To treat a) depressed heat in the lung and stomach characterized by sore swollen throat, mouth and tongue sores, painful swollen gums, gaping of the gums, nosebleed, feverish agitation in the chest and diaphragm, constipation, and bad breath; or b) liver fire flaming upward characterized by headache, reddening of the face and eyes, yellow tongue fur, constipation, deafness and tinnitus, heart vexation, and irascibility.
Medicinal therapy: The chief medicinal in both cases is rhubarb (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, 大黄dà huáng). To treat depressed heat in the lung and stomach it is combined with heat-clearing and toxin-resolving medicinals such as charred gardenia (Gardeniae Fructus Carbonisatus, 黑山栀子hēi shān zhī zǐ), moutan (Moutan Cortex, 牡丹皮mǔ dān pí), scrophularia (Scrophulariae Radix, 玄参xuán shēn), arctium (Arctii Fructus, 牛蒡子niú bàng zǐ), and native achyranthes (Achyranthis Radix, 土牛膝tǔ niú xī). To treat liver fire flaming upward, these are combined with liver-draining medicinals such as aloe (Aloe, 芦荟lú huì), fetid cassia (Cassiae Semen, 决明子jué míng zǐ), prunella (Prunellae Spica, 夏枯草xià kū cǎo), and gentian (Gentianae Radix, 龙胆lóng dǎn). Diaphragm-Cooling Powder (凉膈散liáng gé sǎn) drains the upper and center burners and is used to treat depressed heat in the lung and stomach. Chinese Angelica, Gentian, and Aloe Pill (当归龙荟丸dāng guī lóng huì wán) and Toilette Pill (更衣丸gēng yī wán) drain the liver.