Summerheat-heat

A disease caused by summerheat, referred to as summerheat-heat by contradistinction to summerheat-damp. Summerheat-heat occurs mainly in the hot season and is characterized by pronounced heat signs such as high fever, thirst, scant urine, and heart vexation. In severe cases, there may be clouding of the spirit and tetanic reversal. Other signs include either absence of sweating or great sweating, and a large rapid surging pulse. High fever poses the danger of damage to fluids and original qì, which is characterized by such signs as scantness of breath, fatigue and lack of strength, dry tongue fur, and a thin and rapid or large and vacuous pulse.

Medicinal therapy: Clear summerheat-heat. Commonly used medicinals include gypsum (Gypsum Fibrosum, 石膏 shí gāo), anemarrhena (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma, 知母 zhī mǔ), licorice (Glycyrrhizae Radix, 甘草 gān cǎo), watermelon rind (Citrulli Exocarpium, 西瓜皮 xī guā pí), fresh lophatherum (Lophatheri Folium Recens, 鲜竹叶 xiān zhú yè), Six-to-One Powder (六一散 liù yī sǎn), and coptis (Coptidis Rhizoma, 黄连 huáng lián). Where qì and yīn are damaged, adenophora/glehnia (Adenophorae seu Glehniae Radix, 沙参 shā shēn), ophiopogon (Ophiopogonis Radix, 麦门冬 mài mén dōng), and dendrobium (Dendrobii Herba, 石斛 shí hú) can be added to boost qì and engendering liquid. Where clouded spirit results from orifice block, orifice-opening medicinals can be used. Formulas such as White Tiger Decoction (白虎汤 bái hǔ tāng) mainly treat patterns involving high fever, copious sweating, thirst, and a large rapid surging pulse. Wáng’s Summerheat-Clearing Qì-Boosting Decoction (王氏清暑益气汤 wáng shì qīng shǔ yì qì tāng) is mainly used for summerheat-heat with damage to qì and yīn, characterized by copious perspiration, a dry red tongue, thirst, vexation and heat effusion, and a large vacuous pulse. Purple Snow Elixir (紫雪丹 zǐ xuě dān) is mainly used for patterns including high fever, coma, and tetanic reversal.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on PC, ST, and LI. Select PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), and ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ); needle with drainage.

Point selection according to signs:

• For high fever, add GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī) and PC-8 (Palace of Toil, 劳宫 láo gōng), or prick Ten Diffusing Points (十宣 shí xuān) to bleed. For thirst, add HT-5 (Connecting Lǐ, 通里 tōng lǐ), KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), and TB-2 (Humor Gate, 液门 yè mén).
• For heart vexation, add HT-7 (Spirit Gate, 神门 shén mén), and HT-5 (Connecting Lǐ, 通里 tōng lǐ).
• In severe cases, select GV-20 (Hundred Convergences, 百会 bǎi huì), GV-26 (Water Trough, 水沟 shuǐ gōu), and HT-7 (Spirit Gate, 神门 shén mén); needle with drainage, and prick PC-9 (Central Hub, 中冲 zhōng chōng), PC-3 (Marsh at the Bend, 曲泽 qū zé), and BL-40 (Bend Center, 委中 wěi zhōng) to bleed to drain heat and open the block.
• For tetanic reversal, add SI-3 (Back Ravine, 后溪 hòu xī), LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), GB-34 (Yáng Mound Spring, 阳陵泉 yáng líng quán), and BL-57 (Mountain Support, 承山 chéng shān).
• For absence of sweating, add LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), KI-7 (Recover Flow, 复溜 fù liū), and BL-11 (Great Shuttle, 大杼 dà zhù).
• For great sweating, add HT-6 (Yīn Cleft, 阴郄 yīn xī), SI-3 (Back Ravine, 后溪 hòu xī), and LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ).