Precipitation

One of the eight methods. The stimulation of fecal flow to expel repletion evils and remove accumulation and stagnation. The Inner Classic (内经 nèi jīng) states, Precipitation involves the drawing out [of evils] and lodging is treated by attack. Precipitation involves different methods, which can be classified as follows:

1. Draining fire: a) precipitating gastrointestinal heat bind (used to treat yáng brightness (yáng míng) bowel patterns); b) precipitating heat toxin (used to expel evil fire and heat toxin through the bowels); c) precipitating depressed upper body fire (used to treat liver fire flaming upward and depressed heat in the lung and stomach).
2. Expelling cold accumulations.
3. Expelling water.
4. Moistening the intestines.

In addition, precipitation may be combined with other methods of treatment such as transforming phlegm, transforming static blood, dispersing food accumulations, and expelling parasites. Precipitation is an important method of expelling evils and may be used when the evils binding in the interior give rise to interior repletion patterns. In clinical practice, careful evaluation of the relative strength of right qì and the evil is necessary to ensure that a formula appropriate for the patient’s condition is chosen. Different forms of precipitation are listed above, and draining-precipitation medicinals are listed below.

Etymology

Chin 下 xià, descend, to cause to descend, precipitate.

NB: Chinese medicine expresses the idea of discharging fecal matter from the bowels as downward movement, which is one of the four movements (inward, outward, upwardand downward). Purge, a natural English equivalent of xià, means to cleanse.