Vacuity detriment

Any form of severe chronic insufficiency of yīn-yáng, qì-blood, and bowels and viscera, arising through internal damage by the seven affects, taxation fatigue, diet, excesses of drink and sex, or enduring illness. Distinction can be made between qì, blood, yáng, and yīn vacuity.

Biomedical correspondence: observed in tuberculosis, anemia, leukemia, neurosis, and a wide range of chronic consumptive diseases.

Patterns

Qi vacuity (气虚 qì xū) is mainly associated with lung-spleen vacuity detriment, which is characterized by lack of strength in the limbs, laziness to speak, shortness of breath at the slightest exertion, spontaneous sweating, and heart vexation.

Medicinal therapy: Use Center-Supplementing Qì-Boosting Decoction (补中益气汤 bǔ zhōng yì qì tāng).

Blood vacuity (血虚 xuè xū) is associated with heart-liver vacuity detriment, which is characterized by blood ejection or bloody stool, flooding and spotting, and dizzy head and flowery vision. In severe cases, there may be dry blood consumption.

Medicinal therapy: Use Four Agents Decoction (四物汤 sì wù tāng) and Chinese Angelica Blood-Supplementing Decoction (当归补血汤 dāng guī bǔ xuè tāng). If the vacuity is in the heart, use Spleen-Returning Decoction (归脾汤 guī pí tāng); if in the liver use Double Supreme Pill (二至丸 èr zhì wán); if there is internal stasis, use Rhubarb and Ground Beetle Pill (大黄蟅虫丸 dà huáng zhè chóng wán).

Yang vacuity (阳虚 yáng xū) is mostly associated with spleen-kidney vacuity taxation with reduced intake of food and drink, thin sloppy stool sometimes with nontransformation of grain and water, limp aching lumbus and knees, fatigue and lack of strength, fear of cold and cold limbs, impotence, seminal efflux, frequent long voidings of clear urine, somber-white complexion, pale tongue with white fur, and a sunken fine or slow sunken pulse.

Medicinal therapy: Warm and supplement. For vacuity in the spleen, use Aconite Center-Rectifying Decoction (附子理中汤 fù zǐ lǐ zhōng tāng); for vacuity in the kidney, use Cinnamon Bark and Aconite Eight-Ingredient Pill (桂附八味丸 guì fù bā wèi wán) or Right-Restoring [Life Gate] Pill (右归丸 yòu guī wán).

Yīn vacuity (阴虚 yīn xū) is mostly seen in lung-kidney vacuity-detriment. Lung yīn vacuity is marked by dry cough, expectoration of blood, dry mouth and throat, tidal heat, night sweating, tidal reddening of the cheeks, red tongue with little liquid, and a rapid fine pulse. Kidney yīn vacuity is marked by limp aching lumbus and knees, dizzy head and tinnitus, seminal emission and premature ejaculation, sore throat, reddening of the cheeks, red tongue with little fur, and a sunken rapid fine pulse.

Medicinal therapy: Treat lung yīn vacuity by nourishing yīn and clearing the lung. Use variations of Adenophora/Glehnia and Ophiopogon Decoction (沙参麦冬汤 shā shēn mài dōng tāng). Treat kidney yīn vacuity by enriching true yīn with an additional fire downbearing action. Use Major Origin-Supplementing Brew (大补元煎 dà bǔ yuán jiān), Six-Ingredient Pill (六味丸 liù wèi wán), or Major Yīn Supplementation Pill (大补阴丸 dà bǔ yīn wán).

See vacuity taxation; five taxations; six extremes; seven damages.