Miliaria alba

Small white vesicles on the skin, often occurring in damp warmth diseases when damp-heat evil becomes depressed in the fleshy exterior and fails to thrust outward and discharge. Miliaria alba is usually located on the neckbut may spread down the upper arms and abdomen. It only occurs when there is sweating. Although its appearance usually indicates that the damp-heat can escape from the body, it also shows that dampness evil is viscous and resists transformation. For this reason, there is recurrent eruption. When miliaria takes the form of clear, plump vesicles, it is known as miliaria crystallina (sudamina) and is a positive sign. If it is dull white and contains no fluid, it is known as dry miliaria and indicates exhaustion of qì and yīn.

Medicinal therapy: Clear heat, eliminate dampness, and promote diffusion and outthrust. Use Misty Decoction (氤氲汤 yīn yūn tāng). For dry miliaria due to dual vacuity of qì and yīn, add ginseng (Ginseng Radix, 人参 rén shēn), adenophora/glehnia (Adenophorae seu Glehniae Radix, 沙参 shā shēn), and dendrobium (Dendrobii Herba, 石斛 shí hú).