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Dampness-dispelling formulas

祛湿剂 〔祛濕劑〕 qū shī jì

Medicinal formulas that eliminate dampness, using water-disinhibiting dampness-percolating agents and wind-damp–dispelling agents combined with medicinals from other categories according to the presenting disease pattern.

Dampness is either of external or internal origin. External dampness is attributed to living in damp places, rainy weather, exposure to dew, wading in water, sweat-drenched clothing. It affects the fleshy exterior and the channels and network vessels, giving rise to aversion to cold with heat effusion, distension in the head, generalized pain, painful joints, and in some cases puffy swelling of the eyes and face. Internal dampness is attributed to dietary predilections for raw and cold foods, alcohol and dairy products, sweet and fatty foods, which damage the bowels and viscera, giving rise to distension and fullness in the chest and abdomen, retching, nausea, diarrhea, water swelling, dribbling turbid urine, jaundice, wilting, and impediment. Dampness in the exterior and dampness in the bowels and viscera are mutually conducive, so are often seen together.

Dampness often combines with wind, cold, summerheat, and heat and affects the body in different ways and locations depending the particular combination. Depending of the state of right qì, dampness can either develop with heat or cold. Thus, dampness can manifest in numerous complex ways.

Generally speaking, the following approaches apply:

On this basis, formulas for dispelling dampness are divided into the categories discussed below.

Dampness and water are different in name but share the same nature. Dampness is mild water, and water is accumulated dampness. In the human body, water is governed by the kidney, controlled by the spleen, and regulated by the lung. So, water-damp diseases affect these three viscera. Spleen vacuity engenders dampness, kidney vacuity causes water to flood, lung failing in its diffusion and downbearing functions affects the distribution of fluids; hence treatments for dampness target these three viscera. Furthermore, the triple burner and bladder also play a role in regulating the movement of water. In particular, when the bladder qì is inhibited, urine ceases to flow.

Cautions

Dampness is a yīn evil. It is heavy, turbid, sticky, and slimy. It hampers qì dynamic, causing qì stagnation that further damages the natural ability to move and transform dampness. For this reason, it often has to be combined with qì-rectifying medicinals to be fully effective.

Dampness-dispelling formulas include aromatic dampness-drying agents and sweet and bland dampness-percolating medicinals, both of which can damage yīn liquid, so they have to bused with care in patients suffering from yīn vacuity and fluid depletion.

Subcategories

  1. Dampness-transforming stomach-harmonizing formulas
  2. Heat-clearing dampness-dispelling formulas
  3. Water-disinhibiting and dampness-percolating formulas
  4. Water-damp warming and transforming formulas
  5. Wind-dispelling dampness-overcoming formulas

1. Dampness-Transforming Stomach-Harmonizing Formulas

Dampness-transforming stomach-harmonizing formulas treat dampness causing stomach disharmony, manifesting in glomus and distension and fullness in the stomach duct and abdomen, belching, acid swallowing, retching and vomiting, diarrhea, reduced eating, and fatigue and lack of strength.

Main agents

Representative formulas

2. Heat-Clearing Dampness-Dispelling Formulas

Heat-clearing dampness-dispelling formulas treat damp-heat of external or internal origin, including conditions of damp-heat pouring downward, such as damp warmth disease, jaundice, sudden turmoil, heat strangury, dysentery, diarrhea, and lower-body wilting and impediment.

They use heat-clearing dampness-disinhibiting medicinals such as the following:

They also used heat-clearing dampness-drying medicinals such as:

Representative formulas

3. Water-Disinhibiting and Dampness-Percolating Formulas

Water-disinhibiting dampness-percolating formulas disinhibit urination to enable dampness to pass out through the urine in the treatment of dribbling urinary block, strangury-turbidity, water swelling, and diarrhea.

Main agents

Representative formulas

4. Water-Damp Warming and Transforming Formulas

Water-damp warming and transforming formulas treat vacuous yáng failing to transform water-damp with dampness forming with cold, giving rise to phlegm-rheum, water swelling, and impediment patterns. They commonly use yáng warming and dampness-disinhibiting medicinals.

Main agents

Representative formulas

Wind-Dispelling Dampness-Overcoming Formulas

These treat external wind-damp giving rise to headache, generalized pain, lumbar and knee pain, inhibited bending and stretching of the limbs, and fear of cold with desire for warmth. It is treated with wind-damp-dispelling medicinals.

Main agents

When wind-damp is the causeof disease, the evil in the exterior, and when right qì is insufficient, it can become lodged within the body. Hence, formulas often include agents to resolve te exterior, supplement the liver and kidney, or boost qì and blood.

Representative formulas

See dispelling dampness.

Dampness-Dispelling Formulas

Dampness-Transforming Stomach-Harmonizing Formulas

Heat-Clearing Dampness-Dispelling Formulas

Water-Disinhibiting Dampness-Percolating Formulas

Water-Damp Warming and Transforming Formulas

Wind-Dispelling Dampness-Overcoming Formulas

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