung qi vacuity causing inhibited flow through the waterways; b)~damage to kidney qi through childbirth causing impairment of the qi transformation; c)~binding depression of liver qi due to constrained emotions affecting general qi dynamic and supply of warmth to the bladder.
postpartum loss of breast milk
Leaking of milk from the breasts after delivery. Postpartum loss of breast milk is attributed either to spleen-stomach qi vacuity preventing breast milk from being contained or to hyperactive liver fire and excessive free coursing action of the liver
postpartum loss of speech
Loss of speech attributed to a)~uneliminated wasted blood accumulating in the heart, b)~damage to heart qi during childbirth preventing heart qi from reaching the tongue, or c)~phlegm-heat exploiting the heart causing heart qi block.
postpartum loss of voice
A thready hoarse voice occurring after childbirth. Postpartum loss of voice is attributed to dual vacuity of the heart and kidney, binding depression of spleen qi (spleen qi vacuity and inhibited movement of qi), or dual vacuity of qi and blood.
Medication: When attributed to dual vacuity of the heart and kidney, use Seven-Gem Powder. When due to binding depression of spleen qi, use Spleen-Returning Decoction. When due to dual vacuity of qi and blood, use Eight-Gem Decoction. Postpartum loss of voice is not
postpartum lumbar pain
Lumbar pain after childbirth. It may arise a)~when childbirth damages the kidney (the lumbus is the house of the kidney) and wasted blood obstructs the girdling vessel, b)~when vacuity of true qi is exploited by external evil, or c)~when the lumbus is sprained in postpartum vacuity.
postpartum night sweating
Night sweating occurring after childbirth. Postpartum night sweating is attributed to sudden vacuity of qi and blood and yin depletion.
Medication: Regulate and supplement qi and blood with complementary action to constrain sweating. Use Perspiration-Checking Powder.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on HT, LI, ST, and SP. Select HT-6 (Yin Cleft), SI-3 (Back Ravine), LI-4 (Union Valley), BL-20 (Spleen Transport), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), and SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection); needle with supplementation and add moxa.
postpartum nontransformation of food
Diarrhea with untransformed food in the stool due to spleen-kidney vacuity exacerbated by childbirth or postpartum taxation fatigue.
Medication: Warm yang, fortify the spleen, and remove stasis. Use Engendering Transformation Decoction plus alpinia (Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus), amomum (Amomi Semen seu Fructus), nutmeg (Myristicae Semen), saussurea (Saussureae (seu Vladimiriae) Radix), bupleurum
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, ST, and SP. Select CV-4 (Pass Head), CV-6 (Sea of Qi), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), BL-20 (Spleen Transport), BL-23 (Kidney Transport), and SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection); needle with supplementation and add m
postpartum panting
Panting occurring after childbirth. Postpartum panting is attributed to qi-blood vacuity or wasted blood ascending to attack the lung.
postpartum paralysis
Hemiplegia, hypertonicity or numbness of the extremities, occurring after childbirth as a result of excessive loss of blood.
Medication: Supplement qi and nourish the blood. Use formulas such as Astragalus and Cinnamon Twig Five Agents Decoction or Yang-Supplementing Five-Returning Decoction. Do not confuse this condition with a wind pattern, since the use of harsh dry wind-dispelling and
postpartum pericardiac network vessel pain
From Good Remedies for Women. Pain and oppression in the heart and chest occurring after childbirth, in severe cases reaching into the back. Postpartum pericardiac network vessel pain arises in women who ordinarily suffer from abiding cold and who are suffering major vacuity as a result of childbirth, when cold contends with the blood, causes the blood to congeal and fail to move, and to surge into the network vessels of the heart. Dissipate cold in order to warm and free. Use Great Rock Honey Decoction.
postpartum puffy swelling
Swelling after childbirth, usually due to qi stagnation. It occurs in women who tend to suffer from mental depression and the resultant inhibition of qi dynamic when childbirth causes disharmony of qi and blood. It is characterized by resilient swelling (rather than pitting edema) of the limbs without any change in the color of the flesh and is associated with oppression in the chest and rib-side distention, as well as with reduced food intake.
Medication: Rectify qi, move stagnation, and disinhibit dampness using Aristolochia Stem Powder plus fresh ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens), chaenomeles (Chaenomelis Fructus), perilla leaf (Perillae Folium), poria (Poria), and areca husk (Arecae Pericarpium). Postp
postpartum raving and hallucination
Rash or irrational talk and/or seeing of unreal phenomena after childbirth; attributed to qi-blood vacuity stemming from excessive blood loss or blood stasis due to nonelimination of malign blood.
postpartum retention of the lochia
postpartum sore
A sore arising after childbirth as a result of qi-blood depletion. A postpartum sore is treated by internal expression, supporting right qi and expelling the evil, and harmonizing construction and defense.
postpartum streaming sore
Synonyms: postpartum heat~effusion and aversion to cold.
A streaming sore appearing on the lumbus, arm, wrist, and leg after delivery. It is characterized by a lump and diffuse swelling and attended by fatigue.
postpartum sudden bouts of heat~effusion and aversion to cold
Abrupt changes from cold to heat after childbirth. Postpartum sudden bouts of heat~effusion and aversion to cold attributed to disharmony of construction and defense that results either from dual vacuity of qi and blood and disharmony between yin and yang or from stagnation of wasted blood blocking the channels.
Medication: Treat qi-blood vacuity patterns by supplementing qi and the blood, and harmonizing yin and yang; use formulas such as Four Agents Decoction minus rehmannia (Rehmanniae Radix) and plus ginseng (Ginseng Radix), dried ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma Exsiccatum),
postpartum summerheat stroke
Contraction of summerheat occurring 1--3 days after delivery, when qi and blood have not recovered and summerheat evil exploits the vacuity to enter the flesh, causing sudden expiration of yin qi and congestion of the yang qi that obstructs the channels. Signs include high fever and unclear spirit-mind.
Medication: If there is dizziness and nausea, oppression in the chest, flusteredness, thirst, and great sweating, this is a portent of summerheat stroke, for which Summerheat-Clearing Qi-Boosting Decoction can be prescribed. When heat strikes the interior, there is v
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on PC, LI, ST, HT, KI, and SP. Main points: BL-20 (Spleen Transport), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), PC-6 (Inner Pass), LI-4 (Union Valley), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), GV-14 (Great Hammer), and LI-11 (Pool at the Bend); needle with drain
postpartum tetany
Tetany characterized by rigidity of the neck, convulsions of the limbs, clenched jaw, and arched-back rigidity, occurring suddenly after childbirth. Postpartum tetany arises when wind exploits the vacuity created by major postpartum yin-blood depletion to invade and stir liver wind, or when excessive sweating causes damage to liquid and blood collapse, which deprives the sinews of nourishment and causes tetany through extreme vacuity engendering wind. Wind patterns are marked by clenched jaw and straight rigid back or arched-back rigidity. These signs come in bouts after shorts intervals with apparent cessation of breathing; blood collapse patterns are marked by spontaneous sweating, dim vision, and clouded spirit.
Medication: For wind patterns, the mouth should be quickly pried open to allow Minor Life-Prolonging Decoction or Tetany-Relieving Powder plus silkworm (Bombyx Batryticatus), and mistletoe (Loranthi seu Visci Ramus) to be poured in. See also lockjaw. For blood patter
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on back transport points, GV, SP, ST, GB and LR. Select GV-20 (Hundred Convergences), GB-20 (Wind Pool), LR-3 (Supreme Surge), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport), BL-20 (Spleen Transport), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection)
postpartum thirst
Thirst after childbirth, attributed to damage to fluids through loss of blood or profuse sweating or scorching of the fluids by effulgent yin vacuity fire.
Medication: Treat damage to liquid by engendering liquid and allaying thirst with formulas such as Pulse-Engendering Variant Powder varied according to need. Treat effulgent yin vacuity fire with persistent drinking of fluid by enriching yin and downbearing fire and
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on TB, SP, back transport points, and KI. Main points: Gold Liquid and Jade Humor, TB-2 (Humor Gate), and SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection). For blood loss or profuse sweating that damages the fluids, add BL-20 (Spleen Transport), BL-17
postpartum tugging and slackening
Alternating tensing and relaxation of the sinews that arises when postpartum blood vacuity deprives the sinews of nourishment.
Medication: Supplement qi and the blood. Use Ginseng Construction-Nourishing Decoction with additions.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on back transport points, CV, and three yin channels of the foot. Select BL-20 (Spleen Transport), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport), CV-6 (Sea of Qi), SP-10 (Sea of Blood), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), LR-3 (Supreme Surge), SP-6 (Three Yin Inter
postpartum vacuity swelling of the limbs
A condition characterized by generalized green-blue swelling accompanied by inhibited flow of the lochia. Postpartum vacuity swelling of the limbs arises when wasted blood has not been completely eliminated, and flows into the channels and network vessels.
Medication: Quicken the blood and transform stasis with Channel-Regulating Powder.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, SP, and ST. Select CV-6 (Sea of Qi), CV-3 (Central Pole), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport), SP-10 (Sea of Blood), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), BL-20 (Spleen Transport), and BL-23 (Kidney Transport); needle w
postpartum vacuity vexation
Heart vexation arising after childbirth as a result of qi-blood depletion and vacuity fire that harasses the upper body. Postpartum vacuity vexation is heat vexation with shortage of qi, fatigue, fullness and oppression in the chest and diaphragm, and in more severe cases, with insomnia.
Medication: Clear heat and eliminate vexation using Bamboo Leaf Decoction. If there is pronounced physical agitation, prescribe Tangkuei Blood-Supplementing Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on HT, back transport points, and three yin channels of the feet. Select BL-15 (Heart Transport), BL-23 (Kidney Transport), BL-20 (Spleen Transport), Alert Spirit Quartet, HT-7 (Spirit Gate), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), KI-6 (Shin
postpartum vigorous heat~effusion
High fever after childbirth. Postpartum vigorous heat~effusion may be due to contraction of an external evil, but it is frequently due to evil toxin directly striking the uterus in postpartum qi and blood vacuity.
postpartum vomiting
Vomiting after childbirth. Postpartum vomiting is attributed to cold evil that exploits stomach qi vacuity, blood stasis due to scant elimination of the lochia, or phlegm qi swamping the stomach.
postpartum water swelling
Water swelling occurring after delivery when spleen-kidney vacuity exacerbated by childbirth disturbs the normal distribution of fluids. Postpartum water swelling is characterized by swelling of the extremities and a moist shiny appearance of the skin.
Medication: Treat by major supplementation of qi and blood supported by disinhibiting water. Applicable formulas include Eight-Gem Decoction plus atractylodes (Atractylodis Rhizoma) and poria (Poria). If there is distention and fullness, add tangerine peel (Citri Ex
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on CV, back transport points, ST, and SP. Select CV-9 (Water Divide), CV-6 (Sea of Qi), BL-22 (Triple Burner Transport), BL-20 (Spleen Transport), BL-23 (Kidney Transport), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), SP-6 (Thr
postpartum wind stroke
Wind stroke occurring after childbirth. Postpartum wind stroke is attributed to sudden vacuity of qi and blood after delivery, with consequent unsoundness of the interstices allowing external evils to exploit the vacuity and enter the body. Conditions that occur when externally contracted wind evil remains unresolved for ten days or more, characterized by slight headache, aversion to cold, periodic heat~effusion, oppression below the heart, dry retching and sweating can be treated by harmonizing construction and defense with Cinnamon Twig Decoction. Heat~effusion, red facial complexion, panting, and headache can be treated with Bamboo Leaf Decoction. Externally contracted wind-cold contending with sinews causing hypertonicity of the sinews, clenched jaw, loss of consciousness, and arched-back rigidity can be treated as true wind stroke, using Hua Tuo's Wind-Healing Powder, which nowadays can be applied by nasal feed.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on GB, TB, SP, ST, LI, and LR. Main points: needle with drainage at GV-20 (Hundred Convergences), GB-20 (Wind Pool), and TB-5 (Outer Pass), and with supplementation at BL-20 (Spleen Transport), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport), ST-36 (Leg
postpartum wind-like stroke
Wind-like stroke occurring after childbirth. Postpartum wind-like stroke is attributed to fulminant vacuity of qi and blood and characterized by clenched jaw and rigid neck, and hypertonicity of the sinews.
Medication: Use Construction-Enriching Network-Quickening Decoction or variations of Engendering Transformation Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on GB, LR, SP, and ST. Select GV-20 (Hundred Convergences), GB-20 (Wind Pool), LR-3 (Supreme Surge), BL-57 (Mountain Support), GB-34 (Yang Mound Spring), BL-20 (Spleen Transport), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), an
pounding
needle pounding.
powder
Synonyms: powder.
powder preparation.
powder preparation
A medicinal preparation made by grinding medicinal materials finely. Powders are suitable for both internal and external use, and are convenient for the patient. Orally taken powders are more easily absorbed than pills. Materials that cannot be heated, or do not easily dissolve in water are particularly suitable for preparation in powder form. The materials are first carefully dried, then blended and ground together. The coarser particles are sifted off and reground until everything has been ground to a uniformly fine powder. High oil content materials such as bitter apricot kernel (Armeniacae Semen Amarum) or spiny jujube (Ziziphi Spinosi Semen) that are not suited to baking are first set aside while the other medicinals are ground. They are then ground together with a part of the preground powder, which absorbs the oil and facilitates the grinding process. Soft sticky agents such as cooked rehmannia (Rehmanniae Radix Conquita), cornus (Corni Fructus), and lycium berry (Lycii Fructus) may also be ground with part of the preground agents, then sun-dried or oven-dried, and finally ground to a fine powder. Agents such as bovine bezoar (Bovis Bezoar) and borneol (Borneolum), which, being used in such small quantities, may be lost if ground together with the other medicinals, may be ground in a porcelain mortar and added to the other powdered agents. Finally, medicinals such as realgar (Realgar), sulfur (Sulphur), and niter (Nitrum) should not be ground since they may catch fire or explode.
precedence of pulse over signs
A principle that applies when an apparent contradiction exists between the pulse and other signs, and the pulse should be taken as the truer indicator of the condition. For example, in an internal heat block with a rapid sunken pulse and reversal cold of the limbs, the pulse faithfully represents the true condition. The signs only reflect the misleading presence of cold due to the confinement of heat in the interior. In some cases, pulse and signs represent different aspects of the condition. Where, for example, drum distention (ascites) is accompanied by a weak, faint pulse, the signs truly reflect the repletion of evil qi, whereas the pulse truly reflects the vacuity of right qi. In such cases, giving precedence to the pulse or to the signs would involve a decision about treatment priorities (supplementation followed by attack or attack followed by supplementation).
precedence of signs over the pulse
A principle that applies when an apparent contradiction exists between the pulse and other signs, and these other signs should be taken as a truer indicator of the condition. For example, in gastrointestinal heat bind, characterized by abdominal pain that refuses pressure, constipation, and a thick parched yellow tongue fur, the appearance of a slow fine pulse reflects only misleading side-effects of the condition---the interior heat bind impairing qi dynamic and the smooth flow of blood through the vessels. The signs therefore take precedence over the pulse.
precipitate
To cause expulsion of stool; to eliminate evil through the bowels.
precipitating depressed upper body fire
To treat a)~depressed heat in the lung and stomach characterized by sore swollen throat, mouth and tongue sores, painful swollen gums, gaping of the gums, nosebleed, feverish agitation in the chest and diaphragm, constipation, and bad breath; or b)~liver fire flaming upward characterized by headache, reddening of the face and eyes, yellow tongue fur, constipation, deafness and tinnitus, heart vexation, and irascibility.
Medication: The chief medicinal in both cases is rhubarb (Rhei Rhizoma). To treat depressed heat in the lung and stomach it is combined with heat-clearing and toxin-resolving medicinals such as charred gardenia (Gardeniae Fructus Carbonisatus), moutan (Moutan Radicis
precipitating gastrointestinal heat bind
To eliminate yang brightness bowel repletion through precipitation. Yang brightness bowel repletion is characterized by tidal heat~effusion, abdominal distention that refuses pressure, constipation, old yellow or burnt-yellow tongue fur, or a dry fissured tongue with parched black fur and prickles at the tip and margins, and a forceful slippery sunken pulse. These signs are classically summarized with the words glomus, fullness, dryness, and repletion. In severe cases there may be delirious speech and manic agitation, or diarrhea characterized by foul-smelling stool and burning sensation on defecation, together with fecal impaction (classically referred to as heat bind with circumfluence).
Medication: The principal medicinal used in precipitating gastrointestinal heat bind is rhubarb (Rhei Rhizoma), which frees the stool, drains fire, resolves toxin, and flushes the heat bind. It is often used with mirabilite (Mirabilitum), which is salty and cold, and
precipitating heat toxin
To eliminate heat toxin through precipitation in patterns of externally contracted heat (febrile) disease either with high fever, agitation, clouded spirit, or with heat toxin penetrating the construction aspect with such signs as frenetic blood movement, maculopapular eruptions, bleeding, and intestinal abscesses.
Medication: The main medicinal used is rhubarb (Rhei Rhizoma), which is combined with large quantities of heat-clearing, toxin-resolving, and blood-cooling medicinals such as coptis (Coptidis Rhizoma), scutellaria (Scutellariae Radix), puccoon (Lithospermi, Macrotomi
precipitating qi
downbearing qi.
Precipitation
cold precipitation
warm precipitation
moist precipitation
expelling water
precipitation
One of the eight methods. The stimulation of fecal flow to expel repletion evils and remove accumulation and stagnation. The Inner Canon states, ``Precipitation involves the drawing out of evils'' and ``lodging is treated by attack.'' Precipitation involves different methods, which can be classified as follows: (1) Draining fire: a)~ precipitating gastrointestinal heat bind (used to treat yang brightness bowel patterns); b)~ precipitating heat toxin (used to expel evil fire and heat toxin through the bowels); c)~ precipitating depressed upper body fire (used to treat liver fire flaming upward and depressed heat in the lung and stomach). (2) Expelling cold accumulations. (3) Expelling water. (4) Moistening the intestines. In addition, precipitation may be combined with other methods of treatment such as transforming phlegm, transforming static blood, dispersing food accumulations, and expelling parasites. Precipitation is an important method of expelling evils, and may be used when the evils binding in the interior give rise to interior repletion patterns. In clinical practice, careful evaluation of the relative strength of right qi and the evil is necessary to ensure that a formula appropriate for the patient's condition is chosen. Different forms of precipitation are listed above, and draining precipitation medicinals are listed below.
Medication: Treatment:
Draining Precipitation Medicinals ()
Attacking precipitants
rhubarb (Rhei Rhizoma)
raw rhubarb (Rhei Rhizoma Crudum)
refined mirabilite (Mirabilitum Depuratum)
impure mirabilite (Mirabilitum Non-Purum)
mirabilite (Mirabilitum)
se
precipitation of blood
Bloody stool, especially when severe.
predecoction
Decocting hard medicinal materials requiring a long boiling time before the other medicinals of the formula are added. medicinals commonly requiring predecoction include minerals and shells such as gypsum (Gypsum), hematite (Haematitum), goose throat stone (Balanophyllia seu Stalactitum), oyster shell (Ostreae Concha), and turtle shell (Amydae Carapax). These are crushed and brought to the boil over a fierce flame and are boiled for 10--15 minutes before adding the other ingredients. Raw arisaema (Arisaematis Rhizoma Crudum) and raw wild aconite (Aconiti Tsao-Wu-Tou Tuber Crudum) can be predecocted to reduce their toxicity. Ephedra (Ephedrae Herba) can be predecocted to prevent it from causing heart vexation. This is done by boiling it for a few seconds, removing the scum and adding more water before the remaining ingredients are added.
predilection for greasy and rich foods
A tendency to eat fatty, sweet, salty, and spicy foods. It increases susceptibility to phlegm-damp.
pregnancy
The state of being great with child.
pregnancy pulse
A pulse characteristic of pregnancy. In pregnancy, the pulse is often slippery and harmonious, or slippery and rapid, beating forcefully against the fingers. Elementary Questions states, ``Yin contending differently from yang means having a child.'' Elementary Questions states, ``Women whose hand lesser yin channel is markedly stirring are pregnant.'' The Bin-Hu Sphygmology states ``Slippery and harmonious can decide pregnancy.'' The Golden Mirror of Medicine states, ``Slippery, racing, and scattered indicates that the fetus must be three months; not scattered under pressure can differentiate a five-month fetus.''
pregnancy qi
Swelling in pregnancy with long voidings of clear urine, arising when spleen-yang vacuity and damage by dampness allow damp qi to brew internally and disturb movement and transformation, so that water-damp collects and flows downward.
Medication: Use variations of Life-for-All Ovate Atractylodes Powder.
premature ejaculation
Synonyms: deviated menstruation.
Ejaculation shortly after insertion, followed by subsiding erection that prevents further coitus. Premature ejaculation is attributed to hyperactivity of the ministerial fire, to insecurity of kidney qi, to heart-spleen depletion, to liver channel damp-heat, or to binding depression of liver qi.
premenstrual bloody stool
The passing of bloody stool that starts before each menstrual period and that ceases by the end of the period. Premenstrual bloody stool arises when consumption of hot acrid blood drying foods causes heat to become depressed in the intestines so that the filling of the uterus with qi and blood before the menstrual period stirs the latent heat in the intestines and causes frenetic movement of the blood. Accompanying signs include red face and dry lips, dry throat and bitter taste in the mouth, thirst and scant thick purple red menstrual flow or, in severe cases, menstrual block.
Medication: Use Sanguisorba Powder plus dried/fresh rehmannia (Rehmanniae Radix Exsiccata seu Recens), red peony (Paeoniae Radix Rubra), and mume (Mume Fructus). For unpronounced heat, remove coptis (Coptidis Rhizoma) and gardenia (Gardeniae Fructus). For dry bound s
premenstrual syndrome
The regular occurrence about a week before each menstrual period of signs such as vexation, agitation, and irascibility, variously attended by painful distention of the breasts, clouded head and headache or hemilateral headache, fatigue, somnolence, oppression in the chest, sore throat and hoarse voice, abdominal distention and aching lumbus, water swelling, diarrhea, pain in the joints, urticaria, or itchy skin. Signs characteristically abate swiftly with the onset of menstruation. ``Premenstrual syndrome'' is a term adopted from Western medicine, but in Chinese medicine signs such as irascibility and painful distention of the breasts are classic signs of binding depression of liver qi. Their regular appearance in the menstrual cycle is understood in terms of the liver's free coursing function and the thoroughfare and controlling vessels' control over menstruation. Other signs are explained by different mechanisms, e.g., aching lumbus and knees by insufficiency of kidney yin.
Medication: For binding depression of liver qi marked by premenstrual irascibility, painful distention of the breasts, dizzy head or headache, and poor appetite, course the liver and resolve depression with variations of Moutan and Gardenia Free Wanderer Powder. For
Acupuncture: For binding depression of liver qi, base treatment mainly on LR, PC, and SP. Selection PC-6 (Inner Pass), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), LR-3 (Supreme Surge), BL-18 (Liver Transport), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), and LI-4 (Union Vall
premenstrual vomiting
Vomiting just before menstrual periods. Premenstrual vomiting arises when ingested water fails to be transformed, or when food damage causes stagnation in patients with weak stomachs. In the first case, the vomitus is watery; in the second, there is stomach pain.
Medication: Treat water-rheum by warming the center and transforming rheum with clove (Caryophylli Flos), dried ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma Exsiccatum), and ovate atractylodes (Atractylodis Ovatae Rhizoma) ground to a powder (5~g at time with water that rice has been
preparation
preparation of medicinals
Making a medicinal or medicinals of a formula ready for consumption or application; the making of medicinal preparations. Medicinals are prepared in different ways to ensure maximum effectiveness and convenience of storage or use. The preparation of medicinals from processing of medicinals, which refers to the treatment of individual medicinals before they are combined in a formula.
presence of root
presence of spirit
presence of stomach
prevalence
A strengthening of yin or yang.
prick to bleed
To prick the skin with a brisk stabbing action to produce a few drops of blood.
pricking and cupping
Synonyms: prickly heat toxin.
A method of cupping whereby a cup is applied to an area of skin that has been pricked with a cutaneous needle (e.g., a plum blossom needle). This method, which can draw large amounts of blood if the area has been heavily pricked, is used for cinnabar toxin, sprain, or mammary welling-abscess.
prickly heat
A disease characterized by red papules attended with itching and tingling. Prickly heat occurs mostly in hot summer months, and is attributed to brewing summerheat-damp that inhibits sweating. It most commonly affects infants and obese people, and affects the head, neck, abdomen, back, shoulder, and groin. It appears as red papules the size of millet seeds, which quickly turn into water vesicles or pustules, and are associated with itching and scorching heat. Scratching can cause the development of a prickly heat toxin sore, equivalent to hidradenitis spoken of in Western medicine.
Medication: Treat by taking orally a decoction of forsythia (Forsythiae Fructus), trichosanthes root (Trichosanthis Radix), red peony (Paeoniae Radix Rubra), licorice (Glycyrrhizae Radix), talcum (Talcum), plantago (Plantaginis Herba), lonicera (Lonicerae Flos), ali
prickly heat toxin
prickly heat.
prickly tongue
Projections on the tongue surface. Prickles often occur with red speckles, and are invariably accompanied by a scorched yellow or black tongue fur. They indicate exuberant heat. They occur in various externally contracted febrile diseases, particularly yang brightness repletion heat patterns, and in conjunction with maculopapular eruptions. The location of the prickles indicates the location of the heat. Located at the tip of the tongue, they indicate heart heat, while located in the center of the tongue they indicate accumulated spleen-stomach heat.
prickly tongue
Synonyms: prickles on the tongue.
principle of treatment
A general rule guiding selection of methods of treatment. A major principle of treatment especial in the modern practice of Chinese medicine is determining treatment by patterns identified, by which treatment addresses illness as reflected in clinical signs rather than addressing a single isolated cause. This principle notably includes like treatment of unlike disease, unlike treatment of like disease and action according to time, place, and person and is actually reflected in most principles of treatment. However, the most important procedural principle is treating disease involves seeking its root, i.e., its essential nature and cause. When the root of a disease is determined and hence the nature of the imbalance is understood, the question of treating the root, treating the tip, or simultaneous treatment of root and branch is decided by secondary principles that include in acute conditions treat the tip and in moderate conditions treat the root. Conditions involving evils require a decision on whether to dispel the evil and support right (see dispelling evil and supporting right), such as attack followed by supplementation, supplementation followed by attack, or simultaneous supplementation and attack. All disease can be seen in terms of yin and yang and hence all treatment can be viewed in terms of the restoration of the yin-yang balance, which involves either righting of yin and yang surfeits or righting of yin and yang deficits. Furthermore, a distinction is made between straight treatment and paradoxical treatment. Most methods of treatment are straight treatment, e.g., heat is treated with cold, cold is treated with heat, vacuity is treated by supplementing, and repletion is treated by draining. Paradoxical treatment includes: treating heat with heat and treating cold with cold. Paradoxical treatment is not strictly contrary to straight treatment, since, for example, cold is treated with cold only when the cold signs are false. Finally, principles of treatment include a number of warnings such as avoid the mistake of using heat against heat, avoid the mistake of using cold against cold, and do not harm stomach qi.
processing
processing of medicinals
The processing of medicinal materials by washing, cutting, frying, etc. Many materials may be purchased ready-processed. Apart from some basic forms of preparation such as crushing, grating, grinding, and cutting, most of these processes fall within three categories: fire processing, water processing, and fire and water processing. Water processing includes soaking and long rinsing. See entries listed below.
Processing of Medicinals
Basic processing
cutting
crushing
grating
flaking
grinding
Water processing
washing
covered moistening
soaking
long rinsing
water-grinding
Fire processing
stir-frying
plain stir-frying
2mm light stir-frying
2mm scorch-frying
2mm blast-frying
2mm char-frying
stir-frying with adjuvants
2mm stir-frying with clamshell powder
2mm stir-frying with earth
2mm stir-frying with bran
2mm stir-frying with rice mix-frying
2mm mix-frying with honey
2mm mix-frying with brine
2mm mix-frying with ginger
2mm mix-frying with vinegar
2mm mix-frying with wine roasting stone-baking calcination Fire and water processing boiling double-boiling steaming distilling Other
frosting
profuse dreaming
Dreaming more often than normal. Profuse dreaming occurs with insomnia in heart-spleen vacuity and noninteraction of the heart and kidney. When patients suffering from susceptibility to fright, emotional instability, heart palpitations or fearful throbbing wake from dreaming with a start, it is a sign of heart and gallbladder qi vacuity. When patients suffering from dizziness, heart palpitations, irascibility, copious phlegm, and oppression in the chest have confused dreams, this is a sign of phlegm-fire.
profuse menstruation
Greater menstrual flow or longer menstrual period than normal. Profuse menstruation is attributed to qi vacuity, blood heat, or taxation fatigue causing insecurity of the thoroughfare and controlling vessels. See qi vacuity profuse menstruation; blood heat profuse menstruation; taxation damage profuse menstruation. Compare scant menstruation.
profuse sweating
Synonyms: profuse urination at night.
Sweating in excess of the normal amount. Sweating naturally increases in hot weather, with physical exertion, and the ingestion of warm foods and beverages, and with hot spicy foods. Profuse sweating as a reflection of disease occurs in many different patterns.
profuse urination at night
Synonyms: anal desertion.
Waking two, three, or more times a night to urinate, and passing in the night a quarter or more of the whole day's urine; a sign of kidney yang debilitation or spleen-kidney yang vacuity.
prolapse of the rectum
The downward fall of the rectum through the anus. Prolapse of the rectum is most prevalent among the young and the aged, and is the result of center qi fall, a qi vacuity pattern, or of damp-heat in the large intestine.
prolapse of the uterus
Downward displacement of the uterus, in severe cases beyond the mouth of the vagina. Prolapse of the uterus is attributed to qi vacuity fall, loss of retention power of the girdling vessel and damage to the thoroughfare and controlling vessels, or to excessive childbirth, difficult childbirth or excessive straining during childbirth.
prolonged menstruation
Menstrual periods of more than seven days.
prominent green-blue abdominal veins
The appearance of veins on the surface of the abdomen, accompanying severe cases of drum distention. Prominent green-blue abdominal vessels are observed in qi stagnation and damp obstruction, liver-spleen static blood, spleen-kidney yang vacuity, and liver-kidney yin vacuity.
prominent mounting
A mounting pattern characterized by hypertonicity and pain of the lesser abdomen stretching into the testicles, or a lump in the abdomen with pus and blood; attributed to cold evil invading the liver and stomach channels.
Medication: Dissipate cold, move qi, and transform stasis. Use Life Saver Tangerine Pip Pill plus flying squirrel's droppings (Trogopteri seu Pteromydis Excrementum), red peony (Paeoniae Radix Rubra), cyathula (Cyathulae Radix), and tangkuei (Angelicae Sinensis Radix
promoting absorption of qi by the kidney
To treat failure of the kidney to ensure the absorption of qi through the lung, a condition known as the kidney failing to absorb qi and characterized by short rapid breathing, panting at the slightest exertion, vacuity sweating, cold limbs, a bright white or dark green-blue complexion, or upbearing fire flush, and a fine sunken pulse.
Medication: Kidney-supplementing medicinals such as aconite (Aconiti Tuber Laterale), cinnamon bark (Cinnamomi Cortex), cooked rehmannia (Rehmanniae Radix Conquita), cornus (Corni Fructus), walnut (Juglandis Semen), amethyst/fluorite (Amethystum seu Fluoritum), stala
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on KI, CV, GV, and BL. Select CV-4 (Pass Head), BL-23 (Kidney Transport), BL-13 (Lung Transport), BL-43 (Gao-Huang Transport), KI-3 (Great Ravine), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh), LU-9 (Great Abyss), and CV-6 (Sea of Qi); needle with supplement
promoting heart-kidney interaction
Synonyms: promoting heart-kidney interaction.
To treat noninteraction of the heart and kidney characterized by heart palpitations, headache, insomnia, forgetfulness, seminal emission, tinnitus, deafness, aching lumbus and limp legs, short voidings of reddish urine, red tongue, and fine rapid pulse.
Medication: Medicinals that promote heart-kidney interaction include dried/fresh rehmannia (Rehmanniae Radix Exsiccata seu Recens), ophiopogon (Ophiopogonis Tuber), lily bulb (Lilii Bulbus), lycium berry (Lycii Fructus), ligustrum (Ligustri Fructus), eclipta (Eclipta
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on back transport points, HT, and KI. Select BL-15 (Heart Transport), BL-23 (Kidney Transport), KI-3 (Great Ravine), KI-1 (Gushing Spring), HT-7 (Spirit Gate), PC-8 (Palace of Toil), PC-7 (Great Mound), and SP-6 (Three Yin Intersecti
promoting interaction of the heart and kidney
Synonyms: freeing milk.
promoting lactation
Synonyms: freeing menstruation.
promoting menstruation
Synonyms: warming yang and disinhibiting dampness.
promoting qi transformation and disinhibiting water
Synonyms: sweating
promoting sweat
propping
propping bind below the heart
propping fullness
A feeling of fullness under the arch of the ribs.
propping fullness in the chest and rib-side
propping rheum
One of the four rheums; water below the heart, causing signs such as cough, copious phlegm, rapid breathing, inability to lie flat, facial swelling, soot black complexion, and dizziness.
Medication: Warm the lung, transform rheum, and calm panting with formulas such as Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction or Tingli and Jujube Lung-Draining Decoction. For vacuity-repletion cold-heat complexes, use variations of Woody Fangji Decoction. See phlegm-rheum. C
protracted tongue
protrusion and worrying of the tongue
Protrusion of the tongue is a state in which the tongue is loosely stretched and hangs out of the mouth. Worrying is when the tongue moves in a circular motion whereby the tip is extended from and retracted back into the mouth, or licks the upper and lower lips or the corners of the mouth. The combined sign is usually observed in infants and children, and is attributed to exuberant heart-spleen heat. Compare extended tongue.
protrusion of the umbilicus
Enlargement and projection of the umbilicus in the newly born. Protrusion of the umbilicus is attributed to failure to tie the umbilical cord tightly allowing bathing water to enter. It usually requires no treatment and disappears with time.
protuberant bone
The protruding bone on the back of the wrist on the side of the little finger.
proximal bleeding
Internal bleeding from a point close to the anus (i.e., in the rectum) or from the anus itself, manifesting in bright red blood in the stool or blood followed by stool. Proximal bleeding is observed in intestinal wind, hemorrhoids, anal fistula, and visceral toxin.
pubic louse sore
A papular eruption occurring in the pubic region, caused by pubic lice (identified in Western medicine as Phthirus pubis). The eruption consists of red or pink small itchy pimples that turn into sores when scratched.
Medication: Treat by applying Mercury and Apricot Kernel Carefree Powder topically.
pudendal itch
Synonyms: puffy swelling of the face and eyes.
Itching of the female external genitals or vagina; attributed either to damp-heat pouring downward or liver-kidney yin vacuity.
puffy face
A face affected by vacuity swelling that springs back up with the hand after being pressed. Puffy face is qi swelling caused by qi vacuity. It differs from the puffy swelling of the head and face with sleeping silkworms beneath the eyes that pit under pressure, which is a sign of water swelling due to water evil. Puffy face is attributable to lung qi vacuity or insufficiency of spleen yang.
puffy swelling
Synonyms: puffy face.
Elementary Questions. Water swelling or vacuity puffiness. A distinction is sometimes made between swelling and puffiness, swelling being repletion and puffiness being vacuity. Puffy swelling is caused by debilitation of the visceral qi of the lung, spleen, and kidney. Lung vacuity deprives water of transformation; spleen vacuity means that water is not dammed; kidney vacuity means that water is not governed. When the spleen is affected, there is puffy swelling of the flesh; when the lung is affected, there is rapid panting. See water swelling. Consult Jing-Yue's Complete Compendium. See water swelling. Compare also vacuous puffiness.
puffy swelling of the face and eyes
pulling heart
Heart palpitations characterized by a pulling or contracting sensation and even pain, accompanied by shortness of breath and diarrhea. Pulling heart is usually caused by heart qi vacuity cold.
pulling pain
Pain that is associated with a pulling sensation or pain that stretches to another location.
pulmonary
Of, pertaining to, connected with, or affecting the lung.
pulmonary consumption
consumption.
pulmonary dispersion
Synonyms: distention of the lung.
lung dispersion.
pulmonary distention
From The Magic Pivot. Fullness in the chest due to evils settling in the lung. Pulmonary distention is accompanied by cough and panting, and pain in the supraclavicular fossa.
Medication: Diffuse the lung and dispel the evil using Spleen-Effusing Decoction Plus Pinellia or Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction Plus Gypsum. When there is a tendency to heat, use Supplemented White-Draining Powder. Where right is left vacuous after the evil has a
pulmonary epilepsy
Epilepsy in which episodes are marked by a gray-white complexion, upward staring eyes, convulsions, arched rigidity of the neck, loose open hands, open mouth and protrusion of the tongue, and utterance of a sheep-like cry; attributed to lung vacuity and damage to the liver and kidney.
pulmonary gan
pulmonary impediment
Synonyms: lung yin.
pulmonary liquid
Synonyms: lung mounting.
pulmonary mounting
pulmonary welling-abscess
From Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Coffer. A welling-abscess in the lung; arising when externally contracted wind evil and heat toxin brew and obstruct the lung, and when the heat causes congestion and blood stasis, which binds to form a welling-abscess that in time starts to suppurate. The classic signs are coughing up of pus and blood. Pulmonary welling-abscess is associated with heat~effusion and shivering, cough, chest pain, rapid respiration, expectoration of sticky fishy-smelling purulent phlegm in severe cases producing phlegm and blood.
Medication: Clear the lung and transform phlegm; resolve toxin and expel pus. Use Lonicera and Forsythia Powder, Tingli and Jujube Lung-Draining Decoction, or Platycodon Decoction with judicious addition of houttuynia (Houttuyniae Herba cum Radice) and wild buckwheat
pulmonary wilting
pulse
The throbbing of a blood vessel, especially one, such as at the wrist, palpated to determine the state of health of the body. Up to the Han Dynasty, the pulse was commonly taken at three positions: ``Man's Prognosis'' , i.e., the common carotid artery of the neck; ``inch opening'' , the radial styloid pulse on the wrist, and the ``instep yang'' pulse , dorsalis pedis artery. Nowadays, the first and third positions are rarely used, and the pulse palpated is that of the wrist. The wrist pulse is felt on the inner (palmar) face of the wrist, at the location described in modern anatomy as the styloid process of the radius. Anomalies of the pulse include oblique-running pulse and pulse on the back of the wrist. The pulse is divided into three sections: inch , bar , and cubit , which in standard procedure are felt with the index, middle, and third fingers respectively. It is generally agreed that, on the left wrist, the inch pulse reflects the heart, the bar reflects the liver, and the cubit reflects the kidney, whereas on the right wrist, the inch reflects the lung, the bar the spleen and stomach, and the cubit the life gate.
pulse bereft of stomach qi
A pulse lacking the regular and relaxed qualities that indicate the presence of stomach qi. A pulse that is excessively tight and hard, and that beats against the finger, a forceless vacuous, floating pulse, or a chaotic irregular pulse is a sign that the stomach qi is about to expire, and that the true qi of the wasted viscera is being exposed. If the true qi of the liver is exposed, the pulse is so tight that it feels as sharp as a knife blade. This is called stringlike only, without stomach. If the spleen's true qi is exposed, there are intervals between the beats of the pulse as long as between the drips from a leaky roof. This is called intermittent only, without stomach.
pulse condition
The form and pace of the pulsation of the vessels, especially at the wrist, as detected by palpation.
pulse examination
Examination of the pulsating vessel, especially that of the wrist, in order to determine the state of health. Pulse examination involves feeling with the fingertips the pulsation of the blood vessels, especially that felt on the inner face of the wrist (see pulse). The procedure for examining the wrist pulse is as follows: Elementary Questions states, ``The pulse should be taken in the calm dawn.'' Calm dawn is the two-hour period between 3 and 5~a.m. This is the time when the body is least subject to external influences. Usually, however, it is sufficient to ensure that the patient is rested and relaxed so that external and emotional factors will distort the patient's pulse the least. The pulse should be felt for at least one or two minutes in order to ensure maximum accuracy. The radial pulse is divided into three positions: the inch, the bar, and the cubit. The bar point is located on the anterior face of the radial styloid process. The inch point is located on its distal side, and the cubit point on its proximal side. Since the pulse is taken on both wrists, there are six positions in all, known as the six pulses. The patient should either be seated upright or be lying supine. The forearm should be in a horizontal position level with the heart. The palm of the hand should be facing upward, and the wrist, resting on a soft pad, is kept straight and relaxed. Incorrect posture may affect the flow of qi and blood, and thus falsify the pulse. To ensure maximum accuracy when taking a patient's pulse, the pulse-taker's respiration should be natural and even. The mind should be fully collected and thus able to detect even the slightest changes. The physician places the index finger on the inch point. The middle and fourth fingers rest on the bar and cubit points respectively. When taking the pulse, the following considerations should be noted: (1) The spacing of the three fingers used in taking the pulse should depend on the height of the patient. For a tall patient, the fingers should be spaced apart, whereas with short patients, the fingers should be kept close together. For infants, the use of only one finger may be necessary. (2) To ensure the greatest accuracy in pulse reading, it is important to use only the very tips of the fingers, and to apply even pressure with all three fingers. (3) The practitioner should note the difference in the pulse at the various levels of pressure applied. There are three basic pressure levels: the superficial level is found by placing the fingertips lightly on the skin. The deep level is felt by pressing firmly. Between these two is the mid-level. The practitioner feels for the different levels by moving the fingers slightly across the skin and by applying different amounts of pressure. (4) Simultaneous palpation is the normal method of pulse-taking, involving the application of all three fingers at the same time. However, sometimes a clearer picture of the patient's condition can be gained by applying the fingers individually to the three positions. (5) The practitioner is said to have ``found'' the pulse when the pulsation is distinctly felt. The practitioner concentrates on the different aspects of the pulse. The rate is measured by counting the number of beats to one complete respiration (one inhalation and one exhalation). The quality is judged by the thickness and length, the smoothness of the flow, and the regularity of the beat. Taking the pulse involves counting the number of beats, and identifying a form and pattern. It should be borne in mind that each of the types represents only one aspect of a given pulse. For example, floating and sunken describe the depth; slow and rapid describe the rate, whereas surging and fine describe the size of the pulse. In actual practice, these qualities occur in combinations. In most cases a patient's pulse is described with a composite term such as floating, slippery, and rapid, or sunken, stringlike, and thin.
pulse on the back of the wrist
Synonyms: acridity.
A congenital anomaly in which the radial pulse is located on the posterior face of the medial styloid process.
pungency
pupil
The black spot in the center of the eye. Also called water wheel.
pupil spirit
The black part of the center of the eye; the pupil.
The pupil, the spirit water (aqueous humor), and spirit jelly (vitreous humor), and visual lining (retina), etc.
pure heat
Exuberance of heat evil or heat qi. Elementary Questions states, ``Pure heat turns into center dispersion.''
pure-heat malaria
Synonyms: sweat macules.
Malaria characterized by heat~effusion without aversion to cold. See warm malaria. Malaria in the three yin channels.
summerheat malaria.
purple and white patch wind
A condition characterized by purple-brown or gray-white patches; attributed to stagnant qi and congealing blood traceable to accumulated heat in the organs and contraction of summerheat-damp (or wind-damp). Purple and white patch wind first appears as small speckles or patches, that gradually merge. The patches are clearly circumscribed and are characterized by smooth skin that bears a sheen, that may scale on scratching, and that may sometimes itch. The condition is milder in the winter than in the summer.
Medication: Apply Litharge Powder topically.
purple menstrual flow
Menstrual flow that is purple in color, i.e., much darker than the normal color. Purple menstrual flow is a repletion heat pattern arising when liver depression transforms into fire, which damages qi, causing qi heat that scorches the blood.
Medication: Clear heat and regulate the menses with Four Agents Decoction plus coptis (Coptidis Rhizoma) and cyperus (Cyperi Rhizoma).
purple tongue
Synonyms: umbilical wind.
A purple coloration of the tongue indicates an impaired flow of blood and qi leading to congealing blood stasis. A purple tongue is observed in either heat or cold patterns. A generalized green-blue or purple coloration indicates severe blood stasis. Purple macules indicate less severe or localized blood stasis. A glossy green-blue or purple tongue characterizes cold patterns caused by failure of yang qi to warm and move the blood. A dry reddish purple tongue indicates binding blood stasis due to penetration of heat to the blood aspect.
pursed mouth
Synonyms: kidney gan; wind ear.
purulent ear
Synonyms: slide-cupping.
A condition characterized by the leaking of pus or pus-like yellow discharge from the ear. Purulent ear is attributed to taxation damage to qi and blood, and to evils following blood into the ear causing heat qi to gather and produce pus.
push-cupping
A method of cupping whereby the cup is pushed back and forth over a wide area that has been lubricated with sesame oil, and now often petroleum jelly (Vaseline). First, smear the area to be cupped with petroleum jelly or other lubricant, and then apply the cup in the same manner as for regular stationary cupping. Once the cup is firmly attached, hold it firmly in two hands, and move it around over the affected area. Remove the cup once the skin is evenly reddened to the desired degree.
putrefaction
Rotting; the destruction of skin and flesh through disease that manifests in soreness and suppuration. Compare ulceration.
putrefying throat sand
epidemic throat sand.
putrefying throat wind
Synonyms: belching of putrid qi.
Throat wind (sudden severe swelling and soreness of the throat) marked by putrefaction and ulceration. Putrefying throat wind attributed to lung-stomach heat toxin scorching the throat. The throat is swollen, sore, and ulcerated, with a gray-white or gray-yellow surface that is easily wiped off. The edge of the affected area is irregular. Other signs include foul breath, sore tongue, and alternating generalized heat~effusion and aversion to cold.
Medication: Resolve toxin, drain heat, and disperse swelling. Use variations of Scourge-Clearing Toxin-Vanquishing Beverage. See throat wind.
putrid belching
Belching with the expulsion of putrid sour-smelling qi (gas). Putrid belching is usually attributed to spleen-stomach vacuity or nontransformation of food due to dietary irregularities causing food to accumulate in the stomach and intestines. It is a principal sign of food damage.
Acupuncture: GB-40 (Hill Ruins) and GB-34 (Yang Mound Spring) are commonly used points.
putrid smell
The odor characteristic of putrefaction.
putting forth oily sweat
