Vacuity fire

1. Depletion of true yīn causing low fever, tidal reddening of the face, vexing heat in the five hearts, steaming bone taxation heat [effusion], heart vexation and insomnia, night sweating, short voidings of reddish urine, dry mouth and throat, red tongue with scant fur, or a bare red tongue without fur, and a forceless rapid fine pulse. Vacuity fire is normally observed either in damage to yīn in advanced-stage febrile disease or in yīn vacuity taxation detriment.

Medicinal therapy: Enrich yīn and drain fire according to the principle of invigorating the governor water to restrain the light of yáng. Use formulas such as Anemarrhena, Phellodendron, and Rehmannia Pill (知柏地黄丸 zhī bǎi dì huáng wán).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on KI and HT. Select BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), KI-2 (Blazing Valley, 然谷 rán gǔ), KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), KI-1 (Gushing Spring, 湧泉 yǒng quán), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), and HT-8 (Lesser Mansion, 少府 shào fǔ); needle with even supplementation and drainage.

Point selection according to signs: For heart vexation and insomnia, add HT-7 (Spirit Gate, 神门 shén mén). For night sweating, add SI-3 (Back Ravine, 后溪 hòu xī) and HT-6 (Yīn Cleft, 阴郄 yīn xī). For steaming bones, moxa ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ) and BL-43 (Gāo-Huāng Transport, 膏肓俞 gāo huāng shù). The Four Flowers (四花 sì huā) can also be moxaed. For steaming bone extreme heat, drain and then moxa GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī).

2. False heat signs caused by exuberant yīn repelling yáng. See exuberant yīn repelling yáng.