Dispersing food and abducting stagnation

Also dispersing food and transforming stagnation. A method of treatment used to disperse stagnant food and enable it to be carried through the digestive tract. Dispersing food and abducting stagnation, often called abductive dispersion, is employed in the treatment of food stagnation causing oppression in the stomach duct and abdominal distension, poor appetite, putrid belching, acid swallowing, and nausea and upflow, abdominal pain, constipation, or diarrhea with ungratifying defecation.

Commonly used abductive dispersion medicinals include crataegus (Crataegi Fructus, 山楂 shān zhā), medicated leaven (Massa Medicata Fermentata, 神曲 shén qū), barley sprout (Hordei Fructus Germinatus, 麦芽 mài yá), gizzard lining (Galli Gigeriae Endothelium Corneum, 鸡内金 jī nèi jīn), and millet sprout (Setariae Fructus Germinatus, 谷芽 gǔ yá). Radish seed (Raphani Semen, 莱菔子 lái fú zǐ), unripe bitter orange (Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, 枳实 zhǐ shí)and are ca (Arecae Semen, 槟榔 bīng láng) may be added to break qì, precipitate phlegm, and free the stool.

A formula used for this purpose is Harmony-Preserving Pill (保和丸 bǎo hé wán), which includes crataegus (Crataegi Fructus, 山楂 shān zhā), medicated leaven (Massa Medicata Fermentata, 神曲 shén qū), pinellia (Pinelliae Rhizoma, 半夏 bàn xià), poria (Poria, 茯苓 fú líng), tangerine peel (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, 陈皮 chén pí), forsythia (Forsythiae Fructus, 连翘 lián qiào), and radish seed (Raphani Semen, 莱菔子 lái fú zǐ). Unripe Bitter Orange Stagnation-Abducting Pill (枳实导滞丸 zhǐ shí dǎo zhì wán) has an additional precipitant action.

When the food stagnation is due to spleen-stomach vacuity, abductive dispersing medicinals can be combined with supplementing medicinals, which enhance digestive system function, thereby reducing susceptibility to food accumulation in the long term. An example of such a formula is Spleen-Fortifying Pill (健脾丸 jiàn pí wán), which contains white atractylodes (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, 白朮 bái zhú), white poria (Poria Alba, 白茯苓 bái fú líng), codonopsis (Codonopsis Radix, 党参 dǎng shēn), licorice (Glycyrrhizae Radix, 甘草 gān cǎo), costusroot (Aucklandiae Radix, 木香 mù xiāng), forsythia (Forsythiae Fructus, 连翘 lián qiào), coptis (Coptidis Rhizoma, 黄连 huáng lián), medicated leaven (Massa Medicata Fermentata, 神曲 shén qū), tangerine peel (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, 陈皮 chén pí), barley sprout (Hordei Fructus Germinatus, 麦芽 mài yá), amomum (Amomi Fructus, 砂仁 shā rén), crataegus (Crataegi Fructus, 山楂 shān zhā), nutmeg (Myristicae Semen, 肉豆蔻 ròu dòu kòu), and dioscorea (Dioscoreae Rhizoma, 山药 shān yào).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment on ST, SP, and CV. Select ST-25 (Celestial Pivot, 天枢 tiān shū), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), CV-10 (Lower Stomach Duct, 下脘 xià wǎn), CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), SP-4 (Yellow Emperor, 公孙 gōng sūn), Lǐ Inner Court (里内庭 lǐ nèi tíng), and CV-21 (Jade Swivel, 璇玑 xuán jī); needle with drainage.