Invigorating the governor of water to restrain the light of yáng

The method of treating kidney yīn vacuity, from a comment by Wáng Bíng of the Táng Dynasty on the line in Plain Questions (素问 sù wèn) that reads Wherever cold [is applied], but heat [remains], treat the yīn. The implication of this comment is that wherever the use of cold or cool medicinals to treat heat patterns produces no effect or makes the heat worse, the heat pattern is one of yīn vacuity with hyperactive yáng, i.e., a condition essentially of yīn vacuity that is treated by enriching kidney yīn (the true water of the kidney viscus). According to this principle, insufficiency of kidney yīn with yīn vacuity flaming upward causing dizzy head and vision, aching lumbus and limp legs, dry throat, and steaming bone with aching pain is treated with Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill (六味地黄丸 liù wèi dì huáng wán). Invigorating the governor of water to restrain the brilliance of yáng is now often called invigorating water to restrain yáng, enriching water to restrain fire, or enriching yīn to moisten yáng.