Gastrointestinal accumulation

Accumulation of food in the stomach and intestines.

Comparison: Gastrointestinal accumulation shares the basic characteristics of food damage (aversion to food, nausea, vomiting or belching (with putrid smelling vomitus or gas), diarrhea or constipation, foul-smelling stool and flatus, relief from pain and distension after defecation or the passing of flatus. However, gastrointestinal accumulation is usually more severe than most cases of food damage, especially with the addition of palpable accumulation lumps in the abdomen, painful distension that refuses pressure, diarrhea with ungratifying defecation, or tenesmus. Causes include excessive consumption, especially of cold, raw, fried, rich, or fatty foods, and ingestion of unclean foodstuffs.

Medicinal therapy: Use offensive precipitation in accordance with the principle that lodging is treated by attack. Both abductive dispersers and offensive precipitants are used. Commonly used formulas include Minor Qì-Coordinating Decoction (小承气汤 xiǎo chéng qì tāng), Unripe Bitter Orange Stagnation-Abducting Pill (枳实导滞丸 zhǐ shí dǎo zhì wán), and Costusroot and Areca Pill (木香槟榔丸 mù xiāng bīng láng wán).