Simultaneous supplementation and attack

The principle of simultaneously supporting right and dispelling an evil. Simultaneous supplementation and attack applies in two cases:

1. where the evil is strong but right is not too severely weakened, or
2. where evil qì is strong and the first consideration is to expel it, whereas right qì is weak and cannot withstand attack (offensive treatment).

An example of the first case is were there is cold diarrhea due to mild interior vacuity (not persistent clear-grain diarrhea which would be more severe). Such conditions may be treated by simultaneously resolving the exterior and warming the interior, using a formula such as Cinnamon Twig and Ginseng Decoction (桂枝人参汤 guì zhī rén shēn tāng) as prescribed in On Cold Damage (伤寒论 shāng hán lùn) for dual resolution of interior and exterior.

An example of the second case is a condition requiring swift precipitation to preserve yīn, for which the normally prescribed Major Qì-Coordinating Decoction (大承气汤 dà chéng qì tāng) is contraindicated because of the presence of a forceless soft pulse. Instead, Yellow Dragon Decoction (黄龙汤 huáng lóng tāng) or Humor-Increasing Qì-Coordinating Decoction (增液承气汤 zēng yè chéng qì tāng) is used, to prevent sudden desertion following precipitation.