Autumn dryness

A disease attributable to contraction of dryness qì in autumn, and usually manifesting as mild conditions that undergo relatively few shifts. Distinction is made between cool dryness and warm dryness. Cool dryness is characterized by heat effusion, headache, aversion to cold, absence of sweating, dry lips and throat, ungratifying coughing of phlegm, and dry thin white tongue fur. Warm dryness is marked by heat effusion, mild aversion to cold, headache, dry skin, cough with sticky phlegm, dry nose and throat, thirst, and yellow urine. Wu Gen-Chu states, In the depth of autumn when cold weather begins and the west wind kills and depurates, wind-dryness is what is mostly contracted; this is cool dryness.... If there are long spells of clear, rainless weather and exposure to the autumn sun, warm dryness is mostly what is contracted; this is dryness-heat. This suggests that the distinction is made on the basis of weather conditions. The warm disease school places greater emphasis on warm dryness.

Medicinal therapy: Cool dryness is treated by acrid opening and warm moistening, and by coursing the evil and diffusing the lung. Apricot Kernel and Perilla Powder (杏苏散 xìng sū sǎn) or Scallion and Fermented Soybean Decoction (葱豉汤 cōng chǐ tāng) may be used. Warm dryness is treated by acrid cooling and sweet moistening with formulas such as Mulberry Leaf and Apricot Kernel Decoction (桑杏汤 sāng xìng tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: For cool dryness, base treatment mainly on LU, LI, KI, and BL. Select BL-13 (Lung Transport, 肺俞 fèi shù), BL-12 (Wind Gate, 风门 fēng mén), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé), LU-7 (Broken Sequence, 列缺 liè quē), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), and KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi); needle with drainage. For pronounced external cold, use moxa. For warm dryness, base treatment mainly on LU and KI. Drain BL-13 (Lung Transport, 肺俞 fèi shù), CV-17 (Chest Center, 膻中 shān zhōng), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé), LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), and CV-22 (Celestial Chimney, 天突 tiān tú); and supplement KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi). See also dryness evil invading the lung.