Blood desertion

Depletion of true yīn and emptiness of the sea of blood resulting from insufficiency of the congenital constitution, anxiety, taxation fatigue, sexual taxation, damage by food and liquor, or massive or chronic loss of blood. Blood desertion is characterized by somber-white facial complexion that is sheenless and perished, as well as dizziness and flowery vision, heart palpitation or fearful throbbing, shortness of breath and faint breathing, cold limbs, clouding reversal and loss of consciousness. The tongue is pale; the pulse is empty and vacuous, or scallion-stalk, or faint and fine, verging on expiration.

Loss of blood deprives the skin and flesh of nourishment, hence the somber-white perished complexion and pale tongue. When it deprives the clear orifices of nourishment, there is dizziness and flowery vision. When it deprives the heart-spirit of nourishment, there is heart palpitation or fearful throbbing. The blood is the mother of qì, and qì is the commander of the blood. Massive loss of blood deprives qì of its support, causing qì to desert with the blood and giving rise to signs such as cold limbs and, in severe cases, clouding reversal and loss of consciousness. With the sudden reduction in the volume of blood that results from excessive loss of blood, provisioning-blood is insufficient and fails to fill the vessels; hence the pulse is empty and vacuous, or faint and verging on desertion. If yáng qì loses its support and disperses outward, there is a scallion-stalk pulse.

Medicinal therapy: Boost yīn and supplement the blood using Provisioning-Supplementing Decoction (补荣汤 bǔ róng tāng) or Ginseng Provisioning-Nourishing Decoction (人参养荣汤 rén shēn yǎng róng tāng). For acute hemorrhage, supplement qì, nourish the blood, and stem desertion, using Pure Ginseng Decoction (独参汤 dú shēn tāng) or Ginseng and Aconite Decoction (参附汤 shēn fù tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on back transport points, CV, and SP; select points such as CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport, 膈俞 gé shù), BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), and BL-21 (Stomach Transport, 胃俞 wèi shù); needle with supplementation and add moxa.

Point selection according to signs: For dizzy head and flowery vision, add GV-20 (Hundred Convergences, 百会 bǎi huì), BL-1 (Bright Eyes, 睛明 jīng míng), and BL-2 (Bamboo Gathering, 攒竹 zǎn zhú).

See also qì deserting with blood. For acute massive hemorrhage, see yīn collapse.