Heat due to insufficiency of yīn humor. Vacuity heat is characterized by vexing heat in the five hearts, insomnia, steaming bone tidal heat, dry throat and mouth, smooth bare red tongue, and a rapid fine pulse.
Medicinal therapy: In treating vacuity heat, nourishing yīn is of greater importance than clearing heat. Medicinals used include sweet wormwood (Artemisiae Annuae Herba, 青蒿qīng hāo), black swallowwort (Cynanchi Atrati Radix, 白薇bái wēi), stellaria (Stellariae Radix, 银柴胡yín chái hú), lycium root bark (Lycii Cortex, 地骨皮dì gǔ pí), anemarrhena (Anemarrhenae Rhizoma, 知母zhī mǔ), and phellodendron (Phellodendri Cortex, 黄柏huáng bǎi). A commonly used vacuity-heat–clearing formula is Sweet Wormwood and Turtle Shell Decoction (青蒿鳖甲汤qīng hāo biē jiǎ tāng).
Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on KI. Needling with even supplementation and drainage or with drainage at KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), KI-2 (Blazing Valley, 然谷 rán gǔ), and KI-1 (Gushing Spring, 湧泉 yǒng quán) can be used to treat vacuity heat. Needling with supplementation at KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī) and BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù) can be used to nourish yīn. For insomnia, add HT-8 (Lesser Mansion, 少府 shào fǔ), LU-11 (Lesser Shang, 少商 shào shāng), HT-7 (Spirit Gate, 神门 shén mén), and SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo). For steaming bones, add 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).